Ireland travel guide

highlights from the Emerald Isle

As I wrote in my Ireland Travel Journal, my friend and I stayed in Dublin during our too-short time in Ireland, and we ventured to County Clare and Galway as well. I truly fell in love with the Emerald Isle, and know that I’ll return someday soon to see more of it. Since we only had a few days there, my recommendations are quite limited. But hopefully this will give you a great starting point for your own Irish adventure! I also included a note on the airports in Dublin. I flew in and out of T1 and T2 so I thought it’d be helpful to share some tips on that as well. Below are all the spots I hit (and the ones I missed, or rather saved for next time due to time constraints)…sláinte! Or as I heard the Irish more often say, cheers!

FLYING TIPS

T1

The smaller of the two terminals, but still offers great food (like, amazing breakfast choices) and shopping options. If you’re flying Ryanair, make sure you go to the desk for a Visa check before going to security. It takes a long time to walk to the terminal/gate, so allow yourself at least 15-20 minutes for this (thank you to the kind cab driver that clued us in on this!).

T2

This is most likely the terminal you’ll be arriving/departing from when flying international. Arrive early if you’re headed to the United States because you’ll have to go through customs and border control there, instead of once you land in the US. In other words, be prepared to go through security 2-3 times. It’s quite time consuming, but makes landing in the states a lot easier!

DUBLIN

Eat

Porterhouse Central: the only spot you won’t be able to find Guinness in Dublin. But that’s okay, because their porters are just as satisfying, as are the fish and chips and the seating nook with the birds eye view of those pretty little Dublin streets.
45 Nassau St, Dublin, D02 RP20, Ireland

The Norseman: fairly affordable spot to eat in Temple Bar. Delicious pies.
28E Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Ireland

M.J. O’Neill’s: the best of pub food, with limitless options and the best Irish pints on tap. Quickly became my favorite spot to hangout in Dublin, it feels like you’re at a cozy friend’s house. Check out their downstairs bathroom for major train station vibes.
2 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2, D02 KX03, Ireland

Ladurée Dublin: a French staple I was all too happy to come across one night while wandering around. Of course I had to stop for an espresso and my favorite Marie Antoinette-flavored macaron.
1-3 William St S, Dublin, D02 K339, Ireland

Elephant & Castle: a restaurant with New York roots, I felt like I was in Paris in this eclectic and charming restaurant. Menu is big, but they are known for their burgers!
18-19 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Ireland

See/Do

Guinness Storehouse: a must-see in Dublin. Even if it seems touristy, I thought it was a really cool experience. The cafe was a great stop halfway through the tour for an espresso, and drinking my pint in the Gravity Bar with 360 views of Dublin is one of my favorite memories from the trip. I highly recommend booking your tickets online ahead of time, it’ll save you time. Getting your face on a pint is fun, too!

Grafton Street: the place to be if you want to shop, and listen to various street performers’ renditions of Ed Sheeran songs. It’s really charming with all the lights and beautiful architecture! My favorite store was And Other Stories.

Temple Bar: is a place and an area, kind of confusing to me at first! Basically it’s the area you’ll find tons of pubs with live music, and it’s home to the actual famous Temple Bar. Fun area to bop around, but expect restaurants to be packed on weekend nights.

Ha’Penny Bridge: stroll across this famous bridge, without having to shell out half a penny to cross (get the name now?).

Stay

Generator Hostel: the Generator chain is now high on my list of favorites in Europe. The staff was super helpful, and the rooms were huge with connected bathrooms. Storage lockers and towels provided. Loved the location in Dublin too, very central and only about 20 euros to get to and from the airport via taxi.

Saved for next time

St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Dublin Castle
St. Stephen’s Green

COUNTY CLARE

We toured with Viator and Wild Rover Tours on this day trip, which took us to the Cliffs of Moher, the Baby Cliffs (my personal favorite stop), then along the Wild Atlantic Way to Galway before returning to Dublin. It was an amazing day! Read more about it in my travel journal post.

Cliffs of Moher: an obvious destination in Ireland, and truly breathtaking. We were totally blessed with sunshine and blue skies, which is so rare! Scaling the cliffs is not for the faint of heart, I stayed plenty far away from the edge. The real starts in my opinion were the sheep happily grazing in the green Irish grass. The cafe isn’t half bad and was a nice break from the wind before we hit the road again! We were allotted two hours at the cliffs, which seemed like enough time to explore without feeling rushed.

Baby Cliffs: I loved the baby version of the cliffs because the ocean is much closer! Definitely wear rain or hiking boots, it was a day of exploring across mud and rocks and I was so glad to be wearing my trusty Jeffrey Campbell boots.

Wild Atlantic Way: this famous road runs along the coast and is breathtaking in every definition of the word. We were lucky enough to see a whole crowd of people on horseback, with hunting dogs, riding along the cliff’s edge. It was straight out of a fairytale. If you’re curious to know more about traveling here, checkout Jess’s post from her time in Ireland.

GALWAY

Skeffington Arms: a cute inn and a lovely spot for lunch with views out to the square!
Eyre Square, Galway, Ireland

Claddagh Rings: originated in Galway and a beautiful souvenir choice.

Aran Island sweaters: another great souvenir you can wear and appreciate. The famous Irish sweaters are made on the Aran Islands, which are right off the coast of Galway (you can take a ferry to see them yourself). They are so soft, and easy to purchase while in Galway!

Some additional photos from the trip….