Travel Bucket List Series- Ireland

Welcome to my 3rd edition of my Travel Bucket List Series. Today we will explore the Emerald Isle. Ireland has always been of interest to me. My ancestors are from Ireland, I grew up in a predominantly Irish town and my neighbors, growing up were from Ireland. I follow a few travel bloggers that have traveled there, and what they have written about has piqued my interest even more. As I was researching places to go, things to do, and places to see, it occurred to me that this will not be a one and done trip. There are too many places I want to visit. The sites I talk about below will be our first Ireland trip. Once I complete my bucket list series, I will write about trips I would want to repeat and why.

In pulling together my research, it appears March-May and September -November is the best times to visit. The weather is not too hot or cold, and it avoids the summer crowds. However, more likely than not, we will be traveling with at least one of the boys, so summer travel is where we are at. If for some reason, this ends up being a couples trip, my vote is for September. The length of the trip will be approximately ten days, give a take a day.

Dublin

First, on this wee Irish tour is Dublin, the capital of Ireland. We plan to spend two full days in Dublin. Before I talk about what we will do and see, let’s discuss accommodations. There were plenty of places to stay in the city, but once I saw the Merrion Hotel, I knew this was the place I wanted to lay my head down every night.

The Merrion is the city’s most luxurious 5-star hotel. It is located in the center of the city, made up of 4 Georgian townhouses. It houses a drawing-room, bars, a full gym, a pool, and two restaurants, one of which is the 2 star Michelin restaurant, Patrick Guilbaud. I do believe this hotel will do just fine.

Dublin Castle

First on our list, Dublin Castle. Built-in the 13th century on a Viking settlement, for centuries, it was the headquarters of the British and English administration in Ireland. In 1922 Ireland gained its independence, and the castle was handed to the Irish.

The castle offers a guided tour. The tour takes you through the Viking excavation, the Royal Chapel and State Apartments.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

St Patrick’s is the national cathedral of Ireland. It has been part of Irish history for over 800 years. It was on this site, that St. Patrick baptized people into Christianity.

Irish Emigration Museum

I can’t wait to explore this fully interactive museum to learn about the influence of Irish history as ten million Irish men and women left the mother country in search of a better life. Listen to audio clips, watch videos, take motion sensor quizzes, and more. Some highlights of the museum include emigrant letters, music and dance, and an Irish Family History Center.
I look forward to researching my own family’s roots while we are here.

Guinness Store House

Though I am not a beer lover, my husband is, and how can we come to Dublin and NOT visit the Guinness Store House? The storehouse is seven floors of fun, exploring the history of Ireland’s favorite beer. Offering 3-4 different types of tours, I think the 3-hour brewery tour seems just right. It includes exploring the underground passenger tunnels, limited sampling brews, another beer tasting, and a parting gift. I especially like the history aspect of the tour.

Tipperary & Killarney

The next few days will be exploring Killarney. However, on our way there, we plan to stop in Tipperary, home of the Rock of Cashel. Once just a rock in the middle of the rolling pastures, it grew by interlocking structures. It is one of Ireland’s most magnificent archeological sites. Once the seat of the Kings of Munsters, most of the buildings are from the 12th and 13th centuries after the rock was gifted to the church. I can’t wait to explore the medieval buildings and take in the views. Look at those pastures!

Next stop is Killarney where we will spend a couple of days. Muckross Park Hotel and Spa came highly recommended by a friend.

What started as a hunting lodge, is the oldest hotel in Killarney. It has a spa, several restaurants, afternoon tea and is pet friendly. The location is stunning. It sits among 25,000 acres of Killarney National Park and only 2.5 miles to the town center.

Innisfallen Island

Innisfallen Island is part of Killarney National Park. One can easily spend a day or two exploring all the island has to offer. These are the places we plan to see and do while visiting the island.

Muckross House & Gardens – This 19th-century Victorian mansion sits on the shores of Muckross Lake. It is surrounded by beautiful grounds that showcase different colors depending on the season. Several events are held at home throughout the year.

