Two Weeks In Ireland

Ireland is my favorite place on earth… so far. It reminds me so much of the Oregon Coast that I grew up on. It’s green, rainy, and has that sleepy coastal town vibe. The summers are perfect, sunny and warm but generally not too hot. And did I mention its green everywhere!?! The people are incredibly hospitable, and there is rich culture and history everywhere you turn. What’s not to love? If you want to take a trip to Ireland I recommend spending at least two weeks there. That’s what I did and I loved every minute of it. Here is what I did with my two weeks in Ireland!

Getting Around for Two Weeks in Ireland

I flew into Dublin, rented a car, did a big loop around Ireland, then returned to Dublin to fly home. Ireland has a lot of amazing things to offer, but infrastructure is not one of them. If you want to truly see Ireland then you will need to rent a car. There are tour buses you can take to see the main sights, but if you want to see the real Ireland then you need to get off the beaten path. The Isle of Ireland is about the size of Indiana. It’s the perfect size for a road trip!

When renting a car you will find that your travel insurance likely will not cover car rental insurance in Ireland. Read more about How To Plan A Trip here. This is because the risk of car damage is pretty high due to narrow roads lined with stone walls. In fact, they expect you to return the car with some minor damage. This is the only time I have ever paid for car rental insurance through the rental company. They will offer you a separate insurance policy for wheels and tires. I’m not kidding. Get the wheels and tires insurance, you will thank yourself later!

Some people describe driving in Ireland as a demolition derby. That’s not entirely true and don’t be scared! A few things to prepare yourself for… First, Ireland drives on the left. Second, it can be hard to get an automatic transmission, manuals are much more popular there. And lastly, there are roundabouts everywhere! And they go the opposite direction as ours do in the United States. There is a steep learning curve but you catch on quick!  

Southern Coast of Ireland

From Dublin I drove straight south towards the beautiful coast. I stayed in a charming little thatched roof cottage in the tiny town of Annestown. It was like a fairy tale! Annestown is right on the ocean and is a great homebase for exploring the area. 

Annestown

There is not much in Annestown except beautiful coastal views and walks on the beach. The closest market was a 15 minute drive and was one of my favorite things about staying in Annestown. I stopped at the market at least once a day while there. Harney’s is not only a market but a pub, music venue, and restaurant. Here I experienced Irish hospitality at its finest. 

Harney’s has “trad” nights (live traditional Irish music), fantastic food, strong community vibes, and is in a beautiful
setting. The people are so hospitable that they will make your takeaway (takeout) orders on real dishes and just ask you to return them the following day. This quaint place is truly a hidden gem and was one of the highlights of my trip in Ireland. 

I stayed in Annestown for three nights and spent the days driving through the countryside, exploring the towns, and admiring the ocean cliffs. One really special thing about Ireland is that there are ruins everywhere! You will see ruins of castles, Abby’s, Churches, all sorts of crumbing stone structures. While driving through the country be prepared to stop and explore these long forgotten historical sites. This is one of my favorite things to do in Ireland!  

Dunhill Castle is one of the incredible ruins you can explore in the countryside near Annestown. I highly recommend searching it out if you are in the area. It’s a short and beautiful hike and the crumbling old castle overlooks the whole valley, even out to the ocean. Many of the castles were strategically built with views of the ocean and rivers which is an added bonus to those of us who seek them out. 

Waterford

Visiting the city of Waterford is another must do while in this part of the country. Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland and was established originally by Vikings in 914 AD. The city has some really interesting history. You can learn all about it at Reginald’s Tower , part of an old medieval defense system that is now a museum. 

Waterford is also known for it’s production of high end crystal. The Waterford Crystal company began in 1783 and has a factory in Waterford that you can visit for free. Even if crystal is not your thing this place is worth a visit. It is packed full of unique art and some more Waterford history. 

Tramore

A few minutes drive from Annestown brings you to the fun little seaside town of Tramore. Tramore is a popular holiday spot and is a well known destination for water sports. The long stretch of sandy beach is perfect for surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing. It is also a family friendly place and even has carnival rides at the shore. 

Tramore is a bit more of a tourist town but the benefit of that is that the small town has some fantastic restaurants. You definitely want to try some local fare if you are a foodie like me! 

Fun fact- Ireland loves chicken curry! I’m pretty convinced that every single restaurant in Ireland has chicken curry on their menu. Everywhere I went did.

Leaving Annestown was hard, but the rest of the Southern coast was equally amazing to see. On my way to my next destination I stopped a few places, here are some highlights: 

• Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark– You can’t miss this place, it’s right on the road overlooking the ocean. This old copper mine is a stunning site of ruins and history. I stopped not even knowing what it was because it was so impressive looking from the road.
  
