Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ireland

Convenient location; tiny rooms

A fantastic hotel. Convenient to everything. The rooms are large. The Snug Bar is a fantastic place to hang at the end of the evening.

This is a good trip if you are interested in seeing the Scottish highlands. The boat tour on Loch Ness is only 45 minutes and perhaps not worth doing. We instead ate lunch in the village and walked around - enjoying seeing boats go through the locks.

A fun boutique hotel in the heart of Cork. Great location for restaurants and shopping.

A beautiful hotel close to the heart of Dublin.

It was a good experience. Guinness did an amazing job with their visuals on there self guided tour. The pint at the end was very welcoming and I loved watching the pour!

It was a good interactive and informative tour.

This was a great food tour! Maybe because our guide Ciaran was so energetic, knowledgeable, and provided loads of laughs. The food was also enjoyable, especially the Irish coffee,

BEAUTIFUL little spot. Rooms were perfect and very clean. We had views of the ocean and loved watching the sweet little cows frolicking in the fields outside our windows.

Perfect little start to our tour! Enjoyed our accommodations during our Dublin stay and close to everything we needed.

This place was breathtaking. Jerry and Barnaby provided us with a warm welcome and made sure we had everything we needed during our stay. I can’t wait to go back and stay longer!

Luckily for our group we were upgraded to the penthouse at Citypointe apartments. Accomodations were perfect for our group!

Miss Jackie was the sweetest host! She made sure we had everything we needed and gave us some good recommendations to best utilize our time in Dooling and get the true Doolin experience!

The host was warm and welcoming and gave us the best recommendations for restaurants as they are in abundance in Killarney! The accommodations were gorgeous and clean, and we had a view of the mountaintops from our room. Lovely little gem!

We only had a quick night here but the rooms were beautiful and had a view of the cathedral right oitside our window. Lovely little spot and wish we had more time here!

This was one of our favorite spots! These dogs are incredibly smart and it was amazing to see them at work!

This was so informative and I was in awe of the library and the Book of Kells. Definitely one of my favorite experiences!

Beautiful scenery! Definitely an experience!

This was soooo much fun! Loved this band (bought a tin whistle 🤣) and the dancers were so entertaining! Dinner was delicious!

Such a great experience and the one I was most looking forward to! Our guide was sweet and knowledgeable and loved these amazing birds like her own! Truly enjoyed this experience!

We didn’t realize this was a horse and buggy tour (jaunting car) so we’re pleasantly surprised! The park was lovely and we loved seeing the wildlife roaming around so comfortably! Grounds were clean and I always love seeing an old castle! Daniel was a great guide and had the best sense of humor, and Dash had his work cut out for him!

Everyone at the hotel was kind and professional. The rooms were clean and pleasant. The breakfast was fresh and well prepared. Staff were always willing to help us with questions or arrange a ride, or make recommendations. Very pleasant stay.

Hotel was pleasant, rooms were clean, staff was pleasant and helpful. Food was good.

Room was clean and fresh, food was good. Restaurant adjoining hotel was very good

This was one of my favorite parts of our trip. She showed us all around Dublin, made great recommendations, answered questions we had, took us to historical sites and pointed out places of interest and the backstory.

It was impressive how much work goes into this crystal. It was interesting to see and learn about all the steps involved.

Seemed magical to experience this in a horse drawn carriage.

Lots to learn about, didn't know about the extent of the oppression by the British, and for so many centuries.

Driver gave us a more extensive tour, way up in the hills. We really got to see a lot of the countryside. Driver was an interesting character.

Learned about the whiskey making process and hot to taste some good whiskey

Clew Bay was a special treat. Family run, friendly service and comfortable rooms in a the lovely town of Westport.

Absolutely lovely with all its old world charm!!

Very lovely guesthouse with very helpful and attentive staff! Lovely tea house and courtyard made the place feel very homey.

I know it’s a must see for all Ireland visitors, but it felt very Disneyesque. The free Guinness pints in the rooftop bar were a nice experience

The driver for this tour unfortunately started the tour late and was not very knowledgeable of Irish culture and history. She had more interest in our cultural background than giving us the Irish cultural information that we really wanted.

This hotel was nice. The room was clean, the beds were comfortable.

This was our favorite hotel of the trip! The staff were very attentive and friendly. The beds were very comfortable, and our room had a beautiful garden view.. This hotel has the BEST breakfasts!

