All it took was a milestone birthday for my best friend and I to book our airline tickets to the land of leprechauns and limericks. We arrived in Dublin somewhat travel weary but ready for our Irish adventure. Our days in Dublin were a whirlwind of activity using the Hop-On Hop-Off tour bus (10 euros), visiting Trinity College to view the 1,000 year old Book of Kells, the National Museum to become informed about the 100th anniversary of the Irish uprising against the British, the Guinness Storehouse, and Dublin Castle.
The bus drivers/tour guides were well versed on Irish history, and quite entertaining and humorous. Another must do is the traditional Irish music pub crawl in the Temple Bar area with two musicians providing a history of Celtic music and instruments used.
Our day trip to the Titanic Belfast was marvelous. We viewed nine galleries and explored the sights, sounds, and stories of the RMS Titanic along with many interactive displays. Who knew that the lookouts on the bridge didn’t have binoculars or that Jack Dawson was a fictional character?
The next stop on our itinerary was Galway, a harbour city on Ireland’s west coast. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to see turquoise blue waters and a wide expanse of sandy beach. The city was hopping as tourists arrived for the weekend to swim and sunbathe, eat freshly caught seafood and sample Irish beer. We stumbled upon an excellent farmers’ market on Saturday morning where you could buy bagels and bangers, sushi and crepes, jewelry and pottery.
Our next adventure was a seven-day walking tour of Aran, Burren and Connemara with a company called Ireland Walk Hike Bike. Our tour was rated “two boots” which means able to walk 20 kms a day uphill and downhill across varied terrain with elevations up to 3,100 feet! After completing our first hike to Errisbeg Mountain and Dogs Bay Beach near Roundstone, I wondered what I had got myself into. We walked/hiked on granite, limestone, bog and cliffs through sunny, rainy, windy conditions. Our guide Tomas was a gem and had an incredible knowledge of Irish history. If he said we would take things “handy” or that the weather would be “fresh,” we knew we were in for a tough day. The scenery was magnificent and we visited many archeological and historical remains, notably prehistoric forts and early Christian sites.
Our next stop was Cork on the southwest coast of Ireland, which the locals cheerfully call the real capital of Ireland. It has a population of approximately 120,000 residents and was very easy to find your way around with lots of pubs, coffee bars, ethnic food, and shopping. Our first stop was the Cork City Gaol, where I was assigned Inmate No. 501104. It was a great opportunity to see firsthand what day-to-day prison life was like in the late 1800s/early 1900s. The prison was overcrowded with unhygienic conditions and the high walls ensured no escape. We were able to see the original reception area, cells with plank beds, prisoner clothing and diets along with some original graffiti left by some of the Republican prisoners who spent time there. On a more cheery note, the next day we took the local bus to Blarney to see the castle and beautifully landscaped gardens. We didn’t kiss the Blarney Stone due to the lineups that day. Our last day in the area was spent visiting the historic port and seaside fishing town called Kinsale. Lunch was at a restaurant called Fishy Fishy, where I had the best bowl of seafood chowder I have ever tasted.
We used Irish Rail to travel between cities on our itinerary. Most trips were 20 euros when booked in advance, trains were on time, clean and comfortable and a good opportunity to talk to locals and other tourists about their Irish experiences.
I have a new love for the Irish people, Irish history and culture, Irish beer and a stunning landscape with fifty shades of green.
As the Irish say: “sláinte” (good health).
