We leave for our much-anticipated trip to Ireland on the evening of July 2nd. Below is a high-level summary of each of our eight days in Ireland followed by details and photos we found online.
- July 3 – Arrive to Dublin City and Begin Exploring
(Phoenix Park, The Brazen Head, Temple Bar) - July 4 – Continue Exploring Dublin; Meet Up with Katie
(Dublin Castle, Trinity College, Kilmainham Gaol, Guinness Storehouse) - July 5 – Dublin City to Belfast City via The Boyne Valley
(Newgrange, Hill of Slane, Hillsborough Castle) - July 6 – Belfast City to Derry City via The Causeway Coast
(Causeway Coastal Drive, The Giant’s Causeway, The North East Coast) - July 7 – Donegal to Galway City via Rural Mayo
(Knocknarea Trek, Carracastle Farming Community) - July 8 – Galway City to Clare via The Cliffs of Moher
(The Cliffs of Moher, The Burren National Park, Wild Atlantic Way) - July 9 – Clare to Killarney Town
(Limerick City, Adare Town, Killarney Town & National Park) - July 10 – Killarney to Dublin via Limerick City
(The Ring of Kerry, Limerick City, The Rock of Dunamase)
July 3 – Arrive to Dublin and Begin Exploring
We are scheduled to arrive in Dublin, Ireland around 8:30am local time after an over-night flight through Boston. We’ll likely be exhausted, but will need to power through until our 3:00pm check in to the Hilton Kilmainham. In the meantime, we expect to explore Phoenix Park near our hotel after dropping off our luggage. We may then head east along the River Liffey to find a place for lunch – perhaps The Brazen Head, Ireland’s oldest pub dating back to 1198. Continuing east will bring us into the Temple Bar area of Dublin – a tourist hotspot along the river with plenty of restaurants and live music. I’d expect we’ll be in early to try to get some rest ahead of our busy week ahead.
July 4 – Continue Exploring Dublin; Meet Up with Katie
After hopefully a good night’s sleep, we will spend America’s Independence Day exploring in and around the city of Dublin. We expect to check out historic Dublin Castle that began construction way back in 1204 as well as Trinity College – one of Europes top academic institutions that dates back to 1592. Late afternoon will see us head back toward our hotel for tours of the Kilmainham Gaol and Guinness Storehouse. The evening of July 4th will likely include some shopping as we wait to meet up with Katie for a few days. She’ll be taking a bus that evening from Galway where she’s been studying abroad.
July 5 – Dublin City to Belfast City via The Boyne Valley
We decided to hire a private tour company, Little Gem Tours, to help us maximize our time in Ireland. We begin our six day private tour on Friday, July 5th. Our first stop will be at one of the world’s most important prehistoric sites including the UNESCO heritage site, Newgrange. Standing over 5,000 years old, this passage tomb not only predates Stonehenge but also the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Our tour will take us inside this ancient tomb for a recreation of the light show on the winter solstice when the sun shines through lighting up the inner chamber of the tomb. We will also have the option of enjoying the other treats that The Boyne Valley has to offer like The Hill of Slane. Afterwards, we will go through the ‘Gap of the North’ and across the border into Northern Ireland where we will visit the quaint town of Hillsborough to wander around the official royal residence of the Monarchy. A short drive from Hillsborough will see us arrive into the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast City, where we will complete our day with a comfortable stay in the heart of the city at the Merchant Hotel.
July 6 – Belfast City to Derry City via The Causeway Coast
We will start our Saturday journey by heading north taking in the stunning coastal drive on the way to the north-east coast. This journey will take us through the nine Glens of Antrim where the mountains meet the sea. The drive offers spectacular views across to our neighbors Scotland on a clear day and through many quaint towns and villages along the way. Our first activity of the day will be the Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge. If we are brave enough, we will cross this shaky bridge suspended 30 meters above the waves of the ocean. We will then pop into the beautiful fishing village of Ballintoy before journeying on to the world famous Giant’s Causeway, where geology meets mythology. Here we will have plenty of time to enjoy the stones and learn all the myths of Fionn MacCumhaill. We will then continue on our coastal drive, this time taking us past some of the islands’ best beaches before arriving in Donegal for our night’s rest at Lough Eske Castle!
July 7 – Donegal to Galway City via Rural Mayo
We will start the morning driving south to the outskirts of Sligo town where we will take a moderate hill walk to the stunning Knocknarea to pay our respects at the 6,000 year old tomb of Queen Maebh. The top of Knocknarea offers some of the best panoramic scenery on the island. We can then take a visit off the beaten path and away from the crowds to the village of Carracastle to tour a local farming community. Here we will meet local heritage farmer Eddie Joe for a walk on the bogs, demonstrations of turf cutting and a talk on Irish legends & folklore. After this we will meet local blacksmith Pat Strahan and then we’ll get an excellent demonstration of working sheepdogs with sheep farmer Michael McMorrow. We will end the day with a drive south to Galway City for a night’s stay at the Park House. Galway is where we’ll say goodbye to Katie as she returns to her studies. 🙁
July 8 – Galway City to Clare via The Cliffs of Moher
We will continue our journey along the Wild Atlantic Way and will discover a national park – The Burren Geopark with stunning coastal drives and opportunities to sample the local delicacies of chocolate, oysters and craft beers. We will then travel onto one of the wonders of Europe – the majestic Cliffs of Moher where we will enjoy beautiful cliff walks at one of the most spectacular sights in Europe. After the cliffs, we will decide from a range of activities that include boat trips, horse riding or guided walks around the County Clare area. Next, we will travel further along the Wild Atlantic Way until we reach our hotel beside the sea, Vaughans Lodge.
July 9 – Clare to Killarney Town
Departing early, we will begin our day with a drive to Limerick City – The Viking Heartland of the midlands of Ireland. We can visit the impressive St. Johns Castle on the banks of the river Shannon before driving to the old village of Adare, a traditional village of thatched roof houses. The tour will then arrive in the afternoon to Killarney Town. A vibrant west coast town that combines traditional with the hustle and bustle of modern west coast of Ireland town life. We will enjoy the elegant Muckross House & Gardens, explore Rosses Castle, and take a lakeside walk to the waterfall before retiring to the Ross Hotel. The evening offers a variety of entertainment such as traditional shows and numerous pubs with top quality live traditional Irish music.
July 10 – Killarney to Dublin via Limerick City
On last full day in Ireland will take in the highlights of the famous Ring of Kerry. The rest of the day is all about the spectacular midlands and ancient Ireland. We will journey through the Kingdom of Kerry and continue with a drive through the scenic midlands with its rolling green fields and hills with a drive off the beaten track to one of the most impressive ruined castles in ireland – The Rock of Dunamase. Commanding stunning views across the surrounding countryside, this stop provides lots of great photo opportunities away from the tourist crowds. Afterwards, we will journey back to Dublin where we will arrive in time for us to enjoy the energy and music of this brilliant capital City. Our last night in Ireland before flying home in the morning should be a memorable one as guests at the Clontarf Castle Hotel.
