Fado, fado, John, a native son of Ireland, was swept from shore to shore and landed happily in the sunny California place known as Petaluma. Abram, a native son of Miami Beach was swept in similar fashion from shore to shore and ended up in the same sunny California place. At the start of the internet age the two men met. Ironically, Abram entered into indentured servitude in Ireland and travelled back and forth for 18 years.
What follows is a guide, of sorts, to visiting the lovely place – Ireland. For those who have been, or other natives of the place who would like to add to this guide, please contact
John
Abram
Ireland
Ireland is a great place for the experienced foreign traveller as well as those who have never done any travel outside of the United States and Mexico. It is a very small country, about the size of South Carolina in land mass and population, yet it is a cultural giant in the world, and one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever visit.
The secret is out though, and Ireland has become very, very popular and very, very busy with tourists from all over the world. Tourist high season is generally from the beginning of June through the end of August.
My suggestion is to visit Ireland in late April through May or from September through “The Christmas”. May and September are particularly beautiful.
There will always be a little rain and overcast, but the weather will change hourly and sometimes minute by minute. In the west of Ireland near the mountains of Connemara, you can actually see the weather move from place to place. I always get a laugh from the RTE (television and radio) forecasts. They always say “rain with periods of bright sunshine”.
The best way to get around the island, is to rent a car and brave driving on the left. You can drive from one side of the country to the other in 3 1/2 hours on the new motorways (M1 – M10). The M’s spur out from Dublin in all directions except East and will take you anywhere on the Island.
If you’re not up for driving, fear not. Recently all of the large bus and rail systems in Ireland have all adopted the Transport for Ireland’s Leap Card that can be used to hop on city, inter-city, and rural bus lines like Bus Eireann, Expressway, and Dublin Bus. Leap is also good on the Dublin LUAS and BART trains as well as Iarnrod Eireann (railroad).
My strategy for getting out of Dublin has changed from renting a car and keeping it for a few weeks, to taking rail and Expressway busses from big city to big city, and then renting a car at inner-city locations to get to specific places I love. While a car gives you a lot of freedom to follow all the incredible backroads through breathtaking scenery, I have found that some of the Bus Eireann services will take you to very remote places on the same breathtaking roads. Google Maps works very well in Ireland, Dublin being the EMEA Headquarters for Google.
There are also numerous tours you can take. Choose your tours carefully, though. Some of them can be cattle-calls with busses stuffed with people going to kiss the Blarney Stone. You don’t want to board a van in Dublin at zero dark thirty, rush out to the Cliffs of Moher with a quick stop at some castle on the M7 and head back to Dublin the same day. Take it slow. Have a pint and a good conversation in a local pub, stay at a “real” B&B and repeat. Remember everyone speaks English (of sorts), so enjoy talking, or just listening.
Even the smallest towns have taxis, and most will be glad to take you to a sightseeing spot, and you’ll probably have a great conversation with the hack as well.
Sections
Dublin
Where to Stay
Getting Around Dublin
Things To Do
Where To Eat
Day Trips From Dublin
Leaving Dublin
Galway, Connemara, and West Clare
Galway / Connemara / West Clare Summary
County Cork
Cork City
Day Trip to Kinsale
Two Forks in the Road To Kerry
Cork Summary
More to Come (Check Back)
DUBLIN (The Big Smoke)
There’s nothing quite like a Saturday night in Dublin. Lots of good craic (pronounced crack), which means fun in Gaelic. Stay out late and find your way to a kebab or chips and curry at 2 am to get a feel for the late night flavor.
In the 24 + years that I have been traveling back and forth to Dublin, I’ve watched the food scene go from non-existent to world class. In the slow times of 2007-08 many new restaurants opened by young chefs who could now afford the rent popped up, and the culinary scene improved by leaps and bounds.
Dublin has great music, theater, and museums. All the national museums are free admission. They are not open on Mondays. The theater scene is small, but very professional, and very accessible (cheap and tickets are usually not hard to get).
There’s music everywhere. Many of the pubs have traditional Irish music where musicians just go and sit in together.
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of City Center, it’s easy to hop on DART to the North or South and end up in lovely seaside villages for a nice walk along the seafront or even a dip in the Irish Sea.
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Where to Stay
As the Capital City of Ireland, Dublin offers every kind of accommodation from cheap backpacker’s to B&B’s to five star hotels and everything in between. You can find accommodation on all the usual booking sites, but I’ll highlight a few here.
In and Around the Center
Center City Dublin and the Docklands have a good buzz especially on weekends. If you’re looking for quiet, these areas might not be the best, but sometimes a good city buzz is fun for a little while. Of course, you can buy tranquility in the heart of Dublin at some of the hotels I have listed as (splurge).
The Marker. (splurge) The Marker is right on the Grand Canal a little out of the City Center, but there’s good transportation and taxis are always available. It’s a modern hotel that fits the modern Docklands which is Dublin’s financial center. There’s lots of nice restaurants and cafes around it and it is a short walk to Beggar’s Bush and the Grand Canal DART.Link
The Ferryman. The Ferryman is a great little pub right on the Liffey River in the Docklands, just behind the Marker (above). There are a few rooms above the pub, and if you can snag one, it’s a good bargain for the location. Link
The Shelbourne. (splurge) The Shelbourne is right across from St Stephan’s Green and is the grand dame hotel of Dublin. It was closed for many years and was extensively remodeled. Even if you don’t stay there, it’s fun to have an expensive cocktail or two at the legendary Horseshoe Bar. It’s now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Link
The Merrion. (splurge) The Merrion is around the corner from Stephan’s Green and near Merrion Square and the National Museum. Link
The Gibson Hotel – is located at the end of the Luas line near the point depot and it’s easy to get around from there. It’s a modern hotel right near the Port of Dublin. It’s comfortable and sometimes a bargain. It is near the Financial Center and Docklands. Link
Quiet, Quaint, and Out of the Center
Sometimes it’s nice to be a little further from the center of things. Transportation is very good in Dublin, so I suggest staying out of the center for a nice change of pace. Plan your museum and shopping days and then retreat to a nice quiet setting.
