After a bus and a walk, we found our accommodation and, I have to say, we were absolutely spoilt. Hailey had found us a fantastic AirBNB that was in walking distance from everything important - the Temple Bar area, Trinity College and food shops. Perfect. In the evening, Hailey and I headed out to a few bars to watch some Irish dancing while Hillary stayed in for the evening - she'd had her last exam that morning and so deserved a bit of chill time.
Our first full day in Dublin was spent on a walking tour, because after not having done one for a week I was having slight withdrawals. While we were waiting for the tour to begin, Hillary, Hailey and I had a look around the parliament building. We returned here in the first few minutes of our walking tour, where we were told of the celebrations that had occurred here a few weeks earlier when gay marriage became legal in Ireland.
Trinity College Dublin was absolutely stunning. Yep, I could live here.
Day 2 brought with it blue skies, quaint villages and the Cliffs of Moher. What an amazing day! We kicked things off in a quaint little village, with just enough time to have a look at the harbour and coloured houses before heading off to an old church and cemetery.
We had a quick stop at some beautiful cliffs (not quite the Cliffs of Moher but incredibly impressive, none the less) and then stopped at a pub for a traditional Irish lunch. I went with the Irish stew and it was everything a stew should be: thick, warm, delicious...and served with a heaping of bread. Unfortunately I didn't take any photographs of the lunch because I was too busy scoffing down my share, but take my word for it: an Irish stew in Ireland is not one to be missed.
And then it was time for the big finale: The Cliffs of Moher. I know there are too many photos (you should see the other 300 that didn't make it onto this blog post) but can you blame me? The weather was perfect, the company was perfect, the ice cream I accidentally bought and ate was perfect...honestly, the day couldn't have been much prettier.
On the way home we had a quick stop at a little town that also had a little castle (see below) and I managed to make a little bit of time to grab a quick snack for the bus. You've gotta do what you've gotta do.
While everything we saw was incredible, the tour company (Paddywagon Tours) was not one I'd be recommending. I hate to leave bad reviews, however this tour unfortunately did not gather the highest of praise from any of us. A departure from Dublin ten minutes late than planned put our tour guide in a shocking mood and this did dampen proceedings for the rest of the day as he constantly brought this up. You may also have noticed that there is a lack of information detailing about the stops along the way to the Cliffs: that's because not much information was given. However, awkward grumbles by the tour guide aside, we were able to see so much of Ireland in one day (we basically drove across the whole country) and we had plenty of time to explore the Cliffs. All in all, the day was a good one.
So, my thoughts on Ireland:
Ireland is so, so close to my heart and I really wish that I had had longer to spend there. Four full days was not enough, however it opened my eyes and mind to the beautiful culture and lovely people that this very unique country contains. While Ireland is not famed for its beautiful weather, we had gorgeous clear skies and the phrase '40 shades of green' was so visible in the many fields and woods that we passed on our travels.
After such a wonderful few days, it was impossible not to add more of Ireland to my bucket list for my future travels. Next time, I want to meet more of my family, see where my Grandma grew up in Monaghan, reach Belfast and travel again to Dublin and Waterford. The people in Ireland are so kind, and with the accents, what's not to love?
Ireland, you were beautiful, but it was back to England for a few days for some sad goodbyes to my newfound lifelong friends.
Next stop: Sussex!
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