We Spent A Week Traveling Ireland in 2021
 |
| Woodstock Arms Bed & Breakfast and Pub, lovely place with outdoor seating for lunch |
We (safely) traveled to Ireland in this August, for a safe and relaxing siblings road trip around Ireland but after all was said and done, the trip ended up becoming the picture perfect backdrop for my sister's boyfriend to propose to her! Guys, I'm still shook! I won't share any proposal photos since they have yet to post the photos themselves so this sunset photo of Drew and I will have to suffice:
Ireland is definitely magical. Irish hospitality is certainly a thing. Food in the small towns of Ireland reminded me of small towns in the US (except better), think fried foods, pizza, fries (or as they say, chips), meats and sausages but just of higher quality. Food in Dublin was absolutely mind-blowing. There are animals freely grazing, the weather is beautiful, no litter; beautiful ruins, cathedrals and castles as old as time, unforgettable skies and sunsets, and the beer and wines are the perfect compliment to it all.
The cons: The roads are sketchy to drive on. They're very narrow and the locals are very experienced when it comes to maneuvering these pathways so for it being our first time driving internationally in Europe (left side of the road, right hand drive cars) it was definitely nerve-wracking. But we made it, we stuck with it and gained some experience now so that we'll be confident should we need to drive like that again in a different country. I hear Italy's roads are just as narrow and there's more mopeds and pedestrians you need to worry about!
 |
| Many places in Ireland have the English and Irish spelling of places and words. |
The Itinerary:
Day 1:
- Land in Dublin ~ 8am local time
- Drive through Wicklow Mountains National Park
- Drive to Glenmacnass Waterfall
- Stop for lunch at The Otter Bar (crepes and beers) and The Woodstock Arms B&B and Pub for delicious pizza and chicken tenders called Goujons and Chips (fries).
- Head towards Kilkenny and check into our Airbnb.
 |
| View as we ascended the Wicklow Mountain area |
Day 2: Explore Kilkenny
- We walked all over the town of Kilkenny and explored what it had to offer. Including very old, beautiful churches, cobblestone streets, outdoor shopping, an old school candy shop, Kilkenny Castle, the river walk area, and so much more. It's definitely a quaint town with modern amenities and food.
- Places we visited included: the Dominican Black Abbey, Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Bridies Bar and General Store (they service popsicles and candy here!), Left Bank for lunch, and at the end of the day we climbed the tower at the Cathedral Church of St. Canice (where the proposal was also to happen)!
 |
| Lunch at a restaurant called Left Bank. We got a vegetarian sandwich with sweet potato fries, regular fries and calamari to share. We also had tons of Rockshore Irish Lager. |
 |
| View from the Tower atop the Cathedral Church of St. Canice |
 |
| Inside Saint Mary's Cathedral |
 |
| The view of Parliament St from the front door of our Airbnb rental |
 |
| Dominican Black Abbey |
Day 3:
- We checked out of the Airbnb
- Rock of Cashel
- Blarney Castle
- Ballybunion
- Watch the sunset on the cliffs overlooking Ballybunion Beach
- Check into Cliff House Hotel
- Late night dinner
Day 4:
- Wake up and head to Tarbert Ferry
- Ride the ferry across the sea to Killimer
- Stop in the town of Quilty for a break and to view the beaches
- Cliffs of Moher
- Visit the oldest bar in the entire world, Sean's Bar in Athlone
- We had a drink and a quick dinner there
- Head back to Dublin
- Check into the Morrison by Doubletree
- Walk over to the Temple Bar area and drink the night away
Day 5:
- Classic Irish Breakfast at the hotel
- Some of our group left to head to the airport (we planned to stay longer than them)
- Explored Dublin
- Trinity College
- The Long Hall (epic library)
- Christ Church Cathedral (dates back to Medieval times)
- Guinness Storehouse Tour, which I highly recommend!
- Dinner at Gushi Asian Bar & Restaurant for Asian fusion deliciousness
Day 6:
- Brunch at Joy of Cha, we sat outdoors and enjoyed a really lovely and slow brunch
- Shopping on Grafton Street
- Marks and Spencer
- The Westbury Mall
- We picked up groceries at Fallon & Byrne Food Hall to get supplies to make a cheeseboard
- After shopping and acquiring fresh ingredients, we had a picnic at St. Stephen's Green and it was amazing
- Walked up and down all of the streets just Northwest of St. Stephen's Green
- Stopped at Metro Cafe for espresso and chocolate cake
- Dinner at Brannigans for one last traditional Irish meal and some draught Guinness
Day 7:
- Grabbed coffee and a very early breakfast of croissants and sausage rolls at SPAR, a local convenience store
- Took some photos on the empty streets of Dublin and on the Millennium Bridge
- Headed to the airport
 |
| Fallon & Byrne Food Hall |
 |
| The Long Hall at Trinity College |
There's so much more I want to share but it will be a loooong post. Follow my Instagram for extra photos and to see what we did through my stories. If you aren't already subscribed to this blog's email list, I highly suggest you join as we send out itineraries and travel recaps to all of our email subscribers. If you're an visual person and would like to subscribe to our YouTube channel, we will be uploading our Ireland vlogs to our channel as well!
Thanks for spending some time here with us!
Vicky
-------------------
Share to your Pinterest board!
Subscribe to our blog posts via email and you'll receive a free downloadable Travel Starter Guide in your welcome email.
10 Comments
It looks so beautiful! I've never been to Ireland before but would love to one day! :) Congrats to your sister too!
ReplyDeleteHope your week is going well :)
Away From The Blue
It was our first time and it was so magical. You would love it! Thank you, Mica!
DeleteWow! Your trip sounds amazing, and these pictures are beautiful! I would love to visit someday!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Lovely
www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you, Lovely! I highly recommend it, and everyone in Dublin is so stylish and fashion forward.
DeleteIt looks like you had a wonderful trip! Congratulations to your sister too!
ReplyDeleteJulia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Thank you, Julia! xo
DeleteLooks lovely! Have been to Dublin but only in/out for work purposes, definitely need to go back...
ReplyDeletehttp://skylish.co.uk
Kemi, you are so lucky to have it on your work schedule! I can only wish haha
DeleteThis sounds like such a fun trip! My dad is Irish and I would love to visit one day :) Congrats to your sister too! x
ReplyDeletemia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com/
That is so cool! Loved everything I learned about Irish culture, everyone was so kind. & thank you!!
DeleteComment here!