Possible Ireland anniversary trip

[zoebartlett]

Wow, it feels like forever since I've posted or even visited PS.

My husband and I are thinking of doing something extra special to celebrate our 10th anniversary next summer. We're toying with a trip abroad, probably Ireland, for 7-10 days. (I'd probably vote for a tropical destination but my husband would be bored and super sunburned doing nothing but hanging out at a resort and the beach.) I started looking online for ideas and then thought I'd pop in here, too.

Thinking through an Ireland trip, which would you choose: a) southern Ireland/Ring of Kerry and maybe Galway if it's doable in our timeframe or b) Northern Ireland?

We've been to Dublin, the Wicklow area, and then traveled west to Connemara, Galway, and Shannon (this was summer, 2004), but we have haven't seen the areas mentioned above. It's probably our favorite vacation to date which is why we're thinking of going back.

 

[december-fire]

Oh my goodness!
I was in Ireland in August 2004!
Loved, loved, loved everything about it!
The people, the landscape, the history, the music, the myths and legends, everything!

My ancestors are from Scotland and Ireland, so I've always felt a connection to both.

I took two back-to-back bus tours around the entire coast, with stops at all the places you mentioned and more. So, naturally, I recommend you do it all!

It was amazing!

 

[ksinger]

I would get my behind to Cork and plant it there, preferably in the River Lee Hotel. Then I would spend my days drooling outside the English Market, a food market that made both me and my husband, weep.

My vote is for southern. We loved southern Ireland, and I too had been to Dublin, Connemara, Galway, Shannon, before. He had not been at all, but we decided to do Dublin, Cork, Killarney (the jumping off spot for a bus tour of the Ring of Kerry), Galway, then back to Dublin. He is now officially in love with Ireland. I knew he would be.

 

[zoebartlett]

Oh my goodness!
I was in Ireland in August 2004!
Loved, loved, loved everything about it!
The people, the landscape, the history, the music, the myths and legends, everything!

My ancestors are from Scotland and Ireland, so I've always felt a connection to both.

I took two back-to-back bus tours around the entire coast, with stops at all the places you mentioned and more. So, naturally, I recommend you do it all!

It was amazing!

We went to Dublin for a friend's wedding, and then traveled around for a week. We didn't do a tour though. We rented a car and then just meandered and stayed in B&Bs throughout our travels. Ireland is magical and we absolutely loved it. The Connemara area and Galway were our favorites, although we had a great time everywhere we went. That's why I thought it would be a good place to celebrate.

My mom's family is from Ireland and so there's a connection with us, too. My parents actually honeymooned (47 years ago!) for 6 weeks and traveled through Europe. They spent the majority of their honeymoon in her family's county in Ireland though, and they tracked down people who knew her family. I love hearing stories like that.

 

[zoebartlett]

I would get my behind to Cork and plant it there, preferably in the River Lee Hotel. Then I would spend my days drooling outside the English Market, a food market that made both me and my husband, weep.

My vote is for southern. We loved southern Ireland, and I too had been to Dublin, Connemara, Galway, Shannon, before. He had not been at all, but we decided to do Dublin, Cork, Killarney (the jumping off spot for a bus tour of the Ring of Kerry), Galway, then back to Dublin. He is now officially in love with Ireland. I knew he would be.

I'm glad that your husband is in love with Ireland. Thanks for your vote, too. My husband has wanted to see the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland for years, but I think the Ring of Kerry might win out. We haven't been to Cork but I'll keep it in mind.

 

[chroman]

We did a cycling tour through Co Clair which was a blast - so I'd love do to (a)!

 

[OoohShiny]

I've not been to Ireland but I really should look at it. Western Scotland is stunning, though, and I recommend it for anyone that likes driving, stunning scenery, and getting away from it all

 

[ac117]

DH and I just did 4 days in Ireland as part of a larger trip. We did it with another couple, too, which I feel made it even more fun! We did Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Cork and the Dingle Peninsula, Killarney and a couple of the Ring of Kerry Sites, Blarney, Kinsale (if you make it here the Lemon Leaf Cafe was delicious for lunch and dessert!!) and Dublin. We really packed it in!!! It's a lot of driving but definitely some beautiful sites. We had read lots of reviews prior to our trip on doing the Dingle Peninsula over the Ring of Kerry and I really feel we made the right choice!!! We LOVED Cork and the Dingle Peninsula drive. We also had an amazing meal at Fade Street Social in Dublin!

Personally I think 7-10 days would be a lot and there are sooo many cheap hopper flights from Dublin that I would squeeze in another city!

 

[ksinger]

Ah. A few more tidbits - '96 vs '15: The beds in Ireland, whether in B&Bs or hotels, are uniformly hard. I had hoped that in 20 years there would be changes, and that hotels('15) would be better than the B&Bs('96) I stayed in the first time, but no. Don't expect something like a Westin level bed ANYWHERE in Ireland. The beds are typically hard and/or worn out. In my best Irish brogue, "Ah, and won't you just be lovin' our best slabs 'o concrete covered by a nice layer 'o loose chips*!"

The coffee. Also had not changed much in 20 years. They still can't make a decent cup of regular coffee in most places. Finding a good cup is dicey. I gave up early and stuck with the tea. And try to find at least one morning to go to a swanky hotel and have an Irish breakfast. You can get an excellent breakfast a lot of places - they do take their breakfasts seriously - but the nicer hotels have ones that are just staggeringly good. The one at the River Lee Hotel in Cork was amazing, as was the one at Glenlo Abbey Hotel in Galway.

*loose chips = gravel

 

[autumngems]

Oh, I have always wanted to visit Ireland!