Ireland Part 7: Where We Stayed

Points will get you only so far in Ireland if you leave the major cities, so I tried to maximize our points staying options where I could.

With Mark and I being Hilton Diamond members, we chose The Morrison (DoubleTree) on the banks of the River Liffey for our single night in Dublin. When we checked in, I asked for my upgrade, and we were given a satisfactory room. Usually, I try to push for a luxurious suite, but with one short night in Dublin, I decided to save my pushiness for another time.

But then, Mark checked in to his room at 11 p.m., and they gave him the biggest ass suite I have ever seen in my life. I was more than a little jealous.

You walk into the suite, and there is a nice-size dining room and window seat.

Then, because that’s not enough, there’s a separate living room area with plenty of seating room.

Oh, and there’s a wrap-around porch that offers views of the river.

The bedroom is a separate room with another window seat.

The headboard is some kind of funky, multi-colored… something. There is actually a remote control to change the colors.

And the bathroom was bigger than our entire room.

At least, breakfast offered a nice spread, somewhat lessening the sting of Mark’s hotel room jackpot.

All in all, the DoubleTree was nice hotel in a good location with an impressive breakfast. For 50,000 points, we saved ourselves a couple hundred of dollars.

Ireland Part 5: The Only Fjord in Ireland

There is only one fjord in all of Ireland, and we got to cruise down on it on a lazy, rainy morning.

The Killary Fjord is located in western Ireland in Connemara, stretching 16 kilometers from the village of Leenaun out to the ocean. The 90 minute trip offers beautiful views, food to order, and indoor and outdoor seating.

The boss and the husband, hard at play.

Ireland Part 4: Aran Islands

I had no idea what to expect from the Aran Islands, and it turned out to be my favorite part of our Ireland trip. It felt like a mini-vacation within a vacation. Maybe because it’s remote, or because there isn’t much to do once you get there. Maybe because I was chauffeured around the island in a horse-drawn carriage.

Whatever it is, it was awesome. I highly recommend the trip.

The Aran Islands is comprised of three islands that can only be reached by boat. We took a ferry to the largest and most populated of the three, Inis Mor. The ferry leave from Ros a’ Mhíl, about an hour’s drive west of Galway.

With a total population of 840 (many of whom still speak Gaelic), you can really feel Inis Mor’s unspoiled beauty.  Until not too long ago, cars were banned on the island – something we heard a lot about from our carriage driver.

The island boasts several interesting, historical sites which you can see by private minibus, rented bicycles, or carriage. The below map is compliments of the Aran Islands website.

Since the weather was cold and windy (and some of us were lazy), we hired a horse-drawn carriage much to the delight of our driver, John, who regaled us with a never-ending stream of stories.

I loved the tour. The island is stunning. Our driver was a comedian, who could not go five minutes without asking us how we were enjoying the tour. (“Is this a live Yelp review?” M asked.) And it was so nice to to sit back, snuggle under a fleece blanket, the Irish air nipping at our faces while we enjoyed the sites.

John took us across the entire length of the island, first along the southern most road, then circling around to the northern edge. As you can see from the above map, there aren’t that many roads, and it’s pretty hard to get lost.

Self-portrait here, with Mark peaking out of the corner.

Our first stop was Dun Aoghasa World Heritage Site, perhaps the most famous site on the island. John dropped us off, and we hiked 20 minutes up a gravel path to the remains of an ancient fort, dated to 1100 BC.

This is how you take a picture of a 300-foot cliff without falling over the edge.

This is what the view looks like from said cliff.

John picked us up at the bottom and showed us the remains of a seventh century church.

As we turned around and rode along the northern edge of the island, we were rewarded with beautiful coastal views, seals in the distance (!), and what counts for a traffic jam on Inis Mor.

I asked John why they built so many stone walls and he told us that the walls served no specific purpose. It was merely a means of clearing the fields of the layers upon layers of rock.

