Where our tale begins and ends in the great city of Dublin! Again, I go to painstaking lengths that some may find unnecessary when I am planning a trip. I had wanted to go to Ireland for many, many years, so it was important to get all the details right. It was important for me to see all the wonderous sights and experience the ethereal beauty of the countryside while immersing my family in the culture as well. I will start with this blog as an overview of our trip with parts two and three to follow. I will outline food and activites in depth in the coming parts.
We decided to fly into Dublin and out of Dublin as well. I realized early in the planning I could not see the entire island in one trip, so I would split it in half, so to speak. There were things in the north part of Ireland and Northern Ireland (a completely separate country) I saved for a follow-up trip someday. This particular trip included Dublin, county Wicklow, Kilkenny, Blarney/Cork, Killarney, Dingle, Galway, Clifden and back to Dublin.
We fly out of Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Ga 99% of the time, so it was an overnight flight I chose that arrived around 2pm in the afternoon. Between customs, border patrol and picking up the car it was timed perfect for our check in time at the hotel. We rented a car through Expedia, but the one tip is to pack intelligently. The boot/trunk of any SUV is still smaller than the cars we Americans are used to. We had to upgrade to fit our luggage, embarrassing!
We found walking once in the city was best. There is traffic and the car parks are small, which makes the turns frightening, so we walked as often as we could. Here are a few suggestions for staying in Dublin for families of four that are walkable.
Accommodations for Dublin.
The Belvedere Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-FSF8yMz Approx. $350 plus per night.
The Croke Park Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-tv6TAl Approx. $250 plus per night. Not as conveniently located, but a fantastic place to stay.
The Grafton Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-wA4dW6 Approx. $1,000 plus per night. Fantastic location, food on site and a great place for families to stay.
Drury Court Hotelhttps://www.booking.com/Share-6HnE9Za Approx. $275 plus per night. Walkable distance to sightseeing and family friendly.
Day 1
Once we were settled into our hotel we headed to Trinity College for a tour and the Book of Kells experience. The city is very walkable, and Trinity College is just beautiful. The Book of Kells experience was extraordinary. The Book of Kells is regarded as Ireland’s finest cultural artifact and treated as such. It has been housed in Trinity College since 1661. Only two pages are shown at a time, but excerpts/photos are enlarged and projected on the walls of the exhibit, so you get to see more than just the two pages on exhibit. We were here for a few hours then headed off to dinner.
On our way to dinner, we took a quick detour by Dublin Castle and then on to the Temple Bar area for dinner. The Temple Bar area is quite interesting. Never doubt the pints are flowing and the music is playing. There are many interesting shops in the area, but most close around 6pm, but the pubs are open for hours afterward. No worries here though the jet lag had set in and we were ready for bed!
Day 2
The next morning, we headed out on a drive of one hour to Wicklow County to Glendalough Monastery to see the round tower and Kevin’s Cross. It was an easy drive with no problems finding our destination. I do print maps and/or download maps when we are self-driving. I do not want to be lost in a foreign country, especially on the tiny winding Irish roads. The staff here were amazing and extremely proud of their site. Guided tours leave about every hour if there is demand, we enjoyed ours immensely. This is also a Heritage Card Site if you have prepaid for it.
We then to a 1.5-hour drive to Kilkenny which was our overnight stop as well. We took a complete tour of Kilkenny Castle and the gardens. Both were beautiful! The woodwork in the banquet room was spectacular. We spent around 2 hours touring the home and the grounds. The surrounding town is gorgeous. The town in centered around the river with the castle as it’s crown jewel. Walking is the best way to get around, and again most shops, except pubs and restaurants close fairly early around 6p. Having dinner and a walk along the river is highly recommended, especially at twilight.
Accommodations for Kilkenny.
Accommodations I recommend that are walkable and work for families of 4 are listed below.
Butler House https://www.booking.com/Share-6HnE9Za Approx. $450 per night
Berkley House https://www.booking.com/Share-l3YfXXN Approx $300 per night
We stayed at Kilkenny River Court Hotel, which was located beautifully on the river and has a view of Kilkenny Castle. We did have 2 separate rooms and note that they do host weddings on weekends. Let’s just say Irish weddings are lively and we had a knock on our kids’ door at 2am in the morning and found a discarded bouquet outside the door. This can happen anywhere, and it made for an interesting travel story after my heart stopped racing.
Around town there are wonderful toy shops and crafts in the Kilkenny Design Centre next to the historic castle yard. Also be on the lookout for a Colliers Lane and the artisans located there.
