Want to Visit Western Europe
Ireland
Duration 10-12 days Cost ~EUR 3,500 for two Season May-September (long days, milder weather, festivals) Currency EUR (Republic of Ireland) USD 1 USD ≈ 0.92 EUR Lang English, Gaeilge (Irish)
“Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb.”— Irish proverb — 'A windy day is no day for thatching.'
A green island where prehistory still breathes — passage tombs older than the pyramids, monastic cells perched above the Atlantic, a living language you can still hear sung in pubs at midnight.
Most of Europe wears its history as architecture. Ireland wears it as place: standing stones in farmers’ fields, monastic round towers on hilltops, ringforts marked only by hawthorn trees no farmer dares cut. This plan covers the Republic of Ireland — Northern Ireland (Giant’s Causeway, Titanic Belfast) is saved for a separate trip.
The plan: 10-12 days, Dublin → south → west.
- Dublin (3 days) — Trinity College & Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, Temple Bar trad sessions
- Boyne Valley (1 day) — Newgrange & Knowth (UNESCO), Hill of Tara
- Wicklow Mountains (1 day) — Glendalough monastic site
- Kilkenny & Cashel (1 day) — Kilkenny Castle, Rock of Cashel
- Cork & Kinsale (1 day) — English Market, Kinsale harbour
- Ring of Kerry & Skellig (2 days) — Skellig Michael boat tour, Killarney National Park
- Aran Islands (1-2 days) — Inis Mór, Dún Aonghasa, Gaeltacht villages
- Galway & Cliffs of Moher (1-2 days) — Galway old town, Cliffs of Moher at sunset, Doolin trad pubs
Things to See & Do
Where to Eat & Drink
- Klaw (~EUR 15-30 per person) — Tiny Temple Bar seafood counter — Carlingford oysters, lobster rolls, no reservations; arrive early or queue.
- The Winding Stair (~EUR 30-45 per person) — Modern Irish cooking above a bookshop on the Liffey quays — window seats face the Ha'penny Bridge at sunset.
- Leo Burdock (~EUR 10-14 per person) — Dublin's oldest chipper since 1913 — fresh cod in beef-dripping batter, eaten standing on the corner near Christ Church.
- The Brazen Head (Pints €6-8; food €15-25) — Ireland's oldest pub (since 1198) — stone flags, low beams, nightly trad sessions and storytelling dinners.
- The Long Hall (Pints €6-8) — The most beautiful Victorian pub interior in Dublin (1881) — no music, no TV; just the Guinness pour and the room.
- Brother Hubbard (Brunch ~EUR 12-18; coffee €3-5) — Dublin brunch spot with a Middle Eastern twist — shakshuka, halloumi, excellent specialty coffee from Irish roasters.
- Farmgate Café (~EUR 18-28 per person) — Balcony café above Cork's English Market since 1994 — the menu is sourced entirely from the stalls below.
- Moran's Oyster Cottage (~EUR 25-40 per person) — 1797 thatched cottage on a Galway tidal weir — native oysters in season Sept–April, six generations of the Moran family.
- McDonagh's (~EUR 14-22 per person) — The definitive west-coast fish & chip shop on Galway's Quay Street — three counters, fresh hake landed daily.
- Tigh Neachtain (Pints €5-7) — The most famous pub in Galway — family-run since 1894, trad sessions most nights, snug seats to claim early.
- Gus O'Connor's Pub (Mains €15-25; pints €5-7) — 19th-century pub in Doolin (the trad-music capital) — stone floors, turf fire, a different seisiún every night.
- Out of the Blue (~EUR 25-45 per person) — Dingle harbour shack that only opens when the boats bring fish — the blackboard rewrites itself every morning.
Where to Stay
- The Wilder Townhouse (~EUR 220/night) — Restored Victorian near St. Stephen's Green — high ceilings, deep velvet sofas, and a serious gin list.
- Generator Dublin (~EUR 70/night) — Design-led hostel in Smithfield with exposed brick, private rooms, and the monthly horse fair on the cobbles outside.
- Hayfield Manor (~EUR 280/night) — Country-house grandeur in central Cork — family-owned by the Scallys, manicured gardens, excellent spa.
- The Park Hotel Kenmare (~EUR 350/night) — On the Ring of Kerry since 1897 — the legendary SÁMAS spa, Kenmare Bay views, and time slows right down.
- Kilmurvey House (~EUR 130/night (B&B)) — Family B&B on Inis Mór, 5 minutes from Dún Aonghasa — stay overnight and the island quiets completely after the last ferry.
- The g Hotel & Spa (~EUR 240/night) — Philip Treacy-designed 5-star with bold pinks and curved spaces — the Pink Lounge cocktails are a Galway ritual.
What to Try
- Guinness Stout (Pints €5-7 in pubs) — Ireland's iconic dark stout — brewed at St. James's Gate since 1759, best drunk slowly in a quiet old pub.
- Irish Whiskey (Single shot €5-12 in pubs; flights €15-30) — Triple-distilled and smoother than Scotch — try a comparison flight at the Jameson Distillery or Irish Whiskey Museum.
- Irish Stew (Pub portion ~EUR 14-22) — The national dish — slow-simmered lamb, potato and onion; the real version has no carrots and no Guinness.
- Soda Bread (Half-loaf in cafés €3-5; comes free with most stews) — Buttermilk and baking soda, baked in under an hour — eat it warm with Irish butter to mop up chowder.
- Smoked Salmon (~EUR 8-15 in restaurants; whole sides €25-40 from smokehouses) — Wild Atlantic salmon oak-smoked over turf — the west-coast smokehouses have turned a survival craft into fine art.
- Irish Coffee (~EUR 8-12 in pubs) — Invented at Foynes Airport in 1943 — whiskey, brown sugar, hot coffee, cream floated on top; sip the coffee through it.
You might also like
