On my first trip to Ireland, I managed to see some great coastal areas, beautiful green lush country-side, castles, cobble-stoned walkways of quaint towns, kiss a stone and see 2 of my closest college pals from my time studying in Iowa. I have fond memories of Ireland..
Getting to Ireland
I flew with Ryanair to Shannon, which cost a whopping £15 each way, last minute. Pretty good if you ask me!
After finding my friends at the airport and giving them both big hugs, it was time for business.. A drive direct to the Cliffs of Moher!
The Cliffs of Moher
So, first of all, these Cliffs are extremely epic! The sheer drop from the cliff top to the waters below is incredible – how did the land just fall away like that?
Whilst at the Cliffs, I was so interested in taking photos, that I put my handbag down to get a better angle. When I went to pick my bag back up, it was gone. Yup! Someone has stolen my handbag!
After searching everywhere around the cliffs for my bag, I decided to go to the visitor centre. Low and behold, my handbag has been handed in! However I had €130 stolen from my wallet… Lesson well and truly learnt!
The loss of my money was a little bit of a downer, but my lasting memory of the day trip was not the money being stolen but the impressive views and beauty of the Cliffs! It’s no wonder this is the main tourist attraction of the Republic of Ireland!
Galway
After leaving the Cliffs of Moher, we drove an hour or so up to Galway, Ireland’s cultural heart. Galway is one of the cutest and friendliest places I’ve ever been. We spent our time in Galway meandering around the cobbled streets, checking out the local market and having a couple of pints in a Pub!
The pubs in Galway have live musicians playing Irish music (like Galway Girl) – so it is a lot of fun just to have a casual pint! One thing I will say about Galway is that the spirit of the town is just really fun and lively.
Dinner in Galway
One of my favourite Irish moments was going to a pub for a dinner meal, and being served a Guinness Pie, with the sides of Mashed POTATO, Roasted POTATO and POTATO Fries. They sure love their potatoes in Ireland!
Kiss The Stone
Day 2 was our road trip down to Blarney and Cork! If you haven’t heard of Blarney or Blarney Castle – the main tourist attraction of the area is a stone within the Castle called The Blarney Stone. If you kiss the Blarney Stone you will be endowed with the ‘gift of the gab’.
We climbed the castle – which was very impressive – and made our way to kiss the stone. It is definitely a highlight and bucket list item ticked off!
To kiss the Blarney Stone, you must have a little faith. You lean out from the edge of the top of the castle and hold on for dear life to give it a kiss, whilst feeling that at any moment you will slide through the crack, falling to your untimely death!
Make sure you get the professional photo – it’s a laugh 🙂
An Afternoon in Cork
After Blarney, we drove further to Cork. Cork is a bigger town than I had imagined and was very endearing. The 3 of us strolled around and found a pub down a hide-away lane. This pub was small and old and warm and we loved it!
I miss you Ireland
Spending 3 days with my friends in Ireland, exploring the countryside and its cute towns, was a heap of fun and I can truly say Ireland is one of my favourite places! I’ve never seen grass as green as it is in Ireland. And the people are a bunch of gems 🙂
My hunk has not yet been to Ireland so we are taking a long weekend to Dublin, Giants Causeway and Galway in a couple of weeks! Can’t wait to get amongst that green grass and that fun spirit again!
Australian expat, married to a Dutch guy, living in Amsterdam. Previously lived in London for 3 years, too! Lover of travel, coffee, brunch, beaches, fresh flowers, and family. Now a new mum, navigating life with a baby!
0 thoughts on “Searching for Four-Leaf-Clovers in Ireland”
Just came back from a week in Ireland as well. It is just THE most beautiful place! Especially Kerry. Have you been there?
Never made it there yet!! I’ll be in Ireland next weekend so I’ll see if we can make it there this time!