We spent very little time in Dublin after our first day, and made day trips to The Cliffs of Moher + Galway (Wild Rover Tours), The Ring of Kerry + Killarney (Railtours Ireland – part train, part coach), and Belfast Titanic + Giant’s Causeway + Dark Hedges (Finn McCools Tours).
See/Do
When the lights go on in DublinOfficially The Spire. Unofficially Stiffy on the Liffey!
The Cliffs of Moher
Quite breathtaking. You can take short or long walks along the cliffs. O’Brien’s Tower Beyond the tower…Repeat, because it never gets boring!Dunguaire Castle?
Galway
We spend a few hours walking around GalwayA pretty, pretty place it was.The Galway Girl, in personGalway had a charming Christmas MarketThings were just getting started when we visited
Ring of Kerry
This entire landscape (McGillyciddy Reeks, Dingle Bay, Kenmare Bay, the Killarney National Park, Ladies View, the lakes, as well as the villages – Glenbeigh, Waterville, Sneem) is extraordinarily beautiful in a way that the camera really couldn’t capture. It also seemed a little underdeveloped (relatively) from a tourism perspective, and that’s a good thing.
The Red Fox Inn, situated right next to the Kerry Bog Village Museum, the first attraction in the Ring of Kerry tour. Waterville BayWhitestrand. There was a postcard at every turn.Around Upper Lake, KillarneyTorc Waterfall
Killarney
Killarney is another quaint town that we just wanted to hug! It plays host to the citizenship ceremonies – the final step to becoming a ‘natural’ resident of Ireland.Just so colourful and pretty! Everything you need, packed into a few streetsI thought a famous time machine had malfunctioned, but apparently this is a health initiative.
Giant’s Causeway
There is a rugged beauty to this place.That’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site you’re looking atDifficult to recognise it, but this is Dark Hedges, famous in another world as King’s Road. #GoTGracehill House, built around 1775
Belfast
The most bombed hotel in the world.Titanic Belfast, the place where the ship was builtNow a museum. While that’s done well enough, I admit to being a little queasy about converting a tragedy into ‘Disneyland’. Belfast reminded us more of Glasgow than Dublin.
Eat/Drink
Some great Ice-cream to be had at Murphy’s. This was shot in Killarney.But we had the ice-cream in Galway. This is Whiskey Chocolate. Recommended by our guide for whiskey tastingA good old-fashioned pubHelped me choose the whiskey to buy. D tried the Irish Coffee but wasn’t very impressed. But then, she is neither a whiskey person, nor a coffee person. I think it has its uses. The place we stopped at for lunch during the Ring of Kerry tour. Somewhere between a pie and a stewFish and Chips need no introThe homemade pudding that we absolutely loved.If whiskey is your thing, then a visit to Palace Bar is in your interestSalmon in DublinOur last dinner in Dublin. This was recommended by all the guides as the local hangout. Absolutely loved the vibe and the service. This place is an absolute TARDIS. You would never be able to guess the amount of space it has from the outside. Just goes on and on! What better way to end than a Guinness and an Irish Hot Whiskey.
I thought Ireland had a raw, unspoilt beauty to it, which stands in contrast to the finesse that Scotland’s landscape has somehow acquired. If we do visit again, and we do want to, we would spend a few days each in its smaller towns.