This hotel felt very odd. The first night we were there we had several spiders in our room and someone on staff came and cleaned them up. Other than the spiders, it was clean but did not feel like a 4 star hotel. It was very sterile and lacked basic amenities. The beds were terrible, they felt very cheap and made our backs hurt every night. Everyone we talked to (Drivers, Guides, etc) while we were in town gave us strange looks and wondered why we were staying there. Turns out, until recently this hotel was used to house displaced Ukrainians. There was one lady at the front desk that was very kind but the other front desk people weren't very engaging and the restaurant and breakfasts were terrible. It was also a bit of a far walk into town.

The lobby and main part of this hotel is very nice, including the restaurant but it is the newer wing of the hotel. Our room was in the older wing of the hotel, it was a hike and two elevator rides to get there, and that part of the hotel smelled old and moldy. Additionally, anytime a room door shuts in that part of the hotel, it slams, even if you try to close it gently. So you can hear everyone coming and going all night. The room itself was nice.

This hotel is close to the train station and the zoo, but it's far from shops and restaurants. The room was well appointed and clean. Ours was overlooking the HVAC units for the hotel so it wasn't quiet. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived, which is no big deal, but their luggage storage is in the basement of the parking deck and doesn't feel safe or secure. The breakfast was nice.

We enjoyed this! Our guide, Adrian, was wonderful. We had 5 stops and our guide directed us to other places we should try during our time there.

Our guide, Mike, was wonderful. But this activity felt underwhelming. It mostly felt like a stroll through the park with a friend.

Our guide was very kind and personable, however, she is the daughter of the company owner, she is in college and not really a knowledgable guide. We didn't really learn much. She also said she usually only does 1 hour group tours so she didn't know what to do with us for 3 hours on a private tour. We ended up letting her go early bc it felt like a waste of time.

We ended up joining a small tour from the pier, it was 25 Euro per person. This was well worth it and I would recommend this to anyone going to Inis Mor, or to book a private guide before arriving. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have been able to see much of the island because the notable sights are too far to walk to from the pier and the shops and restaurants near the pier are lacking. We had a fantastic lobster roll from a local food truck near Dun Aonghasa, and the little shops up there are much better than the ones near the pier.

Unfortunately, the day that fit our schedule for this was a Monday and very little was happening when we arrived. Restuarants and bars weren't even open. I took a picture in front of the matchmaking bar and that was about it. Our driver this day, Pat, was probably the best of the trip, He shouldnt us some other cools stops along the way and was really fun.

I didn't understand what a "jaunt" was and horses can sometimes trigger my allergies. So we skipped the ride and just went for the afternoon tea. The tea was really fun and delicious, we had a great time.

Great location and service.

Walking distance from town. Large room though a bit crowded.

We loved this quirky hotel.

The room was very clean but the environment was a bit sterile. Given that you must drive to everywhere, we were dismayed that they didn't allow food in the room and where they allowed food, thcommon room ,appeared to be closed. And since it was marketed as a B&B, I found this a bit deceptive because they don't provide breakfast. Hosts did not check in with us.

Central location with decent dining options.

Comfortable with good dining and atmosphere.

The check in process was great, the location wonderful,and the property very clean. Thought parking would be a issue but we had no problems. The room was a bit cramped...hard to move around. So small we had to leave our suitcases in the car. Too, the corner sink in the bathroon was barely accessible as it was blocked by the shower. Breakfast was great.

Great location, comfortatble room, great dining and entertainment options.

Underwhelming.

Very knowledgeable and entertaining guide. Tour helped us decide where to eat etc.

Great shopping and museums. Got to see things not on our planned itinerary.

A must do. This interactive museum really educates and entertains.

So much fun. Saw and learned things we wouldn't have with out the guide. The variety of food and drink was wonderful.

This was a highlight!!! Beautiful scenery, exceptional guide...well woth it.

Though we were unable to complete the bike ride...we were able to see the island and all it had to offer. Glad we went.

Educational and inspiring.

Really enjoyed this. Great hearing from a "local". He was very accommodating and funny.

Founbd the self guided tour a bit confusing. Lovd the catherderal---beautiful.

Loved it. Very thorough and informative.

Delicious!!!!! Always nice to learn about the inner working.

Excellent facility and tour. Remarkable history and experience.

Locally owned and run hotel that has clearly had a lot of care and attention. Very good facilities, conveniently located, and attractive dining and imbibing options. It looks as though a significant portion of the hotel's business comes from tour buses overnighting in Waterford. That was the aspect of the hotel that was less appealing to us. In the bar and restaurant we heard more American accents than Irish. The staff we came in contact with were almost all from countries other than Ireland. Make no mistake, they did a fine job, and were very accommodating. We simply prefer more local flavor.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Butler Townhouse in Kilkenny. Our lower level room was spacious and beautifully appointed. We had our own private access to the property's beautiful gardens, which in turn provided a shortcut to Kilkenny Castle. The staff was very friendly and went out of their way to be helpful. The breakfast there was provided in a gracious dining room, was made to order, and a touch we especially liked, was our own two tiered tray of breads and pastries. It was wonderfully indulgent.