Stay in Clontarf, Howth, Malahide, Beggar’s Bush, Portobello, Ranelegh, Sandycove, Dun Laoghaire, Rathmines. These are all nice neighborhoods with a level of calm.
Clontarf Castle — This is an old castle hotel in my old neighborhood on the north-east part of town. It is a short walk to the sea-front. It’s about a 25 minute bus ride into town or a 15 minute taxi. It’s close to the Dollymount Strand (Beach) which is a lovely stroll. It’s also close to St Anne’s Park which was built from the grounds of the former Guinness mansion. Link
King Sitric in Howth – This hotel is more like a fancy B & B and is at the far end of the DART line in Howth. Howth is like the Sausalito of Dublin. The down side is that you have about a 30 minute ride into town on the DART or Dublin Bus. The upside is that it’s like staying in a little country village by the sea. It is upstairs from one of the best seafood restaurants in Europe. Link
Butler’s Townhouse – This is a very nice B&B on the south side of town (very upscale). It is near Aviva stadium where football and Rugby are played, so be sure there’s not a match going on while you’re staying there or it will not be quaint and quiet. Butler’s in in a really nice neighborhood with lots of great restaurants and pubs. The neighborhood is called Beggar’s Bush. Link
Windsor Lodge – Sandycove / Glasthule is a little village further south on the DART line from where Butler’s is. It a very pleasant little village and near the Sandycove Strand. There is a famous Martello Tower on the beach where James Joyce lived. Behind the tower is the Forty Foot which is a swimming area that features in the opening of Ulysses. If you’re into cold water, it’s a wonderfully stimulating experience to take a plunge there. Windsor Lodge is very close to the beach and about a 20 minute DART ride into center city Dublin. Link
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Getting Around Dublin
You don’t want or need a car in Dublin. There is Dublin Bus, Luas (Trams), and DART (trains the ring the Dublin Bay). Get a Leap Card and top it up as you go. It’s good on all three services. You can buy a leap card at the airport near the taxi stand, or at any LUAS kiosk, and at many newsagents (7-11 types stores). They have visitor deals for increments of days, and you can also just add money to the card when the visitors pass run out. You can now use Leap on inter-city busses, and Irish Rail. GET A LEAP CARD.
See Link
Uber has just entered Ireland, but it is really only a taxi hire app. Uber as we know it in the US is not allowed. You should download an app called FreeNow Taxi. This app works like Uber, but uses real taxi-men. There are taxi-men (and women) in most towns. Often folks just put the taxi sign on their personal cars to make a little extra on weekends.
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Things to Do
There’s lots to see and do in Dublin. Sightseeing, Museums, Music, Theater, and my favorite, Pubs.
Sightseeing
There is a good Hop on Hop Off service for sightseeing in Dublin. It’s probably worth it for first timers. You can catch there on O’Connell Street across from the historical Post Office. You can hop off at some of the places listed below.
Guinness Storehouse is a great tour of the original Guinness factory. You end up in a high tower overlooking all of Dublin, with a really good pint of Guinness. Link
Jameson Distillery has a tour of the distillery. Link
Kilmainham Gaol. I’m not one for sightseeing, but the Kilmainham Jail was very impressive to me. It is an English prison from a cookie cutter architecture for English prisons built in those years, cold and efficient. It is where the revolutionaries involved in the Easter Rising were executed. It is also the setting for a famous film. I won’t spoil it for you. Link
St Patrick’s and Christchurch Cathedrals. LinkLink
Book of Kells and Trinity College Library. Trinity is one of the oldest universities in Europe. The Book of Kells is there, but even more impressive is the old library. Link
Go to Howth. This is the village at the north end of the Dart line. It makes a really nice day to walk out on the pier and go to the pubs. There is a market on Sundays.Link
Go to Sandycove Kiliney where Bono lives. There’s a cool swimming area called the forty foot on the beach there. There is a Martello tower at the beach where James Joyce used to live. It is a custom for all the rich folks who live around there to go swimming in the freezing cold Irish Sea on Christmas day, naked. You can get there on the DART. It’s a nice ride down there too. Link
Gaelic Games, Rugby, and Football — Don’t know if any of these will be going on while you’re there, but Rugby is fun to watch at Aviva Stadium (Landsdown Road) and Gaelic football and hurling at Croke Park. Link…Link
Markets on Moore’s Street – Right of of Henry Street, one of the main shopping streets on the north side of the Liffey is Moore’s Street. The famous butcher FX Buckley (mentioned in Ulysses) is there along with lots of stalls with great old cigarette smoking Irish Ladies hawking fruit and veg. It is also the center and first stop for the ever-changing immigrant population in Dublin. If you’re thinking about a picnic, stop by Mroz Polish Market in the Moore’s Street Mall Basement. You’ll be blown away by all the Polish charcuterie. Link
Museums
The wife, Val is big on Museums and swears by some of the ones listed below.
The Little Museum of Dublin is a quirky and fun museum done by tour, so you have to buy tickets online at Link
The National Museum of Ireland Archeology – astounding gold collection and the preserved bog people skeletons.Link
The National Gallery – Irish art from the past and present.Link
Chester Beatty Library and Dublin Castle are right next door to one another on Dame Street. The castle was the old British castle where the queen stayed when she came to Dublin. The Chester Beatty is a museum of printed art.Link
Dublin Writers Museum at 18 Parnell Square is dedicated to all the Irish writers.Link
EPIC Irish Emigration Museum. This is right next to the Liffey on the North side near the Samuel Beckett Bridge. It’s an interesting collection about the history of Irish emigration and the Irish diaspora.Link
Hugh Lane Gallery – Focuses on contemporary Irish and international art.Link
Irish Rock ‘n Roll Experience – The history of Irish rock music.Link
The Irish Whiskey Museum is at the bottom of Grafton Street near Trinity College. Kind of touristy. Link
Music
From Trad to Rock here are some standouts.
