3 weeks in Ireland 2024

Continued:

Dingle: Sraid Eoin House booked direct.

This was a nice, up-to-date simple BnB. Apparently booking direct got me breakfast - it’s not included for those who book with booking.com. The only downside was street parking, which can be full. But I was always able to make it work (sometimes it took a few circles).

From Ennis, I drove to Dingle via the Kilkee Cliffs. Again, it was a bit chilly, windy, and rainy so I only walked a short distance, after parking in the free lot near the Diamond Rocks Cafe and admired the views. (Bonus, free public toilets) In nice weather, this would be a great town to relax, hike, and play in the water. Kilkee is another of those “why don’t more people (in the U.S.) talk about it” spots. Next time…..

I decided I would take the Tarbert Ferry route (Killimer ferry?) so sitting in the parking lot I bought my ticket. After the ferry I headed to Tralee for lunch and a chance to walk a bit.

If driving (especially solo), sometimes you need to call an audible and I did. I nixed Conor Pass because I was getting tired and took the easier road on to Dingle. After checking in, I had dinner and went to a short trad concert at St. James Church.

Day 1 I drove the loop with lots of stops. So much beauty and so much history! (And also baby lambs). And dinner. Lol.

Day 2 was a slow morning and an all afternoon boat ride looking for dolphins. I finished with dinner, then a stop at a nearby pub for music and a small Dingle gin and tonic (since I was there).

Cobh: an apartment right at the base of the Deck of Cards houses via Air BnB.

I have been to Cobh for short stops twice and really liked it. So I thought this would be the perfect place to slow down a bit, but this time it just didn’t work for me. I haven’t figured out why - unless it was that I hit a month here. I have hit the 4 week wall a couple of times before. It goes away but I think it’s something I need to build in awareness of.

Anyway, if you opened my apartment door, you looked right at the steps going up to St.Colman’s. It was a slightly weird place but not uncomfortable. Location was amazing. But I had trouble finding dinner places in the center, after cruise people left. Possibly for my purposes, I should have stayed elsewhere.

Day 1 I spent on a drive to the small town of Ardmore. It was absolutely charming and probably busy with local tourists in July and August. There was a nice beach, a cliff walk (that I didn’t do), again a lot of history, and a lovely Round Tower with the remains of St Declan's Cathedral. (Thank you, Robert.)

I had considered a stop to wander Yougall but instead, I took the route by the Kinship Monument in Middleton. I wouldn’t send most people there, but it was built to honor the Choctaw Indian tribe who sent money to Ireland during the Famine. A small amount of money but from one beleaguered people to another and apparently it helped keep people alive. I have a friend who is Choctaw and the pictures I sent meant a lot to her.

Day 2 I went to Kinsale. I had been here for an hour before and this time enjoyed the leisure to wander. I did a short tour and mead tasting at Kinsale Mead Co. They talked about mead throughout the history of Ireland and I learned some tidbits that made the Hill of Tara more alive later in my trip. Tasting the different honeys used in the mead was interesting - I had never compared honey from different locales before. Apparently it is the only commercial meadery in Ireland at present. Late lunch at Fishy Fish and a little more exploring filled the day.

Day 3 I did absolutely nothing except eat dinner and repack. Ha!
I should note, I had been to the two museums in Cobh previously and enjoyed them but didn’t feel like I needed to repeat them.

Kilkenny: Tree Grove Glamping through booking.com

This was a fun stop and I wished I had stayed 2 nights. I can live a few days without bells and whistles and this was kind of like camping: showers and toilets not far away, small pod-like lodging. It was just outside Kilkenny in a beautiful setting. The pod could fit 2, bed was nice, and I ate breakfast on my front porch with a cheeky European Robin. Kilkenny itself I didn’t have much time for because of my “on the way” stops (but the castle was walkable). I totally wish I had stayed an extra night!

On the way, I stopped and toured the Swiss Cottage. It is the used but unlived-in country cottage of the first Earl of Glengall and believed to have been designed by John Nash. Charming is all I can think of to describe it.

From there I went to the Rock of Cashel. I had been before but wanted to go again. With more time, I probably would have toured Cahir Castle. I should have headed straight for Kilkenny Castle, though.

In Kilkenny, I stopped at St. Canice’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s Cathedral before calling it a night. Don’t remind me of how much I didn’t schedule time for…..

Larraugh: Tudor Lodge B&B via booking.com

This stop was to allow me to go to Glendalough on my one full day. It does feel like a mountain lodge and has been in the family for a couple of generations - a really lovely place and only a few minutes drive from Glendalough.

On the way, I stopped at the Rock of Dunamase, an ancient Celtic castle finally destroyed in 1650. The views were phenomenal and it’s free and few people! From there I drove to The Irish National Stud, with a rather odd but beautiful and authentic Japanese garden and of course lots of gorgeous race horses being bred and raised.

Day 1 I spent at Glendalough. After seeing the monastery, I walked the circle around the lower lake. I loved Glendalough but maybe liked Clonmacnoise more?