• Dungarvan- Two must do things in Dunvargan are the Dungarvan Castle and Merry’s Gastro Pub and Wine Merchant. Merry’s is a very old and cozy restaurant with an excellent menu and selection of fine wines. This was one of my best dining experiences during my two weeks in Ireland.
  

Time to say goodbye to the Southern coast and head inland. Next stop is Blarney Castle. 

Blarney Castle

I drove northwest through Cork to the small town of Blarney to visit one of the most famous castles in the world, Blarney Castle . Blarney Castle is so much more than a castle. The grounds of the castle include 60 acres of beautiful gardens! There is even a path around a lake and one that goes along a river. Walking the grounds here transports you to a medieval fairy tale-esque world where you can let your imagination run wild.

The castle itself is incredible and well worth the wait to get in to see it. You can walk the narrow stone steps to the top and kiss the Blarney Stone if you’d like. I passed on kissing the Blarney Stone because I heard rumors that locals like to urinate on it. Not sure if that was true but I didn’t want to take a chance. 

I arrived at Blarney two hours before closing. Big mistake, this is a full day activity, especially if you like gardens as much as I do. Next time, I will plan better around this one. I feel like there was so much more to see!

Drinagh

The next stop was Drinagh. This was a really random and very rural place to stay. I might as well throw a dart at a map to find this place! I stayed here for three nights and visited some of the nearby sites. This part of Ireland is very much off the beaten path and I got the full rural Irish experience here. The roads here are narrow and lined with stone everywhere you go.

Fun (or not so fun) fact- During the 1840’s potato famine rich landlords paid poor tenants to build stone walls around their property lines. The Irish people were proud and wouldn’t take money without working for it. These walls served no purpose and were built strictly to provide money to keep people from starving to death. They are also known as famine walls. 

I had a very bizarre experience driving in the countryside here. Once I turned a corner to find a large crowd of men in the street, in the middle of nowhere. I couldn’t go anywhere for a moment. It was like a scene from a horror movie! Once the initial panic passed, I drove through the crowd. Later on I asked a local who told me it was a group playing Irish Road Bowling, a popular game in rural areas. They use a metal ball which explained why one person was carrying a metal detector. Such a strange sight to see!

Stone Circles

Drinagh is close to several ancient sites which is one of the reasons I chose to stay there. I went to Drombeg Stone Circle which is thought to be about 3000 years old. There are some really old things in Ireland! Drombeg is known as Druid’s Altar by the locals and was a human burial site. There are 17 standing stones here and a prehistoric cooking site. It is such a humbling experience to stand before something that has seen so much over thousands of years. 

A couple of kilometers from Drombeg is the lovely little town of Glandore. Glandor sits on a harbor and is a popular sailboating spot. On a clear day you can sit outside one of the cafes along the harbor and watch the boats. This is so picturesque it is almost unreal! I stopped in at Hayes’ Bar & Kitchen to enjoy a glass of rose and some small plates while taking in the view. It made for a perfect afternoon! 

Skellig Michael Island

Taking a boat out to Skellig Michael Island was truly a once in a lifetime experience and I can’t recommend it enough! If you ever get the opportunity to go do not pass it up. The Skellig Islands are 12 kilometers off the coast of Ireland. Skellig Michael is the largest of the islands and is a well preserved monastery dating back to the 6th century. It recently became famous for its beehive huts that were used to film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

When you visit the island you climb 670 hand carved stone steps. Once on top of the island you can tour the beehive huts along with other structures that still remain. It’s amazing that people were able to survive on this giant rock that juts out of the sea. You can only visit by guided tour which is actually better because the tour guide shares the rich history of the island with you. 

The boat ride is about 45 minutes and is a scenic adventure in itself. Puffins breed on the Skellig Islands and can be seen in large numbers all over the rocks. Plan a whole day for this adventure! 

West Coast of Ireland

From Drinagh I headed north towards the cliffs of Moher. On the way, I stopped halfway between Cork and Limerick in the 13th century medieval market town of Buttevant. It’s hard not to stop in this town. As you drive through you see a gorgeous medieval church on the main street. Next to it are some ruins and a celtic graveyard. 

The ruins and graveyard are stunning, with intricate stonework, and very old. There are even tombs, not just tombstones but actual tombs. The tombs are old and some are slightly crumbling giving the graveyard an eerie feel. In fact, there are many eerie graveyards around Ireland with old tombs that you can explore. 

Miltown Malbay

I stayed in a great little airbnb in Miltown Malbay for the next two nights. This was my home base for seeing the Cliffs of Moher and exploring the area. Miltown Malbay is a charming little town with a few good restaurants. But the surrounding area is incredibly beautiful. A few kilometers from Miltown Malbay is Spanish Point Beach. Spanish Point is a nice sandy beach that is great for swimming, walking, and just enjoying the ocean.

