Tony and I decided to splurge on a bucket list trip in between packing up our home in South Bend, and unpacking in Kansas City. During the major packing week in South Bend I had the thought on more than one occasion that we were absolutely insane for planning this trip out of the country during the madness of moving. But it ended up being exactly what we needed. Destination? Ireland. We had always talked about wanting to go, and due to the continued risk of Zika virus in most of the other places we wanted to see, we opted for a cooler, mosquito free destination. We had 7 days to see as much of Ireland as we possibly could. And since I was given the task of planning it, there would definitely be beaches involved. Here’s how it went:
DAY 1: CHICAGO —> DUBLIN —> GALWAY
We caught an 8:20pm flight out of Chicago via Aer Lingus Airlines. In theory we would sleep on the plane and wake up refreshed in Dublin. In reality, we were in the last row of seats right in front of the galley kitchen, with emergency exit lights illuminated enough to light the entire plane for the duration of our flight. I sat in the middle, next to a girl whose elbows remained very possessive of the armrest during the whole flight. Tony took the other one, because if he fully used the aisle armrest, he got bumped every few minutes or so by the flight attendants, or their food/beverage cart. Needless to say, we did not get much sleep at all. We watched the new version of Beauty and the Beast– amazing! And I watched Table 19 when I relented to give up on my sleep attempt. It was also well done. 
We landed ahead of schedule in Dublin- a little after 9am local time. Customs was quick and painless and our bags were some of the first ones to surface at baggage claim. The only slight concern came up with our rental car. I had booked it through Expedia, with automatic transmission (much more expensive, but well worth the cost) and had ordered up the car insurance with the most coverage. When we picked up our car at Europcar, the agent said that Expedia had no “jurisdiction” in Ireland, and that they should not have charged us, because Europcar wouldn’t accept it. So we paid twice for insurance. I was upset, but Tony said that we would look into it when we got home.
So driving on the left Side of the road was the next hurdle. We also splurged and got a GPS, which we also thought was well worth the cost. The difference? Places in Ireland don’t have street addresses like we are used to in the U.S. You have to use old school latitude and longitude coordinates. Eventually- we were off! Tony did an amazing job adjusting to life on the left side of the road. We drove straight out of Dublin and headed two hours west to Galway. I tried my hardest, but I could not keep my eyes open. I fell asleep and woke up to sunshine!
We checked into our newly renovated room (as in we were the first ones to use the room and it still smelled of fresh paint) at the Menlo Park Hotel and decided it was in our best interest to nap. Two hours later we woke up to Tony’s alarm. Never had we slept so well! We were motivated to head to downtown Galway for dinner and our first beverages in Ireland, but first: coffee and a freshly baked treat on the house for a wee bit of sustenance.
Wow- downtown Galway was so vibrant and dreamy! It did get crowded around dinner time, but not so much so that we wanted to get away. The weather was perfect- so we sat outside at a little place called Martine’s. We had a salmon cake that was to die for, and split a chicken dish and truffle Mac and cheese. After dinner we wandered some more and found a pub where we had our first Guinesses of the trip. Then we walked home and slept hard again.
DAY 2: GALWAY —-> DOOLIN
Our breakfast the next morning was our first taste of what we would come to know as the hearty Irish breakfasts! We walked the streets of Galway after breakfast again and had a pint or two near some street performers outside of King’s Head Pub. It was so entertaining! We also walked around Galway Bay, and I found that shot of painted houses with water and boats that I had seen many times. It was beautiful!
We then said a loving goodbye to Galway town and headed south for the tiny town of Doolin- and the famous Cliffs of Moher. It was on these roads that we got our first exposure to those “narrow roads” we had been hearing so much about. Yikes. 100 km speed limit (80mph?) and places that two cars literally can’t fit to pass each other. Oh, and the super tight turns around many corners were enough to make anyone lose their last pint! But the views were spectacular- for me at least!
