What Not to Miss When You’re In Ireland - Food, Places, Things to Do
We’re going to Dublin, Ireland.
5 girls, 8 countries, and 10 flights in 14 days. What could go wrong?
Actually, the trip went incredibly smoothly. We all got along great and packed our trip full of food, places to go, and things to do.
I’ll break up the trip into a few posts so you can easily find info for each country.
Culture
Known for it’s Guinness (which is one of my favorite beers), music, and sheep filled pastures, the Irish are very hospitable. Everywhere we went, locals were thanking US for visiting and were happy to give recommendations for the local pubs, eateries, and directions.
Because of the hospitality, Ireland is one of my favorite places that I‘ve been. I haven't been so warmly welcomed in any other country so far.
It was truly a breath of fresh air.
Flights
Here’s my “secret” to flying cheap.
Scott’s Cheap Flights.
I’m not even affiliated with Scotts but I love their services and recommend them to everyone I know.
We started talking about this trip almost a year in advance. And, a week later, we got an email notification for $300 tickets to Dublin, Ireland. There were more deals that came up as our trip got closer, but we snagged the best deal.
Once you get to Ireland, it’s very affordable to fly to other countries in Europe and the UK.
Cute Towns
We rented a car for two days so we were able to go to Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and the Cliffs of Moher. Whether you are a city person or you love the country, these breathtaking spots are incredible to see in person.
Trim
On our way to the Cliffs of Moher, we made a pit stop in Trim. This is a quaint town where they filmed a few scenes from the movies Braveheart with Mel Gibson and The Big Red One with Mark Hamil. The ruins of the Trim Castle are there and you can walk around the grounds for free.
This was a cool little spot that we never would have known about if it hadn’t been suggested to us. If you’re looking for a historic spot to stretch your legs on the drive to the cliffs and grab some white pudding and coffee, check out Trim.
Doolin
Doolin is adorable! There isn’t much there other than a pub, with the best fish and chips from the entire trip, and a sweater shop. But there’s a walking path that you can take from Doolin up to the Cliffs.
The shorter trail takes you to the visitor center and takes about 3 hours to walk. Then take a bus ride back to your car in Doolin. You get the most spectacular views and photo ops on the walking trail.
We spent too much time in Trim and getting our grub on at the pub. So we ran out of time to walk the path. If you have time and energy, do it. I’ve seen the photos that you can only get from the walking path and they are even better than what you see at the visitor center.
Top 3 Ireland Picks
Cliffs of Moher
The cliffs are about a 3.5 hour drive without any stops, from Dublin. We took backroads to see the country. It was beautiful but the narrow, winding roads were a little… scary sometimes. I’m pretty sure we came within centimeters of a couple of passing cars and caught some air on an invisible speed bump.
But I would totally do it again. 😆
Parking was £6 per person. We had some trouble paying for parking online so we ended up paying in cash. But if you park in Doolin, and walk to the cliffs, your visit is completely free. On the other hand, if you pay for parking, the visitor center is included. It depends on what you want to do there.
Cliffs of Moher was hands down my favorite thing we did in Ireland. I could have spent all day there, staring into the ocean. It’s super windy so make sure you bring a jacket and a hat that fits very snug. Otherwise, your hair flies around all over the place (if you don’t lose your hat to the Atlantic first).
I recommend going at sunset because there are fewer people and the sunset added a glow and warmth to the beauty of the cliffs.
Breathtaking.
Giant’s Causeway
Giant’s Causeway is in Northern Ireland. Just in case you don’t know (I didn’t) Ireland and Northern Ireland are different countries.
When you rent a car in Ireland, be sure to let them know that you plan on driving across the border so they can hook you up with the correct insurance coverage when you “go abroad” (across the border).
The causeway is the result of basaltic lava that formed neatly packed columns of rock along the northern coast. It gets it’s name from an old legend about a Scottish giant, Benandonner, who felt threatened by an Irish giant, Finn. Finn retaliated by tearing up the coastline and throwing chunks into the water.
Of course, there are scientific reasons for these unique rock formations.
Parking is free if you park past the main parking lot, a tiny bit further down the road. If you don’t see the free parking, ask the attendants and they’ll point you in the right direction.
We parked in the free parking space and walked along the walking path to get to the causeway. It was windy at the top so we brought our jackets. But in the summer, the wind would probably feel really nice. Walking back up the steep hill to your car will probably get you winded, but the scenery and the causeway make it worthwhile.
Guinness Factory Tour
The Guinness tour was fun. There are a few different ticket options but we went with The Guinness Academy on the fourth floor to learn how to pour the perfect pint. Now, I watch bartenders like a hawk to see if they’re pouring my Guinness “correctly”.
