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of castles & cliffs: a photo essay
Aside from Dublin, it’s a safe bet that the two biggest Ireland musts for most travelers are, arguably, Blarney Castle and the Cliffs of Moher. This is why, after our quick tour of Cork, it was back in the car to hit up these landmarks en route to our three nights in Galway. To be perfectly honest, pre-Blarney Castle, I was 100% take or leave the entire experience. I definitely had no desire to kiss the stone (namely due to articles like this), and pictures of the castle itself didn’t knock my proverbial socks off. Post-Blarney Castle? I’m, like, 60%…
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18 hours in cork: kicking back in the rebel city
I have spent an absurd amount of time avoiding this post for one reason: I couldn’t come up with a title! It just seems like Cork deserves a really good, punny title… but with only 18 or so hours to explore, we weren’t uncorking any secrets here. See? Clearly “Cork Uncorked” is misleading. So, while 18 hours does not an honorary Corkinese make, I still felt I had to report back because, despite the brevity of our time here, we loved Cork! It’s acorkable! Ok, sorry. According to my very quick research, Cork is Ireland’s 2nd largest city and warmly nicknamed “The Rebel City.”…
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the rock of cashel: a photo essay
After our tour of Dublin (more here, too!), it was time to hit the road. Cork was our next overnight stop, but rather than tackling the 2.5 hour drive head on, we opted to take a quick peek at The Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary before moving on. To be perfectly honest, until the previous day when it was casually mentioned as a worthy site, I’d never heard of said rock. A quick search confirmed that it was situated up high with a view over the countryside, very pretty, and very traditionally Irish… you know, in that picturesque ruins sort of way. It’s safe…
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one week on the emerald isle: a beginner’s guide to irish roadtripping
Though I am by no means an expert on Ireland — I tip my hat to the wino for that title — I have had the pleasure of roadtripping my way around the country a few times now. And, as is our custom, it’s time for me to report my findings. On our first trip (yes, the one where we famously drove across Ireland without a valid license), the wino & I made our way from Dublin to Dingle and back again, stopping on our return trek in Killarney to explore the Killarney National Park and beg anyone and everyone who…
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sneak peek: the emerald isle
On the hubs’s first — and up until now, only — trip to Ireland, we were on a bit of a time crunch. My previous stint in Dublin gave me knowledge enough to run him from Trinity College down Dame St. to Temple Bar for a pint of Guinness and a pot of stew, then onto The Brazen Head for exactly one rendition of “Dirty Old Town” before we had to get back to the airport for our flight back home to NYC. Fast forward nearly four years later, and I’m on my fourth trip to the Emerald Isle. Still,…
