Ireland Adventure: Capturing Our Dream Trip Journey
- mikekelso
- Jan 15
- 7 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Traveling to Ireland is like stepping into a storybook filled with lush landscapes, ancient castles, and vibrant culture. Our recent trip to this enchanting country was nothing short of a dream come true. From the breathtaking cliffs of Moher to the lively streets of Dublin, every moment was filled with adventure and discovery with the excellent help of our wonderful tour guide Kaisu with Rick Steves Europe. We will take you through our journey, sharing our highlights, and unforgettable experiences that made our trip truly special.
Planning Our Trip
Before embarking on our adventure, we spent considerable time figuring out how to best make the most of our time in Ireland. We settled on a Rick Steves tour as I had always followed him and yearned to experience one of his adventures.
Researching Destinations
Ireland is home to numerous attractions, since we only had a limited amount of time and we wanted to see some of the more famous sites as well as a mix of hidden gems we decided on the Rick Steves "Heart of Ireland 7-day Tour" which began in Ennis and ended in Dublin
Day 1-3: Arrival in Ennis:
We left San Francisco and arrived in Ennis, Ireland the next day..exploring the town some before settling into our stay at the "Old Ground Hotel"
Leaving from SFO 
After exploring Ennis a bit we went to dinner at Brogan's Pub, established in 1794, designated an official Irish Pub...took a pretty little walk around town-and for the first time NO RAIN..and it doesn't get dark here until about 10:00 PM!
Beautiful day today in Ennis as we officially started our Rick Steves "Heart of Ireland" tour. We soon would board our bus for the first time as we rode out to the "Cliffs of Moher" on an unusually clear day! The scenary is quite spectacular as we hiked along the top of the water's edge and enjoyed the very informative visitors center- very nice, engaging first excursion! Later on we met with our group for a very nice dinner at Henry's back in Ennis..topped off with some awesome Irish music at Knox's. We are in Ennis at a perfect time for an Irish music festival that is starting today!
Day 4: Dingle:
A totally packed day started out by leaving Ennis and heading to Listowel, via a ferry over the Shannon River. In Listowel we again were fortunate to arrive on a special weekend since it was Literature weekend with special guests all around in town...we stopped in at John B. Keane pub-famous for the writer and playright John B. Keane and was treated to some wonderful shared tales by his son. From here we went through some beautiful countryside going along the Dingle peninsula before arriving in the town of Dingle, on the North Atlantic coast. We take a very informative walking tour of Dingle by a local lifetime resident John O'Connel. Dingle has quite a history due to it's important port. A lot of famous people have called this home or taken up part-time residence- one from the past is Gregory Peck, one present day who lives here is Cillian Murphy! Had a wonderful whiskey tasting and loved Powers Irish Whiskey- pretty, pretty, good-may have to start drinking more whiskey! Tonight we started our 2 night stay at the Milltown House B & B. Here we were treated to some wonderful local prfessional Irish dancers..then enjoyed a fabulous prepared dinner..then topped off with some beautiful Irish music singers. What a wonderful fun-packed day...now it's time for bed!
Day 5: Dingle:
Another awesome day on the Dingle Peninsula ...started at the Dingle Crystal making factory...was quite interesting! Then we picked up our local guide, Tim Collins, for our tour along the Dingle Peninsula. Tim had some very interesting stories, humor, and history of the area. We learned about the intriguing Blasket Islands toured the only surviving oratory-the Gallrus Oratory. Then we had a wonderful experience back in Dingle at The Kingdom Falconry on the grounds of our B & B. Then took a shuttle back into town to have a pint of Guiness at Knox's pub-very unigue since it's a pub and a hardware store all in one..so you can down a pint while standing next to rat poison traps!
Day 6: Kilkenney:
Started off the day with a wonderful breakfast at our B & B in Dingle ..then we headed out from Dingle toward Kilkenney, our next town to sleep in but, before arriving there we made a couple wonderful stops along the way. First we rolled into the lovely village of Adare- a beautiful town with a row of row of thatch roofed homes and shops and a pretty park in the middle of town. Then we made our way to the town of Cashel and the famous " Rock of Cashel"...which sits on a dramatic outcrop of limestone. This sanctuary served many purposes but, most importantly was the traditional seat of the kings and subsequently the conversion by St. Patrick. From here we travelled to our destination for the night in Kilkenney..here we visited the wonderful Kilkenney Castle before having a very nice dinner at Rive Gauche..followed by some unexpected jazz music by a 10-pece band at The Left Bank Bar & Restuarant...awesome sound!