Our ticket included another complimentary pint in the Gravity Bar on the seventh floor. Enjoy a refreshing lager as you take in the 360° views of Dublin. They had quite a few options on tap. And if the bartender tells you they have “Guinness Clear”… it’s water. 🤣
Where to Stay in Ireland
Since we had 5 girls traveling together and we were trying to do things as affordable as possible, we stayed in hostels for our entire trip. You’ve probably heard some horror stories but it was totally safe and really comfortable.
We stayed in a private room at Jacob’s Inn in Dublin. It had 8 beds, with plugins, a shelf, an overhead light, a headboard light, and a privacy curtain for each bed. The only thing we didn’t like about our room is that the water shut off after 10 seconds( super annoying). But I think that specific shower just wasn’t working right.
The hostel had a common area where you could order drinks, breakfast, and different activities for guests like a bar crawl each night. Hostels aren’t ideal if you visit with your significant other or with a family because there is only room for one person in the bed.
For the price we paid, I thought it was worth it. I’d stay there again.
Restaurants in Ireland
Prices in the UK were comparable (a little more pricy) to Seattle, WA. When we went, we paid anywhere between $15 - $30 USD depending on the restaurant and what we ordered.
Here are some of my favorites.
Dublin
The Bank Bar & Restaurant was originally a bank hall and opened in 2003 as a restaurant. With it’s stained glass ceiling, mosaic tile floors, and hand crafted details, the upscale yet laid back atmosphere was one of the most memorable things about this restaurant. I found myself staring around in awe the whole time I was eating.
They offer a farm to table menu based on seasonal ingredients.
I started off the night with a Bellini. And I ordered the Seafood Tagliatelle as an entre. Loaded with prawns, muscles, whiting, mixed with a prawn bisque sauce, and topped with parmesan — this was one of my favorite meals. In fact, I even filled up an empty bowl with the muscle shells because there were so many.
One of my besties ordered an old fashioned that the waitress brings out on a wooden tray, covered with a glass top trapping the smoke inside. She unveils your old fashioned for you, table side. (Highly recommend that too.)
We ended the night sharing a fruit crisp with a side of ice cream for dessert.
I would definitely go back to this restaurant. It’s on the higher end. I think I ended up paying $50 just for myself. But The Bank was a fun way to end our adventures in Ireland with a mix of class and relaxed vibes.
The Temple Bar is one of the most famous pubs in Dublin located in the Temple district right off of the river. Many of the businesses around there are called Temple Bar because it’s referring to the whole area. They have over 450 rare whiskies making it a favorite.
This entire area is very crowded with people. We tried going here when we landed and there was no room anywhere to sit. It’s also very loud. If that’s not your kind of thing, you can probably skip it. Since it’s famous, we tried again on a Sunday night and we got the only table available and it wasn’t as crowded. We all got Guinness.
They play music at many of the pubs, including Temple Bar and it’s fun to sing along with everyone in the bar. I recommend going since it’s well known and if you enjoy a good whisky. But if you don’t care about either of those things and don’t like crowded areas, you’re not really missing out.
Doolin
Guss O’Connors Pub a few miles away from the Cliffs of Moher had the best fish and chips from the whole trip. It’s covered in beer batter and fried to perfection. I like a light batter that’s extra crispy with flaky fish inside and that’s exactly what I got.
All of us except one person ordered the beer battered fish and chips and we all thought it was #1. So that 4 thumbs up from the group, 100% recommend from everyone who ordered it.
They have a variety of beers on tap that were really good as well. Very friendly and hospitable staff and reasonable prices.
Belfast
Darcy’s Belfast Bistro serves traditional Irish food with local ingredients and offers a classic but traditional interior. It’s pretty small inside but the ambiance and generosity of our waiter and bartender were above and beyond.
Our waiter answered any questions about the menu and even wrote down a list of bars for us to check out before we headed back to Dublin. I love eating traditional food wherever I am in the world. I ordered a beef and Bushmill (Irish whisky) meat pie — so tender, flavorful, with a flaky crust.
We wish that we had spent more time in Belfast and would definitely eat here again.
Maddens Bar was a recommendation from our waiter at Darcy’s and we had a lot of fun there. It’s a small pub with amazing live Irish music. This pub really captured what we wanted to experience in Ireland, pubs with live music. And the musicians drink as they play.
It was awesome.
If you’re looking for the Irish experience, complete with live Irish music, go to Maddens in Belfast.
As you can tell, we had a blast in Ireland with the charismatic, generous people, the best fish and chips, and navigating our way through the city and countryside.
If you have any recommendations of places that you love in Ireland, share them in the comments below so everyone can check them out.
