My ideal trip to Ireland, and what I've learned from my travels
Favorite places:
The Burren -- geographical region in Co. Clare with bizarrely shaped mountains and plains of exposed bedrock from being clear-cut over 1000 years ago. It has a very wild feel and history feels very close. The Caher Valley is a hiking loop through land that is essentially the same as it was in Medieval times, including remains of ring forts and tombs. Stone walls in the Burren have followed tradition for 1000+ years as well, and different styles can be seen sprawling all over the region. It is also known for unique wildflowers in the summer, including wild orchids! The towns are beautiful, the people are kind, and the animals are numerous. Some towns are known for great music, sheep dog demonstrations, match-making festivals... I also love the combo of unique mountains, green fields, and the ocean (it is along the Galway bay). The Burren is where I lived, so I feel most peaceful and at home there. This website has a great list of things to do!
**On that note: Ballyvaughan, the town I lived in, is in the Burren. It has several great restaurants, pubs, a garden/perfumery, several historical/geo sites, great people, Burren College of Art and its Newtown Castle, Birds of Prey Centre, great hikes/walks, a beautiful environment... you could fill several days just in Ballyvaughan if you wanted.
Connemara -- possibly the most beautiful region in Ireland. It has a huge variety; bright green fields, earthy terracotta hills, peat bogs, sharply pointed mountains (beautiful colors!), dark evergreens, and ocean, including the Killary Fjord. The towns range from very touristy to quite remote, and cute villages in between with shops, restaurants, and beaches. It is also home to Kylemore Abbey, a gorgeous estate with a thriving visitor center. My favorite part of Connemara are the adorable sheep that dot the fields, hills, mountains, and even roads.
Killarney -- a bit on the touristy side for me, but it's for a reason. The town has a vibrant night life, and the park has lush trees and gardens, a waterfall, and walking trails that could keep you busy for days. The views are made even more beautiful by a lake cradled in a mountain range. I'd recommend getting out to Aghadoe as well -- fewer people and gorgeous scenery. And don't miss the Ross Castle! It has very beautiful grounds.
Dingle -- very cute town, more of a city feel than Killarney. It's on the ocean and has some of the freshest seafood you'll find. Great restaurants and music scene. You can also do the Slea Head Dr loop around the peninsula for gorgeous views, small hikes, and historical sites, or hike the entire loop on Dingle Way. There are also boat tours available and a friendly neighborhood dolphin named Fungie.
Portmagee -- quieter town with great seafood and tours to the Skellig Islands. Definitely some of the best views in Ireland, especially if you drive across the bridge to Valentia Island, and hike Geokaun Mountain.
Ring of Kerry -- I'd reccommend driving the ring from Killarney to Portmagee, and then the other half from Portmagee to Dingle the next day. The views are unbelievable, especially if it's not too rainy and there are great "tidy" towns along the way. Unfortunately there are also a lot of tourists and tour buses.
Galway -- very cute for a city (I'm not a city person). It's small enough that you can walk most of the city. It's very Burlington-like -- Eyre Square and the surrounding streets have great shops, restaurants, pubs, and an outdoor market. There's also some incredible history, since the city is so old. The shopping mall is great and was build around an old castle wall as a way to preserve it. Also great music. Claddagh (home of the claddagh ring) is within Galway, across a pretty river. As the arts/culture capital of Ireland, it has some fun galleries.
Dublin -- we did not go this year, because it wasn't on the west coast. It is a fun city though. It has a more modern feel than Galway. I highly recommend The George, Ireland's first (and most fabulous) gay bar. It's fun even if you're straight. The museums are awesome, especially if you like bog people, ancient artifacts, Celtic culture, and art.
Fanore -- cute town with beautiful beaches. It is fairly central to other fun towns and things to do, like Doolin (famous for music) and Ballyvaughan (the town where I lived!)
Things to do:
Castles, cairns, cahers, cashels, dolmens, monasteries... historical sites are everywhere. You can find them near you from one of these sites (1, 2), or asking around.
Wildlife -- I enjoy how different the flora/fauna are in Ireland, and have fun just walking around looking, maybe with a bird book or on an eco tour.
