Sláinte From Ireland!

May 28th-June 4th

Ireland: Places, Activities, Outfits, Favorites

I loved Ireland. We started out in Dublin, which was an amazing city to get started in. It had all of the big city vibes, was safe, and introduced Irish culture in a way that still felt familiar. We then traveled the country via my dad driving a van. We visited Galway, Doolin, Dingle, and Malahide. We made stops at Ashford Castle (in Cong) for a tea lunch, Dunguarie Castle, Bunratty Castle, and Limerick for lunch along the way to our destinations. 

The weather was colder than I expected. We were in Ireland late May to early June and the hottest it got was 68 degrees. I definitely suggest packing a few versatile sweaters that vary in thickness. One of my favorite sweaters that I packed was one from People of Leisure (I would link it, but it's no longer available). It was perfect for flying and throwing on top of a sweater on the colder mornings. I also suggest bringing layers such as a good jean jacket and a rain jacket. My rain jacket is from J. Crew, and it folded up into itself so it was easy to bring along. I also wore my jean jacket nearly every day of Ireland. I got mine from Tj Maxx, and they still have so many styles available.

As far as shoes go, short rain boots were a must. From walking through grassy fields to trudging through a rainy Dublin, I wore my rain boots for the majority of my stay in Ireland. That being said, I also packed a pair of high top white sneakers and wore those when the weather was better. Both of these were perfect for the trip!

Let's talk Irish food and drinks. Guinness there really is different. We went to the Guinness Storehouse and really enjoyed our experience there. Nick described it as being the perfect after dinner drink because it was heavy but also reminded him of having coffee or chocolate after dinner. At the storehouse, you get to climb through multiple floors celebrating the history and uniqueness of Guinness. Toward the end, you get to pour your own pint and enjoy it at a rooftop bar overlooking Dublin. 

Me, my mom, and my sister-in-law at the rooftop bar in the Guinness storehouse.

Jameson was also a part of our itinerary that day. This was more of a guided experience, and offered three shots comparing different types of alcohol to Jameson. At the end of the tour, you are offered your Jameson one of three ways. We all ordered it with ginger ale and sat at a table in the main lobby. Their other drinks (not complimentary) are also delicious! If you have to pick between Jameson or Guinness, I would go for Jameson on a time crunch and Guinness for more of an experience.

Okay here's the part you (should) actually care about. Here are the most memorable meals we had in each place!

Boxty in Dublin

What we got: Boxty Tasting Slate, Baked Salmon Steak & Mussels, Chicken & Smoked Bacon Boxty

Notes: We loved the french fries from the taster and all agree that next time we would order just those. This place can get really crowded. I would try going earlier or make reservations ahead. 

Enoteca Della Langhe in Dublin

What we got: Charcuterie board, Cacio e pepe, Carbonara, and Ravioli

Notes: Wow. This place was amazing, and let me remind you our last big trip was in Italy. Everything was so fresh and the service was fantastic. Every single dish was amazing!

Sheena Dignam Food Tour in Galway

What we got: 5-6 Mini tastings plus some alcohol tastings

Notes: We loved this food tour! Our tour guide was so sweet and helpful. Two women on the tour have already been on the tour and keep coming back! There was enough food to be filled, but not full. I would still recommend this to someone visiting Galway.

The Universal in Galway
What we got: Calamari, Spring Rolls, Sweet and Sour soup, Salmon, Steak, Lamb Skewers
Notes: Having six of us on the trip, we tried close to the entire menu. I went for the tapas route and everything I had was amazing. Being someone who eats a lot, I wish I ordered one more plate instead of stopping at two. The lamb skewers and the sweet and sour soup were my favorites!

Ivy Cottage in Doolin 
What we got: Chicken Curry, Fish and Chips, Seafood chowder
Okay let me start by saying that we only ate at this restaurant because the one we wanted to go to was too busy. I'm glad we ate here, though. The food was amazing! The highlight of the meal was the seafood chowder. It came with homemade Irish soda bread and HUGE chunks of seafood in it. The serving was big, so I split it with Nick and it was still plenty. The fish and chips were also amazing as well as the chicken curry, but its the chowder that has me coming back.

Anchor Down in Dingle
Belivie it or not, Dingle has a lot of food options for being such a tiny town. We ate at Anchor Down, and really enjoyed our meal. I got scallops (my favorite food) as an entree and calamari for an appetizer. Both were amazing! If you order the calamari and have more than two people to share it with, get two orders! There was not a lot there, but it was the best calamari I've ever had. 

Galway- super windy because its a sea town.

Guinness Storehouse

Cliffs of Moher

Dingle at the Dunguarie Castle

Thanks for reading! 

If you went to Ireland and have some tips to share, comment them below.
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