Europe / Explore / Ireland

My 15 Favorite Travel Experiences in Ireland

Posted on by 22 Comments

My15FavoriteTravelExperiencesinIreland

In honor of St. Paddy’s Day, I thought that I would share my favorite Ireland experiences with you. The Ireland I love is mossy single-lane roads, small pubs where the whole town comes out for the live music, overgrown roofless castles, and soda bread with every meal. I keep going back to Ireland, because every time I’m there, I find more to experience! So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my 15 favorite travel experiences in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland…

GiantsCauseway_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Exploring the natural marvel that is the Giant’s Causeway

CarrickaRederopesuspensionbridge_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Crossing Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge like the fishermen of old Ireland

KissingtheBlarneyStone_Cork_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Kissing the blarney stone, because why not? (Just try not to think about the urban legend that the locals pee on it–ha ha!)

SunsetatDunluceCastle_ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Watching the sun set on the ruins of Dunluce castle, which was abandoned when the kitchens fell into the sea in the 1600s

Titanic_Port_Cohb_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Seeing the last pier the Titanic embarked from @ Cohb, Ireland

Castle_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Getting completely lost and running into random castles

TheCliffsofMoher_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Feeling the wind in my hair at the Cliffs of Moher

Rentacar_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Renting a car and driving at leisure through all the small villages of Ireland–I especially loved stopping at Nancy’s in Ardara for the amazing seafood

MarkreeCastle_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Spending the night at Markree Castle in the room Cecil F. Alexander wrote her famous hymn, “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (W.B. Yeats was also a frequent visitor!)

TrimCastle_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Stopping by Trim Castle, the largest Norman castle in Ireland and the set for Braveheart’s “Freedom!” cry

KinsaleHarbour_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Running into an Irish music festival in Baltimore and enjoying a nice cuppa with this view of the harbor

HighTea_AdareManor_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Sneaking into high tea at Adare Manor in the darling thatched town of Adare

Cork_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Taking the walking tour of Kinsale to see all the brightly painted houses and hear the rich history of the area

IMG_2020

Exploring random graveyards

DurtyNellys_Ireland_thepersephoneperspective_travelblog

Having fish and chips at Durty Nelly’s, the oldest pub in Ireland, located next to Bunratty Castle

______________________________________________

Have you been to Ireland? What were your favorite experiences? 🙂

signature2

 

 

22 thoughts on “My 15 Favorite Travel Experiences in Ireland”

  1. My favorites in common with you were Adare and the Cliffs of Moher. I think my favorite area overall would be County Clare, specifically the lonely Burren and places like Ballyvaughan, and also the charming town of Doolin.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Oh yes! Doolin was so quaint. We stayed in Ballycotton, so quite close. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see the Burren to good effect, since it was so foggy when we were there. I will have to go back again! I need to go look at your pics on your blog for inspiration! Thanks for reading, love!

      Like

      Reply

  2. Becca, I had no idea the Irish coast was this rugged. It is absolutely beautiful.
    The castles are AMAZING. And to stay in the room where Cecil Frances Alexander wrote “All Things Bright and Beautiful” just blows me away. The song is in our church hymn book, and it has been sung many a times.
    Thank you for sharing your “Wanderlust Spirit”.
    ~Carl~

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ireland is truly magical, Carl! The rugged and green beauty of the land and the warm and cheerful spirit of the people make it so. I also just found out that my grandma is 47% Irish, so that may explain my affinity for Ireland. I really think that home is imprinted in blood. Thank you for reading, friend. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Agreed! I wanted to add that to the list, but sadly didn’t have a pic! I went to a local pub in Kenmare to hear Wallop the Cap, a live Irish band, and the whole town was there–from 100 year old grannies to young ladies having a “hen” party! It was absolutely everything I had dreamed it would be. LOL! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

      Like

      Reply

    • It absolutely is! My favorite part is getting out of the cities and into rural Ireland. And there are tons of castles, but unfortunately after the roof tax, many of the castles were abandoned and fell into disrepair. But they still make for very dramatic and romantic landscapes! You should definitely go, Kristin! 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  5. Definitely my favorite European country. Landscapes and Irish spirit. You just can’t beat them. Europe is full of beautiful countries and amazing cities, but the Irish atmosphere is something that gets into you:)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dang it! You just confirmed what I suspected. We did the Ring of Kerry instead of Dingle Peninsula for lack of time, but I knew in my heart the Dingle Peninsula was for me! On the bright side, you have given me an A+ reason to go back! 😉 Thank you for reading and your comment, Andrew. 🙂 (P.S.–You love doors, too? They totally captivate me! It’s fun to connect with a fellow door lover!)

      Like

      Reply

  9. Im from the beautiful Emmerald Isle from the North in a city called Derry I lived away for 10yrs back now and when people say there’s no place like home it’s so true there’s not I ♡ my Ireland if you haven’t been yet your missing out 🙂

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment