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IRELAND · Europe

Irlandando

LEletizia13 ·175 photographs ·25 Apr 2023 – 1 May 2023 ·7 days
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Where
Dublino, Meath, Belfast, Bushmills, Derry, Mullaghmoore, Kylemore Abbey, Clifden, Galway, Cliff Of Moher, Limerick, Adare, Dingle Peninsula, Kinsale, Kilkenny, Glendalough
When
25 Apr 2023 – 1 May 2023
7 days · trip of 2023
Who
Let13 · @letizia13 · Roma
How
Travel diary
The story · 7 days

Viaggio on the road nell'"Isola Verde". 2000 chilometri sospesi fra il verde e il blu sotto il cielo d'Irlanda.

Day 125 Apr 2023

Dublin

It's early morning when our Aer Lingus flight touches down at Dublin Airport. Just the time to pick up the rental car and we head into the city, to the Ballsbridge district, where the hotel booked for tonight is located: the Pembroke Townhouse Hotel. Even though it's early they let us leave our trolleys and the car in the very convenient internal car park. The hotel is really nice, the centre reachable on foot with a lovely walk through Pembroke Road and Baggot Street, where you can begin to breathe the smell of Ireland and admire the famous doors of Dublin. We start our visit from St. Stephen's Green and the very central Grafton Street and surroundings. We reach the statue of Molly Malone for a lucky rub before heading straight to Trinity College, the historic heart of the city.

At the end of the visit we reach the Liffey at O'Connell Bridge, a glance at the Custom House, and we walk along the river as far as the Ha'penny Bridge. We brush past the Temple Bar district and visit Christ Church, Dublin Castle and the nearby Dubh Linn park. The time has come to immerse ourselves in Temple Bar and after wandering through its narrow streets we spend what remains of the day at "The Temple Bar" between pints of Guinness (discovering the true taste of Guinness) and live music. This is the real heart of Dublin, the one that makes you fall in love with a city certainly not beautiful but alive, cheerful, likeable and with its people who immediately show that they share with their British neighbours only today's language. From Temple Bar you would never want to leave but it has got late. We head back by taxi bidding the city goodnight.

Red pub facade with gold signs, open door, daytime light
Red pub facade with gold signs, open door, daytime light
Day 226 Apr 2023

From Dublin to Bushmills

We wake up early and by 07.30 we are already in the car. Before leaving Dublin we drive to St Patrick's Cathedral and then to the Guinness Storehouse for an unmissable souvenir photo. We bid farewell to the capital heading north. Our first stop is Trim, a small village in County Meath, where we visit the Castle, the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, having a first taste of the quiet and green panoramas that will accompany us over the next few days. Next stop the nearby Hill of Tara, still today a place steeped in mysterious charm. We pass by the Newgrange site, without making the visit, and continue towards the ancient monastic site of Monasterboice, where we can observe the tallest Celtic cross in the country, the Cross of Muiredach. Shortly after we enter Northern Ireland and reach Belfast.

We had planned some stops in the city centre but we made less than half of them because just driving through we only felt like leaving. We didn't like Belfast. A photo at the Titanic Museum and we head straight towards Falls Road and the Peace Lines skirting and crossing those boundaries today open that remind us of a sad recent history. Our journey continues further north and we don't miss the opportunity of a passage through the much-photographed corner called "The Dark Hedges". A nice walk, a nice tree-lined road, a perfect example of how social media can turn nothing into an attraction. Finally we reach Bushmills and our Hotel, located right inside the visitor area of the Giant's Causeway, the Causeway Hotel. The choice was dictated precisely by the possibility of using the car park and the entrance to the area as guests of the Hotel.

Taking advantage of the light we visited the Giant's Causeway area both by walking the paths above and by going down to the sea. In all honesty, after Iceland, we found the attraction a little overrated but it undoubtedly remains a fine stop on a trip to Northern Ireland. It's 20.00 when we move to Bushmills for dinner and we clash with the sad reality that this is not the same Ireland... everything closed, no local food but only takeaway fish & chips and a single rather sad pub where the very kind owner lets us eat our sad bag. Only the beer reminds us that we are in Ireland.

Wall of posters in Belfast with historical photos, road signs and flyers, daylight
Wall of posters in Belfast with historical photos, road signs and flyers, daylight
Day 327 Apr 2023

On the road to Connemara

After a hearty full English breakfast we set off again heading towards Derry without missing a stop at the picturesque Dunluce Castle. After about 1 hour we enter the city which we continue to and prefer to call Derry. We cross the centre by car and head towards the Bogside district, the one of the famous bloody Sunday recounted by U2. It is here after all the history of the city, a history so recent that it is still very much alive among these buildings and in its murals. We leave Northern Ireland and cross County Donegal towards the south. Our next stop is Mullaghmore, in County Sligo, from where to admire a unique view of the beautiful Classiebawn Castle. We continue further south west, skirting the imposing Benbulben, crossing County Mayo and entering that of Galway. Here the landscape becomes stunning opening onto the Killarney fjord and revealing the fame of Connemara.

Just a few more kilometres separate us from Kylemore Abbey, a much-photographed destination overlooking one of the many lakes of the region. Our day is not over yet. Our accommodation is now close and we reach it quickly to sort out a couple of things and a hot shower. We have chosen the Hillside Lodge B&B, located along the Sky Road a few kilometres from Clifden. The house is cosy and the owners super. Taking advantage of the many hours of light, we cover the entire loop of the Sky Road before entering the small town of Clifden. Despite the incessant drizzle, the panoramas are breathtaking between deserted beaches, cliffs and pastures scattered everywhere. Finally an Irish-style dinner with a tasty taste of Connemara oysters!

Murals painted on the sides of residential buildings, diffused light, hedges along the fence
Murals painted on the sides of residential buildings, diffused light, hedges along the fence
Day 428 Apr 2023

Connemara, Clare and Limerick

Again this morning an early wake-up, accompanied by a Lucullan Irish breakfast prepared in the living room of the house. Today it's not raining but the mist wraps around the landscape giving it an even different charm. Our first destination is Galway which we reach driving along the winding coastal road and passing through Carna, Mweenish Island, the famous Coral Strand. The landscapes are unique, the beaches incredible and we understand why Connemara is rightly considered so beautiful. The city of Galway welcomes us with its colours, its pubs and a confusion that we had forgotten. This one too, like the other Irish cities, cannot be defined as beautiful but the atmosphere is so pleasant as to make it unmissable during a tour in Ireland. In Galway don't miss the historic Dillon jewellery shop, where the Claddagh Ring was born, the best for bringing home an original souvenir.

After lunch we leave the city and enter County Clare heading to the Cliffs of Moher, stopping at Dunguaire Castle and crossing the beautiful Burren area. And finally the Cliffs of Moher... under an incredibly blue Irish sky it's dizzying to walk the path overlooking this true wonder of nature. A suggestion for the visit: don't use the dedicated car park and the entrance from the visitor centre, but look for the access from the Guerin's Path. You'll save a bit of money and the view is even better! We spend quite a long time here, hypnotised by the view, and it's already late when we reach our hotel in Limerick, where we decide to stay for dinner.

Wooden boat moored on calm water, houses on misty coast, soft light
Wooden boat moored on calm water, houses on misty coast, soft light
Day 529 Apr 2023

Adare and the Dingle Peninsula

This morning our first stop is the village of Adare, a real gem, probably the most beautiful in Ireland. We continue south, entering County Kerry. Our choice was to visit the lesser-known and smaller Dingle Peninsula, starting from Dingle itself and driving the Slea Head Dr. Here too breathtaking panoramas and dream beaches. We have lunch in Dingle and in the afternoon we cross the Killarney National Park, visiting Ross Castle and the Muckross estate. As is normal in Ireland the weather changes again and the rain comes back to keep us company. We set off again towards our final destination, Kinsale, where we stay overnight in the beautiful Kinsale Hotel & SPA.

White window with red frame, colorful flowers and ceramic cat figurine on the sill
White window with red frame, colorful flowers and ceramic cat figurine on the sill
Day 630 Apr 2023

Back to Dublin

Today is our last day on the roads of Ireland. We start the day with a walk in the beautiful Kinsale which absolutely deserves a visit and we take the road north again, into County Tipperary for the visit to the Rock of Cashel. Next stop the medieval city of Kilkenny, probably the most beautiful in the country. We stop for a few hours for a visit to the Castle, to the historic centre and a lunch in the famous pub Kyteler's Inn. And then on the road again heading north towards our last destination: the monastic site of Glendalough nestled at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains National Park. The beauty of the panorama blends with the mysticism of the ancient monastery founded by St Kevin, among the undoubtedly most fascinating sites in the country. And so crossing the Wicklow Mountains we return to Dublin for our last Irish evening.

Yellow bench on cobbled street between colorful buildings, sunny light, no people
Yellow bench on cobbled street between colorful buildings, sunny light, no people
Day 71 May 2023

Back Home

Back home.. just the time to have breakfast and return to the airport to catch the Aer Lingus flight to Rome

Passengers boarding a Ryanair plane via stairs, cloudy sky, tarmac
Passengers boarding a Ryanair plane via stairs, cloudy sky, tarmac

The journey's photographs

175 photographs · click to open them full screen

▶ Slideshow
White dandelion in foreground over grassy cliffs above the seaTwin red doors on brick facade, soft daylight, stone steps leading upElegant drawing room with marble fireplace, green armchairs, white orchids in foreground and brass chandelierCity canal with weeping willow and green trees under daylightCircular pub sign with fiddle and Guinness lettering on a red wallGlass building with dome and flower boxes, pedestrians below, soft overcast lightPedestrian crossing a car-free street with blue cart among brick buildings, cloudy skyBronze statue of a woman pushing a cart with wicker baskets beside a stone wallStone building with classical columns, people sitting on steps, cloudy daylightHistoric grey stone college building with lawn, foreground statue, soft daylightGreen lawn in front of red brick building, daylight, spring treesCouple taking a selfie in front of a historic stone building, cloudy daylightStone bridge with arches over a city river, daylight, pedestrians walkingWhite metal footbridge over river with red tour boat, pedestrians crossing, diffused lightClose-up seagull by an urban river, red tour boat and colourful buildingsGrey stone Gothic cathedral under cloudy sky, central tower with spires and side treesTourist photographs grey stone castle wall before modern building, green lawn, daylightGrey stone castle turret among gardens with pink tulips under cloudy skyTourists walk in the courtyard of a historic red-brick building with a green clock towerBronze statue in front of yellow pub with international flags, diffuse lightPedestrian street with colorful buildings, gray and blue facades, flags, diffused light, people walkingRed facade of an Irish restaurant on brick wall, daylight, hanging flower basketsGolden sign on red pub facade covered with ivy, daylightRound wooden sign with painted lettering hanging on a pub wallBeef stew with parsley in a white bowl, beside dark beer and bread, natural lightRed pub facade with gold signs, open door, daytime lightWooden and iron pub sign with fiddle, lit lantern against red brickTemple Bar entrance with golden sign, red barrels and dark brickworkMetal plaque with engraved quote on red door, natural light, travel journalCustomers at a crowded pub bar, illuminated bottles, white lamps, Guinness chalkboardBronze statue of James Joyce with book and goblet inside Temple Bar pub in DublinTourists outside the red Temple Bar pub, brick facade with hanging flowers, soft daylightGothic stone cathedral with spires, green lawn, white sky, diffused lightTraveler in front of the large black Guinness brewery gate between stone wallsMedieval stone castle beside a river, green meadow, walkers, diffuse daylightCows grazing before stone ruins and church spire, green meadow, soft daylightWhite dandelion close-up in a green meadow under cloudy skyOld Celtic stone cross beside monastic ruins on grass under a cloudy skyWoman sitting on green grass among stone Celtic crosses and ruins, daylightGravel path past wooden fences leading to a stone church among bare trees, overcast lightMeadow with dandelions, bright green fields and village with tower in distanceStone Celtic cross monument enclosed by a fence in a green field, cloudy skyStone cottage with green door, yellow flowers and tree under soft lightOld graveyard with Celtic stone crosses and round tower under a cloudy skyGlass skyscraper above the river, green footbridge in the foreground, cloudy skyAngular museum building with grey metal facades, cloudy sky, plaza with wooden tablesBronze female statue with outstretched arms in front of diagonal panelled facadeOpen green gate in front of a long wall covered with colorful murals, soft lightMosaic of historical photographs on urban wall, daylight, Gibran quoteColourful mural with painted portraits on an urban wall, daylight, travel shotWall of posters in Belfast with historical photos, road signs and flyers, daylightMural on grey brick wall, joined fists breaking through prison barsSheep with five lambs in a green meadow, soft