4 Days in Ireland

A Quick Overview of Our Road Trip Across Ireland

Day 1:We arrived at the Dublin airport on Friday mid-morning. We quickly made our way through customs, got our rental car and hit the road.

First Stop: Lukas immediately put us "off schedule" by driving us to Howth, a small fishing village north of Dublin. It was a gloomy, rainy morning, Lukas had never driven on the left side of the road and I was hungry. Nevertheless, we went. Right from the start, Ireland had me floored. When we reached the small village, it was very clear that Ireland was going to be absolutely breathtaking. Gorgeous cliffside views met the most beautiful autumnal hues when we reached the coast. Despite the rain (and lack of proper shoes), the potential views sent us both racing towards the northeastern tip. The weather didn't stop dolphins from dancing in the waves below while Lukas and I traded awe-filled "Oh wows," and Insta-induced "Will you take a picture of me?"

After I finished Face-timing my sleepy parents (SORRY <3 ), we headed back to the car and into the city. Let me preface our Dublin experience with this: We both went into the experience with high hopes and salivating beer glands. The weather was far from enjoyable and we felt lost the entire time. Keep that in mind when I say this: Dublin was overrated. We stopped for lunch, enjoyed a quick walk through the city, had an afternoon tea and arrived promptly for our 4 PM Guinness Tour at 5 PM. (A good indication that Lukas is bored is when he agrees to let me stop for a coffee in the middle of one of our touristy outings. Ha!) The Guiness Tour was lovely and definitely the highlight of our time in the city. I conquered my fears of dark beer and heights at the same time with a sunset-enriched pint at their famous Gravity Bar.

GUINNESS STOREHOUSE TIP: You absolutely should book your visit in advance online at https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en. You will not only enjoy a discounted rate of admission, but will also skip very long entry lines! Also! Students save with their Student I.D.

We ended Day 1 with dinner outside of the city at a local pub. The pub had been around since the 1600s and was well worth the (unexpected) lofty prices. We highly suggest the Roast.

Our Day 1 Airbnb stay at Gay and Ed's Wicklow Country Cabin was EXCELLENT. Ed and Gay were absolute gems of hosts. Ed had flowers and a handwritten card waiting for me when we arrived and Gay had homemade sweets waiting in the fridge. The experience was so heartwarming and truly a birthday memory I'll carry with me forever.

Find their Cabin listed here: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/20289009

Day 2:

We were given the recommendation to drive to through Glendalough by our Host, Ed. He was so sad to welcome us to another dreary day in Ireland, but assured us it would be worth the drive despite the fog & gloom of the morning. I think I'll let the pictures do the talking here. Neither words nor pictures will be able to do this kind of beauty justice. (Shoutout to LK for these stunning captures on my Canon 5D!)

Next stops on the Map were: Wexford, Waterford and Yougal. We kinda just went with the flow on this trip -- we knew the coast was where we wanted to be so we diverted from the main roads and took a trip down the eastern coast of Ireland. I would highly suggest taking the "backroads" as much as possible. While the roads are certainly narrow, they offer priceless views that cannot be seen from the highways. Our Trip itinerary went out the window from the moment we arrived and kept changing as we got distracted by gorgeous views, our stomachs or the need to find a restroom ASAP.

My favorite stop of the afternoon was this secluded beach in Yougal! Despite the rain, this beach was the perfect pitstop/photo-op.

Our Airbnb for the night was not too far from Cork, a vibrant city in the South of Ireland. Though we only stayed for a quick dinner, I certainly wish we would have had more time to explore all of the unique shopping & nooks the city had to offer.

You can find the link to our Night 2 Cabin here: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/25578654

Our host, Deirdre was SO kind and SO helpful. The place was perfect -- fireplace, Netflix and breakfast stocked in the fridge for us (Lukas) to prepare in the morning. Shoutout to LK for letting me watch "To All the Boys I've Ever Loved" on Netflix for the "first" (fourth) time. Deirdre even had beer and snacks waiting for us when we arrived. Be it the beer or the log fire, Lukas ranks our stay here as his favorite Airbnb ever -- I may have to agree with him!

Day 3:

After the best night of sleep, LK and I woke up early to beat the crowds to the Cliffs of Moher. Finally the sun was out and we were able to enjoy the miles of countryside the fog kept from us the two days before. We went ahead and drove straight up to Limerick and right through to the Cliffs. We paid our quick parking fee, laced up our hiking boots and were on

our way.

Being the top-rated Tourist Attraction in Ireland, the Cliffs are nothing short of magical. They are breathtakingly beautiful and a staple experience for anyone visiting the country.

"The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His Hands"

-Psalm 19:1

"If Creation Sings your Praises,

then so Will I" - Hillsong United

CLIFFS OF MOHER TIP: We were so thankful to have brought our hiking boots for the walk along the Cliffs. Due to the rain, the Cliffs were a muddy and slippery mess. Thankfully we were able to go far past where most tourists stop to give us a secluded view of this incredible landmark. The Cliffs provide a rock walled path to avoid any close-to-the-edge scares, but we chose to take the narrow path that lays alongside the Cliff's edge. Both felt like safe options given our experience and age -- I would be far more cautious if I were visiting with my family or young children. Students: Bring your I.D.'s for discounted

entry/parking rates.

We enjoyed a sandwich picnic at the Cliffs and spent a majority of our day here. It took us 2.5/3 hours to complete the hike. It was everything I could have hoped for a more!

But that's not all.

Luckily I picked up a guide to Ireland in the airport before we left. Yes, it was overpriced. Yes, it was cheesy BUT I am so glad I did. The Book ranks The Burren as the #1 Must-See Site in the eastern region of Ireland -- over #2 Cliffs of Moher.

While I simply believe its a matter of preference, I personally agree on it's outranking of the Cliffs. While both sites are incredibly beautiful, The Burren offers a slight escape from the ever-present buses of tourists.

The Burren is simple a region of bed-rock -- and it's beautiful. We climbed down to the Atlantic-kissing beach for a front row seat to Nature's performance.

I think we could have stayed here forever.

We finished our day with a drive along the coast to Galway. The city was bustling, even on a Sunday night, and was the perfect place for a beer after a long day. As if the day could get any better, we found a pub playing the live NFL game. In the words of LK, "Dreams do come true."

Day 4:

We woke up on Day 4 feeling old. Ha! Lukas found a hike on the way back to Dublin in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, so we decided to spend our last few hours soaking in the Irish wilderness. 5 beautiful miles and another picnic later, we were back in the car headed towards our final stop of the trip: the Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery. It was a lovely cheers to the end of our trip!

Before we knew it our 4 days had come and gone. We returned the car, printed out our boarding passes and headed home.

We are so thankful for our time in Ireland. It was truly an unforgettable experience and a trip I would take over again and again.

When I wake up from this dream, I'll let you know. Until then, we'll be soaking in the memories of our time in Ireland and looking forward to our next destination: Snowdonia!

Thanks for reading!

XX

Laney

For More Details You Can Find Our Exact Drive Here: https://drive.google.com/openid=16rKt9byiu5xWAVnvRpTOhQxjNP0vpdOC&usp=sharing

Driver's Tip: We avoided all tolls throughout Ireland by simply selecting the "longer routes" on Apple Maps. It is well worth the time and saves a little bit of money! <3 Good luck driving on the "right" side of the road! <3