Really lovely, gracious hotel. The room was elegant, and the breakfast area was equally nicely appointed. We were on the second floor (3rd to Americans), and the absence of a lift made getting our luggage upstairs a bit of a challenge, but that was the only thing that was less than ideal.

This was a fun day. When we got to Tramore, where we met Neil, our guide, it was raining, very blustery, and quite chilly. Before our tour was done that rain has stopped, the wind had died down, and the sun was coming out. Neil was a great teacher, very interesting, and clearly passionate about helping guests learn about the ways the Irish traditionally and today, get sustenance from the plants and sea life that show up with the tides. He is a very well educated and read person, with a keen interest in helping retain this traditional knowledge. It was a great tour.

This was an interesting day. We headed out onto the Mizen Peninsula from our B&B in Union Hall. Instead of going directly toward Mizen Head, on the advice of our host Carol, we went first to Three Castle Head just a few kilometers away but along some of the twistiest and narrow roads we encountered driving. It was occasionally nerve-wracking. Unfortunately the day was extremely foggy so although the nearby cliffs were dramatic, we couldn't see much of them or the sea below. We had a longish (but not really difficult) walk through lush green farm fields (well supplied with sheep droppings, and occasionally the sheep themselves). Initially we thought the fog might burn off and give us some great views, but instead it intensified, and soon we couldn't see more that a few yards ahead of us. We sort of felt our way over fields, up and down hills, over muddy and at times slippery paths, never being able to see the ancient watchtowers of the old fortress. After about 30 minutes though, some stone shapes started to emerge from the gloom, and there they were - three towers still standing (more or less) since the 13th century. For us, the lack of visibility actually heightened the sense of awe and mystery of the place. It was also completely silent, except for the wind and some vague ocean sounds, but no traffic, no hordes of people, no Visitors Centers, or souvenir stands - just a silent monument to another time. It was spellbinding. From there we went over to Mizen Head, hoping that we would get to see the dramatic sea vistas it is noted for. Alas it was not to be that day. The fog persisted and perhaps even intensified, so that when we arrived we not only couldn't see the cliffs said to rival the Cliffs of Moher, we couldn't even see the waves crashing onto the shore. We chose not to pay the entry fee to get access to the bridge and the walk. I guess that spectacle will have to wait for another trip. From there we went over to Crookhaven to get lunch and wound up at O'Sullivan's Bar right on the water in the harbor. It wasn't a fancy place, but just what we like - a place filled with Irish folk where we were the ones with accents. They endeared themselves to me because they had Beamish on tap, my favorite stout, which is not always readily available. We had great pub great lunch and enjoyed the friendly neighborhood vibe. The mood was enhanced even more by the golden retriever who wandered through the pub like he owned it. Maybe he did, because as we left we observed that he a commandeered a picnic table outside and was on top of it sound asleep. It was a memorable sight.

Today we visited Gougane Barra, a park about 60 kilometers or a bit more than an hours drive form our B&B in Union Hall. Unfortunately the weather was not with us this day either, because it rained steadily for much of the day. The drive is very rural and very scenic, and we enjoyed it. The park itself is stunningly beautiful. It was lushly green, heavily mossed, and there were little streams and small waterfalls all over. There are many kilometers of walking or hiking trails that we would have loved to explore, but the few people we saw out walking looked half drowned so we opted for the less adventurous but dryer view from inside our car. It was still spectacular and would be a must-do on a clear day. Our advisor Claire had recommended that we wind up our day in Castletownshend for dinner at Mary Ann's Bar. It is all the way back from Gougane Barra and past it to the tiny, tiny village of Castletownshend. At first we wondered about going past Skibbereen with all its restaurants, and on past Union Hall with a number of nice places as well. She was spot on though. It doesn't look like much of anything from the street (it is uphill from the eponymous castle). It didn't look like a lot from the inside either. It's a small pub with a small drinking area and an equally small dining area. It is run by an affable older gentleman who has a keen interest in mid-20th century American politics. He is avid fan of Harry Truman, and once he found out we were from the States he peppered us with questions about the 40s, 50s, and 60s in the U.S, He kept up a running dialogue for most of the time were were in his establishment. Oh, and his kitchen served up a 5-star restaurant quality confit and breast of duck for me, and a classic fish and chips for my wife. The food was amazing! This place is in middle of absolute nowhere, and they turned out just an amazing dinner.

