So what did you think of Part 1? If you’re booking your plane ticket right now I would like 3% commission please&thanks π . If you’re not yet convinced here we go onto Part 2 which includes some of my favorite stops we made in Ireland.
We spent 2 days in Killarney at the amazing Dunloe Hotel and Gardens. This hotel is an absolute must. I would’ve spent days just walking the grounds here. It was such a peaceful/ upscale farm environment. The air quality must’ve been a 10/10 I swear. Not to mention the views of the mountains in the background. (This isn’t even a sponsored ad, can you believe it?).
The town of Killarney is absolutely adorable. Treyvauds is a must if you are looking for a spot to eat in town. The food here is so fresh and well prepared. Also worth taking time to see is the Gaelic Roots show at the Killarney Avenue Hotel. You’llΒ get all the Irish music and step dancing you want during this 2 hour show. The performers are amazing and it is evident they’ve been doing this for years. If you’re used to “dinner and a show” like we do in NYC, this is the perfect Irish substitute.
We did a whole 2 days of mini activities in the center of Killarney including a jaunting car ride (more popularly known in the states as a horse and carriage ride) followed by a boat voyage that took us to a little island in the Killarney National Park known as Innisfallen. On Innisfallen you can explore the remains of a 7th century monastery (and leper colony) while hiking through the woodland of the small island.
As for the jaunting car ride: I was comforted by the fact the jockey (jaunter? driver?) told us their horses only work 3 days a week for a few hours a day and have better working conditions than the humans #animalrights. As for human rights, I was pleased with how many businesses are run by families or individual locals. Love a good small business oriented town! Our jaunters (I like this word, I’m going to stick with this one) have had the business in their family for generations. So, being in the hands of experts, I sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed my ride through the park old school style. The national park is huge and there is plenty to do so a stop here while in Killarney will never be a waste of time.
The next day we took off for a day long journey around the Ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry is like a plot twist in all that you think you know about Ireland. Example: I thought Ireland was all farmland and flat. Actuality: there’s scenery of the ocean that could compete with the Amalfi Coast in Italy (No exaggeration, I’ve been to both). There are in fact beaches, mountains, and a lot more than just green farmland and cattle. We had lunch at a little place called The Scarriff Inn with impeccable views. Definitely go for the view and think of the food as a small perk. The fish & chips were above average which was great, but other options include sandwiches, soups, and salads. The service is extremely fast (something as growing up around Manhattan I don’t even take notice to) but like I said, you stop here for the view (and for a nice break since you’ve been driving around the Ring for about 2 hours at this point).
The beautiful views and the 111 mile/ approximately 4 hour bus ride will no doubt put you to sleep… I’m guilty… so any small stops you can make along the way are worth it! Our last stop was a sheep dog demonstration which could’ve confused me for a demonstration of me herding my drunk friends together at the bar at 2 am…Β This was an interesting little stop and something you wouldn’t typically see on your own so if you want to find out that herding dogs actually do live up to their breeding classification name check out The Kissane Sheep Farm. These types of toursity things bring money into farms and keep them alive since farming alone isn’t even enough anymore (farmers make $1/ sheep when they sell their wool each year. Only 1 DOLLAR !!) so I’d definitely check them out if you’re interested. Keep the small farms alive!
The next day we made an early stop at the infamous Blarney Castle. If you don’t know about all the wonderful gifts the Blarney Castle has to offer idk where you’ve been. Legend has it you will obtain the gift of eloquence (and luck and wisdom and maybe even a unicorn depending on who you ask) after leaning back and kissing the Blarney Stone. This is not an easy task and claustrophobic visitors beware as you’ll be waiting on line on the tiniest staircase you can imagine. This is just the start of the journey as once you get to the top you’ll be leaning back and kissing the stone about 20 stories above ground level (would show you some embarrassing pictures of my double chin while kissing the stone but I’ll refrain π ).Β I’m still waiting for someone to tell me I’m eloquent and until that day I’ll be doubting the stone’s powers but either way I can say that I did it, check it off my bucketlist, etc. (Yolo? Why did that phrase become frowned upon…) Regardless, if you fancy kissing the stone or not the grounds of the Blarney Castle are beautiful and allow for an amazing visit. Pro tip: if you do plan on kissing the stone get there early AF, the line at 11 am was already over an hour long.
After everyone received their eloquence we continued on to the town of Waterford which if your mothers and grandmothers are anything like mine you’ll know EXACTLY what that means… crystals… Waterford crystals have been known for awhile now as kind of a big deal and that’s exactly what you’ll find here. You can go on a tour of the House of Waterford and see the intricate detail that goes into making these crystal creations. I recommend this tour even if you’ve never heard of Waterford crystals before, it makes for great souvenir shopping π . Other museums in the town include the Medieval Museum and the Bishop’s Palace. We stayed the night in Waterford which if we’re being honest by this point I was exhausted and think I was asleep by 7 pm but I hear there’s some great pubs in Waterford if you have more energy than I did when you make the stop here.
Our second to final stop was in Kilkenny (not to be confused with Killarney ). Supposedly… and this is me imparting my ever growing Irish wisdom on you all… the prefix Kil means church so yes, there is a connection in these towns by the fact there were churches in both of them (…I didn’t come up with the reasoning). Wow look at me, am I fluent in Gaelic yet? ANOTHER fun fact: you can say you speak Irish or that you speak Gaelic and they refer to the same language. Although the modern day folk say they speak Irish… so I guess that would be considered the proper way.
Kilkenny was another adorable little town. Some of their streets are so small a car can barely fit down them. This was one of the warmest days we had in Ireland so this may be persuading my opinion of Kilkenny. The Kilkenny Design Centre is a great stop if you’re looking for a great piece of jewelry or art. We had a brief lunch here and walked the streets which was just as enjoyable.
Our finalllll stop was in this little town (not sure if you’ve heard of it) called DUBLIN. Yup, we finally made it back to Dublin, can you believe it? I don’t know if you remember me saying this in my last post but compared to every other town and city in Ireland Dublin overpowers them tenfold. Dublin is divided into two sides: the north and the south with the Liffey River separating the two. Of course when visiting Dublin you have to make a stop in Temple Bar (contrary to the name.. not a single bar but the area of where all the popular bars are). Other must do stops include: Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and my favorite… the Guinness Storehouse. If you don’t visit the Guinness StorehouseΒ Β to have a fresh pint you’re not doing Ireland right. Granted, I’d compare the Guinness Storehouse to the Empire State Building in terms of tourist traps but hey… when in Ireland. It is true what they say about Guinness tasting better in its homeland and there really is only one way to find out and that’s by going to the place where they produce it. Not to mention the 360 bar does offer some amazing views of Dublin (granted you’re there on a sunny day, always the Irish catch π ).
If you want more advice on tours of Ireland and the specific tour I took with my family feel free to e-mail me at danielle@mytangeldlife.com and I will give you all the info and try to help the best I can. If it’s your first trip to Ireland or you want to see A LOT of the country I highly recommend a tour in addition to however many days you want to spend on your own exploring. It just makes everything SO much easier.
Anyway, that’s all for now. I’m off to take my Irish tour guide test π
Leave a Reply