natural daylightTwo black and white lambs on green grass in natural light, sheep behindTwo black and white lambs standing on green grass with a sheepOld grey stone country house before a green lawn, diffused light, no peopleIntertwined beech trees form a tunnel over a rural road, people walkTwisted beech trees arch over a country road, walkers in the distance, soft lightWhite buildings on green hillside, wooden fence, yellow gorse, cloudy skyTwo black and white lambs on green grass, natural daylightOld stone manor house in front of green lawn, diffused lightIntertwined trees overhanging a country road, two people walking in the distanceRural road flanked by intertwined ancient beech trees, cyclist passing, soft diffused lightWhite inn above green coast, wooden fences, yellow gorse, cloudy skyGravel path between green hedges and yellow gorse, wooden fence, cloudy skyTwo pints of Guinness on a wooden table in a busy pubYellow flowers on green cliffs above grey sea under cloudy skyBasalt columns open onto a path toward the sea under a cloudy skyHexagonal basalt rock columns under diffuse light,geological journal pageHexagonal basalt columns on the shore, soft daylight, grey sea in backgroundRocky coastline with black rocks, green fields and yellow gorse under cloudy skyWhite visitor centre building with distillery plant and chimney under cloudy skyTea room with crystal chandeliers, orange armchairs, woman seated by window, natural lightMedieval castle ruins on a green cliff above the sea under grey skyWhite painted wall reading Free Derry with soldier mural, urban street, overcast lightMurals painted on the sides of residential buildings, diffused light, hedges along the fenceCivil rights mural painted on the gable wall of residential houses under grey skyStone memorial in a cobbled square, information panel and bench, overcast lightAsphalt road through green hills toward a ruined castle, diffused cloudy lightDark wildflower seed heads before a rocky coast and sea under cloudy skyRocky bay with calm water, green hills and an old castle under cloudy skyOld stone castle on green coast beneath heavy cloudy skiesYellow and red pub facade beside stone bridge, grey cloudy skyEmpty asphalt road between yellow gorse and rocky mountain under cloudy skyGrey lake between grassy green slopes, dark hills behind, cloudy skyRed flag on a pole along a road, brown mountains under cloudy skyGrey stone castle by a lake shore, green woodland behind, soft daylightRural house in light stone with blue roofs, entrance driveway, diffused light, rocky hillsBoats resting in a still grey bay, green hills under overcast skyWet paved coastal road, green hills, cloudy sky, house in the distanceCoastal road beside an old stone bridge under cloudy skySheep grazing on green grass beside a bay under cloudy skiesCouple under a canopy with a Guinness pint, rainy street and colorful buildings behindCreamy seafood chowder in white bowl with brown bread and butter on wooden tableEnglish breakfast plate with scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon, natural lightTwo church spires in fog above flowering bushes and grassy hillWhite houses along the coast under grey sky, mossy rocks and boat in foregroundAsphalt road between dry stone walls, white houses and green fields under grey skyLone boat on shallow water between sand and seaweed, grey cloudy skySandy bay with grassy rocky outcrops and hills under overcast sky, soft lightWooden boat moored on calm water, houses on misty coast, soft lightRusted vertical signpost on sandy beach with rocks, turquoise water and overcast skySand, rocks and coastal road under soft light, calm ocean on an overcast dayTurquoise bay between grey rocks and sand, cloudy sky, soft diffused lightPeople walk along a pedestrian street lined with colourful facades, flags and pub signsBlue pub facade with signs, bins and barrels outside, soft daylightIrish flag flying over grey stone facade with green pub signwhite pub facade with green flags, daylight, parked car, corner streetPedestrians strolling along colorful shop-lined street with hanging flags, soft daylightPedestrian street with colourful facades and flags, people walking under grey skyOld stone castle on grassy shore, cloudy sky, rippling water in foregroundAsphalt road winding between green hedges, white house and rocky hill under cloudy skyRural asphalt road between dry stone walls and green fields, cloudy dayGreen rolling hills and blue bay under cloudy sky, rural Irelandcolourful houses among green fields in