Brian was a very personable and extremely knowledgeable guide for our walking tour in Dublin. As much of a capital city as it is, it is very walkable in the center and we got a very good sense of how the old city had been constructed, what some of the major areas are today, and he told us about some of the key historical events and personalities that helped shape Dublin. He even recommended some good places for lunch and dinner, which we followed, quite happily I might add. We very much enjoyed our tour with Brian and would gladly recommend his services to others.

Our guide was really engaging and a natural storyteller. In a conversational way he painted a vivid word picture of the history of Waterford and some of the figures who played prominent roles in its early history. It was a short but very enjoyable tour of the Triangle area.

This was one of the highlights of our trip. The EPIC genealogist, Julie, was a thoroughly professional and very skilled researcher. She helped us establish and document the identities of several family members about whom we had no prior information. She was also able to use obituaries, birth records, and census data to confirm identities and relationships. Our tree is now on a much more solid foundation, based on the records she was able to source, and she provided us with a document that contained all of her findings. It was so impressive to watch someone work who very clearly is very good at what she does. It was a privilege to observe her at work.

Our time with Pat was very informative and enjoyable. He is low key in manner and soft spoken, but he was and endless font of information about Kilkenny, its geography and history. We walked through much of the town and by the time were finished, we felt we had a short course history lesson that was better than anything we had ever taken back in school. Pat was a real gentleman, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him.

We had a very enjoyable meal at Kyteler's Inn. It was a crowded night but somehow we were seated at a corner booth recessed from but right next to the musicians performing trad songs. Dinner was classic pub fare that we enjoyed a lot, and of course there were a few rounds of adult beverages. I was introduced to and enjoyed Kilkenny Draught as well as there own stout which has a distinctive flavor markedly different from the customary Guinness or Murphy's. I liked that too. My wife is more of a Harp person, but we both enjoyed our beverages while listening to a couple of groups of local musicians. It was probably the most festive evening of our trip.

Dublin is a fun city. We only scratched the surface but we feel we saw quite a lot. Our first activity was the Book of Kels Experience, and as interesting as that was, it was equally fascinating to be in the Old Library, and to walk the grounds of Trinity College. St. Stephen's Green was a wonderful place to walk and just take in the people out enjoying the setting. One memorable incident was encountering a group of people walking 8-10 giant Irish Wolf Hounds. The dogs were just enormous, but well behaved on leash, and they made quite the spectacle. We made sure to visit the Guinness Storehouse. It was the ultimate in touristy things to do but it was also a little like making a pilgrimage. We prefer the smaller towns and villages over the bigger cities, but Dublin was the smallest feeling big city that we have encountered.

We made it to O'Neill's for dinner and music on our first evening. It was where I was introduced to Beamish (I really liked it), and experienced our first trad music performance. Ironically, we had seen the same solo musician on the street performing by the Molly Malone statue earlier in the day. We enjoyed his performance each time.

Wonderful hotel in the perfect location for Dublin. Breakfast was fabulous and our garden room had a lovely view. Very centrally located near a couple really fun pubs.

This property was amazing. The grounds were just spectacular - we spent most of one afternoon just hiking the very well maintained trails on the property. Over 5 miles by our count. There is a lovely perfect walled garden and kitchen garden that was one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. Our room was nicely situated with a river view. Perfect orientation.

This was one of our favorite properties on the trip. We enjoyed the breakfast very much, and also enjoyed dinner there on one of the casual nights. Very very nice. The property and the room we were upgraded to (Fuschia) were spectacular. The pub was warm and cold and we spent much of one rainy afternoon there by the fire. Perfection.

The view from the lounge are was spectacular!

I wish I could give this place 8 stars. The service was impeccable, the rooms were very nice and the location was very central to the parks we were visiting.

What a unique property! A straight up castle- it was very cool.

The room we were in (Pipit) was fabulous. Lovely and only one of two rooms in the building which made it very quiet. Lovely view over the lily pond.

Brian was great and we enjoyed his banter and stories of fairies and fairy trees! He modified the trip for us and was very flexible.

Beautiful views and locations - Wry scenic and not to be missed.

Really cool experience and our driver was super nice and knowledgeable about the area.

Our guide Emma was fantastic- not saying anything wrong with her at all. However we would have gotten a lot more out of it going through on our own. This is not an activity or museum where a guide is needed at all.