The International Bar – This is a great pub with a very esoteric crowd. I always joke that people who get 86’d from Grogan’s go there to drink, and you have to be pretty weird to get 86’d from Grogan’s. It has a comedy club upstairs and has Jazz on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. It’s worth it just to go for a pint even if you’re not gonna see any Jazz. It’s at 23 Wicklow Street. Link
The Cobblestone is in a section of town called Smithfield. This is near the Jameson Distillery. The Cobblestone is a real trad pub. Not many tourists go there. It is mostly musicians that sit in and get paid in pints. Link
O’Donoghue’s is a trad pub just off St Steven’s Green near Merrion Square. Good trad music. Usually very crowded. Link
L Mulligan Grocer – This venue is also listed in the food section, but on Saturday night now they have quite a nice Trad session. They also have a very good selection of whiskeys. Link
The Grand Social – This is a music venue and bar at the foot of the Haypenny Bridge in City Center. It opened in 2010 and has become one of Dublin’s premier music venues. It’s a young crowd. They used to Jazz on Sundays.
Whelan’s On Wexford is a pub upfront and a gigs venue in the back. Usually has fairly well know acts playing there. It would be like the Dublin version of Slims (in SF). The pub is fun too. Link
Vicar Street – This is a “headliner’s” venue in Dublin in the Liberties neighborhood. I was lucky enough to see Patti Smith there. It was American Mother’s Day, which the Irish don’t celebrate at that time. Like a little groupie, I brought a sign that said Happy Mother’s Day. She had her son playing guitar and saw the sign and gave her son a shout out and said “this is the best fucking Mother’s Day I’ve ever had because I got my son right here.” Link
Theater
The Abbey Theater is on Abbey Street and is the National Theater of Ireland. There are usually very good classic or brand new original plays by Irish playwrights there. Link
The Gaiety Theater – A little more commercial than the Abbey, the Gaiety has been around since 1871. Link
Irish Film Institute is in Temple Bar. It sustained me on many a rainy Sunday. It’s really a gem. It’s a great movie theater with a pub/restaurant. In fact, i found that if you need a really quiet pub, the IFI pub is the place to go. They play “art” films, and sometimes you’ll see UK and European films before they come to the states. They also screen great old Irish films you can’t see anywhere else. Link
Online Guide – Here’s a good website for what’s going on in Dublin.. Link
Pubs
Finding the craic in Dublin….
Grogan’s Castle Lounge is my favorite and my “local”. It is a dingy old pub on South William Street that is filled with great old characters and amateur artwork for sale on the walls. On Friday and Saturday nights, it is crowded, but that’s the fun. It has a great awning outside with lots of tables which is a perfect place to see the parade of people passing by. You’ll always have a good conversation there. They pour a damn good pint of Guinness. This is my happy place. Link
Mulligan’s pours the best Guinness in Dublin is a great old pub. It is on Poolbeg street right near the Irish Times. It is not to be confused with Mulligan’s grocer. Link
The Cobblestone is in a section of town called Smithfield. This is near the Jameson Distillery. The Cobblestone is a real trad pub. Not many tourists go there. It is mostly musicians that sit in and get paid in pints. Link
L Mulligan Grocer is mentioned above as an excellent restaurant, but I wanted to call it out again as a good trad pub on Saturday nights. Good pints and whiskeys too.Link
John Kavanagh (The Grave Digger’s) is in the Glasnevin neighborhood. It’s worth a trip there to see a real local. It’s called the Grave Digger’s because it fronts a graveyard, and there is small window where the gravediggers would come for their pints of Guinness in between interments.Link
The Dawson Lounge at the top of Dawson Street is the smallest pub in Dublin. You walk down a flight of stairs into this tiny underground pub. Great place.Link
Café En Seine is the largest bar in Dublin. It is three stories high and is decorated in art nouveau style. It was the place to go for the financial district crowd in the days of the Celtic Tiger. Since then it has been changed a bit to include a restaurant. Worth a pint there just to see it.Link
The Stag’s Head on Dame Court just off of George Street is a great old Dublin pub. Good Guinness there too, and good mix of people.Link
The George at the foot of Great George Street was the first LBGT Pub in Dublin. It’s really fun to go there on Sunday nights for Drag Queen Bingo hosted by Shirley Templebar.Link
The International is a quirky pub with a good comedy club upstairs. It is on Exchequer Street.Link
The Brazen Head is the oldest pub in Ireland. I think it dates back to 1198. It is along the quays of the Liffey River near the Guinness factory.Link
The Long Hall is one of the oldest pubs in Dublin. The original Long Hall Pub which backs on to Dublin Castle, opened in the 1860s and was much used by the Fenians (Irish Republican Revolutionaries). Today, The Long Hall Pub has moved to George Street and retains much of its old charm.It is also Bruce Springsteen’s favorite pub in Dublin. Link
The Fleet is the only bar that I will recommend in Templar. It is an old writer’s and newspaperman’s hangout and is a UNESCO literary site.Link
The Horseshoe Bar is in the lobby of the Shelbourne Hotel. It’s an historic old bar and is lovely.Link
The Bruxelles is a bar just off of Grafton Street behind the statue of Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. Great place for people watching.Link
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Where to Eat
In the 23+ years I’ve been going to Dublin, food has improved substantially. Joining the EU brought chefs from all over Europe to open places in Dublin, and immigration from countries outside of the EU also added to the mix. I also think a big factor in the improvement in food in Ireland is that Ireland’s young people became, like all young people, obsessed with food. “are you not hungry, you’ve barely photographed any of your dinner?”