Day 3
We woke up early excited for the day. We drove about an hour and 15 minutes to The Rock of Cashel in Cashel. We were trying to get there early for close parking but failed. The official parking lot for the attraction is small and fills up quickly. It costs between $5-$7 dollars per visit. There is free parking back in the town with a cute walk to the site that takes 10 to 15 minutes. Do note that once you get past the official parking lot it is an uphill walk and the last restrooms are there as well. The Rock is also high up on a hill and is very windy, so take a light jacket even on a sunny day. The town of Cashel is quaint and I found it quite friendly. We were blessed with a sunny day and the whole town seemed vibrant and alive.
Once we left Cashel, we headed too Blarney Castle just a short drive of 1 hour and 11 minutes, but we went on to Cork to grab lunch and then circled back to Blarney Castle. We had booked tickets in advance and were highly anticipating this stop. It was worth the anticipation. The grounds are just stunning, and the castle itself was more intact than I had thought. There is a rock slab with a hole boarded through with a perfect view of the castle after you cross the stream from the entrance. It makes for an interesting photo op of the castle that you don’t want to miss. We spent about 2.5 hours here touring and having a snack in the Stable Yard Cafe. It is a great spot to stop and take in all the beauty and history you’ve just walked through.
Once we finished our tour we popped back into Cork which is only a 15 to 20 minutes’ drive. My kids were over history and wanted city scapes and a toy store. Which we had seen earlier not far from where we had lunch. There were a few other things I would have liked to have seen in the area, but I digress. Traveling with my kids is fantastic, but sometimes I have to remember they are kids and just aren’t as interest in history as I am.
Once we left Cork it was time to check into our hotel Blarney Woolen Mills Hotel, it is literally 2 minutes by car from Blarney Castle. It was perfection from the minute we stepped into the lobby. It was designed beautifully as they had converted a mill into a hotel. Lots of beams and exposed brick, with velvet chairs, vivid colors and flowers to make the space a little softer. The rooms were bigger than some European hotels, the only downside was no A/C. Ireland is typically cool, and my husband never leaves home without a fan, so with the exception of when I was drying my hair, we were still comfortable. We just opened the window. Even in late July we were comfortable. They have a bar and separate restaurant in the hotel, which actually had a restaurant that accommodated my family’s celiac/gluten-free needs.
Blarney Woolen Mills Heritage & Retail Store shares the same historic 19th century mill complex you are able to shop without leaving the premises. We grabbed a cozy blue wool blanket and an Aran wool sweater for my husband. For the average tourist who doesn’t require gluten free food there is The Mill Restaurant, a very large cafeteria style restaurant on site for your convivence. Lots of tour buses come through so they have the space to accommodate literally a few hundred people.
Accommodations for Blarney/Cork.
Our place at Blarney Woolen Mills Hotel was perfect. I will list it and a few more places to stay below.
Blarney Castle Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-CuxakT Approx. $250 per night per single queen room. Family of 4 will need two rooms.
Residence Inn by Marriott Cork https://www.booking.com/Share-e9BHbI Approx. $200 to 300 per night. 15 to 20 minute drive to Blarney Castle
Maryborough Hotel & Spa https://www.booking.com/Share-LjwRQOB Approx. $250 to 200 per night. Stunning property and more well suited for couples but highly recommend it for a romantic trip with your partner. It is also a little more secluded, and a further drive around 25 to 30 minutes from Blarney Castle.
In my “Things to see and do in Ireland” follow up I will list all the sites to see around Cork and Blarney that we skipped for literally the toy stores.
Day 4
A short drive of 1 hour and 16 minutes to Killarney National Park to see Muckross House and Muckross Abbey. BE STILL MY HEART! These were two of my favorite sites by far. Muckross House and Abbey are located in Killarney National Park in County Kerry. Just one of the most beautiful places I have seen.
Muckross House is a very popular tourist destination. Parking is easy and in abundance for the house. No prebooking required. In fact, you only need a ticket if you want to take a tour of the interior of the house, which we did. It has lots of history and is stunning. It is busy and several tour coaches do arrive by midmorning. So arrive early if you do want to enjoy the interior tour of the house.
After touring the home, we went to the Abbey. We drove and parking was near impossible to find. I highly suggest taking a horse and carriage aka a jaunting car from Muckross House to Muckross Abbey. The drivers are often referred to as “jarvies” and are waiting not far from the house. You can also walk, but I really think the horse and carriage ride would be a great experience. Muckross Abbey though not fully intact will transport you back in time. I was fully expecting a 17th century Franciscan monk to walk by at any moment. The famous 1,000-year-old yew tree is located inside the ruins. It will take your breath away, do not miss it! We spent about 3.5 hours between Muckross House and Abbey.
