Ireland

It’s been years since I’ve been to Ireland! I remember having tasty shepherd’s pie, kissing the Blarney Stone, trotting on horses through rolling fields, and roaming on the windy Cliffs of Moher.

It’s time to go back, and this time, to some cities I haven’t been to yet. Not to mention…I can drink now! Keep reading to see my adventure from Dublin to Galway and back with my good friend Kristen!

Day One –

After a stressful connecting overnight flight, Kristen and I finally made it to Dublin! We bought our Leap Card passes at the airport and then took the bus towards our Airbnb, which luckily was located right across from Temple Bar, a very pub-populated part of town.

After settling in, we explored the city with the only goal of beating our jet lag. First, we wandered around Christ Church Cathedral, the oldest functioning building in the city. If you’re a student, be sure to bring your ID for a discount and don’t miss the mummified cat and mouse.

Next, we stumbled upon The Queen of Tarts, which served fantastic pastries and other filling foods. We highly recommend the chocolate pecan tart if it hasn’t been sold out yet. Coming at an earlier time may provide more yummy options.

Once we got some energy back, we went window shopping for clothes and jewelry. We passed the Temple Bar pub and noted that we would return the next night. After receiving advice from the locals, we found the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre which was super fun to explore. Plenty of engagement rings and antique jewelry to look at. On the top floor there’s a cool clothing/jewelry place called Atrium.

Afterwards, Kristen wanted to see Trinity College, where according to her, is home to many noble alum, not to mention the Book of Kelly’s (we didn’t see it because it was closed at 5pm) We also caught a boring cricket game and tried to hype it up with our American cheering.

We stopped at the Gin Palace and had a gin and tonic with Dingle Gin, which is traditionally Irish, then headed out to dinner. On our way there we saw the Spire, which is considered the tallest sculpture in the world. We ended our night with dinner at Klaw, a poke place, but neither of us had poke. Regardless, the food was phenomenal.

Day Two –

We slept in late because we had some trouble with our jet lag. Once we got ourselves out of bed, we went to the Saturday Food Market near Temple Bar and grabbed some coffee and breakfast. During this time, we received unfortunate news that our sea kayaking trip in Howth was cancelled. Regardless, we decided to head over to the coast anyway.

Kristen and I were so delighted by this cute sea town. We took a boat ride to Ireland’s Eye and hiked towards the summit. We came across a little beach, some church ruins, many seagulls, and even a seal. Safe to say, it was one of the highlights of our trip so far. Also, it was so sunny out!

Once we got back, we strolled along the seaport towards the Howth Lighthouse, took a power nap, and headed to The Abbey Tavern for the tastiest fish and chips you’ll ever have.

Once we got back to our Airbnb, we showered and got ready for a night out. I had a pint of Guinness at the famous Temple Bar, then at the Stag’s Head, I treated myself to a shot of Jameson whiskey. Once I had all the essentials, Kristen and I went to Dicey’s, a very fun nightclub that is both indoors and outdoors. Highly recommend if you’re a young adult/college student.

Day Three –

After a rough night, we woke up early to catch a train to Galway. The view on the ride is absolutely iconic.

We only had a day to really explore the city of Galway since the next day we were going to do a tour of the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands. It’s quite small, so it was extremely manageable to see most of the city in a few hours, we even did a few laps! The Latin Quarter is so lively with musicians, pubs, and shops. There are also little alleyways filled with even more shops and artisan stalls.

We ate at 1520’s and enjoyed some traditional Irish food. We then walked along the river and passed under the famous Spanish Arch along the way.

The city was extra lively that day because Galway was facing Limerick in a game that we could only think was lacrosse. Unfortunately, Galway lost, but what a celebration it would’ve been. Everybody was gathered at Eyre Square watching the away game on a massive screen. We turned in early this evening due to our 10 hour day tour the next day.

Day Four –

We were in Eyre Square before 8am in order to catch our tour bus to Doolin. We had a wonderful tour guide named Peter and enjoyed the beautiful scenery on the way to the bay which we departed. We took a horse carriage ride around the Aran Island, Inis Oirr. My favorite part of the tour were the walls which were made by the original people of the island.

After the Aran Islands, we cruised along the Cliffs of Moher before docking and seeing them from above.

We made our way back to Galway, and walked around to kill time before heading to Taafes for some pints of cider.

Day Five –

We spent the morning making our way back to Dublin. Once we settled into our Airbnb which was less central and more suburban, we headed off to the Guinness Storehouse.

It is absolutely worth it and a graphic designer and beer drinkers’ dream alike. The tour was so wonderfully curated and you even get to have a pint at the end, which you can pour yourself.

After the tour, we went back by Temple Bar and walked around for a bit before heading home for the night.

Day Six –

We started our final day in Ireland with a visit to the National Botanical Gardens. It has a great cafe that uses fresh ingredients and the place itself has free admission! Honestly, it’s the biggest botanical gardens I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to my fair share. If you have the time, certainly check it out. While a lot of gardens are outside, there are plenty indoors, so a visit on a rainy day is completely doable.

After the botanical gardens, we trekked way north to the local village of Donabate to go horseback riding at Corballis Farm. Kristen rode Calvin and I rode Surprise along the beach.

It was scary to trot English saddle where you have no horn to hold onto, but it was beyond fun!

We spent our last few hours back in Central Dublin and stumbled upon St. Stephen’s Park. Since the city weirdly has no benches on the streets, it was a nice area to rest out feet.

Since we had flight in the morning, we went home a little more earlier than usual. Ireland was such a spontaneous trip, and it was more charming than I remembered. I’m glad I was able to come back to this gorgeous, kind island.