The newest, freshest, always changes in a city, and my recommendations probably don’t include any of the top Michelin Starred places, but these are dependable and have lasted a while:
L Mulligan Grocer has become my favorite restaurant in Dublin. Besides really great seasonal food with local produce they have lots of beers and whiskeys. Make a reservation. It’s in an area of Dublin called Stoneybatter . They now have a really nice Traditional Music Session on Saturday nights. Link
Hawksmoor is in the old Bank of Ireland Building on College Green near Trinity. It’s beautiful inside and the food is first rate. Link
The Oar House is my favorite fish restaurant. Besides being on the pier in Howth (a fishing village on the north outskirts of Dublin), it has the best fish fresh from the markets next door. Howth is a treat in itself. It used to be a fishing village and is now a very trendy neighborhood of Dublin. It is sort of like Sausalito. You can take the DART (urban train) to the last stop on the Howth line. There’s a great little pub called the Bloody Stream right under the DART station. You should call the Oar House for reservations. Link
Diwalli is a really good reasonably priced Indian restaurant. My favorite Indian in Dublin. It is right on George Street Link
Café Cagliostro and (Formerly)Ennotecca Delanghe are a café and wine bar in a little square called Bloom Alley. Bloom Alley (named for the character Bloom in Ulysses) is right off of the north end of the Millennium Bridge across the Liffey river from Temple Bar. It is a pedestrian bridge made out of aluminum. The coffee is really good at Cagliostro, and there’s good antipasto and pasta at the wine bar. The Ennotecca has changed its name, but it’s the place right across from the Cafe. You can get a really nice pasta lunch with salad for 10 Euro there. Link
Fade Street Social is a hip place, but a bit expensive. My former colleague who won Master Chef of Ireland worked there until she went back to Australia . It is on Fade Street off of George’s Street. Link
Le Gueuleton is also on Fade Street and is a French-ish place that is really good. Have the Steak Frites, and for you vegans, have the cauliflower steak. Link
The Winding Stair is pricy, but very, very good. 40 Lower Ormond Quay. This is on the north side of the Liffey river near the Haypenny bridge. Link . Right next to the Winding Stair is a really good new venue by the same chef. It used to be the Dublin Woolen Mills.
The Old Spot is a pub with great food. It is in an area called Beggar’s Bush. Link
Late Night Kebab – You will, no doubt find yourself in the mood for a kebab at 2am after a night of crawling from pub to pub. Some suggestions are: Reyna on Dame Street near Trinity. Zaytoons on Parliament Street.
Late Night Chipper – If you crave Fish and Chips, or Chips and Curry, or a Chip Butty (chips in a pita), or a battered burger (deep fried burger in batter): Leo Burdock in Christchurch is the original, best in Dublin. There’s also Beshoff Brothers on O’Connell and in Howth (the original). Fish Shop in Smithfield has become a favorite.Link
Cafe at Fallon and Byrne — Fallon and Byrne is the fancy food market on Exchequer Street. The cafe is great for a quick lunch. They also have a fancy, pricy, restaurant for dinner upstairs.Link
Wood Fired Cafe is a little place Val discovered that is run by an Italian guy who has spent his life mastering pizza. It is very authentic and has the best pizza in Dublin. It also has really tasty pastas. It is on Blessington Street (not a touristy area) near the Mater Hospital.
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Day Trips From Dublin
To me, a day trip from Dublin is NOT a van tour to Blarney Castle or the Cliffs of Moher. If you’re going to the West or up North, spend a little time, you’ll get a much better flavor for the country. There are some things to see near Dublin that can be done in a leisurely day. Here are some of my suggestions:
Newgrange
Newgrange has the largest collection of Neolithic stone carvings in Europe. It is also the place with the famous Neolithic burial chambers that let light in only on the winter solstice. They have a big visitor center right next to the Boyne River about 40 minutes out of Drogheda Ireland. You can take the bus from Dublin to Drogheda, it’s about a one hour ride. Then take a bus to the Newgrange visitor’s center. There are also many tour operators in Dublin that offer a day trip to New Grange. Tours take a few hours. This is an easy day trip from Dublin and is on the top 10 things to see in Ireland. Link
Wicklow Mountains
Wicklow Mountains — The best way to visit the Wicklow Mountains is to rent a car, or get a driver with a car. There are many things to see. The Wicklow Mountains are some of the highest in Ireland and they are just an hour south of Dublin. Places I’d suggest are:
Powerscourt Gardens and Waterfall is a 13th century mansion and gardens near one of Ireland’s highest waterfall. There are lots of tours from Dublin to Powerscourt. Link
Roundwood — If you’re driving, stop in Roundwood on your way to the Sally Gap. It is one of the highest villages in Ireland. Link
The Sally Gap — Sally Gap, a mountain pass in the Wicklow Mountains National Park in Ireland, is a popular spot for hiking due to its scenic views and diverse trails. The area offers a range of hiking experiences, from moderate to challenging, with options for both day hikes and longer backpacking adventures. There’s a beautiful black lake at the bottom of the cliffs at the Sally Gap. Link
Victor’s Way Indian Sculpture Park — If you’re driving to the Sally Gap, look out for Victor’s Sculpture park. It is a wacky meadow walk with many marble and bronze statues commissioned by an even wackier old dude who immigrated to Wicklow in the midst of World War II from Dresden. Take the N11 to Kilmacanoge, then the R755 for another ten kilometres, following signs for Roundwood and Glendalough. Just before Roundwood turn right onto the R759. Turn left after 1km on to the L1036, and you will find Victor’s Way on your left. Enter the park through the giant marble vagina. Link
Avoca Hand Weavers is in the little village of Avoca. The drive there is very picturesque and they have tours of the woolen mills and a good lunch. Link
The Glendalough Valley was carved out by glaciers during the Ice Age and the two lakes, from which Glendalough gets its name, were formed when the ice eventually thawed. The Valley is home to one of Ireland’s most impressive monastic sites founded by St. Kevin in the 6th Century. Link
Horse Racing In Ireland
is much more up-scale than in the US. The women all wear fancy hats, and there are tons of touts making bets in the centerfield shouting out odds and stuffing money in big satchels. Check this website for races and tracks. Bus Eireann usually has service to many of the tracks or little towns with tracks around Ireland. There are many tracks close to Dublin. The best one is the Curragh in Kildare. Link
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LEAVING DUBLIN
As much as I love Dublin and all my favorite haunts, it has grown into a very cosmopolitan city, and it’s harder and harder to find solitude. I really believe that a lot of beauty of Ireland lies in the solitude of its natural beauty, followed by a nice pint or two at a quiet pub.