Once we were finished at Muckross we headed into Killarney for lunch and then to Ross castle. Great parking and easy to find. A very short walk to the castle. This area was windy and cool, but beautiful and haunting in a way. Ross Castle has fantastic views of the lake and the surrounding hills; it is no wonder this was where the castle was built. Though aesthetics wasn’t why it was chosen of course, defense and economic reasons. Next stop was Killarney House. If I am being honest Killarney House wasn’t our favorite place to visit, though the gardens are beautiful and I do recommend visiting if you have time. The town of Killarney is super cute, has ample parking, cute shops and the people are incredibly friendly. Lots of food options as well.
After Ross Castle we headed to our hotel, Aghadoe Heights Hotel. This hotel is just a dream! The lake views on a sunny day were breathtaking. The 3rd or 4th floors have the best views. Nightly rate in the Summer varying from $350 to 650 per night, penthouse suites can be up to $2500 per night. Beyond the views the hotel offers an award-winning spa, indoor swimming pool, tennis, Finnish sauna and steam room. There are also 3 restaurants on property. The Lake Room Restaurant has panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes, including the lake.
Accommodations for Killarney
A few hotels we visited or ate in the restaurants are where I would recommend staying if not at Aghadoe Heights Hotel are listed below.
Scott’s Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-bLh8pG Approx. $450 per night for 2 rooms to accommodate a family of 4.
Killarney Heights Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-N4Meuib Approx. $200 to $400 per night depending on occupancy and if 2 separate rooms are needed.
The Ross https://www.booking.com/Share-HSeUICE Approx $400 per night for one double room. Hard to find in Europe for families. This hotel is a cute boutique hotel that is beautiful inside and out. It also has great food options on site! Highly recommend second only to Aghadoe Heights.
Day 5
The Ring of Kerry: Woke up very early and grabbed breakfast at our hotel. Easy options for breakfast at the hotel. We started our drive to The Ring of Kerry, approximately 1 hour drive from the hotel. Remember to take snacks with you. Stores become scare at times on the drive. We drove clockwise Kenmare->Sheem->Derrynane Beach->Loher Stone Fort(great story about this one)->Waterville(lunch)->White Strand->Cahersiveen, then on to Dingle. Total the drive with stops and lunch took us close to 5 hours.
We had a blast! This was just one of those days you get figuratively lost in Ireland. It is truly magical, there is no other way to describe it. We encountered zero traffic. The weather did ebb and flow. We got sunshine in some towns and rain in others. It didn’t impact the adventure negatively at all. Every stop we made had something new to offer. A sweet town with a tractor show, a beautiful moody beach with white sands and blue waters, green landscapes in hues you can’t even imagine, and sheep pastures to get lost in, true story!
Rent the car, brave the narrow lanes and drive the Ring of Kerry. Don’t be afraid of it. You will not regret it! This was our first experience driving in a foreign country and on the left side of the road. Were there moments that tested our marriage, sure, but here were are still going strong with wonderful stories to tell!
We enjoyed the drive onto Dingle as well. We made it in time to head out to Slea Head Drive and catch the Hold a Baby Lamb experience and feed the babies. This was a sweet experience. My husband and I both grew up on farms, so we don’t really see farm animals as play things, but a way of life. This farm is actually family owned and run. As life changes as does surviving the economics of farming. Aedan the oldest son in the family has stayed where he was born and runs the family farm which has been in his family for generations. He has gotten creative in ways to keep the farm going and make money. The lambs need to be fed and people think they are cute, so why not have people pay you to help. It was the most affordable activity we did while in Ireland. There are also Beehive Huts on his property and the neighboring property to visit. His neighbor, Fahan Beehive Huts also only charges a few bucks to visit his bee hive huts, and it was well worth it. We paid for both activities and we would do it again.
We only briefly drove along Slea Head and the views are breathtaking, literally. You are on the side of a rocky cliff the of the time. It is gorgeous but after the lambs and bee hive huts we decided to head back into Dingle and find our hotel. I had wanted to stay over a pub and I found this experience in Dingle. Barr Na Sraide Inn was where I chose. It was a cute Inn with a pub/bar located on the ground floor we were on the second floor and this reminded me to pack light, no elevators! The room was huge. I think we had 4 beds total, which gave us lots of room to relax and sleep.
Dingle is a sleepy coastal town. There are cute shops, restaurants, a marina, Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium and a distillery. Though sleepy we found plenty to do before heading to bed.
