Family trip to Ireland in late summer. Nice temperatures - 55-68 F/12-20 C. Mix of sunshine, cloudy skies, and rain. Fortunately, the rain held off for most of our outdoor activities. The country has lots of green land (due to frequent rains), majestic cliffs, castles, and pubs. Great opportunities to hike and explore.
The island is divided into Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland - the latter of which is part of the United Kingdom.
Belfast
After landing in Dublin airport and clearing immigration we rode a bus to Belfast. We stayed at Leonardo Belfast hotel, located in the heart of Belfast and 2 blocks from the bus station.
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, and second largest city on the island of Ireland. Ship building was an important part of Belfast's history. The city has a Harland & Wolff site, where the Titanic and other large ships were constructed.
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| City Hall |
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| Albert Memorial clock tower |
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| Victoria Square shopping mall. It has a glass dome with an observation deck. |
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| View from observation deck in the dome in Victoria Square Mall. We can see the gates to Harland and Wolff ship building site. |
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| Assembly Buildings. It is a conference center. It also served as the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. |
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| Grand Opera House |
Titanic Museum
The Titanic Museum uses interactive exhibits to show the story of the Titanic - conception, design, construction, and launch. The museum is located near the site where the Titanic was built. The Titanic was unique for its time and it was considered a historical victory when construction was completed. There is a five minute gondola ride through the shipyard where we saw the original construction site. We also explored the SS Nomadic ship, near the museum.
Giants Causeway
We joined
Odyssey Coach Tour for a daytrip to Giants Causeway. The bus traveled along the Antrim Coast - lots of sea views. Giants Causeway was the main attraction; other stops include: Carnlough village, viewpoint of Carrick-a-Rede, Dunluce Castle, a distillery, and the Dark Hedges.
Giants Causeway consists of cliffs and rock formations. It is the result of 60 million years of volcanic eruptions and erosion.
History of Giant's Causeway
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| Port in Carnlough |
Dublin
We rode a Dublin Express bus Belfast to Dublin. We stayed at Hilton Garden Inn Dublin City Centre, next to River Liffey and the EPIC Irish Immigration museum.
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| Temple Bar, one of the most famous pubs in Ireland |
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| Custom House |
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| Samuel Beckett Bridge, cable bridge noted for its unique harp outline. |
Howth
Visited Howth, 30 minute train ride from Dublin. Walked around the harbor and up a trail along the cliffs. Nice views.
Galway
We rode a train Dublin to Galway. We stayed at Eyre Square Hotel, a few blocks from the train station. Galway would be our base for exploring west Ireland. Latin Quarter is a neighborhood within Galway and has lots of pubs and restaurants. Many visitors focus on the Latin Quarter especially in the evening so restaurants here can get crowded. We found the restaurants outside Latin Quarter to be much less busy.
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| Latin Quarter |
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| Galway Cathedral |
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| Large organ inside Galway Cathedral |
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| Some fall colors showing in trees along River Corrib |
Kylemore Abbey and Connemara
Day trip to the Connemara region and Kylemore Abbey. This day trip was my first experience driving on the left side of the road. Not too big of an adjustment - takes about 15 minutes to get oriented. I adjusted the side mirrors to show the painted lines on the road - important to know where your car is all times since many roads in Ireland are narrow. Also downloaded google maps of the region to navigate without requiring data service. And always remember - turn to the left side. The rental car was a Toyota Yaris hybrid, which got 82 miles per gallon, or 34.8 km per liter.
Kylemore Abbey is a beautiful castle located on Kylemore Pass in the Connemara region. Mitchell Henry built the abbey in 1868, after having spent his honeymoon in the area. The architecture is best described as neo-gothic and the castle still displays all the characteristics of that period. Today, the Benedictine community runs Kylemore Abbey and have lived here since 1920. Visitors go through several rooms showing the history of the castle and its occupants.
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| Lough Inagh Point. Sheep often hang out here. |
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| Gothic Church. Mitchell Henry built the church in memory of his wife Margaret. |
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| Inside the Gothic Church. |
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| Victorian Walled Garden |
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| Apple trees in the Victorian garden |
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| Connemara Pony |
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| Connemara Pony |
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| Screebe Waterfall |
West Ireland, Between Galway and Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
Visited the majestic Cliffs of Moher. One of the most visited sites in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher have inspired musicians, artists, and scientists. The cliffs are as high as 700 ft/214 meters above the ocean. Hiking trail runs 9 miles/14 km along the top of the cliffs. WARNING: stay on the trail - the ground off the trail at the edge may not be stable especially on a windy day. Lots of spectacular views. As a nice bonus, we saw two fiddlers playing Irish music. If you plan to park at the lot near the visitor center, purchase entry tickets online to save money.
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| Visitor center built inside a hill. |
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| The visitor center has a photo booth. You choose a background, have your photo taken, and emailed to you. |
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| O'Brien Tower |
Clontarf
We rode a train from Galway to Dublin, then a taxi to Clontarf Castle hotel for our final night in Ireland. Clontarf castle was originally built in 1172, rebuilt to its current form in the 1830s, and started operating as a hotel in 1997. Staying in a castle is definitely a unique experience.
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