As I said in a previous section, I have taken up the strategy of leaving Dublin on some mode of public transportation for one of the larger cities or towns, and using that as a hub to get out into the always beautiful surrounding areas.
What follows are some suggested escapes from Dublin. It’s been my experience that people who have asked my advice about Ireland, did quick trips out of Dublin and came back to deeper dives into one or two areas of the country.
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GALWAY, THE CONNEMARA PENINSULA, AND WEST CLARE
Take the train to Galway, the San Francisco of Ireland. There are 4 or 5 trains a day to and from Galway town. They end up right downtown. Galway is a great launch off point for Connemara (my favorite part of Ireland). Connemara is in one of Ireland’s special areas called Gaeltacht.
Galway is also a great launch point for The Burren, The Cliffs of Moher, and Doolin
Galway City and Surrounds
If you’re looking for hippies you’re most likely to find them in Galway. It’s a young city with lots of universities. The pubs and the music are great, and the craic is brilliant. The food is excellent and the Galwegians are lovely people like. They end every sentence with the word like. For accommodation there is everything from fine hotels to B&B’s. B&B’s in Ireland are great.
The restaurant scene changes pretty constantly, so consult the usual guides. There are great restaurnats all along Quay Street and at the Spanish Arch.
One institution is McDonnagh’s. It’s a go-to chipper (fish and chips shop) that’s been around forever.
There’s a good seafood pub called the Quays on Quay Street. Good place for Trad Music as well.
Aniars is a Michelin stared Irish restaurant. It’s a splurge.
The Latin Quarter is a very lively section of Galway City where there’s lots of nightlife, pubs, and good food. It’s defined by some of the city’s most historic landmarks and stretches from the Spanish Arch at Long Walk to O’Brien’s Bridge to St Nicholas’ Church and back (via Buttermilk Lane) to An Taibhdhearc on Middle Street. It fronts the Corrib River. Link
Harbour House is a comfortable modern hotel in Galway. It’s right at the docks and is usually reasonably priced with a good full Irish included.
Oranmore, Clarinbridge,and Kilcolgan are great little towns just outside of Galway City where you can have some of the best Oysters you’ll ever have. You’ll drive through these towns on your way to the Cliffs of Moher, so they make a great lunch stop. If you’re not going to the Cliffs, I really suggest making a pilgrimage to Moran’s Oyster Cottage. This restaurant is one of the best in Ireland and is centuries old.
If you’re on the bus, take the 350 bus to a little town called Kilcolgan. Get off in Kilcolgan and ask a taxi-man to take you to Moran’s Oyster Cottage. Have oysters, chowder, the cold seafood plate at this hundreds of years old gem of a place. Have a pint of Guinness for me.
Connemara
Connemara is a part of County Galway where the Irish Government recognizes that the Irish Language is the predominate vernacular. As you drive down the highways, the road signs and billboards turn from English, or English and Irish, to solely Irish. Most people talk to each other in Irish and seamlessly move to English when talking to visitors.
Inishmore
Off the coast of the Galway Peninsula are the Aran Islands. The largest is Inishmore. Most of the film “The Banshees of Inisherin” was filmed on Inishmore. There are two smaller islands Inishmann and Inisheer. Inishmore is the most accessible. You can buy bus/ferry tickets in center city Galway. They’ll bus you along the Galway Peninsula into the heart of the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area). The ride is pretty nice. You end at the ferry port in Rossaveel. There is long term parking at the ferry terminal for those who are driving.
Take the ferry to Inishmore and explore by bicycle (readily available for rent) or horse cart. Ride up to Dun Aonghasa an old Celtic fort and walk out onto the cliffs. On a clear day you can see the whole Galway peninsula and even the Cliffs of Mohr. Link Link
You can spend the day on the Island and even stay overnight if you book accommodation in advance. If you’re without a car, you could even catch the Doolin ferry to Doolin the Trad Music capitol of Ireland.
Clifden, the Sky Road, and Leenane
You can catch bus 419 from Galway town center to Clifden in Connemara. Connemara is my favorite part of Ireland. It’s craggy and green with lots of sheep who don’t particularly care about hanging out in the middle of the road. The bus route will take you right down the center of Connemara and then it turns back to the sea and on to Clifden.
If you’re driving from Galway City on the N59, just outside of Oughterad is the iconic Quiet Man Bridge from the John Wayne film “The Quiet Man”. Stop and stretch your legs.
Clifden is a really cute little town. It has good pubs and excellent restaurants. There is a great pub right in the square called E.J. Kings. Have a pint there. There is usually music on the weekends in tourist season.
A few doors down from Kings is Mitchell’s Seafood. Make a booking there for dinner in advance. It is an exceptionally good seafood restaurant run entirely by a crew of Hungarians who come to Ireland for the tourist season and go home in winter.
There’s a really comfortable hotel called Foyles. They have a great full Irish breakfast. There is also a gourmet B&B on the quays aptly named the Quay House. It is owned by one of the Foyles who was born in one of the rooms at the Foyles Hotel. He and his wife are really into food and Val and I had the best Irish Breakfast we ever had there.
The Sky Road
You really can’t miss seeing the Sky Road just outside of Clifden. It does require a car, but I think there are tours that will take you there. It would be worth it to just get a taxi to take you up and back. The view is breathtaking. It’s a 1 hour hike each way if you’re up for that, but it is hilly. Link
Leenane
Take the 423 bus from Clifden to Leenane, or drive the scenic N59. It’s about an hour ride. Leenane is a tiny town right next to the Killary Fjord, Ireland’s only fjord. Killary Fjord is famous for Killary Mussels which are served all over Europe and in most pubs around the area.
