In 2016, we visited Ireland for the first time. That trip centered a lot around family genealogy as Mike's grand father emigrated from Cork in 1911. We also explored the western coast and such places as Killarney and Galway. We loved Ireland and consider it our second home. This time we not only went back to Cork, but also visited the southeast, Counties Donegal & Sligo and ventured into Northern Ireland.
Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny
Whenever we take a trip somewhere, upon our return people always ask "what was your favorite part?" This is a tough question because we usually can't pinpoint one favorite moment or place. However, on this trip there were definitely memories which surpassed all others. Which ones? Patience, my dear readers, all will be revealed soon.
I thought I would try a different format this go around. Instead of taking you on a journey along the same path we followed, I thought I would write a Top 10 list. This first edition will be counting down from places 10-6. The next edition will count down from 5-1. So, you will have to wait for chapter two to find out about those special memories. One disclaimer here.....just because a place ended up in the bottom 5 doesn't mean we didn't like it. It only means the overall experience may not have been what we had hoped.
Let the countdown begin!!
Whenever we take a trip somewhere, upon our return people always ask "what was your favorite part?" This is a tough question because we usually can't pinpoint one favorite moment or place. However, on this trip there were definitely memories which surpassed all others. Which ones? Patience, my dear readers, all will be revealed soon.
I thought I would try a different format this go around. Instead of taking you on a journey along the same path we followed, I thought I would write a Top 10 list. This first edition will be counting down from places 10-6. The next edition will count down from 5-1. So, you will have to wait for chapter two to find out about those special memories. One disclaimer here.....just because a place ended up in the bottom 5 doesn't mean we didn't like it. It only means the overall experience may not have been what we had hoped.
Let the countdown begin!!
#10-Belfast
Belfast City Hall
Belfast is one of those places that what is really good is fabulous and what is bad is not so great. What's good? Definitely the Titanic Quarter with the Belfast Titanic Museum. The museum is a 4-story building which starts with a brief history of Belfast up to the point when the White Star cruise line started building their ships most notably, The Titanic. It's a fascinating journey through the whole shipbuilding process to the launch of the famous ship to its tragic end. Very well done all the way around and a place we highly recommend. Belfast city centre has some beautiful architecture and a neat weekend market called St. Georges Market. It's a compact city which can easily be seen in one day. The best part of our stay was the Airbnb accommodation. Probably one of the best ever with fabulous hosts.
So what was the bad? Again, an experience, not the town itself. Let's just say that we cannot recommend the Hop On Hop Off bus tour. It was rather depressing and didn't take us through the nicest parts of town. That's all I will say about that. Our recommendation for Belfast.....hoof it around the sites. It is small enough that you can take in a lot in a short period of time and be satisfied.
Titanic Museum
#9-Kilkenny & New Ross
Beautiful sunrise from the deck of our Airbnb apt. in New Ross
If you ever wish to explore southeastern Ireland, New Ross is a great central location for visiting such locations as Kilkenny, Wexford, and Waterford. New Ross reminded us lot of home with wide open pastures and the Wicklow Mountains in the distance. The main attraction in New Ross is the Dunbrody Famine Ship which is an 1840s replica of one of the famine ships in which visitors can talk to costumed interpreters about their journeys and tour the ship itself.
Dunbrody Famine Ship
Kilkenny
Kilkenny Castle, Co. Kilkenny
Not far from New Ross is the town of Kilkenny. Sitting on the River Nore, Kilkenny Castle was built in 1195. It is a must see in the town and offers self-guided or guided tours of parts of the inside. It is in amazing condition and well worth a visit. Lots of tour groups can descend on this compact village, so it can get a bit crowded. There's lots to see on the Medieval Mile in the center of town including the beautiful St. Canice's Cathedral.
Kilkenny Castle
View of Kilkenny from the round tower at St. Canice's Cathedral
Belfast is one of those places that what is really good is fabulous and what is bad is not so great. What's good? Definitely the Titanic Quarter with the Belfast Titanic Museum. The museum is a 4-story building which starts with a brief history of Belfast up to the point when the White Star cruise line started building their ships most notably, The Titanic. It's a fascinating journey through the whole shipbuilding process to the launch of the famous ship to its tragic end. Very well done all the way around and a place we highly recommend. Belfast city centre has some beautiful architecture and a neat weekend market called St. Georges Market. It's a compact city which can easily be seen in one day. The best part of our stay was the Airbnb accommodation. Probably one of the best ever with fabulous hosts.
So what was the bad? Again, an experience, not the town itself. Let's just say that we cannot recommend the Hop On Hop Off bus tour. It was rather depressing and didn't take us through the nicest parts of town. That's all I will say about that. Our recommendation for Belfast.....hoof it around the sites. It is small enough that you can take in a lot in a short period of time and be satisfied.
