You know something’s about to be really good when a local tells you it’s his favorite drive in all of Ireland. I was cozied up to the bar at a small pub in Connemara with my map spilling in all directions while I planned a route from Galway to Clifden. The thing is—that’s not a …
The local residents living in the Aran Islands are as unique as the topography of this small chain of limestone islands lacing across the top of Ireland’s wind-swept Galway Bay. Known across the country as the cultural heart and soul of the Emerald Isle, the Aran Islands boast not only a prehistoric, but also some …
After arriving in Doolin, a charming town on the western coast of Ireland, I learned an important travel lesson from my host. He put it to me straight, noting that there are two ways to set out on any great travel adventure: the way the guidebook recommends the secret map hand-drawn for you by a …
“Umm, did you hear that sound?” I oh so casually asked Laura as we drove from Doolin—a quaint and inviting village on Ireland’s wild west coast—toward the Cliffs of Moher. Laura, partially deaf in one ear, paused to consider and definitively shook her head before re-launching into her story. But I couldn’t shake the nagging …
In addition to Ireland’s most scenic coastline and sights: Slea Head Drive, and Fungie the Dolphin in Dingle town harbor, there are two other parts of the Dingle Peninsula that I really loved. Spending several days in Dingle town, and then driving the Dingle Peninsula were among my favorite experiences in Ireland (and the sites on Dingle …
Dingle is a true travel gem, and I usually hate using that phrase. This quiet, unassuming peninsula lies just north of the well-touristed Ring of Kerry, but is a world apart in terms of pace and welcome. And although nearly all the Irish you meet anywhere in Ireland are ready with a warm “hello” and …
A gentle sprinkle of rain dusted the windshield of the car as the smell of wet grass leaked through the air vent of my rental car—I was slowly puttering my way around the Iveragh Peninsula in Ireland, more popularly known as Ireland’s stunning Ring of Kerry. How & When to Drive the Ring of Kerry …
My Nissan Micra rental car was tiny. Whatever you’re thinking, think smaller. Perhaps for this reason, the decision to sleep in said car for an evening wasn’t my brightest idea. But for all of the plan’s faults, it did show me just how far the Irish will go for the sake of some friendly hospitality. …