Doolin View B&B is nestled in the Irish countryside, surrounded by open land and many, many cows. White painted wooden furniture completed these views with comfy drop cloth cushions. Inside, the house had a beautiful breakfast room, and lounge area compete with large windows highlighting these views. You could see the start of the Cliffs from our B&B. All of the bedrooms were named after Irish authors- our room was the G.B. Shaw room, and inside you could find Shaw’s books and quotes. We headed to a pub nearby: McGann’s, and had a late afternoon lunch/dinner. Those hearty Irish breakfasts early in the morning throw you off for what time you are actually supposed to eat next! We ate outside, overlooking another field of cows because the weather was lovely! As we ate, probably close to 10 giant tour buses (some double decker) drove by, all coming from the directions of the Cliffs of Moher. Now, I had done my research. When planning this trip, I read many things about “the cliffs of insanity” one being that the tourist crowds can totally take away from the beauty of Cliffs. The thing is, Irish sunsets in the summer are close to 10pm- so I read to go after dinner time to avoid the crowds. And what good advice that was! When we got back from our pub meal, another couple was telling us how the cliffs were “nice- but almost not worth the hassle of the crowds!”
WHAT?
The Cliffs of Moher have been on my personal bucket list for years. I grew up watching the Princess Bride and wanted to stand that close to something so huge and majestic. I’d also read to bring a jacket, prepare for severe weather change and that high winds might blow you off the cliffs if you got too close. Well let me tell you that I convinced Tony to bring his jacket too- (Mr.-I-only-wear-jackets-when-it’s-below-freezing) and we could not have been there on a warmer, calmer night. It was absolutely beautiful. When first inside the park, I got about 25 different photos of the first scene. Amazing, but not as amazing as if you walk further and then take your pictures. The thing about the cliffs is that each 100 yards you walk, each incline, each path offers a whole new view and perspective that is mesmerizing. And we didn’t even walk the whole thing. Crowds? A fair amount of visitors were around- just the right amount to ask someone to take your picture every so often. The main path/exhibit ends after a while and then you go on “on the edge” if you dare. Tony couldn’t look down- and I’m not saying that I did either- but the views were so breathtaking. We lingered until almost sunset and then headed back to grab a pint and a small pizza to go before heading back to our B&B.
DAY 3: DOOLIN —> INCH BEACH
It was a cloudy, drizzling day that made us super excited for another made to order Irish breakfast to start- overlooking the neighborhood cows. We said goodbye to our sweet hostess and drove a little further into Doolin to peruse the few shops and water views. Next we headed to Killimer to catch the Shannon Ferry to Tarbert which shaved about an hour off of our drive to Inch Beach.
Inch was our next destination. I wanted a beach town, but close to Dingle and the Dingle Peninsula, known for its lively pubs and gorgeous views. Inch Beach is one of the top beaches in Ireland- known for its prime surfing conditions. As we pulled into Inch, I had moderate expectations for this so called “Irish beach.” My breath literally gave out when I saw it for the first time. I felt like it looked like something out of LOST, shot in Hawaii or Australia. Miles of beach laid before us, with mist covered mountains in the distance and moss green covered hills with (more) cows grazing above the tiny town. Holy. Beach. It was beautiful! We checked into our room at the Inch Beach House B&B and headed to the local restaurant, Sammy’s for an early dinner and a pint. We sat at the bar, with my chair turned away from Tony to stare out the windows at the magnificent beach. The town of Inch consists of a handful of local homes, and another handful of B&B’s. There are two restaurants in town, and connected to Sammy’s restaurant is the town’s convenience and gift shop. Tour busses stop at Sammy’s for a bite to eat with beautiful views. Surfers surf at Inch Beach, and brave little kiddos dare to splash around in the chilly Irish Sea. Inch Beach is a 3 mile stretch of soft sand, surrounded by grass covered sand dunes and rolling hills. We walked the beach a while after our early dinner and decided to head back to our B&B early for some relaxation.
