Ireland 2019

Ireland | Jun 1 - Jun 9, 2019

I thought overall this was a well planned trip. Every day was different and it felt that there were different themes. We didn't drive long between locations. What made it so successful is that we had a framework and a structure, but allowed us the flexibility to change our plans during the course of the day. Weather is Ireland is always unpredictable. We had a challenging start but the weather came through nicely at the tail end of our trip.

On the first day, driving up to Galway made sense because it was accessible and it was an easy way to get started with some light tourist walking through the streets and getting a flavor of Irish culture. We especially enjoyed watching the finals of the premier league championship in a packed local pub which resembled a mosh pit. The noise and enthusiasm was electrifying.

I enjoyed Doolin, especially the pubs where the locals attended listening to music. I highly recommend Sheedy's B&B. We enjoyed hiking the cliffs of Mohr from Doolin to the tourist center as it was private and less people. Getting a taxi to take us back to Doolin was easy and convenient vs. taking a bus back into town. I think starting from the Tourist center is a mistake as there are too many people.

The Dingle penisula was my favorite part of the trip. Enjoyed the B&B and appreciated majestic views of the mountains in the backdrop along the coastline. Great walking trails. We just barely missed getting the boat over to Blassket Island but enoyed the museum had some nice walks in the AM along the coastline. We loved the Falconary and that was truly was an unique and unforgettable experience. The pub and music nightlife was great too.

Touring Skellig Michael was another highlight of the trip and we were fortunate for a very nice sunny day. Memorable. A must!

Heading up to Limerick the next day and seeing the castles and walking the trails was a good day to "strecth the legs". Nightlife was great too.

Ending our trip in Dublin was a good way to slow it down a bit. We enjoyed the museums at Trinity college, GPO (must), public gardens, as well as the Jamenson and Guinesse. Although it is a touristy thing to do, taking the "hop on and hop off" bus tour is a good way to get around to see the city. The early am drive from Dublin to Shannon airport was easy and not too taxing.