Oh oh… traffic jam. We got an earful from John about the proliferation of motor vehicles on the island.

Seals!

That night, we slept in one of the small inns on the island (there aren’t that many to choose from) while M and Mark did more than their share of drinking. The next morning, we packed our new Aran sweaters in our suitcases, and took the ferry back to the mainland.

Have you been to the Aran Islans? What are you waiting for?!?!

BONUS VIDEO!

A Ride Through Inis Mor from Nam Writes on Vimeo.

Ireland Part 3: Go West Young Woman

After half a day in Dublin, we headed west. With an overnight in Limerick, the next morning brought us to Galway for a few hours before catching the ferry to the Aran Islands.

It was a casual morning, with no agenda. We wandered the streets of the old city, popped into a museum, checked out some ruins before piling back into the car.

In the Middle Ages, Galway served a port city and prospered off of its bountiful trade. Today, it’s a sleepy albeit charming city that offers a hint of its important history.

In the Middle Ages century, Galway was a walled city. Today, the most famous remnant is the Spanish Arc near the River Corrib. We took some pictures before popping into the nearby Galway City Museum.

If you want a further taste of the medieval city, you can check out an indoor archeological site called The Hall of the Red Earl. The site shows the remains of an old municipal building that was used to collect taxes, host banquets, and issue justice. The hall was abandoned in the 15th century when Galway’s famous 14 Tribes captured the city. Over the centuries, it was built over and disappeared from public sight until 1997.

Perhaps the strangest ruin of all is the Shoemakers Tower, which can now be seen inside Eyre Square Center. Yes, that is a 17th century tower inside a mall.

 

Ireland Part 2: Half a Day in Dublin

We only had half a day in Dublin before Mark took us on a whirlwind tour of Western Ireland. M decided to cram as many museums and religious sites into his morning as possible and Mark was happy to tag along (sucker!)

As for me, I relished the opportunity to wander mindlessly around Dublin, taking pictures, popping into shops, and seeing Dublin at my own pace.

My impression from one slightly rainy half day: Dublin is full of old European charm with a patina of grit. There are cobblestone roads, cute cafes, shops, bridges, curvy streets that lead to castles, churches, and other important historical sites.

At the right time of day, the reflections on the Liffey River are a photographer’s dream.

Dublin Castle is an imposing building in heart of town. Until 1922, it was the seat of U.K. government in Dublin.

I popped into the Chester Beatty Library to escape the rain and catch up on some work.

More pictures from around town.

Ireland Part 1: Welcome to Ireland!

When we got to Ireland, we were in the trusted hands of Mark, my boss/friend/professional partner-in-crime. Mark loves Ireland, so we let him plan the entire trip. Plus, he offered to drive on the left-side of the road, and that’s an offer I can’t refuse.

First up, Mark took us to New Grange, a neolithic burial mound. We drove to the visitor center, where you have to sign up for a specific time slot to see New Grange (and other sites if you’re so inclined). You can’t actually got to New Grange on your own. At your allotted time, you climb into a shuttle bus which drops you off at the New Grange site.

Once at New Grange, there isn’t a lot to see. The scenery is beautiful, but otherwise, you’ll come face to face with a massive stone-enclosed mound. The guide split the group into two due to space constraints and took us into the site a group at a time. NO PHOTOS ARE ALLOWED INSIDE… which made the whole thing a lot less fun for me (unless you’re my husband and you don’t believe in rules).

Next up, Mark drove us south of Dublin to one of his favorite sites, Glendalough, a sixth century monastery site with lovely ruins, walking paths, and a small museum (which was closed when we got there).

The scenery is gorgeous and feels authentically Irish. It’s the kind of place you can spend a leisurely afternoon, walking through history and soaking up the lush backdrop.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Mark from the trip.

Of course, this being Ireland, it was way past time for some drinking. There is a hotel and bar on site, and Mark and M got right to it. As for me, I like to think of drinking as a spectator sport (unless it’s a diet coke).