Luck of the Irish

Hello all!

This past weekend I spent the most amazing weekend exploring Ireland!

Myself and 3 of my flatmates landed in Dublin Friday morning and didn't stop exploring the country until we left Sunday morning.

We began with a walk from our hostel to the center of the city and along the way you could tell how small of a city Dublin is. Living in London and spending plenty of time in NYC I kept thinking to myself, where is the actual city...?

We accidentally came across Jameson Distillery where we had a quick lunch and went right in to have a drink and a tour! I'm not a big whiskey fan at all but during the tasting I may or may not have taken a whole shot of Jameson because of how good it was compared to other whiskeys.

Our next stop was the Guinness Storehouse where we got a history of the brewery and then got to pour and enjoy our own pint of Guinness! I have always been a light beer kind of girl but after that pint I have no idea what I was thinking! I do not miss my precious Bud Light at all after a pint of Guinness right from Ireland.

We spent the rest of the night exploring the Temple Bar area, and sitting in the bar listening to traditional Irish music and even seeing some dancing!

Saturday was an early morning as we had a full day bus tour across the country. We got on the road at 7am with our guide explaining to us the history of Dublin as a city and all that it has to offer.

With a few hours on the road, and a sense of the country side of Ireland, our first stop was the Kilmacduagh Monastery. This small cemetery in the middle of a country road was a true sense of Ireland. Stepping off the bus into the fresh Irish air, with farm animals surrounding the cemetery, I completely understood the beauty and fascination that comes along when people think of Ireland.

With just a short drive we were at the Cliffs of Moher standing over 700 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. The awe of such natural beauty on a sunny day was more than anyone could imagine. I can easily say that this was not only the highlight of my trip to Ireland but the single most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life.

After a nice hike up the cliffs and truly taking in the view we headed out to Galway, a small city just north of the cliffs. We grabbed some food and explored the little town taking in more of the Irish culture before getting back on the bus for a trip back across the country to Dublin.

We were on such an adrenaline rush from the day so the 4 of us headed back to Temple Bar and began our own pup crawl. Anywhere we heard live music being played we wandered in, getting a drink, usually a pint of Guinness, and danced and talked with the locals.

We left Sunday morning but my heart truly stayed in Ireland and I am already trying to plan when I can go back next!

With a break from traveling for the next few weeks I can't wait to see what more London has in store before I head to Spain and Italy at the end of the month with my sister!

So on that note, cheers to another great adventure! Or as the Irish say, sláinte!

Aub

#Travel