Leevi & Sarahs Travel Blog

Sarah and I just arrived back in Burham after a seven day adventure in The Republic of Ireland. We covered much of the country traveling from Dublin on the east coast to Galway on the west coast, continued south to Limerick, Kilarney and Cork. Our round trip concluded with a three and a half hour trip from Cork back to Irelands capital and a flight back to the UK.

Some of the previous post may be repeated but its still worth the read! Photos of the adventure are included at the end of the post.

Day 1: Dublin

Thursday 22nd June

We arrived at Dublin airport at 11:30am after departing from Stanstead Airport in the UK an hour earlier and made our way to the city center via an airport shuttle bus. The main street of Dublin is very wide and features many public artistic sculptures and memorials. The main street was mainly filled with tourists as you would expect to find in any capital city and served as a public transport hub and bus terminal.

We made our way to our hostel accommodation and were greeted by a polite polish woman (there are an estimated 80,000 polish immigrants in Dublin according to a fellow backpacker) who checked us into our dorm. Our hostel was a huge old Georgian house with huge dorm rooms and high ceilings. Although the brochure of he hostel showed wooden bunks we managed to acquire the metal version that creaked and squeaked with every minor move. We thought that this would lead to restless nights but after walking all over Dublin I can assure you that a charge of elephants through the room would not have stirred us from our well earned slumber.

After settling into out dorm we decided to adventure out into the city and explore our surroundings. First stop was the small bar around the corner from the Hostel. It was a small rough, but charming place, full of catholic iconography where Sarah was entertained by a salient brewing father and son feud. We ordered our first Guinness pints and after a good few minutes of settling they met our lips. We can now confidently say that yes, the Guinness does taste better in Ireland. We finished our pints decided not to order another one quite yet and headed into the city center.

We quickly walked through the shopping precinct and returned to our hostel to prepare for the enshrouding world cup battle between Australia and Croatia. We met a fellow traveler named Mark who suggested we watch the game at an Irish pub he had been visiting the last few nights. Not convinced that the Australia game would be shown I quickly checked the net for an Australian pub in Dublin.

The answer was The Woolshed (formerly know as The Walkabout). I managed to convince Sarah and Mark that we should venture to The Woolshed where we were greeted by 100+ aussie supporters and a few brave Croatians. The game came and went, Australia had made it to the second round and in unison all the Australian supporters belted out Men at Works “We come from the land down under” followed by ACDC’s “Thunderstruck”.

Leaving The Woolshed we decided to get a bit of traditional Irish fair from the local chinese restaurant and retire for the night.

Day 2: Dublin

Friday 23rd June

Today we purchased a ticket on the hop on, hop off open top tour bus around Dublin. It cost €12 per ticket and was well worth the investment. The tour included 20 stops around Dublin including the Guinness Store House, National Museum, National Gallery and the Jameson Whiskey Museum. Our guide was informative and had a good sense of humor.

Our first stop was the Guinness Store House located in the functioning Guinness Brewery. Although not a tour of the brewery. facilities themselves visiting the refurbished store house is an experience I would recommend to all visitors to Dublin. There where seven floors to the store house four of which contained the history of the once family owned Guinness Brewery.

Sarah and I learned how to pour the perfect pint and have the certificate to prove it! Of course you could not let the deep ruby red stout go to waste so we ventured to the seventh floor to enjoy a 360° view of Dublin and our well settled stormy pints. With the obligatory stop in the gift shop we jumped back on the tour bus and continued our adventure to the National Museum.

The National Irish Museum contains the superbly mummified bog bodies of Ireland. The bodies are perfectly preserved including hair, organs and clothing. The museum also contained many examples of the rich Irish Viking history such as weapons and remains of viking naval vessels. While in the museum we took another guided tour which dispelled the myth of that there was a Celtic race of people. Our guide explained that Celtic was not a race but a language that was adopted by groups of people. He continued to by stating that there where very little examples of the celtic iconography ever found on historical Irish artifacts.

From the museum we had lunch on the river that divides Dublin and returned home as weary tourists.

Day 3: Dublin

Saturday 24th June

Day three was another world famous Sarah and Leevi walking adventure. We started our trek by heading to Christchurch Cathedral home of Strongbow, the cat and the rat (mummified cat and rat found in the cathedrals organ), ancient catacombs and medieval ceramic floor tiles that Sarah just had to touch. The catacombs where the most impressive part of the cathedral. They contained so much history and had the power to transport you back in time.

Leaving the cathedral we ventured into the historical world of Dvblinid, a viking center and historical re-creation of Dublin throughout the ages. Although the center was probably aimed at 10-14 year old school students as some of the photos will reinforce, but the center did provide some interesting general history of the Dublin area and its ancient viking ancestry.

As we left Dvblinid it started to rain. This was the first rain we had seen in Ireland and only lasted for about 30 minutes We decided to get some fish (battered cod) and chips from a well known fish and chip shop Burdocks opposite the cathedral. We munched on the fish and chips under a tree in the park and continued our journey.

