Ireland Ulster-Scots: Airlann [ˈɑːrlən]) is an island in the North Atlantic to the west of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St Georges Channel, and after which it is the largest island of the British Isles archipelago. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth.
This was not one of my typical vacations but I was helping a friend celebrate his recent divorce so we wanted to find a trip that was not too expensive and gave plenty of time to enjoy frosty beverages. What better place than Ireland as they have been known to enjoy the occasional drink. This trip was organized by Trafalgar Tours and was their “Ireland: Pubs and Folklore Tour” which I do not believe they offer any more. It was the typical bus tour where they take you from town to town with stops along the way to visit various cathedrals and places of interest. Getting into most towns by late afternoon with the rest of the day for self exploration.
I have to admit that it was a good trip but at the time I write this, 2014, some of the details are still a little foggy.
Dublin
Galway
Ahh starting the day with a tour of a whisky distillery. I’m liking this trip. 🙂
Kylemore Abbey
Kylemore Abbey is a Benedictine monastery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. The abbey was founded for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I.
Cliffs of Moher
Killarney
Killarney was a day, with a carriage ride out to Muckross House with it’s beautiful gardens and then the very scenic drive (with stops) along the Ring of Kerry. This is the Ireland that you see in pictures, with the rolling hills and ocean views.
Blarney Castle
How can you go to Ireland without going to the Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney stone? Unfortunately, it is such a tourist attraction that it almost feels that you are in an assembly line. You sit, the attendant grabs your belt, leans you back, you have a second to kiss the stone (where everyone else also has) and then he pulls you back up, ready for the next person. I’m glad I did it, but I would have liked a little more time, especially since there were not many people waiting, maybe twenty.
Kilkenny
Our last couple of days were spent in Kilkenny before heading back to Dublin for the flight back. If you do get a chance to go to Kilkenny, make the effort to go to the Black Abbey (sorry, my pictures didn’t turn out, except for one of a stained glass window). On the way back to Dublin we stopped at the Irish National Stud, which at first doesn’t sound like a place to bring a bus load of tourists but it was actually a nice event. Learning about the different breeds and all the famous horses that have resided there. A few people even got a little reminder that horses do bite! Wonderful walks on the grounds including a Japanese Garden.
Logistics
This was your typical European big bus tour and was 7 days long starting and ending in Dublin. Follow the guide holding the bright yellow umbrella, we’re walking people, people we’re walking …
This is not to say the trip is bad, I did enjoy the trip although it is not the type of trip I usually take. There was a lot of time sitting on the bus as we went from town to town but there were plenty of stops to either visit a cathedral or other point of interest, sometimes it was just to stop to enjoy a nice view. The evenings were always free to enjoy the town.
We used Trafalgar Tours and I would have no issues using them again. Everything went smoothly and was as expected from the pre-trip literature. At the current time it does not appear that our specific itinerary (Ireland: Pubs and Folklore) is offered any more.
One parting note. I had heard this before the trip and I can truly attest to this. The Guinness that you get in Ireland is different than what you get outside of Ireland. Perhaps it is the water used, yes folks, your Guinness is brewed locally, it doesn’t all come from Ireland. 🙁
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