A week in Western Ireland

Ireland is amazing, beautiful, breathtaking. To really experience the essence of Irish culture, music, and landscapes, you need to get away from the big cities and head West. We were lucky to spend a week in Western Ireland having a family reunion with my parents and siblings (most of us had never been to Ireland before). It was a wonderful vacation!

GETTING THERE: Of course you have to fly to Ireland. Most flights will land in Dublin, with a few options in Cork or Galway. Check airports like Jerez, Malaga, Sevilla, and even Gibraltar to get the most flight options. Use Skyscanner.com to compare rates, and set a price alert to get the best fares. From Dublin, you can rent a car, and basically drive all over the country. Ireland is not very large, so getting to Killarney in Western Ireland took about 4 hours of driving from Dublin, which is on the opposite side of the country. Speaking of the Opposite side-- DRIVING IN IRELAND IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD! So, the driver's seat is on the right side of the car, and the car is driven on the left side of the road. Also, roundabouts move clockwise, instead of counter-clockwise. It took some getting used to, but we found the roads to be mostly well-marked. Even though they were narrow in many places, it wasn't as bad as some of the tiny streets we have encountered in Spain!

WHERE TO STAY: 
DUBLIN: If you land in Dublin, of course you want to spend 1-2 nights there. It is an interesting city--lots of history, culture, and of course pubs. You won't get anything like it in Western Ireland, so enjoy it for a brief time. We didn't spend time in Dublin on this trip, because I had been before. To find apartments in Dublin, use a search site like AirBnB, or stay at a hotel.

The view from our rental house, 'Mangerton View.'

WESTERN IRELAND: We found it convenient to stay in Killarney the entire week, and explore Western Ireland as day-trips from there. Killarney itself is quaint and worth a visit, but the day trips included driving the Ring of Kerry, visiting Blarney Castle and Cork, hiking the Gap of Dunloe, and visiting the town of Dingle. Alternatively, you can stay at different locations each night and work your way around the country, but then you have to spend a lot of time coordinating with hosts, and packing suitcases. We found 1 home base to be convenient, relaxing, and it didn't limit our options. Again, AirBnB can get you great locations and connect you with locals for a wonderful experience. Any Bed and Breakfast in Ireland, especially one with great views and charming hosts, is guaranteed to be a memorable experience!

Our local host gave us a tour of his family's dairy farm!

WHEN TO GO:

Compared to Spain, Ireland is COLD. All the time. And windy. And rainy. So... really the best time to visit is in the summer. I know many people who have gone in the spring and still had a good time, but in Western Ireland the weather is really a factor. We were extremely lucky to have sunshine almost every day for one week in late June. The locals assured us that this was practically miraculous and almost never happens. So no matter when you go, be prepared for cooler temperatures than Spain. Pack sweatshirts and rain gear. Most tourists go in June, July, or August, when Ireland can offer refreshingly cooler temperatures than Spanish beaches. This is the best weather, but just beware that it also makes for more crowded tourist sites and longer lines.






WHAT TO SEE/DO:

DUBLIN: The Irish Museum of National History had great exhibits ranging from Iron Age burial sites all the way up to modern civil unrest. Trinity College and the Book of Keels inside it are of course a must. St. Patrick's Cathedral is gorgeous. The Guinness brewery tour is fun. And of course you can spend some time shopping and pub hopping. I went on a pub crawl tour, where local actors read segments from famous Irish writers and poets at each of those Irishman's favorite bar. (I'm an English major, so a literary pub crawl was a trip highlight for me!)  There are also some kid-friendly sites, like the Zoo or the Hop On- Hop Off bus.

Rock of Cashel

ROCK OF CASHEL: This is in the middle of the country, and you will drive right past it from
Dublin to Killarney. It is on a hill outside Cashel town. It was the ancient seat of the Irish kings, and is now the somewhat well-preserved ruins of a fortress and abbey from the 12th century. You can spend a few hours exploring the medieval site. More info about opening hours and ticket costs can be found HERE.





KILLARNEY: As I mentioned, Killarney can be an excellent central location for a visit to Western Ireland. But if you just spend a day in the city, go to the Muckross House and Farms. This is a very convenient location that has a little bit to please everyone, all in one convenient area. There is a section of traditional farms, where you can visit traditional cottages and witness what life was like several hundred years ago. There is a well-preserved and fully furnished manor house from the 1800's, along with beautiful gardens. From the Muckross grounds, you can also walk or take a horse carriage ride to the ancient Abbey, founded in the 1400's. And you can take the same carriage to visit Torc Waterfall. More about the Muckross Park HERE.

Muckross House

Muckross Abbey, from the 1400's. A hauntingly beautiful site.

Most of the gang on the carriage ride at Muckross House and Abbey

Torc Waterfall. You can hike from Muckross, or access it from the Park road.

Ross Castle

Killarney also contains a National Park, with many wonderful hiking trails. Notably, the most popular trail goes from Ross Castle around Ross lake, and gives gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. Another amazing location is the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow gap between two mountains. Unfortunately, we attempted this hike on our 1 rainy day, so we didn't make it to the amazing views.