Geographical features -- each region has unique features, so ask around and find the cool sites like the Cliffs of Moher, Bridges of Ross, Mullach Mor, etc! The one that was hardest to find (and WELL worth the hassle!) was the Loop Head drive through Kilkee, Kilbaha, Ross... and other little towns. You can stay in holiday homes there, or just pass through. It has a lightouse, incredible cliffs with peat moss and thousands of birds, and also the last remaining bridge in Ross.
Hiking -- The National Parks are all great for hikes, have beautiful scenery, and show off each region's unique landscape. They tend to be a bit touristy though (although not Burren National Park as much), so I'd highly recommend Hillwalk Tours! You can check out their maps and tips/itineraries to enhance your own trip, or you can pay a little extra for them to do all of the planning! They'll drop you off in a town, and you hike to the next town where they've set up lodging and driven your bags! I would love to do it someday. They have tours of different hiking levels all over the country. There are also hidden hikes that locals can show you, like directly behind the college at the Burren College of Art -- it's a little tricky at times, and there aren't paths, but the cairns do a decent job of keeping you in line, and the views are absolutely stunning the entire way.
Driving -- some of my favorite moments in Ireland were simply driving from one destination to the next! Leave yourself extra time on each leg to enjoy the views, get out for a hike, or explore a town along the way. I especially loved views on the Ring of Kerry, Slea Head Drive, Connor's Pass, and Corkscrew Hill.
Beaches -- there are some beautiful beaches in towns like Inch, Lahinch, Fanore, Clifden, Dogs Bay, and the flaggy shore in New Quay, but remember that the weather in Ireland is rarely beach weather.
Islands -- the beaches off the coast are really cool and have interesting histories. I've only visited Inis Oirr (one of the Aran Islands) and the Skelligs.
Picnics -- I can't tell you how many times I wished we had a picnic lunch and books ready! I would love to spend hours sitting and reading (or just have more time exploring) at several locations, especially the Muckross house in Killarney, Coole Park (I could spend many hours there!), the cliffs on Loop Head Dr, walking trails around Ballyvaughan...
And obviously, restaurants and pubs are a great way to pass time, eat, and meet the locals.
Overrated:
Our next trip, we might skip the following --
Cities? -- we're not city people, but it does feel like the countryside is what makes Ireland so special
Cliffs of Moher? -- they're really cool, but very touristy. The cliffs on the Loop Head Drive are free, prettier, and fewer people
Inis Oirr? -- I'd like to check out one of the Aran Islands, but definitely felt that our time on the island wasn't a highlight this time. I did really enjoy it last time, so it may be due to the weather and the fact that I didn't feel well.
Killary fjord -- the first time I went, I thought it was beautiful, but this time it felt "eh"
Ailwee Caves -- they're cold and pretty much exactly what you'd expect if you've ever been in a cool cave before
Warnings:
Driving -- great way to get around, but the roads are treacherous in places, speed limits are extremely fast, and you're driving on the left side of the road, so make sure it's what you want.
Car insurance -- credit card insurance doesn't cover Ireland. The insurance offered by the car rentals is absurd. We went with Dooley because they advertised cheaper insurance. I didn't believe the prices, so I called to double check that they covered everything I needed, and they assured me yes. When we got there, it turned out that it comes with a $1600 deductible unless you pay several hundred more.
Norwegian Air -- great prices! Their baggage restrictions are ridiculous though, so make sure you've read the details and if your baggage isn't going to fit, change your ticket to include more bags beforehand -- this costs $30, versus the $100/bag they charge at the airport, or the $15/kg for oversized checked bags.
Weather -- Bring lots of layers and at least one good rain coat! Coming from Vermont, I figured I could handle cold. When living in Ireland in college, the 40 degrees (plus wind/rain) was so much colder than sub-zero winters in Vermont. Also, Ireland doesn't spend money/energy on AC or heat, so you don't get respite from the summer heat or winter chill just by going indoors.
Places to stay:
I think the best ways to experience Ireland are either a new place each night (or two), or rent a cottage for a week. There are several sites for cottages -- Rent an Irish Cottage and Hogans are the two I've used, but google will bring you many other options. Airbnb also has some great holiday homes. The cottages are beautiful, and many are in incredible locations with ocean, hikes, and cute towns near by. We stayed in this cottage in Ballinderreen, and would stay there again. It's a beautiful interior, great kitchen, but on a main road (although not many people drive by). There's not much to do in town, but very close to other fun towns, and a fairly central location for the Burren, Galway, Connemara.
