Our amazing trip to Ireland

We have just returned from a trip to Ireland, and I am SO excited to tell you about our wonderful adventures! If you've not visited this lovely country, you should definitely add it to your travel list. The country is beautiful. The people were warm and friendly. We couldn't get enough of the live Irish music. My husband, Stuart, loved the casual and relaxed atmosphere.

There are lots of options to explore this fun country. We work with several tour companies, and I can recommend the best one to meet your needs for a guided tour. This allows you to sit back and enjoy the rolling country side. If you are adventurous enough to drive, I would highly recommend a self-drive tour. It gives you the ability to visit some hidden treasures. The roads are excellent in Ireland - just remember that they drive on the opposite side of the road from us in North America!

For our own trip, we flew into Dublin for a couple of nights before hitting the road. There are many good flight options to Dublin from most airports. Dublin is a metropolitan city with amazing restaurants and live entertainment. We then drove the southern ring stopping for a night in Kilkenny, Kinsale, Killarney, Galway and Bunratty. Our adventure ended, and we flew back from Shannon airport. This is a picture of the castle in Kilkenny. There are so many historic gems to visit in Ireland!

We enjoyed dining in the local pubs. The food was tasty, and it was wonderful to talk with the locals.  Don't forget to have a pint of Guinness, which is still brewed today at St Jame's Gate in Dublin. I highly recommend a tour of the Guinness Storehouse. Visit their website to book this popular tour - https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en. Dublin is a large city, so the hop-on/hop off bus will give you a great overview of the city's popular landmarks. It is a good idea to pack a raincoat or umbrella for the occasional rain shower. Here is a photo of our favorite pub in Dublin.



All the places we visited were quaint, and we really enjoyed them. A highlight for me was a visit to Kinsale - our hotel had a view of the harbor, and the shops were wonderful. If you are looking for Irish woolens, there is a delightful shop there called "Granny's Bottom Drawer". They have some beautiful items, and I could not resist buying a gorgeous shawl to bring home! We had a fun night out for with friends here. We had a scrumptious meal in Kinsale at the "Black Pig Wine Bar". The food was great for this casual meal. Just look at our happy faces! Here is their Facebook page -  https://www.facebook.com/theblackpigwinebar/

If you go to Killarney, a must see is the "Ring of Kerry". Take it easy on the narrow roads, but the drive is worth the breathtaking scenery! Here is the photo I took. Anytime is a good time to visit Ireland, but my recommendation would be spring-time visit when it is quieter because the kids are still in school.

Contact me for more information about a visit Ireland! I can plan a trip to meet your bucket list and budget.