DAY 4: INCH BEACH —> DINGLE —> INCH BEACH
The next morning, we were treated with Irish hospitality by the beach house owner in the classy little breakfast room overlooking the beach. Sadly, the beach was covered in a dense Irish fog, which the beach house manager apologized for. We assured her that we hadn’t traveled to Ireland for the weather and that we were very happy to be there despite the fog. We had a full Irish breakfast, and prayed that the sun might come out for us. We stopped at Sammy’s after breakfast to get a cappucino and then we walked the better part of the 3 mile beach, posting up on a sand dune to breathe in the magnificence of Inch Beach and the surrounding mountains and hills. Tony and I love the Boondock Saints soundtrack, and played the main theme throughout the week. Sitting on the sand dune, we played it and just drank in the sights that surrounded us. It was one of those moments together that I never want to forget.
We walked the beach until the sun finally broke through the clouds, giving the beach a whole new appearance. We reshot our panoramic pictures and began to head back towards the beach house. We planned to board a bus heading into the neighboring town of Dingle, where live Irish music was boasted to be as abundant as the selection of local pubs.
While on the bus, we both got to take in the views as we rode along the Wild Atlantic Way. I’ve often wondered how public transportation busses manage to navigate through the crowded streets of downtown Chicago- but this was a whole different challenge! I don’t think I can describe the winding roads adequately, other than that seated a few rows behind us was a woman who had her eyes closed the entire time as she gripped the handles of her handbag. On the way to Dingle, we passed what appeared to be a tiny version of the Notre Dame grotto connected to a church. Tony expressed interest that he wanted to drive back there the next day. We passed countless cows and goats on the bus ride and finally arrived in the bustling little town of Dingle.
Parked directly adjacent to the colorfully painted buildings that lined the streets of Dingle were carloads of people seeking to shop until they dropped or drink until they’d had their fill. Our first stop, as our big Irish breakfast was beginning to wear off, was a snack of ice cream at Murphy’s. We each had a featured flavor: me something insanely chocolatey and Tony peanut butter something. They were both delicious. We sat outside in the back little patio that was painted in bright hues of blue to match the rest of the shop. Once our sugar was consumed (totally worth it) we ducked into little shop after little shop seeking out Irish presents to bring back to our family and friends. The shops were more crowded than the streets, so eventually we had both had enough of shopping! It was time to head to a pub for some dinner, music and downtime. It was around this time that Mother Nature decided to introduce us to our first Irish rain. With so many pub options to choose from, we ended up walking right into one of the most famous ones which was painted in white with green shutters and trim and a stained glass window adorning the door: The Dingle Pub.
We were the early birds at dinner again, but within 20 minutes of being seated, the entire pub was filled with patrons and the musicians began to play a lovely Irish tune. After dinner, we walked in the rain to our next pub: Foxy John’s. This bar is remarkable. Located inside of a hardware store, at Foxy Johns, you get a side of grass seed with your Guinness. The people watching here was amazing. Each time a local came in, the bar tender greeted him by name and gave him his due of Irish bantering, clearly to welcome him inside. Next we headed to Dick Mack’s, another famous local pub. This place appears to have been converted into a pub from a church, as one of the booths was located inside a confessional. Many tiny rooms full to the brim of Irishmen made this place quite the scene. Lastly, we ended the night at another local pub with live music… and the name escapes us to this day. We then had the bartender call us a cab to take us back to Inch Beach. I tried my best to not fear for my life as the cabby swerved around the winding, cliffside roads on the way home. It was raining so hard, I was sure that we would slide off the edge. But home safely we arrived and slept super well!
DAY 5: INCH BEACH —> CLONAKILTY
Hearty Irish breakfast with a view? Check. One last view of the magnificent Inch Beach? Check. We had our longest drive ahead of us for the trip, heading to Clonakilty to stay at the Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa for our “splurge” of the trip. Did it have a beach close by? Of course, I planned this trip, remember?
When we pulled up I found something fascinating. There were palm trees? Where was I? But yes… palm trees lined this resort. We checked into our ocean view room, equipped with fully glass balcony and adirondack chair for two. Tony suggested that while we were there, we splurge and treat ourselves to our first massages ever. That’s right… neither of us had ever had a massage. After a little convincing, I was in. YOLO, right? We were on a bucket list trip, after all. We booked our massages and headed down to one of the resort’s restaurants for a bit to eat and… you guess it, a pint. I’ll never forget the mass amounts of hydrangea bushes around this resort either. They came in all colors, from white to hot pink and were absolutely stunning. After a snack, we walked the beach which became more overcast as time went on.