For hotels and B&B's, here's where we've stayed, and our thoughts on each:
Boutique Hotel in Limerick-- nice staff, pretty interior, good location, the room was small and uncomfortable, pretty good breakfast (nothing I could eat though)
Emerville House in Killarney -- nice room, perfect location, eccentric host, hit-or-miss breakfast (all I could eat was a banana and brown bread)
The Aghadoe Heights Spa in Killarney -- we didn't stay there because it's quite pricey, but if you can swing it, you totally should. It's gorgeous and the rooms/spa treatments look amazing.
Portmagee Heights -- wonderful host family, gorgeous spot and rooms, short walk into town, delicious breakfast (they got me duck eggs!)... I can't recommend this place enough.
Dingle Airbnb -- Very sweet/helpful hosts, right in town, a bit cramped/uncomfortable, good parking (which is important in Dingle), one of the best breakfasts of the whole trip.
Cappabhaile House in Ballyvaughan -- gorgeous, great location, incredible rooms, mountain views from the rooms, hands-down the best breakfast. The host is also very sweet and responsive and eager to help with hikes or activity tips.
Our Fanore Airbnb -- highly recommend. The hosts were great, the town was cute, they had a private beach and tons of beach gear available, a nice kitchen, and the best shower I've ever used. No bedroom -- the futon in the livingroom folds into a bed.
The Wild Atlantic Lodge in Ballyvaughan -- I've never stayed there, but the pub and restaurant are great, and from snooping around it looks nice. Great location!
Our favorite restaurants:
We had the tough job of finding restaurants with comfortable seating for me, seafood for Dan, ideally food I could eat, and a nice honeymoon environment as often as possible. Of that selection, here were some places we'd particularly recommend --
O'Donoghue's Pub and Vasco in Fanore
Linnane's Lobster House in New Quay-- great views, walks along the water, great food
Xi’an Street food, Galway -- Dan's favorite meal in all of Ireland
The Skeff -- cool environment, huge bar/music venue on Eyre Square
Kylemore Abbey visitor centre had very tasty food!
Cloverfox in Letterfrack, Connemara -- beautiful art, a great open smoked salmon
King’s Head Pub in Galway -- several rooms with different environments, a restaurant, good food and drink, and great music (plus a weird history involving a beheading)
Busker Browns, Galway -- I didn't go this trip, but I remember the food being great!
Burren Fine Wine and Food -- check out their website, they're pretty cool!
Tea Rooms and Garden in Ballyvaughan -- great looking menu, good tea, gorgeous gardens
L'Arco (Italian), Monk's (seafood), and the Wildflower Restaurant (beautiful setting, right in town, unique and tasty local food) in Ballyvaughan are all great
Kinvara restaurants are supposed to be good, but closed when we went --check days!
Boatyard (very fresh seafood and pretty atmosphere) and John Benny Moriarty's (good food, great music) in Dingle were both great!
The Moorings in Portmagee-- best seafood chowder Dan's ever eaten, cool atmosphere
The Aghadoe Heights Spa -- delicious affordable food and the most stunning view of any place I've ever eaten ever
Additional tips:
Stop at Lady's View on Ring of Kerry -- phenomenal views, but we missed it!
pack the first week in carryons, so we could leave the checked bags in the car and not lug
You could do a week vacation in Inch -- nice beaches, holiday cottages, shops and restaurants -- day trips around Ring, Slea Head, hikes, Portmagee, Dingle, etc
Our ideal trip:
One night (or none) in Limerick
Two days (at least) in Killarney
Ring of Kerry to Portmagee
Skelligs (maybe a landing tour this time?)
Ring of Kerry to Dingle OR straight-shot to Dingle and then Slea Head Dr (both is tiring and a little redundant) -- two nights in Dingle
Shannon Estuary Ferry, Loop Head Dr (allot more time), and then on to Ballyvaughan -- a few days in Ballyvaughan
Explore more towns in Clare -- Lisdoonvarna, Doolin (for music at night), Kinvara, New Quay, etc.
A day or two in Connemara -- Clifden, Kylmore Abbey, National Park, beaches (could hike from Oughterart to Westport!), Galway on the way home one night
One day in Galway?
Two days in Fanore
If time, Dublin, Slane, and Wexford