fog, thorny branches in foregroundCliffs plunging into the ocean, green grass in foreground, blue sky with cloudsCows grazing on a green meadow, sea and clouds under a blue skyBrown donkey in a flowering meadow with grazing cow, cloudy sky, natural lightBlonde woman in fuchsia jacket and sunglasses smiles before cliffs overlooking the seaGreen cliffs plunging into the ocean, low sunlight, travel journal pageWrought iron gate between stone pillars, tree-lined path toward a thatched pavilionClose-up of a purple and yellow iris flower wet with rain, grassy backgroundRed pub with gold lettering, black clock and metal beer kegs lined on the streetOld stone pub with black signs, umbrellas and string lights under overcast skyRural stone cottage with thatched roof, blue window frames and flowering gardenWhite window with red frame, colorful flowers and ceramic cat figurine on the sillThatched country cottage, blooming garden, Irish flag, soft daylightMedieval grey stone church with tower, Celtic cross in foreground, cloudy sky, tourists walkingMedieval stone church with crenellated tower, white gates, green trees, cloudy skyGrey stone house with bay windows, green lawn and tree, soft daylightGreen fields divided by stone walls under a cloudy sky among hillsGrassy cliffs over the ocean under cloudy sky, rocky coastline in diffused lightSheep marked with red and blue grazes with lamb on green meadowDark green cliffs stretch into the grey sea under an overcast skyGreen rocky islands on grey sea under cloudy sky, soft lightPerson walking toward a light blue pub on a green hillside, soft lightCows grazing on green hill above rocky bay, cloudy skyTourist photographs the rocky coast with scattered houses on green slopes under cloudy skySandy cove between green cliffs, distant mountains, cloudy sky, diffused lightPedestrians cross a town street lined with colorful shops under cloudy skyAncient grey stone castle under cloudy sky, visitors walking on green lawnOld stone mansion with flower gardens of yellow tulips under cloudy skyGreen meadow in front of a lake surrounded by forested mountains, soft cloudy lightTwo Murphy's stout glasses on wooden table in a warmly lit pubTables on terrace before modern hotel, bay and wooded hills under cloudsGreen meadow before a wide estuary under partly cloudy sky, morning lightSailboats moored in marina, masts reflected in calm water under cloudy skyNarrow street lined with colorful shopfronts and pubs under soft daylightPub facade with stacked beer kegs, historic sign, daylightPainted wooden sign with humorous phrase hanging in a pub windowYellow bench on cobbled street between colorful buildings, sunny light, no peopleColorful shop facades on cobbled square, black lamppost and green benchSmall square with orange and blue painted shops, flower displays and green bench in daylightHouse among green trees and yellow fields, hills under cloudy skyTiled rooftops and church spires of an Irish town seen from green meadow, overcast lightStone abbey ruins among green farmland and bright yellow rapeseed fieldsSheep and lambs resting and grazing on a green meadow beside a wooden fenceStone castle ruins on a grassy hill under a cloudy skyStone church with medieval tower among Celtic gravestones and green trees, cloudy skyMedieval stone castle above a calm river, green trees, soft lightRiver below a stone bridge with colorful houses and pubs under a cloudy skyBronze statue of a witch with broom and black cat, wooden museum, warm lightGuinness and Smithwick's beer glasses on wooden pub table, warm lightAntique shop window filled with assorted objects, red and white sign, daylightBilingual street sign on peeling painted wall, pink and white flowers, daylightWoman in green leprechaun hat among souvenirs and plush toys in shopGravel path between leaning old gravestones and stone chapel, dappled sunlightStone round tower among Celtic gravestones and tall trees in ancient monastic graveyardStone chapel with bell tower, Celtic cross and gravestones, green woods, daylightAncient graveyard with Celtic crosses and stone tombstones under cloudy skyAsphalt road through moorland and rolling hills, cloudy sky, daylightGreen hills and a lake among mountains under cloudy skyGolden spiral sculpture inside an airport terminal, escalators and travelers under artificial lightsGreen and white airplanes parked at terminal, service vehicles, cloudy sky, soft lightPassengers boarding a Ryanair plane via stairs, cloudy sky, tarmac
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