Along the way, you’ll pass Kylemore Abbey. It is the home to a Benedictine order of Nuns for the past 100 years, and has beautiful gardens,greenhouses and a chapel. You’ll need to buy tickets to visit.
Stay at the Leenane Hotel. This hotel is a real gem. Be sure to ask for a sea view room, although most rooms are sea view. The hotel faces the Killary Fjord with the mountains of Mayo in the background. Rates are very reasonable (I paid 80EUR a night for a single) including a full Irish Breakfast. They have a nice bar and restaurant and a lovely parlor to sit and have a pint or a whiskey and look at the fjord. They have massage there too. Link
There is hike up the hills behind the hotel. Ask at the hotel about the route. One of the hotel managers is a very friendly Polish woman from Warsaw.
There is a nice 1 hour (each way) walk to Aasleagh Falls from the hotel. There are nice hikes all around. The staff at the hotel will help you. They might even be able to scrounge up some bicycles.
It’s a twenty minute taxi ride, and you can even take a bus from Leenane to Letterfrack to Connemara National Park. The park has many breathtaking trails through the mountains. There are beautiful views of the whole peninsula and the sea. Link
If you can arrange for a bicycle or a ride from the hotel, don’t miss Glassilaun Bay Beach. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Ireland. The beach is a crescent that nestled in the mountains and a little isthmus that separates the beach from the Killary Fjord. Link
West Clare
Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher
Doolin is a great little village filled with Trad Pubs. If you love Irish music, this is the place for you. Almost every pub has a session going.
There’s lots of accommodation with a lot of nice B&Bs. It is a stop for tour busses so it can get crowded.
The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s most iconic natural landmarks — dramatic sea cliffs that draw more than a million visitors a year. The cliffs are 700 feet high, towering above the Atlantic.
You can easily get a bus from Doolin to the Cliffs of Mohr.
You can take a bus from Galway City to Doolin and the Cliffs. It is a really scenic bus trip. It is a 2 1/2 hour ride on Bus Eireann 350 to Doolin and then to the Cliffs. The Cliffs are worth a visit, but it can get crowded.
If you’re on the bus, stay overnight in Doolin and hear some great trad music. From Doolin, you can catch a bus back to Galway.
I suggest driving exactly the same route as the bus to the Cliffs. If you have a car, you can continue on the following itinerary:
The Outer Edge of the Burren, Cliffs of Mohr, Kilkee
Continue on the N67 and turn right towards Kinvara and Ballyvaughn. There is an interesting Celtic castle in Kinvara. It’s worth a stop to look around.
Continue to the town of Ballyvaughn. The drive is beautiful. In Ballyvaughn look for the turn-off to the R477. The road is pretty narrow, but it goes around the outer edge of the Burren right on the edge of the Atlantic. Pull off the road where you can and have a look around.
Stay on the rural road into Lisdoonvarna. Lisdoonvarna is the home of the annual Matchmaking Festival. This where farm-boys come to get matched with a wife. There are many salmon smoke-houses new Lisdoonvarna, so if you’re hungry be sure to stop for some.
Find R478 out of Lisdoonvarna and head to the Cliffs of Mohr.
After the Cliffs..find your way from the Cliffs to Lahinch and then follow the N67 to Kilkee. Sleep in Kilkee and have lots of oysters. This is oyster country. A nice place to stay in Kilkee is either the Bayview or the Stella Maris.
Tarbert Ferry and the Dingle Peninsula
The next morning, head out on the N67 to Killimer to catch the Tarbert Ferry. Check the schedule so that you don’t have to waste time at the ferry port. Link
The Tarbert ferry takes you across the mouth of the Shannon River from Clare to Kerry. It is a gorgeous ride, and if you’re lucky you’ll be escorted by dolphins.
Out of Tarbert, find the N69 to Tralee. The Rose of Tralee Beauty Pageant and Festival as it is in August. Tralee is a good place to stop for lunch.
From Tralee set off for Dingle. I always like to take the backroads and it is particularly pretty taking the N86 and then just outside of Inch take the rural road to Stradbelly and then down to Dingle town. Or just stay on the N86 to Dingle.
Consider renting a car in Galway City and returning the car to Tralee. From Tralee, you can take the train to Cork (city).
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Galway / Connemara/ Clare Summary
Here I’m listing only places I’ve stayed, visited, or eaten at that I found to be great. Use Google maps to discover more.
Stay
Harbour House (Galway) — comfortable modern hotel in Galway. It’s right at the docks and is usually reasonably priced with a good full Irish included. Link
The House Hotel (Galway) — Upscale very nice old building converted into a chic hotel. Link
Foyles Hotel (Clifden) — Nice old victorian hotel in the heart of Clifden. Run by the Foyles family for many generations. Great Breakfast and reasonably priced. Link
The Quay House B&B (Clifden) — Is down in the picturesque harbor in Clifden. It’s really lovely and has the best Irish Breakfast I’ve ever had. The place is run by one of the Foyles family who was born at the Foyles hotel. Link
Leenane Hotel (Leenane) — As mentioned above is a gem! I’d really suggest staying a couple of nights and using it as a launch off point to really explore Connemara and West Mayo. The rooms are basic, but the hotel lobby and bar are lovely. Most rooms face the Killary Fjord. Link
Stella Maris (Kilkee Co Clare) — This is a lovely old hotel a block from the beach. Comfortable and reasonably priced with a good restaurant. Link
Eat
McDonagh’s Quay Street (Galway) — Legendary fish and chips place. Link
Aniars (Galway) is a Michelin stared Irish restaurant. It’s a splurge. Link
Moran’s Oyster Cottage (Kilcolgan) — Centuries old Oyster Cottage by a lovely weir. Incredible oysters and cold seafood. Great fish chowder and Fish and Chips. Link
Mitchell’s Seafood (Clifden) — Really good seafood restaurant run by a bunch of Hungarian lads who come to Ireland for the “season” to run the restaurant. They close in Winter. Link
Things to Do
Innishmore — Take the ferry to Innishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. Hike, bike, or donkey cart up to Dun Aonghasa an old Celtic fort and walk out onto the cliffs if you dare. Link Link
The Quiet Man Bridge. Just outside of Oughterad is the very popular local attraction is The Quiet Man Bridge. The bridge was made famous in the 1950s classic “The Quiet man” starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Link
The Quays — Is a great spot for music and drink. It’s also the location for the “Galway Girl” statue named for the great Steve Earl song. Link
E.J. Kings — Right on the square in Clifden, it’s a lively pub that features music most nights. They also feature great pub food.
