Roadtrip in Ireland

Ireland has never been on top of my list to visit (personally I prefer beaches and the Mediterranean) but Jared visited it in college and has nothing but great things to say about it. He has always wanted to go back and his mother also has it on top of her list. She was coming to visit for a couple weeks in June so we also took a week holiday and decided to take her to Ireland. 

 

Dublin -

 

We started out in Dublin (where else?).  I really did like Dublin. Its a small city with a great mix of the old as well as growth in new developments and neighbourhoods. The sights here include the well done Jameson Distillery, Guinness Brewery and Dublin's great bar scene. If you haven't figured it out already, my favourite thing to do while traveling is savouring great food but like every major city Dublin does have some good spots. My favourite was a little place called Winding Stair serving fresh and innovative Irish cuisine. 

 

Galway -

 

Our road trip started out from Dublin to Galway along the west coast, one of Jared's favourite spots. Its a cute little town with a few good bars and restaurants as well. We also lucked out to find a classical Irish music concert at the local church...it was beautiful.  But the main thing to do here is to get out of town to the nearby sites. We used Galway as our base for a few days...

 

Aran Islands -

The Aran Islands are a ferry ride near to Galway.  I get couped up in car rides so I was looking forward to renting some bikes to explore the main island. Don't expect anything awe-inspiring but it was a great day.  Fresh air. Stone forts. Old farm houses. Stone walls. Ocean views.

Kylemore Abbey -

The area north of Galway is a stunning landscape, rolling green mountains and beautiful lakes. Its a really nice drive to Kylemore Abbey...a beautiful abbey set in the midst of this stunning landscape.

 

Cliffs of Moher -

 

Just south of Galway is the most famous Cliffs of Moher. Maybe not the highest cliffs or prettiest vistas in the world but when in Ireland there is no way to miss this.  Its in the middle of nowhere with cows grazing nearby. 

 

 

Killarney & the Ring of Kerry -

 

Another area famous for its stunning landscape is the Ring of Kerry. We stayed near the Killarney National Park and did the route via car in one long day. It would be more ideal to spread it out with a few walks or bike rides and stop overs but given the on off rain, Jared's mother in tow, and my all-day morning sickness and fatigue (although at the time I had no clue what it was!), a couped up car ride was the better choice. The Ring of Kerry offered more of the same rolling green mountains, lakes, ocean views, stone walls, farm houses & villages, and stone forts.



 

 

Killarney to Dublin -

 

The drive back to Dublin is a long one with a few major sites along the way especially if you like castles...the Blarney Castle (yes we did kiss the Blarney stone) and the Rock of Cashel, along with a host of other small villages and castles.