RING OF KERRY: The best attractions in Western Ireland are not man-made. They are the landscape that occurs when the cliffs meet the sea. The best way to witness and enjoy these views is by driving in a loop along the coastline of either the Kerry Peninsula (Called the Ring of Kerry) or the Dingle Penninsula (Called the Slea Head Loop). You can find guidebooks with details about every stop along the route, but some of our favorites in Kerry were: The Ladies View lookout point, the quaint town of Sneem, the ancient rock Staigue Fort (we had a picnic lunch there!) and the Skellig Islands. If you don't have a rental car, there are also many tour buses that make the loop from Killarney. It's a long, but beautiful day! Make sure you choose a day with decent weather, not only to get the best views, but also to have the least harrowing driving experience.

Ladies View, Ring of Kerry

Staigue Fort, a ring fort from the Stone Age!

Views from the tip of the Ring of Kerry

CLIFFS OF MOHER: These are several hours from Killarney, not quite possible as a day trip, but certainly worth a visit! They are one of the top attractions in all of Ireland! The cliffs are 700 feet of sheer black awesomeness. They are impressive. They are huge. They loom over everything else. The views are hard to describe, so just look at the pictures! They were actually used as the "Cliffs of Insanity" in the movie "The Princess Bride." And in the Harry Potter movies, they are the cliffs with the cave where Dumbledore takes Harry to find the Horcrux. They can also be reached from the Galway airport, after a few hours of driving. So if you can get to them, it is a definite must-see. Plan your trip HERE.

Sophie, age 6, kissing the Blarney Stone.

BLARNEY CASTLE: This is one of those must-see sites on a visit to Ireland. At first I was hesitant, thinking it would be touristy and not worthwhile, but it's actually a really cool castle and garden. Yes, there is a long line (over an hour to get to the top), but along the way you are entertained by ancient rooms, beautiful views, and amusing Irish signs. To kiss the Blarney stone, you have to lay down and bend backwards. It's a fun and memorable experience! The gardens were really fun to explore, with legends of a witch who lived in an ancient tree and was captured in a stone. Blarney is just over an hour from Killarney, and much closer to Cork, so you can spend a few hours there, then head to your next destination. Ticket info HERE.





CORK: We had spent almost a week in Western Ireland, seeing rolling mountains, quaint villages, and gorgeous scenery. My brother was starting to wonder if Ireland had any cities! So, we took him to Cork. It is one of the largest cities in Ireland after Dublin, and is a bustling University town. We walked through the downtown area, explored the English Market (and indoor market area), and stopped by the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. This is a good place for shopping, but not a very ancient or beautiful city.



DINGLE: If you want a quaint city with cultural history, beautiful views, wonderful music, and good seafood, then Dingle is the place for you! Dingle town is located on the Dingle peninsula, which is the peninsula north of Kerry. It is one of the few areas in Ireland where Gaelic has been preserved as the official language, so you will see more Gaelic than English on signs (but people speak both easily). The town itself offers numerous craft shops, seafood restaurants selling fresh catches from the bay, an Aquarium, and several smaller museums. There are plenty of pubs, and at night Dingle is the best place to hear traditional Irish music performances. From the town, you can drive around the Dingle peninsula in a breathtakingly gorgeous drive called the Slea Head Loop. Most of us preferred this over the Ring of Kerry because it had even better views, less traffic, and was a shorter trip. This was honestly one of my favorite places.Check it out HERE.

Cheese shop in Dingle

Gallarus Oratory, built in 700 AD, seen along the Dingle Slea Head Loop.

Other places to consider: Bunratty Castle and other castles around Limerick, Kinsale fishing village, Knock pilgrimage site, Northern Ireland, the Giants' Causeway. These locations were all a bit too far out of our way, but for someone using a different route, they would be well worth a trip. I'm not trying to replace a travel book, so do your own research to see what sites appeal to your family!



IRISH MUSIC:

Celtic Steps, the show in Killarney

If you love Irish music such as the fiddle, drums, and Celtic singing, you are probably thinking of "traditional" music, commonly referred to as Trad. Trad music performances are popular in many bars and pubs throughout Western Ireland, particularly around Dingle and the surrounding areas. Performances usually start at 8 PM. A pub with a good musical atmosphere is said to have good craic. This is the celtic word for 'fun, enjoyment.' So make a point to get to at least one trad performance during your visit! 
If you want to see Irish dancing as well, in a show similar to Riverdance, then so to the Celtic Steps show in Killarney. They perform nightly throughout the summer, and the show was amazing! It's not as big as Riverdance--only 4 dancers at a time-- but they showed a great variety of Irish dancing, different shoes, different styles, etc. The music and instruments were gorgeous, very traditional, very family-friendly, and highly recommended! This was one of the highlights of our trip!



There are so many wonderful things I could say about Ireland. I have never met anyone who travels there and doesn't like it. Ireland is arguably one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It has a history that stretches back farther than our minds can comprehend. It has culture, music, storytelling tradition, and some of the world's friendliest people. Oh yes, and beer. Really, what's not to love? I can't plan your trip for you, but ours was pretty much perfect, so I hope it can inspire you. Leave me a message if this was helpful! Or 'like' my Welcome to Rota Facebook page.
Go raibh maith agat! (Thank you!)