Muckross Traditional Farms- Step back in time and visit Ireland in the 1930s and ’40s. See what life on a farm was like back then. These are my favorite types of historical places to visit. I love to see how different generations lived. Here you can visit three separate farms, a small, medium, and a large farm. All are complete with farm animals, machinery, and farm buildings.

Killarney House & Gardens- Another beautiful estate and garden you can tour on the island.

Muckross Abbey- Muckross Abbey was founded for the Franciscans about 1448 by Daniel McCarthy Mor. The ruins include a church, a square tower, and beautiful windows, and a vaulted cloister with an arcade of arches around a square courtyard. There is also a burial ground where several burials a year happen.

Besides touring these magnificent landmarks, we will tour the streets of these picturesque towns and cities. I for one would love to experience an authentic Irish pub and do a little shopping.

Shannon & Village of Adare

After a few days in Killarney, we head to Shannon, where we plan to stay at the magnificent Dromoland Castle. Staying in a castle has always been a dream of mine. I can live out my fantasy of being a Disney Princess. LOL! I have seen photos of this castle over the years and knew one day we would have to experience it first hand.

Dromoland Castle is a 5-star luxury hotel with a golf course and a Michelin star restaurant. The building was started in the 15th and 16th centuries and was finished being built in 1835. In 1962, a US citizen bought the property and turned it into a hotel. The hotel offers many amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. There is fishing, archery, falconry, horseback riding, tours of the grounds, hiking, tennis, golf, clay shooting, and more. I am looking forward to spending a day or two here merely relaxing.

Adare Village in County Limerick

One of the days while staying in Shannon, we will be taking a day trip to Adare Village.

Adare Desmond Castle– The castle was built with an ancient ring-fort in the early 13th century. It became a strategic fortress. Once the property of the Earls of Kildare until the rebellion in 1536, when it was forfeited and granted to the Earls of Desmond who gave the castle its present name.

Limerick Carriage Tours

Tour Adare Manor in the comfort of these carriages.

The carriage is equipped with a luxury table with glass/cup holders and wine coolers to enjoy as you tour the grounds. Photo opportunities are provided along the tour.

Cliffs of Moher

Seven hundred feet above the Atlantic ocean and stretching 5 miles long are the majestic Cliffs of Moher. Form its highest point, O’Briens’s Tower, one can see several places, such as Galway Bay, Blasket Islands, and Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara. The cliffs are a natural gateway to Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way (something I plan to explore in a separate blog post).

Cork

To wrap up our Irish journey, we will be stopping in the city of Cork for two reasons. First, my ancestors are from here, and I would love to see where they lived before emigrating to the US. Second, not too far from the city of Cork is the Blarney Castle and the famous Blarney Stone.

As far as accommodations, I decided to go with a family-owned boutique called Hayfield Manor. A 5-star hotel with gorgeous grounds, a spa, and elegant dining.

Per the quote their website, “Blarney Castle, set in acres of parkland filled with rare and unusual trees and plants, offers visitors the chance to stroll in one of the country’s most spectacular gardens. Highlights include:

• The chance to kiss the world-famous Blarney Stone
• Historic Blarney Castle – magical and warlike all at once
• The new ‘Poison Garden’ where toxic plants are kept in cage-like structures
• The Fern Garden & Ice house, a Victorian version of a modern refrigerator!
• Rock Close, a centre of worship filled with ancient trees and stones
• Blarney Lake”

Doesn’t this sound amazing?

The city of Cork is the second-largest city in the country of Ireland. Located on an island in the middle of the Lee River, it a city with a small-town feel. There is no shortage of breweries (if you like craft beer, this is the city for you), dining, shopping, and art galleries with works of famous Irish artists. A short drive from Cork is the seaside town of Cobh. Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic.

As you can see, Ireland has a lot to offer. There are so many other places I want to see and do. As I mentioned above, this is a repeat trip for us—next time, I want to explore the Wild Atlantic Way, over 1500 miles of coastal roads. Visit villages with adorable cafes, hear Gaeltacht being spoken, and see more of the beauty that this country has to offer. Until then, I leave you with this post and hope I have inspired you to travel to the land of leprechauns and four-leaf clovers.