Day 6
Cliffs of Moher day! These iconic cliffs are what most think of when they think of Ireland. We woke up early since the drive was a little over 3 hours, and we had a timed entry ticket. Parking fills up quick so we needed to stay on schedule. We made it a little early and we were allowed in to park, and that was interesting. Even though it is included in the price of the ticket is a little chaotic. Arrive on time. The cliffs are all you have imagined and more. We walked for at least 2 hours and stared. Took more pictures in one spot than probably anywhere else on this trip. The weather will change quickly on you so be prepared with rain jackets and any other gear you prefer in the rain. I suggest having dry socks and socks ready after this experience in case of rain.
We took a short drive to Doolin to grab lunch and a treat. The town of Doolin is precious. Colorful buildings, a stream running through town with a stone bridge, wonderful restaurants, view of the ocean, etc. It is a fantastic pit stop, not to be missed!
Galway was about an hour and 15 minute drive from Doolin. Galway is a larger bustling town with a lively downtown area with tons to see and do. We visited Eyre Square, Quay Street, The Latin Quarter and the famous Thomas Dillon’s for a Claddagh Ring. Grabbed a late lunch, lots of late lunches on this trip. We had to pack it all in!
Accommodations for Galway
We stayed in Flannery’s Hotel it is close to the water, so it is very musty. Not my favorite hotel of the trip. It was sufficient. The staff were incredibly sweet, and it was conveniently located and well equipped. Again, I can’t stress how friendly the staff was, and they did have rooms for a family of 4 with 2 double beds. So, it was a nice hotel, but I am very sensitive to smells.
Flannery’s Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-7nn9ek Approx. $350 for a double room with 4 occupants.
The Hyde Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-GVKgTI1 Approx. $400 to $450 per night.
The Victoria Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-BhUPV7 Approx. $250 to 325 per night per room depending on occupancy. Close to downtown, walkable.
Day 7
Kylemore Abbey: Up and at it early. We added Kylemore Abbey in at the end of planning, and we are so glad we did. We drove 1 hour and 11 minutes to the Abbey from Galway. This drive was so incredibly beautiful, the shades of green were too numerous to count. We did question whether we were on the correct route or not as we drove, but we trusted the GPS and our back up maps luckily, they were correct. We came upon many random sheep herds, and gorgeous lakes dotted across the countryside.
Kylemore Abbey is nestled among the rugged mountains and lush landscapes of Connemara. It is one of Ireland’s most enchanting and romantic landmarks. The stunning Victorian Castle sits beside a tranquil lake, surrounded by acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Wandering along the wooded trails, garden paths and through the historic home is like stepping into a storybook. It is easy to understand why it is considered one of Ireland’s most beautiful places to visit. We spent nearly 3 hours touring the house, chapel, woodland trails and the gardens. You could spend an entire day here and I highly recommend it!
We left around 130pm to find lunch in a neighboring town, as the drive to Dublin is 3 hours and 30 minutes. We ate in Clifen about 20 minutes away. Then headed back to Dublin.
We made it back to Dublin shortly after 5pm and had a tour of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. My husband loves architecture and I am a sucker for gorgeous stain glass windows. It truly is one of Dublin’s most magnificent and historic landmarks. You have 800 years of Irish history in one spot. The soaring arches and stain glass windows, coupled with the impressive stonework truly is a sight to behold. Street parking and a short walk made this one of the easier destinations to visit in the city.
We stayed at the Riu Plaza the Gresham for the night before an early morning flight. Very nice hotel and new compared to many around the city. Parking was difficult. The parking deck is a few blocks away, so note you can very quickly drop off family and bags, but someone has to park the car and walk back. The taxi drivers do not like this practice, just an FYI.
We returned our rental car early the next morning, very easily and off to the international terminal. There is a shuttle van that takes you in between the car rental drop off and the terminal, so add a half hour to your travel time to accommodate for that. Dublin Airport is easy to navigate as was renting a car. It wasn’t as hectic as others we have traveled through in the past. Overall, we had a good experience with the airport.
Departing Accommodations Dublin
Riu Plaza the Gresham https://www.booking.com/Share-6UgkFSv Approx. $700 per night for a family of 4.
The Belvedere Hotel https://www.booking.com/Share-WZ4nuDS Approx. $325 per night for a family of 4. Closer to the airport and less expensive. Gets great reviews as well.
Closing
A week in Ireland feels like stepping back into a storybook with every turn revealing a new breathtaking landscape or piece of history. From the majestic Rock of Cashel to the winding and spectacular Ring of Kerry and exploring the beautiful grounds of Ross Castle, to discovering the ethereal beauty of Muckross and Kylemore Abbeys. Between the castles cathedrals, rolling green hills, dramatic coastlines, and charming villages our week in Ireland was the perfect mix of history, scenery, and unforgettable moments. I hope you to find the same amount of joy in touring the Emerald Isle as our family did!
