There is so much to see and so much history all around Ireland so while we were living in Dublin, we took quite a few weekend trips to other places around Ireland. We would rent (or “hire”) a car and drive to one of the other bigger cities and see all there was to see.
Our first Irish road trip was with my parents when Honeybun was 22 months old and I was pregnant with Sugarplum. We headed to not-so-far-away Waterford. After a drive down many long, winding, narrow Irish country roads, we first stopped at Avoca Village where we visited the working woolen mills, visitors center, store and had a nice little lunch at their café.
We then headed on to Jerpoint Abbey which we specifically chose because most of the other historical sites were not yet open for the summer and Jerpoint was supposed to be. Unfortunately, it was not actually open and we were unable to do the visitors center or wander inside the Abbey but we were able to peer inside the gates and it is next to a cow farm and Honeybun was elated!
We stayed one night in Waterford but unfortunately were there during the time they were working on the new visitors center for Waterford Crystal so we were unable to visit so ended up wandering around the city a little and got a nice dinner. The next day we headed to Carlow where we stayed another night at the Killerig Resort where we got a great deal on a stay, dine and golf package. My dad and hubby golfed while my mom, Honeybun and I swam and played at a nearby park before heading back to Dublin.
We also took a trip to Galway and the West Coast of Ireland when Honeybun was a little over 3 and Sugarplum was 14 months. We started our journey by first heading to the Cliffs of Moher, stopping in one of the cute little seaside towns for lunch before heading up to the cliffs. unfortunately we enjoyed our lunch a little too much and while the weather was beautiful during our meal, the clouds crept in as we drove to the cliffs and by the time we got there there was nothing to see but fog. It was a bit disappointing but the visitors center is really great and now we have a reason to go back when the girls are bigger!
We stayed overnight in Galway an wandered around the city centre, getting dinner at a Thai restaurant as every other place we tried was fully booked. We also did a little shopping but didn’t find much to do. The next day we headed to Kylemore Abbey which was built as the private residence of William Henry in the 1860s and is now the home of Benedictine Nuns. The estate is huge and visitors can tour the house, wander the gardens, visit the chapel or dine at one of the estates three restaurants which use the nuns’ recipes and ingredients grown on the estate.
Our last Irish road trip was to Cork when Honeybun was 3 ½ and Sugarplum was 19 months. The only place we visited actually Cork itself was the English Market. The market is a large, covered market with many meat, fish, cheese and produce counters as well as a few little shops and cafes. It was highly recommended by friends that we visit, but I have to admit we were a bit underwhelmed. We went in the morning hoping to find something good for breakfast and ended up having simple raisin scones and coffee at one of the small cafes.
While in the Cork area, we also visited the village of Kinsale. The cute little village on the water is known for its colorful streets and has many quaint shops and restaurants which you could easily spend an entire day exploring.
We also visited the nearby village of Cobh (pronounced “Cove”) which was the final stopping point of the Titanic before her maiden voyage (known then as Queensland). There is a great Titanic Museum there that we loved. It is small compared to the new one in Belfast, but still provided great information and insight into life aboard the Titanic and the sinking and kept the girls’ attention very well! Between Cobh and Cork is FOTA Wildlife Park, we visited in February so decided not to visit, but it is a much recommended place and you can even stay on site.
On the drive home from Cork we stopped by Blarney Castle. While we did not kiss the famous Blarney stone (I was too busy holding Sugarplum as tight as I could at the top to worry about hanging upside down and putting my lips on something a billion other people have put their lips on!) but really enjoyed the visit. It is a bit of a walk to the castle itself but the grounds are beautiful. There is also a super quaint and we thought wonderful little cafe with the basics which we really enjoyed. The castle itself is also rather remarkable and my only complaint was the slanted pathway at the top and no rails!
We also stopped by the Rock of Cashel which was once the seat of the kings of Munster and the place where St. Patrick baptized the grandsons of Conall Corc at Cashel. The remains which started as a fortress in the 5th century and was given to the church in the 12th century and is truly spectacular! There is quite a hike from the parking lot up to the site, but there is plenty to look at. We had a great time visiting and ended up staying much longer than we expected as Honeybun wanted to explore every corner!
Ireland is truly a magical place and I know we didn’t even begin to see all of it, I’m just looking forward to when we can return and explore some more!