The beach was beautiful… but it didn’t compare to Inch Beach. We freshened up and headed to our fancy 5 course dinner next. The food was DELICIOUS. And I got the best of both views… Tony and the ocean view behind him as I enjoyed our meal. It was a perfect evening.
DAY 6: CLONAKILTY —> DUBLIN
Breakfast with a view? Check. Massages were up next! We were told to wear our spa bathrobes from our rooms and the slippers to the spa. I felt so silly walking the hotel halls like that, but when in Ireland… right? We splurged on getting massages, but I did a shorter, basic massage while Tony really needed a deep tissue one after all his heavy lifting and moving. The cost difference between what we did and getting a couples’ massage was significant enough to save that for another bucket list trip. We filled out health questionnaires and I almost wasn’t able to get a massage because I had undergone general anesthesia within the last two months for my endometriosis surgery. The massage therapist talked to her manager who allowed it because I was right at the two month mark. I was a little nervous after that conversation… what would they do to me that I might slip back into the equivalent of a medically induced sleep? But it was well worth the cost. We felt relaxed and refreshed. Before heading back to our room, we were invited to take a few moments in the “relaxation room.”
They encouraged us that there be no conversation, just reflection. I enjoyed it, but began to feel antsy about getting back to our room and packing things up before check out. Sadly, it was time to leave. We packed up our bags and the car and strolled the very sunny beach and surrounding dunes one last time before beginning the drive back to Dublin.
We did stop in the downtown area of Clonakilty before driving to Dublin! How adorable is this city?
We decided on the drive that we would stop half way somewhere interesting and chose the town of Cashel for our pit stop. The Rock of Cashel is a tourist attraction, as it used to be an old Church and castle. We skipped the guided tour and very quickly got our fill of the place on our own. It was beautiful. Situated on top of a very high hill in the town of Cashel, the “Rock” allows you to see for miles. I couldn’t get enough of the ancient gravestones adorned with Celtic crosses. We stopped at a downtown pub for a bite to eat before leaving town and then continued on our way to Dublin.
The Dublin Skylon hotel was our next stop, located on the north side of the city. Our room was fantastic… even came with complimentary snacks and waters. The hotel decor was a perfect combination of modern and classy, with bright pops of parrot green, red and a deep plum. The front desk staff helped us decide where to go for a good dinner, and how to get there. Having splurged on the last stop, we decided to be economical and ride the public bus system to the Temple Bar district. The buses were clean and the ride was painless. It was nice to see some landmarks as we rode on the top tier of this double decker bus. Most people were dressed in Dublin’s professional soccer team jerseys as they had won a match earlier that day. We arrived in the Temple Bar district, named after the famous Temple bar, and began people watching with intensity. All peoples, from all walks of life, faiths, ethnicities, sexual orientations etc lined the streets of this district.
The bars were filled with people singing along to whatever songs the band was playing, which were oddly enough, many American pop songs. The bars were so crowded that we opted to sit on a patio of a bar across the street from all the action, still feeling very much a part of the madness without actually being inside. The scene honestly reminded me of Wrigleyville after a Cubs’ win. We enjoyed our last little Irish date night together and headed back for what was another restful night.
DAY 7: DUBLIN —> CHICAGO
Not much to say about this day. We grabbed breakfast in the hotel before getting in our rental car and driving to the airport to head home. Was the trip worth it? ABSOLUTELY. We traveled a lot in those six full days, but I really felt like we saw some big parts of Ireland. We would love to return someday and visit the Aran Islands, or Northern Ireland, or simply just stay put in one place for a few days at a time. But we honestly wouldn’t have changed anything about our trip. Ireland: you are absolutely gorgeous, hospitable and filled us with a renewed sense of adventure prior to our second half of our move to Kansas City. We truly felt “Cead Mile Failte,” or “a hundred thousand welcomes” while we were there.
Thanks a million, Ireland! We will never be the same!
