Anna French
The castles and abbeys sprinkled amongst a sea of green is enough to make anyone want to explore the vast expanses of nature Ireland has to offer, but the friendly conversation will make you want to stay.
My Quick Observations of Ireland:
- Donkeys are a part of the landscape and are commonly kept as pets (and not used for labor)
- The people are BEYOND friendly and helpful
- Gluten-free bread (Coeliac bread) is everywhere, literally, every single restaurant has gluten-free options and bread, making the country a Celiac paradise!
- All the sheep have what appears to be different color paint across their back, and I could not get a straight answer from anyone as to the purpose of this
- Abandoned castles and churches are as common as McDonald’s and Starbucks are in the U.S.
I arrived in Shannon to hospitality unlike anything I’d ever experienced. On a few occasions, I received slurred directions from drunk Irishmen, that went something like this: “You’re going to take a left, then uh, you’ll see another left.. take that, then let me think, then take a left.” Finally, after several lefts, I arrived at a cute cottage in Bodyke, a quaint town in County Clare.
I highly recommend renting a car at the airport (I flew into Shannon Airport) and taking a road trip around Ireland (at least for the places outside of Dublin). Alternatively, you can book tours that pick you up from your accommodation and head to the more remote places discussed below.
Things to do around Bodyke…
1. Mountshannon
Venture to Mountshannon where you can see a beautiful view speckled with swans across the harbor.
2. Enjoy some live music at Pepper’s Pub
In the evening, head to Pepper’s of Feakle for dinner, drinks, and some traditional live Irish music. Pepper’s bar is located in County Clare.
3. King John’s Castle
Journey over to Limerick where you can roam the corridors of King John’s Castle. You may be familiar with “King John” as Prince John the villain of Robin hood.
4. St. John’s and St. Mary’s Cathedrals
Admire the stained glass windows inside St. John’s and St. Mary’s Cathedrals. In St. Mary’s Cathedral, there is a hole in the wall for Lepers called a Leper’s squint, which during medieval times allowed lepers to peek in and “be a part of mass” without infecting others. They could even receive communion through the squint.
5. Photograph THE iconic Cliffs
Take a day tour to the Burren region where you’ll see astonishing views from atop the Cliffs of Moher (pronounced “more”). You could spend the entire day there just staring off into the horizon with views 700 feet above the ocean at their highest point.
On top of the cliffs is O’Brien’s Tower. O’Brien was a wealthy politician in the early 1800s who built the tower as an observation deck to impress a woman he was dating.
Worthwhile things to see along the way…
6. Aillwee Cave
Take a short walk through the Aillwee Cave where you’ll see stalactites, stalagmites, and the remains of an ancient bear (the cave is rumored to be the last bear den in Ireland). Fun fact: Calcite formations in the recesses of the cave are dated to be 350,000 years old!
7. Doonagore castle
Then stop for a brief photo at the Doonagore castle. It’s not open to the public, but you can get some cool perspectives from outside. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the several wedge tombs you’ll pass, which our ancient burial structures older than the pyramids in Egypt!
8. Get a dose of history in Cobh
Head to Cobh (pronounced “cove”) where you’ll stumble across the Titanic Museum in the place where the Titanic’s last port of call was at Cork Harbour. The museum still houses the ticket office where the passengers of the Titanic collected their tickets before boarding on the original pier.
9. Connemara National Park
Venture over to Galway where you can visit Connemara, where the unique Connemara marble is mined.
Connemara National Park has a plethora of mountains, bogs, heathland and lakes, and it’s home to a herd of Connemara ponies.
10. Kylemore Abbey
Walk around the impressive estate of Kylemore Abbey, a stunning and historical monastery within the Kylemore castle that Mitchell Henry had built for his family in the late 1800s. He also had a Mausoleum built as the final resting place for his beloved wife that you can take a short walk to in the woods.
Nearby you can also stop for a photo op at a remote bridge that was featured in the movie the Quiet Man starring John Wayne, which I have yet to see.
11. Quin Abbey
Walk across the graves of past Irishmen and women at Quin Abbey. Despite the mostly missing roof, the walls of the abbey are still well preserved and you can visit the structure and grounds for free.
12. Bunratty Castle and folk park
Then take a tour into the past at Bunratty Castle and folk park, a 15th-century building that you can climb to the top of and still houses several ancient artifacts. The folk park was quite fun and features several old-style homes with traditional furniture and people in traditional costumes.
Places to visit in Dublin
13. Dublin Castle
Check out the historical Dublin Castle. has a lot of significance in Irish history. From 1204 until 1922 it was the seat of English rule in Ireland. Today, it’s an Irish government complex.
14. St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. The organ inside the cathedral is one of the largest in Ireland with over 4,000 pipes and it holds the heaviest change-ringing bells in Ireland.
15. Stephen Green’s Park
Take a stroll through Stephen Green’s park covered in ponds, swans, and a memorial for those who lost their lives during the potato famine.
Ireland is a lovely place with an abundance of rolling green hills, cows, sheep and donkeys. The Cliffs of Moher were definitely the highlight of my trip and are a must-see for anyone visiting Ireland! If you’re feeling adventurous, you should go for a more mobile experience by renting a bike and riding across the countryside.
| Logistical Tips for Booking Your Trip |
| Booking Flights I typically use Skyscanner to book my flights because it allows you to search through websites and airlines worldwide all in one convenient search engine. You can also get price alerts for flights you’re interested in. |
| Booking Accommodation I always book my hostels through Hostelworld. If I’m not staying in a hostel, then I often book an |
| Using a VPN for Online Bookings I also use a VPN (a powerful virtual tool that provides you with a private, anonymous, and secure internet connection) when searching for flights, accommodation, and rental cars. Since websites track your online activity and location, then use these factors to make the rates you are given dramatically higher than their true value, a VPN ensures that you get the best rates, by eliminating artificially high prices based on your country and internet search history. I recommend an affordable VPN like Surfshark to make sure you are getting the best travel deals online! |
| Travel Insurance I always travel with insurance, because I know all too well how many things can go wrong while traveling (and sometimes even beforehand). Travel insurance can protect you against certain cancellations, theft, lost luggage, trip interruptions, medical emergencies, and more. I use and highly recommend InsureMyTrip to find, compare and buy the plan that makes the most sense for each trip. |
| Other Travel Resources Check out my Travel Resources Page to see the best companies, apps, jobs and other resources I use when traveling on a tight budget. |