The Sky Road — Talk a nice walk, a drive, or taxi ride to the Wild Atlantic Overlook at the top of the Sky Road just outside of Clifden. It’s a remarkable viewpoint. Link
Kylemore Abbey — Neo-Gothic Benedictine Abbey, Gardens, and Chapel is a really impressive visit. Walk through the expansive gardens and dine or enjoy chocolate made by the nuns. Link
Killary Fjord Boat Tours — Cruise on Ireland’s only Fjord. Discover the history of the area and the beautiful scenery. Buy tickets online. You can even have some famous Killary Mussels while aboard. Link
Aasleagh Falls is actually in Mayo, but is about a half hour walk from the Leenane Hotel. If you’re a David Attenborough fan, then you might recall his visit to Aasleagh Falls. He was perched on top of the waterfall, recounting the life history of the eel with his BBC crew a few years ago. Link
Connemara National Park in Letterfrack is one of the most beautiful national parks in Ireland. There are great views from the top of the mountain of all of Connemara. Step up you hikers, even I made it halfway up. Link
Glassilaun Bay Beach Is one of the most beautiful swims I’ve ever had. The white sand stretched for about half a mile. I guess what also makes Glassilaun Beach special is that it is so remote. The nearest villages are Renvyle, Leenaun and Letterfrack (approx. 20minutes away); all definitely not urban centres by any stretch of the imagination.Link
Trad Music in Doolin — Go to Doolin, the trad music capitol of Ireland. There are lots of places to stay and many of the tour busses clear out by night time.
The Cliffs of Moher is one of the most well known attractions in Ireland. They built a big modern visitor’s center about 18 years ago. Kind of nanny-fied the place, but it is still worth a visit. I believe there are trails along the cliffs. I have always wanted to take a boat tour from Doolin to see the Cliffs from the Atlantic. I’ve heard it is impressive.
Kilkee is a little beach town in Clare that is known for oysters. There’s a little public beach there. It’s not super-scenic, but you can have a swim in summer.
Tarbert Ferry will take you across the mouth of the Shannon river into county Limerick. It’s a fun crossing and since it’s close to the mouth of the river you’ll sometimes see dolphins. Link
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County Cork
I usually suggest that start in Cork City and spend a couple of days and then launch off on a scenic drive or bus trip through Southwest Cork and over the mountains to Kerry. Take your time and really explore.
If you are starting in Dublin or, for that matter, in any bigger city in Ireland, I suggest taking rail or bus to Cork City and launching from there.
Cork City
In all my 20+ years of going back and forth to Ireland, I never stayed in Cork city until April 2022. I was very pleasantly surprised. Cork is a lot less frantic than Dublin but it’s still a city. You can take the train there from Dublin. There are lots of trains daily from Houston Station in Dublin.
Cork city has lots of cultural things to see and good museums. But, not being a cultural fellow myself, I can’t really recommend anything. I can recommend staying at the Imperial Hotel which is a bit of a splurge, but it’s a really nice old grand hotel. It also has a spa.
Visit the English Market. This is a central market with stalls and stalls of beautiful food. It will be especially nice in Summer.
There’s lots of shopping and restaurants on Oliver Plunkett Street and there are clubs and music venues there at night.
I ate at a really good wood fired rotisserie restaurant called The Spitjack in what seemed to be a a hipster section of town on Washington Street between Daunt’s Square and Grattan Street. That section of Cork is near the University and there are lots of cool places to eat and drink and good music venues.
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Day Trip to Kinsale
Kinsale is the gourmet capitol of Ireland. Kinsale is on the sea and there are lots of colorful sailboats. It’s a a 40 minute drive or an hour dub ride from Cork City to Kinsale, so it’s a great day trip.
It’s an upscale place, and In the summer they chopper in the rich executives to play golf at the world famous Old Head Golf Course and have fabulous food and whiskey and cigars at night. If you are a golfer the Old Head is one of the best courses and the most beautiful in Ireland.
If you’re not a golfer, but you hike, there is a great hike at the Old Head. There’s two miles of trail along the headlands of Cork by the Atlantic. The Old Head is known for its stunning views and historical significance, including the site of the RMS Lusitania sinking.
Kinsale is a nice old town to stroll through, but the main thing to do in Kinsale is to eat. If you’re just doing a day trip from Cork City, be sure to eat lunch at Fishy Fishy. If you stay in Kinsale overnight, don’t miss it for dinner. You will need advance reservations, especially in summer. Years ago Val and I went there when it was in an old gas station on the road out of town. Now it has moved, and is very fancy. I ate there again in April of 2022 and it was brilliant. The chef used to be the seafood chef at The Huntington Hotel in San Francisco.
There are lots of hotels and BnB’s in Kinsale. Stay overnight if you want. It is a bit touristy, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you want a bit of quiet.
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Two Forks in the Road To Kerry
I like to combine County Cork with a visit to County Kerry. You can wind your way along the sea of southwest Cork or drive through the low mountains and neon greenery of central Cork. I like to stick by the sea, but there are some very nice quiet places in the center northwest of Cork.
Cork to Kenmare Through the Southwest
Map
You’ll need a car for this trip, I don’t think there are busses over the high mountains on the border of Cork and Kerry. Ii’s a good 4 1/2 hour drive, but you’ll want to stop a lot for photos, so have a place to sleep booked in Kerry. This trip heads south from Cork City to Clonakilty famous for their breakfast sausages. You then head through Skibbereen to Bantry which is a lovely little sea port with very colorful buildings. Have lunch in Bantry and enjoy the village. There are many good restaurants near the Quays. Lots of fish.
