15 Days in Ireland

Activity Date: 10 Jul 2024
Updated: 24 Nov 2024
People: Finn, Jen

• Tuesday 09/07
  • Dropped our bags in town at a hostel and got a shower at the local pools. Headed out into the rain to walk around town.
  • 🥘Christchurch Inn: fries and jam
  • Visited the Guinness Storehouse, drank our first Guinness and learned a lot!
  • Pick up our Nomad van from Indie Campers and I got used to driving manual again on some stressfully narrow roads.
  • Drive to Jonnie Fox’s for dinner with live music James Hurt.
  • 😴 Stayed in their overflow carpark (available when you have a meal there).
• Wednesday 10/07
  • Drive to Crone Woods and hiked over to and around Powerscourt Waterfall
  • Napped at carpark
  • Drove to Brae
  • Walked on the beach and had dinner beachside in the van
  • 😴 Great Sugarloaf carpark
• Thursday 11/07
  • Walked Great Sugarloaf & Lump
  • Drove to Roundwood for brunch & coffee
  • Drove to PS I Love You bridge, Sallygap, Lough Tay
  • Hiked Lake Ouler & Tonelagee
  • Drove Laragh
  • 😴 Wicklow Heather & camped in their carpark (available when you have a meal there).
• Friday 12/07
  • Coffee from Wicklow Heather
  • Drove to Glendalough and walked The Spinc & Miners Rd loop
  • Walked Monastic City
  • Curry cheese fries & taco fries for lunch at a food van at the carpark
  • Drove to Waterford & saw the Medieval Museum
  • Drove Ardmore & ran the cliff walk and explored town briefly
  • 😴 Drove Youghal and parked up on Front Strand by the beach for the night.
  • Pasta for dinner in the van.
• Saturday 13/07
  • Walked Youghal for an explore in the morning.
  • Drove Midleton, did van chores (emptying grey/blackwater and getting new water) and went to the market for lunch
  • Drove and walked Blarney
  • Did washing at a laundromat
  • Drove Dromberg Stone Circle
  • 😴 Drove Lough Hyne and stayed on a pier. No bioluminescent algae at this time of year, but had a lovely evening by the lake with hot choccy
• Sunday 14/07
  • Walked up Knockomagh in the morning
  • Drove Baltimore had a coffee
  • Hiked Spain Tower and Éire 29 sign
  • Drove and walked Mizen Head
  • I was super tired and a grouchy human this day! Not my best.
  • 😴 Drove Trafrask and parked at a road end by the water
• Monday 15/07
  • Drove Kenmare & Jen bought some pottery!
  • Drove into Killarney National Park & took the requisite tourist photos at Ladies View
  • Lunched in Killarney at The Shire
  • Drove Cronin’s Yard and hiked Carrauntoohil via Brother O’Shea’s Gully
  • 😴 Drove Killorglin & parked in town by the river. Ate takeaways in the van (it was late).
• Tuesday 16/07
  • Picked up coffee from The Mill
  • Drove to Penny’s Pottery for mugs & Jen got a bowl and cup
  • Drove Bee Hive Huts
  • Drove & walked Dunmore Head
  • Drove & walked Clogher Head
  • Coffee at Tig Áine
  • Visited Louis Mulcahy Pottery - Jen got a basalmic bottle + dish
  • Drove Dingle
  • Jen bough a new gold necklace from Brian de Staic Jewellers with her name in old style engraving on it
  • Parked at the beachfront on the way to the lighthouse
  • Walked in to town 2km and got ice cream at Murphy’s, then beer at John Benny’s Pub and Marina Inn.
  • Dined at Out of the Blue - accidental flash restaurant but extremely delightful
  • 😴 Walked back to van to collapse!
• Wednesday 17/07
  • Slow morning, like usual. Drove in to Dingle to pick up antihistamines from a pharmacy (Jen was a walking rash) and some groceries.
  • Drove to pick up Jen’s new gold necklace!
  • Drove to Cliffs of Moher
  • 😴 Walk-ran the cliffs then drove north and found a spot to park up a road end.
  • Rained in the evening so stayed in the van.
• Thursday 18/07
  • Drove first thing to a campground to empty grey and black water. Toilet had filled up entirely and we didn’t notice (🤮)!
  • Breakfasted at Stonewall
  • Drove a scenic loop around the peninsula at Burren but was very tired and not super into it
  • Drove to Burren National Park trailhead, parked and napped for a few hours. Felt super tired
  • Hiked to Mullagh More on a loop trail. Super interesting rock formations!
  • Drove towards Athlone and parked up next to a cute lough Jen found.
• Friday 19/07
  • Woke early to a tractor pulling water from the lake for their farm. We relaxed and coffee’d in the van.
  • Drove Athlone to do washing, get wedding clothes ironed and to get lunch. Great food but too large portion!
  • Picked up groceries at a shop and more coffee.
  • 😴 Drove Lough Ree & Portlick Millenium Forest to stay the night.
  • Read books on the lakefront and in the van before going for a run around the head. Jen got stung by nettle but was a nice run otherwise.
  • Felt ill so blobbed. Had a nice dinner and felt better (thanks Jen) so ate a whole pack of biscuits (whoops) and had a Guinness.
• Saturday 20/07
  • Picked up dry cleaning
  • Ran a small loop in Athlone
  • Wedding!! 💒
  • 😴 Paid to park up at the wedding venue by some of the accommodation so we could use the showers and toilets.
• Sunday 21/07
  • Drove to Galway
  • Perused some shops, got food and chilled
  • Went to Munroe’s Tavern for the after-event and the national hurling final was on! Go the Rebel County!
  • 😴 Stayed in a car park just down the road from the tavern (convenient!).
• Monday 22/07
  • Ferried to Inismore from Rossaveel Harbour
  • Cycled around the island in the rain on hired bikes - very beautiful. Jen’s gears didn’t work properly which she wasn’t totally excited about, but it was a very spectacular day.
  • Got fudge from the Fudge Man
  • I bought a woollen jersey!
  • 😴 Drove to Glencoaghan and parked at the trailhead for the horseshoe hike
• Tuesday 23/07
  • Hiked the Glencoaghan Horseshoe! Definitely not as hard as described online, nor was it scary at all. All very broad tops.
  • Drove Moate and stayed in a carpark near a golf course. Quiet night & ate a lot of food.
• Wednesday 24/07
  • Drove Dublin to drop off the van and check in to the hotel early.
  • Perused many shops in Dublin: got bubble tea, some active wear, a Patagonia jacket, delicious Mexican for dinner, a Guinness and a Corona
  • Took some public buses to the hotel + a walk. Much more affordable than a taxi!
  • 😴 Hotel
• Thursday 25/07
  • Woke 6:15am and trundled to the airport - saw Alan in the line for check-in and hung out with him through the process.
  • Fly home!