Ireland by All the Modes of Transportation
Ireland
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Apr 27 - May 3, 2024
We wanted to experience multiple areas of Ireland as a family but didn't want to drive. Emily set us up with stays in 3 cities and got us to each by train.
We started in Killarney with stunning scenery and a charming, vibrant downtown. Our Ring of Kerry Tour was the perfect length and Michael was an informative guide but didn't dominate the trip. Cannot recommend the Kells Sheep Dogs demonstration enough. Highlight of the trip. We took a carriage tour of the Killarney National Park - Mikey, our guide, was a hoot and turned us on to the local pubs to try.
Cork was a quick stop and a colorful city with people who are very proud of their heritage. Blarney Castle is impressive but don't miss out on the gardens. We wanted Irish Session Music and we got it at Sin e'. Our cab driver also recommended the Corner House and those two both had tremendous atmosphere and music.
Dublin has yet another vibe than the other areas. We went on several tours - Molly was great at the Jameson experience. You can't go wrong in Temple Bar but hit THE Temple Bar early. We really enjoyed the Palace Bar and its adjoining Whiskey Bar. JR Mahon's also had great session music. The EPIC museum felt like the best way to end the trip.
We took a 13-hour bus trip from Dublin out to the west coast for the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and Galway. Barry, our driver, gave us enough breaks and a lot of interesting history along the way. You cannot beat the majesty of views. It's long day to cross the country and back so we were glad we scheduled it in between Dublin days.
Cannot thank Emily enough for building a trip that was exactly what we wanted while making it seem effortless.
Hotel Reviews
Friendly staff, great location, good food charming decor. Just a little trouble regulating the heater in the room. Wonderful for walkability to the part and the downtown pubs, restaurants, shopping and the train station.
Bit of a hike from the training but we had a lovely turret room. Room was very clean and the views were expansive. Bathroom was very updated.
Great value in Dublin right off O'Connell street. Quick walk to the river and pubs. Lovely staff. We found our normal double room spacious and updated. Others in our party had a small double and a single that were very tight, so understand what you're booking. Would stay there again for sure.
Activity Reviews
Michael as an excellent guide. The Kells sheep dog demonstration was a highlight of our whole trip. The tour was paced well with enough time to enjoy multiple areas.
We were lucky to visit in the afternoon when it wasn't so busy with tour buses and cruise excursions. Got right through the VERY steep climb to the top of the castle to kiss the stone. Had a great time learning about the castle and touring the amazing gardens.
State rooms are nice but you don't get to see much as it's not large. It's not an expensive ticket, but if you're expecting Windsor Castle, this isn't it.
The Cliffs are stunning and worth the long drive from Dublin. We enjoyed our lunch in Doolin - the staff at McGann's was ready and waiting for us. Doolin itself is a lovely village. The Burren is like nothing we've seen before. Wish we could have spend more time in Galway but we did get to spend time in the quaint shopping area and hear busker and see murals. The people could not have been nicer. Barry, our driver, was very accommodating and kept us informed of the schedule. But it was a long day.
Really well done tour of the facilities even though the books have been decanted. Enjoyed the interactive presentations
The Temple Bar area was colorful and fun with the pubs and restaurants. We sampled many and saw Irish music sessions in some places along with modern performers at others. The city center is every walkable. We found that cab drivers and bar tenders were great sources of intel on places to try.
This was so much more than we expected. The facility itself is very cool with shops and a unique bar. Even though Jameson isn't distilled here, they celebrate the heritage so well and so a great job of interactively demonstrating how the distillation process works. The tasting room was so well done and our tour group was so friendly thanks to our excellent guide, Molly. Will recommend to everyone to gets to Dublin.