Dublin: Garden Lane Backpackers through booking.com

There was no “on the way”. I had ideas (mainly Powerscourt Gardens) but it was raining and basically I just wanted to get the car turned in and be set in Dublin. After turning it in, I rode the bus into town, using Google Maps to find the next bus closest to where I was heading.

Lodging is expensive in Ireland (plus I am a little cheap), especially in Dublin, and I always balance costs. This was the cheaper side of my balancing. As a hostel it was nice - I chose a room of four female beds and met some nice people. It wasn’t a private bathroom, but it was next door to my room and was cleaned several times a day. It also had a light included breakfast. It was probably better than I expected.

This evening I had time for evensong at St.Patrick’s Cathedral.

Day 1 I took Mary Gibbens tour to Newgrange. I loved the sites (going in the tomb at Newgrange was awe-inspiring) and it was nice to not have to keep the car to drive myself or to use public transportation. That being said, I didn’t feel like it was what I expected (I know much is in perceptions, perceptions vary, and I am in the minority on this). While I would NOT call it a tourist trap, this poster’s experience was mine. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/day-tours/mary-gibbons-newgrange-tour-tourist-trap. Not all days are equal and it’s good for people to know that.
I had dinner (fish & chips from Leo Burdock’s) sitting in the courtyard of Christchurch Cathedral listening to Friday night bell ringing rehearsal.

Day 2 was a slow morning, afternoon massage, and dinner with friends.

A quick conclusion: following my 3 solo weeks, I met a group of ladies and we traveled for a fast 8 days all by public transportation. We stayed
3 nights in Galway at Victoria Hotel (bus airport to Galway) and did 2 day trips;
bus Galway to Cork where we stayed 2 nights at University Hall Apartments - UCC Summer Beds (university housing) which was so comfortable and amazing value; a bus day trip;
followed by using a bus day trip to change location to Killarney for one night at Scott’s hotel;
then train to Dublin for 2 nights at Trinity College Summer Accomodations (again, good value and you cannot beat location). They got a fast taste of Ireland and loved it. I was tired. Ha! After they left, I caught the ferry Dublin to Holyhead, Wales.

I have been to Ireland twice before so I had previously visited some of the oft-mentioned highlights. In researching for this trip, I really appreciated Forum input from Cyn about the music festival and from Robert and wasleys. They are a wealth of good information!

Thanks, TTM, for this great report. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip.

Thanks for putting your itinerary at the top. Wow, you moved faster than usual! Can you expound on why you didn’t care for the Newgrange tour? Thanks for sharing about my favorite country in Europe!

Wow what a great report and trip. Where did you eat in Ennis? We will be there for the start of our tour a couple days early. No car & working out how to spend our days
Thanks for posting

Thanks, all. It was a lovely trip. Ireland is a beautiful country.

SA, since I was in an apartment, I had breakfast there (plus dinner once) - I usually just eat twice a day (unless cake is involved - ha!). So I ate at Brogan’s and at Town Hall Bistro for dinners and at Cafe Aroma for a late lunch/brunch with my friends.

The places in Ennis I went could all be seen in a day: St Columba’s, Ennis Friory, and the Clare Museum. I don’t know but I suspect you could also take a bus to other small places in the area that would be fun for the day. I haven’t looked at the tour to see where it goes.

Tammy, it wasn’t that I didn’t like the tour. It was fine. It just wasn’t what I had expected. Had my expectations matched up, or if I had no expectations, then no problem. My day didn’t seem to be what most people experience and it’s good for people to keep expectations realistic.
1. I was initially told pick up near my hotel. In reality, there were 2 locations for pick up and I needed to be at the one 20 min from where I stayed.
2. The coach was very nice (they figured 1 person to two seats), but there was a lengthy check in process which involved Mary checking people off on her small hand-written paper and not being able to find and re-find people. Plus it arrived at least 15 min late so we were standing and waiting for 30 min. before starting that.
3. There were 2 coaches. One got Mary, one got Martin. I liked Martin - but he wasn’t what I hear Mary is.
4. Indeed, the actual tours were run by the sites themselves.
5. Lunch was fine but a fast (but cute) “buy a pre-made sandwich” location. I knew it was at my expense but the description lacked a lot of information.
6. Hill of Tara. No tour or talk at the actual locations - a brief overview at the bottom of the hill. Then we were on our own. I actually knew more from my mead making tour.
7. Return unexpectedly dropped us off at Trinity. This may be normal. It was certainly more convenient for me but without data, I would have been trying to figure out how to get back home. I helped get another newly arrived couple headed in the right direction, as they had no data. Martin left with the coach.

So what I got was a really nice ride to 3 spots, prearranged tickets, and some background on the coach on Ireland’s ancient history (and funny stories). Not a bad bargain for my €75 and a good solution for those without a car. And to be fair, I don’t see anything else similar offered as a tour.