Day 7-8: Dublin:
Good morning from Kilkenney as the sun rises over the castle. After once again, another wonderful breakfast..yes, there were eggs, bacon, sausage, POTATOES, black & white pudding if you choose. Made it to "Hollywood"- no, we are not back in the states just yet but, it is one of the places that Irish film stars have residences. From here we wound our way to Glendalough National Park and the monastic "Seven Churches of Comoderry" as well as the pretty Upper & Lower Glendalough Lakes. After almost losing one of our fellow tour members we were off to a lovely stop in Kilmacanage for a quick lunch break. From here we headed towards Dublin with a stop and tour of the famous former jail Kilmainham- a very important place in Irish history, especially during the Irish Rebellion, where many political prisoners were held and subsequently executed! After leaving the prison we passed Ireland's most famous landmark- the Guinness Brewery & Storehouse- soon arriving at our home for the next 3 nights- The Trinity City Hotel. Here we were sad to have to say goodbye to our wonderful bus driver Frank-what a joy he has been! Took a quick orientation walk around the city taking in some sites and info for future reference. One place in particular was the "Bank Restaurant" located in, of course, a former bank, and the inside has to be one of the mot beautiful restaurants we have ever seen!
Day 9-10 Dublin:
Next day in Dublin, after we are again treated to a wonderful breakfast at our hotel, we are met by the lovely Dublin native Mary for a walking tour of the sights, sounds, history, and interesting stories of Dublin. We first stopped at Merrian Square to say hi to Oscar Wilde, who once lived across the street from the park back in the day. Then took in the "Old Saint Anne's" - which is now the presidential home. We even went by one of the founding members of the Dublineers ( actually now a metal sculpture) ..then on to "St. Patrick's Church & Park"..we couldn't pass up going by "The Liberties of Church Church" We stopped by "Dublin Castle", though much of the original has been destroyed!- all that remains is one original tower. Next we happened upon the "Temple Bar" neighborhood and enjoyed the iconic "Templr Bar" itself. Our tour ended at "Trinity College" here we saw the infamous "Book of Kells" - one of the most, if not the most famous historical manuscripts-personally I didn't see what all the fuss is about but, we can say we saw it! BUT, what was impressive was "The Library" upstairs-phenominal -even if 90% of the books have been removed for cleaning and restoration.
This afternoon we hooked up with Ted & Kelly to head off for our tour of the Guinness Brewery & Storehouse...you know I was never a big fan of Guinness before in the states but, here it is much more fresh, smoother & downright wonderful...I love it! We even became expert pourers of the perfect pint of Guinness ( of course, we had to drink our masterpiece as well!)
This evening it was sad to have to say goodbye to everyone over another wonderful dinner at the hotel..what a great group of people led by our fabulous Rick Steves tour guide Kaisue!
Local Culture
Along the route, we encountered friendly locals who shared stories about their lives in this picturesque region. We stopped at a small village where we learned about traditional Irish crafts.
Reflections on Our Journey
As our trip came to an end, we reflected on the incredible experiences we had in Ireland. Each destination offered something unique, from the bustling streets of Dublin to the serene beauty of the Cliffs of Moher. It couldn't have been made any more special than the wonderful people we toured with, our outstanding tour guide Kaisu and the expert bus driving skills of Frank...WE ABSOLUTELY LOVED OUR TOUR!
Final Thoughts
Our adventure in Ireland was a dream come true, filled with unforgettable moments and breathtaking sights. We could have planned our own trip to explore this beautiful country but, by going with Rick Steves tours it was just more special!
As you plan your own adventure, remember to take your time, soak in the scenery, and connect with the locals. Ireland has a way of capturing hearts, and we can't wait to return for more adventures in the future.
Happy travels!
Comments