Some thoughts from E’ireann

Ross Castle – Source: banner25.redbuble.com

As Kathy and I wrap up our weeklong trip the emerald island, I had some thoughts to pass along.

• If you have the opportunity to visit Ireland, absolutely do it! What a wonderful and friendly nation.
• The people are extremely kind and generous.
• Irish Rail (Iarnrod Eireann) is a superb and relaxing way to travel about this lovely country. No better way to travel about in our opinion.
• There is so much to see in Ireland, don’t over schedule your trip, especially if you have a a limited time to visit. You can always make a return visit. Besides, it will give you a chance to really absorb the beauty of what you do see.
• We felt very safe at all times including late at night.
• We found the outdoor adventures to be spectacular – hiking the Greystones Cliff Trail, biking around Muckross Lake, seeing the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, and kayaking Lake Leane at sunset were each an amazing way to the see the natural beauty of Ireland.
• Be sure to check out a variety of traditional Irish music performers – we went out four separate nights and found a fascinating variety of entertaining and fun music. We particularly liked the traditional music by Socks in the Frying Pan.
• Try as many of the Irish beers as possible – Guinness dominates, but we loved Harp and Tom Crean’s Premium Irish Lager too.  Carlsberg from Denmark was another great one.
• We found Irish cuisine to be delicious, whether it was Irish stew, beef & Guiness stew, or cottage/shepard’s pie. It may not be spicy, but that’s alright with us!
• Tune out and turn off the tech world as much as possible. Other than occasionally checking emails and making travel plans, we did not watch television once nor used the internet much.
• September is a great time to come to Ireland – sunny and warm every day with just a smattering of rain on a couple of occasions.
• Hostels are a great way to see the country – this trip was the first one for us where we stayed at hostels exclusively. Research on Trip Advisor and Hostelworld produced four gems for us!  They may not be the Ritz, but who cares? The money you save can go towards more great food and beer!