We did not go on this cruise as it was raining and the seas were rough. I would suggest it as an activity but not book it in advance. There were lots of spots available and could easily be walk up.

Amazing entertainment as well as food!

I would like to give 5 stars to our sheepdog Mac as well. This was amazing and one of my favorite activities. Well worth the drive!

They were professional and had an excellent breakfast. The room was spacious and clean and quiet.

We absolutely love the stately old gal that is the Hardiman. The furnishings were elegant but not in an intimidating way. There was kind accomodations at the front desk in allowing us to drop our luggage early. Loved loved loved the baby grand piano. Was surprised that the main restaurant was not open for dinner but we loved our delicious breakfasts there. The shower was a little tight for elbow room and our particular view was a little grim but we still felt the staff and service was great.

We arrived and were unexpectedly upgraded to a King Studio which felt very indulgent. Absolutely loved the free laundry and the very communal common spaces to share with others. Our first connection was with Elisabeth who was ver patient and gracious.

This was one of our absolute favorites. It had a balcony with a stellar view of the city. The restaurant was top drawer and the staff were incredibly attentive. Our room managed to be both grand and cozy (how does that happen)?! We had a lovely cup of coffee and a complimentary chocolate as we sat on the balcont. It felt very continental!

This felt a little more urban chic and possibly not as warm as the Granville. Very nicely appointed but very little room to get past the desk chair at the base of the bed. The extra twin size bed in the room might be a good space to move the desk to. The breakfast was great. The staff was very brigt and sunny at breakfast.

We loved that we had private transport. Our arrival (first) driver had no sign. My phone was not connected to wi-fi while we were waiting to get through customs so we were a little bit stressed in identifying which driver was ours. Though he was a great driver and very kind. He helped us with our bags. We were sorry not to have had change to give him a tip on departure. Our driver on departure was hard to find in the midst of a line of cabs all in a row but he found us and we were a-ok! He helped with the bags and got us to the airport on time despite traffic. Was a little early picking us up so that was great.

Loved our guide Michael and were so thrilled with his knowledge about sites and sense of humor. He drove very carefully and got us to each location without any issues. An excellent communicator in letting us know what time we should be back and got us back to the city right on time. We were knocked out by the Kylemore Abbey grounds though we somehow missed the guided tours on site timewise. Loved the sheepdog show and hearing details of what this is like for the owner to pursue on a professional basis. So thrilled this ended up being a full day rather than a half day for us.

Loved the history and information. Appreciated we had an actual guide taking us through the tasting. We were absolutely surprised by the quality of their product and hope to find it stateside.

It's an amazing tour though as a guide I was a little puzzled by the characterization of the schools origin story as being openly antipapist without covering some of the adjascent history that if you were catholc during that time period you were in fact disallowed an education by the penal laws. Later when they were allowed to enter the school they were characterized as denied on the basis of their ignorance. I mentioned the fact that the fact that they still spoke Gaelic today and how perilous it was for them to have kept their language alive in Hedge Schools. I believe our guide (who was lovely) had to stay on their proscribed script. I think they might revisit their script in relation to the trut of the penal laws,

We absolutely loved this whole day. They trip to Cobh and the Charles military Fort were a happy surprise. The whole experience felt very immersive in the way of being in the middle of peoples day to day lives. LOVED the grounds at Blarney. Our driver and Guide Tommy was warmly humorous and sharp as a tack. Loved the big windows on the bus. Really an excellent company.

So amazing to be invited into ths space to see the craftsmen at work. The environment meant it was a little challenging to hear our guide clearly. But there were other ways to garner information just by being there. Loved the history and details on the process.

Just a five star experience with some f the best actors in Ireland doing wha they do best in telling stories and lore about some of the greatest writers in the world. We had Frank and Finn (Phin). They unspooled a number of scenes effortlessly in the middle of the standard city hullabaloo. Most people had no idea the were actually learning something noteworthy!

Jamie was an excellent guide. We were not told at the desk that it was free to go to other musems that day (ie: first Wednesday) or what other museums we might visit if we felt inclined, but Jamie let us know as we walked along. An excellent primer on Irelands oldest city.

Paul did a great job but time of day and meet up place was a challenge as there was an overload of tings happeing in the park including on street vendor fair and hare krishnas singing wit amplification. Which made me think our guide might benefit from a little portable microphone. He had great information to share and really knew the city well. Loved some of his personal recommendations and insights based on his experience.

We loved Davy Byrnes Pub and were so impressed with the French Gueuleton restaurant in Temple Bar neighborhood. It was exceptional food and atmosphere. We'd be repeat offenders if we lived in the city.