With no direction we traveled back towards the city center and stumbled upon a farmers market in a small area surrounded by a city block. The food was of a very high quality and Sarah and I purchased the richest pecan pie we have ever eaten. Needless to say it was gone in a second and we where already eyeing of our dinner. A piece of vegetable quiche and a chilli potato patty later we exited the market and headed back to our dorm for dinner.

After dinner was completed we headed back into town to try and find some traditional Irish music in one of the many local establishments. Just of the main street we found a great pub, with traditional stained glass domes in the roof. Sarah found a new favorite drink (her fifth while in Ireland) Bullmers Irish Cider and we settled down to a tin pipe, and a banjo. The entertainment was great and after a few more pints the days activities started to affect my ability to keep my eyes open.

We headed back to the dorm to enjoy some well earned rest and prepare for our first Ireland road trip.

Day 4: Dublin to Galway

Sunday 25th June

Waking up early we thought it would be a short walk to pick up our little blue Ford Festiva that would enable us to navigate most of the Republic of Ireland. Little did we know that once again we would be trekking over most of Dublin to find our pick up destination. We picked up our car and paid the €350 (AU$600) which seemed a little pricey considering the original web receipt was just AU$100. Guess we forgot to take the taxes and fuel charges into account.

Our goal was to get from Dublin on the west coast to Galway on the east coast which we easily completed in just over 3hrs. We found our accommodation with some help from the tourist information center. Our room which formed part of the Corrib Village Campus Accommodation was a vast improvement on our previous lodgings.

As it happened we arrived at Galway in the middle of a traditional music festival and air show. Exploring our surroundings we walked through the pedestrian mall enclosed on either side by small pubs, antique and boutique clothing shops eventually arriving at Galway Bay. Galway Bay is most famous for its connections with the Claddagh Ring.

Protected areas of the bay contained large numbers of white swans who where more than happy to take bread from passers by. We walked around Galway Bay to Salt Hill which hosted the military and civilian air show. The show featured fighter jets and rescue helicopters performing impressive maneuvers over the bay.

After spending most of the day in 25°+ heat we headed to a quite pub for a pint and a diet coke. We finished our drinks , bought some dinner and walked back to the campus along The Salmon Weir where a few fishermen where trying their luck fly fishing.

Day 5: Galway to Limerick

Monday 26th June

The drive to Limerick via the scenic route took in the beautiful Irish coastline including Dunguaire Castle and the steep Cliffs Of Moher.

The cliffs have been transformed into a sustainable tourist destination and protective habitat for the thousands of birds that nest there. It was a great spot to enjoy our budget travelers lunch of tomato, tuna and cheese single sandwiches.

Once again we where blessed with warm weather and clear skies that allowed us to view our surroundings in all their magnificence. The total driving time was about five hours including many stops to fully take in more spectacular views of the coastline.

We arrived at Limerick at about 3pm and promptly found a venue to watch Australia’s attempt to progress in the world cup. We all know what happened so there is no need to mention it again. Lets just say we weren’t eating Italian for dinner that night.

Our accommodation for the night was at Brookfield Hall which was more like an apartment that budget accommodation Lucky for us it came with a budget price tag and we recommend it to anyone who visits Limerick.

Day 6: Limerick to Kilarney

Sunday 27th June

Refreshed from a good nights sleep we headed off to Kilarney in the morning. Kilarney is just a short drive from Limerick and we made it to Neptune’s Inn with most of the day spare to explore the Ring of Kerry.

The man at the local information center suggested that we leave 4 to 4.5hrs to see all the sights of The Ring of Kerry. Eventually the whole trip around Irelands south-eastern corner took us about six an a half hours.

While driving around the ring we saw many interesting sites and attractions. With a childish squeal of glee Sarah pointed out that we where just about to come up to a real “bog village” that we must stop and visit. The village was once home to five local men who settled the land many years ago, build houses and cut the peat from the nearby bog.

In my mind the highlight of the “bog village” was the nest of baby willy wagtails inside one of the houses thatched roof. The village was informative and we did see a pair of rare “bog ponies” whose breed would have been used to pull the peat from the bog after it was cut by the settlers.

Leaving the bog village we continued driving around the ring. We would recommend to anyone that if you are in southern Ireland make sure you set aside a day to drive the Ring of Kerry. The ring encloses steep stone covered mountains and is surrounded by yellow sand beaches, green grass paddocks and steep cliffs on the outer.

Driving a little further we saw the birthplace of Daniel O’ Connell the Liberator (cool name) and Ballycarberry Castle. The castle was the most impressive I have seen by far. Covered in ivy and surrounded by paddocks the castle contained many levels to explore.

Continuing around the ring we crossed a the bridge to Valentina Island home of Big and Little Skelig (islands off the coast) and a shale mine. We pulled over into a rest stop on top of a cliff face and enjoyed the view of the Skeligs while chatting to some fellow English tourists.

We caught the car ferry back to the main land which was a much shorter option than driving back around the island. While crossing the ferry we saw our first suspected puffin attempting to take off from the water.

The rest of our trip around the ring took in numerous postcard perfect views and deep black lochs, and flowing green valleys full of sheep. Sarah ventured out of the car a couple of times to try and pat a sheep, unfortunately for her with not much luck.