#9-Kilkenny & New Ross
If you ever wish to explore southeastern Ireland, New Ross is a great central location for visiting such locations as Kilkenny, Wexford, and Waterford. New Ross reminded us lot of home with wide open pastures and the Wicklow Mountains in the distance. The main attraction in New Ross is the Dunbrody Famine Ship which is an 1840s replica of one of the famine ships in which visitors can talk to costumed interpreters about their journeys and tour the ship itself.
Kilkenny
Not far from New Ross is the town of Kilkenny. Sitting on the River Nore, Kilkenny Castle was built in 1195. It is a must see in the town and offers self-guided or guided tours of parts of the inside. It is in amazing condition and well worth a visit. Lots of tour groups can descend on this compact village, so it can get a bit crowded. There's lots to see on the Medieval Mile in the center of town including the beautiful St. Canice's Cathedral.
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Interior of St. Canice's Cathedral ca. 1202-1215
St. Canice Round Tower
The Round Tower at St. Canice's is an interesting climb to the top. Most towers have a circular, very narrow staircase to reach the top. In this tower, one has to climb a series of ladders. The width of the tower is barely enough for one person, so this climb is straight up with a few landings on the way. At the top, you literally exit through a small hole onto a small platform which has a capacity of about six people. But, it's worth it as the views are great!
#8-Sligo
Something that seems to be a trend for us on our vacations is that whenever we have a stop which requires only a one-night stay, it turns out to be the most dissatisfying part of the trip. It usually is not the location itself, but the accommodations. Such was the case in Sligo. Sligo and the surrounding areas are lovely and if you like poetry, then you will love being in Yeats country.
So, I won't focus on the challenges we had with our accommodations, but instead on some of the beautiful scenery Sligo has to offer. I would definitely return for some good hiking in the area.
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Sligo City Center
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Drumcliffe Church and Gravesite of W.B. Yeats
Rising 1,726 ft., Benbulben is a geological wonder formed
more than 320 million years ago
Rosses Point
Rosses Point lies to the west of Sligo and is where we stayed. It's a peninsula with views of Benbulben from the north side, Oyster Island to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean at the western most tip.
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Lost at Sea. Lost at Sea or in the Evening Tide. We loved you. We miss you. May God with You Abide
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#7-Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the 2nd largest city in Northern Ireland. It's most famous structure is the wall built around the city in the 17th century. One can walk on top of the wall to get panoramic views of the city within and outside the walled boundary. We never realized you could to this......pretty neat. Like Belfast, Derry's most recent history centers around The Troubles with many murals depicting the struggles of the people during that time. Brexit has caused some of the angst to resurface recently, but overall, Derry is a very interesting town to visit.
The town of Derry outside the walls.
Look closely to see some of the murals from The Troubles.
The Derry Girls
The Derry Girls is a TV show set in Derry during The Troubles. This mural depicts the characters from the show as it is a smash hit. We watched 4 episodes on our flights to and from Ireland. Even though the time was serious, the show adds a lot of humor to the lives of teens trying to grow up during the 90's in Derry while attending a strict Catholic school.
 
Walkway on top of the walls
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Pretty little chapel inside the walls
The Peace Bridge. A cycle & foot bridge
across the River Foyle
Hotel De Ville
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#6-Dublin
View of the H'a Penny Bridge over the River Liffey from O'Connell Street
At number 6 is Dublin. It falls in the middle because we spent a few days here on our last trip. We ended our stay here and searched for new things to see. Of course, we did have to revisit some of our favorite spots like Grafton St. and St.Stephens Green. We also had much better weather, so I like the photos a bit more with the blue skies.
Samuel Beckett Bridge
 
Custom House on the River Liffey
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Convention Center
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Along the north side of the River Liffey near the Custom House, there are a set of sculptures depicting the sadness and suffering that took place during the Irish Famine. The faces are haunting, especially knowing what truly happened during this dark period in Irish history. So much more than failed potato crops.
Inside the EPIC The Immigration Museum. A really cool museum focusing on Irish immigration throughout its history. The above photo was in the gallery focused on Irish contribution to technology.
For a bit of a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city, take a walk around St. Stephens Green. A beautiful greenspace in the heart of the city.
Beautiful Trinity College, established in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. Hoping some of that higher
learning is going to rub off on me.
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Mike doing a little souvenir shopping 😛
Did you hear the story of how we almost got a traffic ticket in Dublin? Throughout our travels, our GPS or SatNav, proved to be very frustrating. Fiona, as we called her, really liked to take us on the scenic routes, especially around Dublin. As we were returning our car to the airport, she insisted on taking us through the heart of the city and not the main highways. The traffic lights are very tricky. At an intersection, you will see an arrow lit up to go straight, but a red light to the left of the arrow is also lit up. So do we go straight or not? The answer is yes. But, what you can't do is turn left on red. Long story short, we turned left on red and were immediately stopped by a Garda (police) officer. She was very nice making sure we tourists weren't lost and explained that there are absolutely no turns on red. Lesson learned with a huge sigh of relief.
This brings this edition of our Ireland trip to a close. So, which places made the Top 5? Click here to find out!!
Happy Travels!!
Melody
