Ireland, Winter 2018

In the fall of 2017, one of my dear friends reached out and wanted to know if I wanted to take a week long trip through Ireland. Not having the opportunity to study abroad in college, I jumped at the chance for an adventure outside of the US.

Day 1: Dublin

Ireland was the first European country I had traveled to. I did not know what to expect when we arrived in Dublin mid February. It was rainy, which I had expected, but for the remainder of the week, we were blessed with mild weather. Seriously, St. Patrick or someone was on our side because Dublin got hit with a monumental snowfall the day after we left. We would have definitely been limited to some of our excursion had it snowed when we were there…but I digress…

We spent the first day on our own in Dublin before meeting up with our Tour group (CIE). We rode the Hop On-Hop Off into the city center of Dublin from our hotel and explored the area near Temple Bar , Trinity College and St. Patrick’s Cathedral before making our way to the Guinness Storehouse. We had arrived super early (thanks to the jet lag). The Guinness Storehouse had a self guided tour through the brewery with text, videos, audio and displays to keep you informed from floor to floor. You could smell the toasted malt as you made your way around each room and hallway. On the 4th floor was the Guinness Academy, where we learned to pour the perfect pint. We put our skills to the test & are now certified Guinness Pint pourers. 😈

After making our way through museum of advertisements and the taste-testing exhibit, we made our way to The Gravity Bar, to soak in the panoramic views of Dublin while sipping on one of the many Guinness’ consumed that week. It’s a fact that Guinness just taste better in Ireland. Look it up!

We ended our first night in Dublin throwing back some pints and dancing to live music at one of the many pubs near Temple Bar.

The next morning we were to meet our CIE tour group for a traditional Irish breakfast before heading out. Now, at first I was dreading the tour group…so lame, right? BUT I was so thankful we decided to go that route. The CIE tour chauffeured us from place to place. With the package - hotels, excursions & two meals a day were included, saving us quite a bit of money. (Extra thankful for not having to drive especially after a long night at the pubs AND because you have to drive on the opposite side of the road - was definitely not prepared for that!)

Day 2: Dublin (continued)

Our first day of the tour took us to Dublin Castle followed by dinner at the famous Merry Ploughboy Pub, where we were entertained by Irish musicians and step-dancers.

Day 3: Cork &Killarney

Day 2 of the tour was a packed with countryside views as we drove to Cork. We passed by Rock of Cashel and stopped for tea & scones at the Robert Dualla House for a Sheepdog herding demonstration. (I still dream about the homemade scones and jam. Yum!)

Next, we were off to Blarney Castle. We were given time to explore the gardens of the Blarney Castle. Of course we climbed to the top of the castle to participate in the tradition of kissing the Blarney Stone. Legend has is it that you kiss the stone in return for the gift eloquence and persuasiveness, or better known as the Irish “Gift of the Gab”.

We arrived in Killarney (County Kerry) later that day and had free time to ourselves to explore the town. We grabbed dinner at Murphy’s, which was walking distance from our hotel. After dinner, we hopped around to a couple pubs. Mid February is considered the shoulder season for Tourists. You could tell it was a little mellow in town, but we managed to find a crowded bar with live music, the Killarney Grand. The thing I find most hilarious about the live music in Ireland is the mix of Irish folk songs (which I guess you could say it’s their version of Country music) with older American hits like “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers & “Summer Nights” from Grease. Weird mix, but oddly so satisfying.

Day 4: Ring of Kerry

The next day we woke up early for a drive around the Ring of Kerry, soaking in the breath taking scenery of Ladies View and the 179 km of coastal views and rural villages. We stopped for lunch at Fisherman’s Bar in Portmagee and returned back to Killarney for the evening.

Day 5: Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty

The following day was dedicated to the Cliffs of Moher. If you’re visiting Ireland for the first time, I strongly advise you take the time to visit the Cliffs. Featured in many films and television shows, these cliffs are well known for their jarring beauty.

Post cliff walk, we spent the evening at Durty Nells, another popular Irish landmark, in Bunratty. Durty Nells is the quintessential Irish pub; where locals are welcoming and the pints aplenty. The bartenders convinced us to plot-twist and stay an extra night in Galway (our next destination) instead of returning to Dublin.

Day 6: Galway

After being (easily) convinced, we said goodbye to our tour group a day early. With Dublin only being 3 hours from Galway, we knew it would be fairly easy to grab a cheap bus the next day.

We grabbed a room at the Jurys Inn that was walking distance to all the restaurants, pubs and shopping. Galway was my favorite city we visited out of the trip. I found Galway to be a very walkable, charming city - it also had a really fun nightlife.

While in Galway, we ate dinner at Dough Bros - a recommendation from our new friends, the Durty Nells Bartenders. I know what you’re thinking, why would you eat Pizza in Ireland?? Well - the pizza was actually delicious and the place gave me a New York vibe when I walked in; bustling with groups of friends gathering for a bite to eat before a night out at the pubs. To my surprise, I looked up and the owners had hung a Joe’s Pizza box in their restaurant as tribute to New York pizza and their time spent working & living in New York.

That evening we checked out other recommendations such as Busker Browns, and Front Door Pub. We came, we danced, we conquered [Galway].

Day 7: Dublin

We woke up early and caught our early bus back to Dublin. This was our last day in Ireland! We celebrated the last day of our trip cheering on the Irish in the Ireland vs Wales Rugby match at Temple Bar (while also trying to figure out how Rugby is actually played).

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What I loved about Ireland

• Ireland is a very laid back country. Time is not of the essence.

• The people of Ireland were so warm & inviting; their eyes were full of life! (They also could talk your ear off !)

• The weather is fairly mild all year long, making it easier to plan a trip in the “off-season”.

• It is easy to visit multiple cities / towns in one trip.

• Everything is dealt with at the pub - good news or bad news, business, celebrations