Heading home we rested at our hostel for a short period before attempting to find some traditional Irish dinner. After checking the menus of numerous pubs and restaurants we found a small pub called O’briens on the main street that was reasonably priced with a good atmosphere. I ordered a to die for Irish lamb stew, with root vegetables topped with rosemary and thyme. Sarah ordered a piece of fresh Irish salmon on a bed of creamy risotto which I finished off. As usual our dinner was washed down with a pint of Guinness and a Gordons Gin and tonic.

With a full belly and a gloomy atmosphere outside we returned to our dorm ready for the next days adventure to the Blarney Castle and the stone and its grounds.

Day 7: Kilarney to Cork

Monday 28th June

Just before entering our final Irish city Cork (approx.1hr east from Kilarney) we made a minor detour to the Blarney Castle and the lucky Blarney Stone. The Blarney Castle is surrounded by ancient gardens used by druids and witches as ledged would have you believe. The gardens featured a fairy glades, many little caves where the witches and druids cooked up their spells and quaint small woodland reminding me of the movie “The Village” or a Grimms Brothers fairytale.

After sitting down and enjoying another tomato and cheese sandwich in a small grass clearing in the woods we headed towards the castle passing by a deep unlit dungeon. Curiosity got the better of me, an a couple of other tourists and with the light of a camcorder we headed deep into the dungeon cave. We finally made it to the end only to find a large amount of white graffiti an a couple of Budweiser cans. Personally I could have thought of a few places that would have been more appropriate for a cold beer. t goes without saying that Sarah did not follow us into the cave.

My new found adventuring friends and I headed back to the mouth of the dungeon towards the light and went our separate ways.

Sarah and I headed for the Blarney Stone which was located on the top level of the 6 story Blarney Castle. After weaving through the numerous rooms and passage ways of the castle we queued up the spiraling staircase that would lead us to the top. The staircase was long and narrow with only a rope in the center for support. We couldn’t help but wonder how the 100kg+ man we saw when exiting the castle was going to make it to the top.

We finally made it to the top where we witnessed expansive views of the rich emerald grounds surrounding the castle.

To kiss the Blarney Stone you must lie on your back and dip your upper torso down into a gap in the wall. While bending backwards you are supported by two rusty iron bars and an elderly gentlemen whose role was to hold your feet and collect tips. As we paid for an entry fee to the castle and he and the photographer where no doubt on a salary I bet they where laughing pulling in an extra €200+ a day from tourists.

Just before Sarah a couple of elderly ladies took their turns. Obviously too much for one, the lady turned a ghostly shade of white and had to take a couple of breaths sitting down with her head between her legs. Not helping Sarahs compounding nerves she laid back and kissed the stone. With a huge smile on her face and no sign of the previous nervousness she arose and I took her place.As I leant back I kissed the stone and squashed my nose up against the wall. I must have been punished for my lack of belief in an ordinary stone in a wall could bring one extra luck.

We received our photo tickets from the official photographer and headed back down another spiraling flight of stairs. We past the murder hole overlooking the castles entrance and returned to the castles grounds. As we walked over the bridge we where amused by two juveniles picking pound coins out of the good luck stream.

Leaving Blarney we headed back into Cork and our hostel accommodation. A quick walk through Cork didn’t really give us feel for the city as a whole but I am sure we will head back there again.

Day 8: Cork to London via Dublin Airport

Tuesday 29th June

We woke early on day 8 in preparation for the approx 3.5hr drive back to Dublin. We stopped at a tea house for a quick bite of breakfast in the morning and made it to Dublin Airport on time.

After eventually finding the drop off spot for hire cars we collected our barding passes and lined up for our flight back to the UK.

Everything was running smoothly until we touched down in the UK and boarded the airport shuttle bus. The shuttle bus trip took over 2.5hrs to make it from Stanstead to Victoria Station due to two separate fatals on the motorways. We where hot and tired but happy to be heading back to our base.

We eventually arrived home at about 9pm with gifts of Irish truffles for our guests. It was a trip that covered many parts of The Republic of Ireland and we will no doubt explore many more of the islands aspects in the future.

Photos

 

Leevi & Sarah @ The Guinness Store House

Stealing a sip from ‘Tooky’

Sarah stealing a sip from the Zoo Keeper

Sarah tasting roasted barley

Sarah learning to poor the perfect pint

Enjoying the fruits of her labour

Only in Ireland

The Gravity Bar - 7th Floor

Dvblinid 01

Sarah @ Dvblinid

Sarah @ Dvblinid 02

Cat & The Rat @ the cathedral

Sarah @ Dublin Farmers Markets

Swans @ Galway Bay

Airshow @ Galway Bay

Galway Bay

Fly Fishing @ Salmon Weir Galway

Leevi and Sarah @ The Ring of Kerry

Cliffs of Moher 01

Cliffs of Moher 02

Sarah @ Cliffs of Moher

Bog Village 01

Leevi and Sarah overlooking Big and Little Skelig

Inside the dungeon at Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

Sarah eating lunch @ Blarney Castle

Sarah kissing Blarney Stone

Leevi kissing Blarney Stone