Unsplash Want to Visit Western Europe
Ireland
Duration 10-12 days 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.
Why I Want to Visit
Standing stones in farmers’ fields, monastic round towers on hilltops, ringforts marked only by hawthorn trees no farmer dares cut. And then the pubs — trad sessions spilling onto cobblestones, whiskey older than the country itself. This plan covers the Republic of Ireland — Northern Ireland (Giant’s Causeway, Titanic Belfast) is saved for a separate trip.
Planned Itinerary
- 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
What I’m Most Excited About
- Watching the sun set over the Cliffs of Moher
- A trad session in a Doolin pub — fiddles, pints, strangers singing together
- Standing inside Newgrange on a winter morning
- Cycling Inis Mór past stone walls and Iron Age forts
- A full Irish breakfast somewhere in Connemara
Where to Eat
- Chapter One (Dublin) — Michelin-starred Irish tasting menu in a Georgian basement below the Writers Museum.. 📍 Maps
- The Winding Stair (Dublin) — Rustic Irish cooking overlooking the Ha’penny Bridge, great for smoked salmon and chowder.. 📍 Maps
- Farmgate Café (Cork) — Perched above the English Market stalls it sources from — the most honest lunch in Ireland.. 📍 Maps
- Kai Restaurant (Galway) — Seasonal, hyper-local cooking from a tiny room near the Claddagh. Book ahead.. 📍 Maps
- Out of the Blue (Dingle) — Seafood-only, depends entirely on the day’s catch. Closes when the fish runs out.. 📍 Maps
Where to Stay
- The Merrion Hotel ★★★★★ (Dublin) — Georgian townhouses facing government buildings, art collection, and the best spa in the city.. View →
- Number 31 ★★★★ (Dublin) — Boutique guesthouse in a Bauhaus coach house hidden behind Georgian Dublin. Legendary breakfasts.. View →
- Sheen Falls Lodge ★★★★★ (Kenmare) — Country house on the Ring of Kerry, waterfalls outside the dining room window.. View →
- Delphi Resort ★★★★ (Connemara) — Remote lodge in a glacial valley surrounded by mountains and silence.. View →
Tours & Excursions
- Newgrange & Boyne Valley Heritage Tour — UNESCO passage tomb built 3,200 BC, older than Stonehenge. Half day. View →
- Cliffs of Moher & Burren Day Trip from Dublin — Atlantic cliffs, limestone karst, and Aran Islands views. Full day. View →
- Skellig Michael Boat Tour — Land on the UNESCO island where monks built a monastery on a sea stack. 4-6h. View →
- Dublin Whiskey & Pub Culture Walking Tour — Irish whiskey history, distillery visits, and trad music stops. 3h. View →
- Connemara & Kylemore Abbey Full Day Tour — Wild bogs, gothic abbey, and fishing villages from Galway. Full day. View →
Things to See & Do
Where to Eat & Drink
- Klaw — Tiny Temple Bar seafood counter — Carlingford oysters, lobster rolls, no reservations; arrive early or queue.
- The Winding Stair — Modern Irish cooking above a bookshop on the Liffey quays — window seats face the Ha'penny Bridge at sunset.
- Leo Burdock — Dublin's oldest chipper since 1913 — fresh cod in beef-dripping batter, eaten standing on the corner near Christ Church.
- The Brazen Head — Ireland's oldest pub (since 1198) — stone flags, low beams, nightly trad sessions and storytelling dinners.
- The Long Hall — The most beautiful Victorian pub interior in Dublin (1881) — no music, no TV; just the Guinness pour and the room.
- Brother Hubbard — Dublin brunch spot with a Middle Eastern twist — shakshuka, halloumi, excellent specialty coffee from Irish roasters.
- Farmgate Café — Balcony café above Cork's English Market since 1994 — the menu is sourced entirely from the stalls below.
- Moran's Oyster Cottage — 1797 thatched cottage on a Galway tidal weir — native oysters in season Sept–April, six generations of the Moran family.
- McDonagh's — The definitive west-coast fish & chip shop on Galway's Quay Street — three counters, fresh hake landed daily.
- Tigh Neachtain — The most famous pub in Galway — family-run since 1894, trad sessions most nights, snug seats to claim early.
- Gus O'Connor's Pub — 19th-century pub in Doolin (the trad-music capital) — stone floors, turf fire, a different seisiún every night.
- Out of the Blue — Dingle harbour shack that only opens when the boats bring fish — the blackboard rewrites itself every morning.
Where to Stay
Links below may be affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Prices as of 2025 — check current rates before booking.
- The Wilder Townhouse — Restored Victorian near St. Stephen's Green — high ceilings, deep velvet sofas, and a serious gin list.
- Generator Dublin — Design-led hostel in Smithfield with exposed brick, private rooms, and the monthly horse fair on the cobbles outside.
- Hayfield Manor — Country-house grandeur in central Cork — family-owned by the Scallys, manicured gardens, excellent spa.
- The Park Hotel Kenmare — On the Ring of Kerry since 1897 — the legendary SÁMAS spa, Kenmare Bay views, and time slows right down.
- Kilmurvey House — 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 — Philip Treacy-designed 5-star with bold pinks and curved spaces — the Pink Lounge cocktails are a Galway ritual.
Links below may be affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Unforgettable experiences await in Ireland
Local guides, skip-the-line tickets, and unique adventures you won't find on your own.
Browse Experiences
What to Try
- Guinness Stout — Ireland's iconic dark stout — brewed at St. James's Gate since 1759, best drunk slowly in a quiet old pub.
- Irish Whiskey — Triple-distilled and smoother than Scotch — try a comparison flight at the Jameson Distillery or Irish Whiskey Museum.
- Irish Stew — The national dish — slow-simmered lamb, potato and onion; the real version has no carrots and no Guinness.
- Soda Bread — Buttermilk and baking soda, baked in under an hour — eat it warm with Irish butter to mop up chowder.
- Smoked Salmon — Wild Atlantic salmon oak-smoked over turf — the west-coast smokehouses have turned a survival craft into fine art.
- Irish Coffee — Invented at Foynes Airport in 1943 — whiskey, brown sugar, hot coffee, cream floated on top; sip the coffee through it.
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