Cliffs Of Moher

One of the things I love about Airbnb stays is that your host can give you suggestions that only a local can. This was so true during this stay! My host told me about the walking trails along the cliffs that were so much better than going to the cliff viewing area and visitor center. So instead of going where the hoards of people were, I went to Doolin and hopped on the walking path. 

The walking path was literally right along the edge of the cliffs. It was a bit sketchy in a few places but overall it was a really safe and easy trail. The views were incredible. I walked for hours and never wanted to return. If you want to truly see the Cliffs of Moher, this is the way to do it! 

There are a few small towns in the area that I really enjoyed visiting. Doolin, Ennistymon, and Lisdoonvarna are all worth a stop if you are passing by. This region of Ireland is the Gateway to the Burren. The Burren is a unique area of conservation known for its rocky landscape. 

There is so much more to see on this side of the country, but it was time to move on to the next stop. 

Ballbay

This was another throw-the-dart-at-the-map kind of place. Ballbay was located between some of the sites I wanted to see. And I found a charming three day Airbnb farm stay that I absolutely loved! The host was spectacular and I really could have stayed there forever. 

The closest decent sized town was Monaghan. Monaghan had a nice downtown with restaurants and shops. I found some great handmade local gifts here. Monaghan is pretty close to the border of Northern Ireland. I didn’t end up going to Northern Ireland, but I did venture to the border to see Castle Leslie.

Castle Leslie is a luxury estate on over 1000 acres that is a popular destination and wedding venue for celebrities. It is incredibly beautiful, but luxury travel is not my thing so I didn’t stay long. If you like luxury then this place should be on your bucket list!

Passage Tombs

On to see the Irish passage tombs. This is one of the main sites I wanted to see in Ireland. The passage tombs of Knowth, Dowth, and Newgrange  are well preserved Megalithic monuments dating back to 4000 BC! These passage tombs are surrounded in mystery because no one knows what happened to the people who built them. They vanished without a trace!

You can only visit the tombs by guided tour and all efforts are made to preserve the sites. Plan on spending most of a day seeing these ancient sites. This is something you won’t want to miss during your two weeks in Ireland!  

Hill of Tara

I went to the Hill of Tara which is another ancient site that I wanted to see. The Hill of Tara is an impotant part of Irish history because this is the place where the Irish kings used to convene. It is on top of a passage tomb that dates back to 600 BC. While not much remains at the site today, it is still worth a quick visit. And its proximity to Knowth, Douth, and Newgrange makes for a convenient stop. 

Trim Castle

This ended up being my favorite Irish castle that I saw during my two weeks in Ireland. Trim Castle , and the fairy tale- esque town of Trim, became famous when Braveheart was filmed there. Good news is that you can tour the castle and the grounds which are surprisingly intact. 

The castle wall still stands, along with the guard towers and several other structures. Part of the castle was rebuilt for the filming, but the bulk of it remains untouched. The guided tour of this castle is definitely worth it. I learned so much about Irish history during this tour. And there is even a model of the castle inside so you can see what it looked like in all of its glory. If you can only see one castle in Ireland, this is it. 

The town of Trim is built around this historic site and is equally beautiful and charming. Across from the castle wall are several cafes where you can get some local fare and enjoy views of the castle. I don’t think I could ever get tired of Trim!

Dublin

Dublin is a really fun city! The city itself is beautiful, from the architecture all the way down to the stone streets. There is so much to do here and I only got to stay for three nights before returning home. It was the perfect way to wind up my two weeks in Ireland. 

My favorite part of Dublin is the Temple Bar District. It’s a popular area for tourists and you can see why. It is full of
charming cobblestone pedestrian streets, restaurants and pubs, quirky shops, live traditional Irish music, and the famous Temple Bar . 

Two really popular things to do here are visiting Guinness and Jamesons. I’m not a huge beer fan and I don’t drink whiskey, but I still enjoyed both places. 

I bought some really nice Jameson’s whiskeys to take home as gifts. They have a much bigger selection there at the distillery than I have ever seen at home in the States! And as with everything in Ireland, there is a fascinating history to go along with it. 

The Guinness Storehouse  is just a really cool place, even if you don’t drink Guiness. You get some great views of the city and it’s in a really cool neighborhood. 

Walking around the neighborhoods in Dublin is really fun. Hoping on the bus is also fun. Dublin is a city that has so much to explore! 

That wraps up my two weeks in Ireland. There is so much more to see and do, these are just some of the highlights from this trip. I didn’t even get to do all of the things I wanted. All the more reason to go back someday for some more soul filled adventure!