Family Vacation to the South Of Ireland
Ireland | Jul 5 - Jul 13, 2024

Bobby
Bobby M.
Houston, TX | Reviewed on Aug 15, 2024

Overall the trip planning and the trip itself went very smoothly. The whole experience went smoothly and all the reservations for hotels, activities, etc all went per plan. With our requests and Clare's expertise we really have a balanced and memorable family vacation. It was a nice blend of indoor and outdoor activities and the timing/spacing worked well except for one day where it wound up being a bit tight (Killarney to Cliff Walk to Ashford Castle Dinner). We were able to make it all work.
The guides for each of the activities turned out to be really great: John for the Guinness and Jameson tour, Hester and William for the Killarney Kayak, Eleanor for the Doolin Cliff walk, Conner for the Falcon walk at Ashford Castle and Kate for the Scones and bread making. We also enjoyed the Waterford Factory tour but cannot recall our guide's name for that.
Couple things I noted
- In Dublin, I liked the Jameson tour but felt the Guinness tour was bit too big/commercialized
- The tea at Waterford castle was a little off. They seemed to be some general confusion/delays going on and the sandwiches served were different than the menu which was an issue to do some food allergies. We got it straightened out and had a nice time, And the grounds were very beautiful to explore
- Killarney national park was very beautiful and the Kayak trip was a great way to see a large part of it.
- We went the clock-wise direction for the Ring Of Kerry and found we spent most of our time on the first few spots but that wound up being our favorites.
- The Doolin cliff walk was amazing and it did take the 3.5hrs. We did not account for the delay in getting the taxi back to our car which made the drive onto Ashford Castle in time for our dinner reservation very tight.
- Ashford Castle was our splurge but we really enjoyed the stay, touring the grounds, and the dinning. The falconry tour was a family favorite.
- Driving worked out well for the most part but seemed like on the west side, we encountered on our journey a lot of extremely narrow side roads (some sections where only one car could pass).

Hotel Reviews
Ashling Hotel Dublin
Dublin

We liked the location of this hotel and it served us well for the sites we wanted to see. Was a nice, clear, and a good breakfast. The staff was very helpful. It is right off the train line but we wound up walking most of the time.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clayton Hotel Cork City
cork

The hotel is really nice and in a great location and our room overlooked the water. But we just ran into an issue that impacted our sleep. Could not get the AC to work, so we opened the windows. But then we had to deal with loud late night partiers along the water and the smell of cigarette/cigar drifting up and into the room. They tried to help resolve and move us but nothing was available.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Ashford Castle
cong

This was our splurge and we really enjoyed everything about it. The rooms, the grounds, our fine dinning.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Randles Hotel Killarney
Co. Kerry

This was very nice location for visiting Killarney national park and the rooms were really nice.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sheraton Athlone Hotel
Athlone

Hotel was fine, nothing remarkable but it was just a transit stay for us on the way to Dublin and so it served that purpose well.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Parking was a little challenging since you are in the city center. There is a garage but it was a little confusing.
Activity Reviews
Afternoon Tea at ashford Castle
Afternoon Tea at ashford Castle
Cong Co Mayo

The teas and sandwiches were really good. The staff also helped us a lot of the tea selection as well as the preferred order to eat the different sandwiches and desserts. Of course the setting in the Castle only adds to the experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Traditional Irish Homemade Baking Scones and Bread ( Kilcolgan )
Traditional Irish Homemade Baking Scones and Bread ( Kilcolgan )
Ireland

Kate is a really fun teacher. The experience is in the kitchen of her house so nice and intimate. We had a lot of fun and really like the different scones and breads. We each chose slightly different versions to make.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Transfer/Taxi in Town
Private Transfer/Taxi in Town
Ireland

Were on time and it went smoothly

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience
Trinity College Library : The Book of Kells Experience
Dublin

This is a really interesting experience. It was a little hard to do on our first day due to jet lag

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guinness & Jameson Irish Experience Tour
Guinness & Jameson Irish Experience Tour
Dublin

Really like the Jameson part of the tour. It was a small group with very interesting guides and we learned a lot. The Guinness tour is very popular in a huge building with a lot to see and a lot to do, to the point it was a little overwhelming. Though the view of Dublin from the observation level was really great, particularly while working on your pint.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Johnny Fox's Hooley show + Dinner
Johnny Fox's Hooley show + Dinner
Dublin

We really enjoyed the dinner, the singing, and the dancing. Very intimate setting and a great experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
We tried to do a taxi for ease, should have stuck to the Bus
Afternoon Tea at Waterford Castle
Afternoon Tea at Waterford Castle
Waterford

Something seemed a bit off that day. There was some general issue going on and the staff were a little distracted. The sandwiches served were different than the menu which cause an issue due to food allergies. We caught it and explained to them, while they did not seem to be aware of the issue, they made some accommodations . I think it was just an off day. The grounds were very beautiful to walk around.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Waterford Crystal Factory Tour
Waterford Crystal Factory Tour
Waterford

Really fascinating to learn how the crystal pieces were made and was interesting to see work being done up close. The gift shop is a bit tempting, and we wound up making a few purchases while there :-)

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Killarney Lakes Discovery by Kayak
Killarney Lakes Discovery by Kayak
Killarney

This was a great experience. Our guides Hester and William did a really good job of taking through interesting places on the lake while also providing a lot of history and information. Doing the short live cave runs was also fun. It was a great way to see the national park.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Doolin Cliff Walk experience
Doolin Cliff Walk experience
Doolin

The views of the Cliffs are really amazing to see in person. Eleanor did a really nice job of pacing the walk and taking breaks to share interesting facts and stories. She also did a good job of keeping us safe and proper guidance on where to go and not to go.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private  Hawk Walk ( 1.5 Hours)
Private Hawk Walk ( 1.5 Hours)
Ireland

Was not really sure what to expect from this, but we signed up to do the Falconry tour. Our tour guide Conner was incredible and amazing to see how he controls the falcons on the tour and help us send and receive the falcons. Plus it was really nice to see how the overall operation was run and the dedication to it.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Claire Monfray
Claire
Claire Monfray
Local specialist in Lyon | Replied on Aug 16, 2024

Hi Bobby,

Thank you so much for the fantastic 5-star review! 🎉 I'm thrilled to hear that your trip created such wonderful memories for you and your family. It’s truly an honor to have played a small part in your family’s story. Your kind words mean the world to us! 😊

Claire