Ireland is called the Emerald Isle for good reason. Ireland is not just green, but a stunning emerald green that genuinely takes your breath away. Living in England, I have seen green country sides, but I have never seen anything like this before. The cities in Ireland are cute and filled with history, but what really makes Ireland great is its natural beauty.
Dublin
Our first stop in Ireland was Dublin, which was great fun. There are many cute pubs, churches, parks and places to eat, but the most exciting thing to do in Dublin definitely was the Guinness Factory.
The Guinness Factory was very interesting, you learn how Guinness stout is made, you see all the steps, then have a taste test.
The inside of the Factory is shaped like a massive pint glass and you slowly work your way up and around to the 7th and 8th floors. My favorite section was the advertisement section where you can put on headphones and watch all the commercials and look at all the old classic Guinness posters. Its interesting to see how long Guinness has been around and how the advertisements have changed with the ages.
Next, was the “poor your own pint” which was so fun! To poor the perfect pint you have to fill Guinness up about three quarters of the way full, let it sit for 2 minutes, then top it off. After you poor your own pint, you get to drink your pint on top of the factory looking over the entire city. That was definitely the best part. Sitting down, with your friends, chatting, comparing each others pints, and looking over the beautiful 360 degree view of the city; to top it off, it was sunny out while we enjoyed our pint!
The Guinness Factory was the most entertaining and most interesting thing to do in Dublin, unfortunately I hate Guinness! I finished my two free pints, as you have to enjoy Guinness while in Ireland, but it definitely is an acquired taste. The Guinness Factory is a great way to start off a trip to Ireland and is A MUST DO!
After our day in Dublin, it was off to see the rest of Southern Ireland. Ireland has so much to offer, from castles and ruins along the side of the road, the adorable cows and sheep’s on the farm lands, the beautiful coasts with water so blue it seemed like it was water from the Caribbean or Hawaii.
A mandatory "to do" in Ireland is to kiss the Blarney Stone on the top of Blarney Castle. However, this is not so simple. One must climb to the top of Blarney Castle, up a tiny stone spiral stair case, about 7 stories high. Once you reach the Blarney Stone, you must lie on your back, reach out about a foot or so backwards, and kiss the stone upside down! Then one will be granted with the gift of gab (not that I need it). It was a little scary, but well worth it!
A Bee Hive
We ended our first day in the little town of Killarney and went out to the pub for some Irish Folklore and storytelling from a man named Pa. Let’s just say that was an experience in itself. His story was about a man who lost his pub, it was about a 90 minute story, and Pa managed to finish off 6 pints of Guinness and 2 shots of Jameson! By the end I couldn’t understand him, but it was great fun. We ended the night with Irish music and danced the night away with the locals. The Irish definitely love their pubs, Guinness, and Irish music. I felt I had the luck of the Irish as I was sightseeing by day and drinking with the locals at night. The first day was absolutely perfect and it only got better.
After a fun night of trying to keep up with Pa, we spent most of our morning driving along the Irish Coast; which was absolutely stunning. We drove through the famous Ring of Kerry. I also got to see the oldest buildings in Ireland, which were over 4000 years old and looked like beehives, and ironically enough, were called the beehives.
Along the Ring of Kerry
Another reason to love Ireland is all the Gaelic Irish Folklore stories and beliefs. The leprechaun is one of many Irish myths. What makes these stories even more interesting, are that they are still very much a part of Irish culture today. Ireland is a country with a colourful history, as well as mystical traditions. One of my favourite stories was that if you put your feet in the sea, part of your soul will stay in Ireland. If you don’t go back within 20 years, you will never get that part of your soul back. Well, of course, now I have to go back to Ireland; what a great excuse!
The Irish coast is remarkable and jaw dropping with rolling green hills, steep cliffs, and pure blue water. On day three we headed towards the Dingle Peninsula to drive along even more of the Irish Coast. Then eventually to see The Cliffs of Moeher. These cliffs are so gorgeous and unique, they currently are in the running to be part of the 7 natural wonders of the world.
Cliffs of Moeher
Dingle Peninsula Beach where I left part of my soul
Cliffs of Moeher
After we wandered through the amazing Cliffs of Moeher, we travelled along the Dingle Peninsula up to The Burren. The Burren is an instant massive transformation from rolling green hills and cliffs, to literally barren rounded rocks. It literally looks like you are on the moon. Even though there was a lack of greenery, it still was lovely. Beautiful black rocks that reflected the Galway bay. The Burren changes everything you know and shows the diversity of Ireland's natural beauty.
The Burren
Ireland is such a great country filled with a fun loving culture, history and a beautiful landscape. I am looking forward to my visit back within the next 20 years, however, I wouldn’t be too disappointed if I left part of my soul in Ireland.
After our day in Dublin, it was off to see the rest of Southern Ireland. Ireland has so much to offer, from castles and ruins along the side of the road, the adorable cows and sheep’s on the farm lands, the beautiful coasts with water so blue it seemed like it was water from the Caribbean or Hawaii.
No comments:
Post a Comment