Continue on to Glengarriff where the coast starts to get craggy and the great mountains that separate Cork and Kerry come into view. You could stop at any of these towns and spend a few days hiking and enjoying the laid back pace of west Cork, or you can push on to Kerry. Glengarriff has a really nice 4 star castle-like hotel and spa called Eccles Hotel and Spa. In fact, there are a whole slew of very upscale old manor houses all along the sea from Balleylickey to Glengarriff.
Just out of Glengarriff, you could hit the N71 to Kenmare BUT DON’T! You’ll miss one of the more scenic drives over the Healy Pass into Kerry. Instead of the N71, take the R572 (R means Rural Road) to Ardigole and turn right onto the R574 following the signs to the Healy Pass. The views along the road are breathtaking. At the top you’ll see the wide Atlantic and along the way you’ll be up close and personal with lots of curious sheep.
At Laugh, turn right again on the N571 and continue along the Kenmare Bay to Kenmare.
Cork to Killarney Town With a Side of Gougane Barra.
Map
The drive from Cork City to Killarney in Kerry is only about an hour and fifteen minutes, and I suggest doing that only if you are going to stay overnight in Killarney and spend quality time at the Killarney National Park.
Marta Shannon and Larry King rave about a diversion to Gougane Barra and a stay at the lovely hotel there, The Gougane Barra Hotel. Check in to spending a few days there and take some nice hikes around Gouganebarra lake, or you can go a little south of the lake to the Gougane Barra Forest Park for some nice trails.
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Cork Summary
Stay
Imperial Hotel — A lovely old elegant four star hotel in the heart of Cork City. They also have a Spa. Link
Eccles Hotel & Spa — Very upscale castle-like hotel and Spa in Glengarriff. There’s been a hotel on that site since 1743. Link
Gougane Barra Hotel — Very comfortable and reasonably priced. Great food. Right on the Lake. Link
Eat
English Market in Cork — A great old food hall, one of the best I’ve seen in Ireland. Walk around and pick out something really tasty for a picnic, or dine at one of the restaurants there. Link
The Spitjack — My favorite rotisserie restaurant. They’ve always got a nice hog belly and chickens turning on the spit. Link
Fishy Fishy — Is an award winning seafood restaurant in Kinsale (the gourmand capitol of Ireland). Fishy Fish Pie is a specialty. You will need reservations in advance. Link
Things to Do
Visit the English Market — Even if you don’t eat there, it’s worth a visit to the English Market in Cork City. Link
Oliver Plunkett Street — Is a shop street in the heart of Cork and at night has fun restaurants, bars and music venues. Link
Washington Street — Seems to be a bit of a hipster neighborhood with lots of young people near the University. Anyway, I had a few nice pints there at Costigan’s. Link
Old Head Golf — Spectacular, world class golf course. One of the most recognized and sought after golf experiences anywhere on earth. You’ll need reservations and lots of money to play there. Link
Old Head Hiking — Beautiful seaside walk. Not strenuous. 3.6 Mile Loop. Link
Bantry — Is a very colorful port town in west Cork. Great place to stop for lunch as you drive through west Cork. Link
Glengarriff — Is a great place to stay for a few nights in west Cork. It is on the Atlantic and at the foot of the mountains that separate Cork and Kerry. Lots of old manor hotels and nice places to stay. Link
Healy Pass — One of my favorite drives in Ireland. You will drive on a rural route over the craggy mountains that separate Cork and Kerry. Breathtaking views. Link
Gougane Barra Forrest — Mountain forrest trails just below lake Gougane Barra. Link
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The Kingdom of Kerry
For all my time in Ireland I thought that folks called County Kerry “The Kingdom” because of their dominance in Gaelic Football, having won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship a record 38 times. But, Kerry really was a kingdom, no shite. Kerry is nicknamed “The Kingdom” due to its historical significance as a Gaelic kingdom ruled by the O’Connor clan, dating back to 65 AD. The name Kerry itself is derived from the Irish word “Ciarraí,” meaning “people of Ciar,” a reference to the clan’s founder. Locals proudly use the nickname to reflect the county’s strong cultural identity and historical importance. So, to all you O’Connors, welcome home. To everyone else, enjoy the magic of one of the most beautiful counties in Ireland.
I like to enter Kerry by way of west Cork, or by porting over the mighty Shannon river on the Tarbert Ferry from Clare. There is a lot to see in Kerry. The topography is pretty diverse with lush neon green dairy farms in the north where Kerrygold butter and cheese come from, to the high mountain pass near Molls Gap near the Killarney National Park, to the craggy cliffs over the Atlantic on the edges of the Ring of Kerry.
Enter from West Cork
Map
If you continue your journey through southwest Cork and cross the mountains on R574 over the Healy Pass (highly suggested) you’ll descend into the Kingdom of Kerry. Find your way to R573 and head toward Bunaw. Then follow the road by the sea through Tuosist and join up with the R571 all along beautiful Kenmare Bay until you reach the N71 into Kenmare.
Kenmare
Kenmare is a pretty little town and a good place to depart from or arrive to. Spend a night there and make your choice of where to go next. There are lots of nice hotels and B&Bs in all price ranges.
If you really want to luxuriate for more than a night, about 25 minutes from Kenmare on the N70 (the ring of Kerry) near Sneem is Parknasilla Resort. This is one of my favorites. Parknasilla is a 500 acre resort with a manor house hotel and an incredible indoor pool and spa, and outdoor hot tubs right next to the Atlantic.
They have golf, and their own little beaches and garden walks along Kenmare Bay. They have multi-room condos and whole houses to rent for larger parties. It’s a bit of a splurge, but the price is reasonable for the quality.
The hotel features prominently in the 2015 absurdist black comedy drama film “The Lobster” directed and co-produced by Yorgos Lanthimos.