If you like incredible beer, nature and beautiful cathedrals, then you need to take a trip to Ireland! Check out all of my recommendations for when you visit! Stay tuned as I am actively updating this blog post.
BUNRATTY CASTLE
On days when work can be a little hectic, I like to think of my time in Ireland when I was absolutely stress free. It really is one of my favorite places in the world and I’ll probably retire there (lol). Reminiscing today on the time when I crossed off travel bucket list item #66: visit Bunratty Castle! Bunratty Castle means Castle at the Mouth of the Ratty and it is a large 15th century tower house in Ireland (that totally has a Game of Thrones vibe). It was such a cool place!
BABY CLIFFS
Before making it to the infamous Cliffs of Moher, we stopped by the Baby Cliffs! It was super windy up there but totally beautiful. As you can see by the picture, my new Irish beanie (lol) almost flew off my head. But the view was incredible. One of my new favorite countries for sure, I miss you Ireland! Check out more photos here.
CLIFFS OF MOHER
Completed my most anticipated bucketl ist item in Ireland : visit the Cliffs of Moher. This is where The Princess Bride, Harry Potter and a ton of other movies have been filmed. It was beyond BEAUTIFUL and breathtaking. You are literally on the edge. Stunning.
Not sure how I can leave Ireland after seeing this. Will definitely be coming back to retire here. You can see 6 more photos to inspire you to visit this beautiful place here.
DRINK IRISH COFFEE
If you know me, you’ll know that I’m not a coffee drinker so even though I wanted to try Irish coffee, this was the closest I got. I had Irish coffee cheesecake in Ireland on a rainy day back in December and it was absolutely delicious!
DRINK GUINNESS IN IRELAND
I visited the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland, got a tour, and tasted the freshly brewed Guinness!! First off, the brewery tour was amazing, I learned a ton and will definitely be brewing my own beer this year. Second, I was able to experience the coolest tasting room ever. Third, I was told that the Guinness from Ireland was way different from the Guinness in the states and YES IT ABSOLUTELY WAS. IT WAS DELICIOUS AND SUPER SMOOTH AND A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER. Sorry friends I’m totally coming back as a beer snob lol. Fourth, apparently back in the 1890s, Guinness sent world travelers to different places to try beer. So this is a public request to Guinness, I would like to volunteer as tribute.
Guinness is one of my fave beers and there’s something about drinking it in Ireland. To this day, it is still one of my fave tours. Check out more of my experience here.
DRINK MORE BEER
I couldn’t go to Ireland and not try other kinds of beers though, I had to be diverse so here are a few of my other faves.
O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale
via @enthusiasticaboutlife instagram
I’ll admit that I ordered this beer because I’m an IPA lover. And I was definitely expecting it to taste like a typical IPA and it…didn’t. It tasted hoppy…but it didn’t have your typical strong IPA flavor. I really liked it though, and I would totally recommend it for someone who wants to like IPA, but can’t really handle the super strong flavor of an IPA.
Franciscan Well Rebel Red Irish Red Ale
via @enthusiasticaboutlife instagram
The reason I tried this beer was because we had just taken a Jameson Whiskey Distillery tour and I couldn’t leave without trying the infamous ‘beer and whiskey shot’ combination. The beer was REALLY good! Similar to Angry Orchard but a thousand times better. The flavor was a lot more ‘crisp’ and I loved the combination of the beer with the whiskey shot.
DUBHLINN GARDENS
The Dubhlinn Gardens are beautiful and the area is SO SERENE. Not many things force me to stop and really take in the moment, but this place made me do that. Plus these gardens also function as a helipad and since I love aerospace I thought it was pretty cool. Pretty awesome that I can say that I’ve stood on a helipad.
DUBLIN CASTLE
Dublin Castle totally reminded me of the castles from Game of Thrones so of course I was in love.
It was BEAUTIFUL and I managed to crash a tour group and learn lots of fun facts such as the fact that every presidential inauguration is held here!
OLD JAMESON DISTILLERY
I visited the Old Jameson Distillery in Ireland, got a tour and sampled different kinds of whiskey! Super cool to learn how the history of how it all started, how whiskey is made and the differences between hard liquor and beer. I’ll be honest and let you all know that I almost threw up during the whiskey tasting because I am 100% NOT a whiskey drinker. Like AT ALL. But it was an awesome experience! The tour includes a whiskey tasting (which was of course on my bucket list and those pictures will be posted next week, so stay tuned!) and a free whiskey drink (I got the Jameson whiskey ginger and lime and it was DELICIOUS!)
When in Ireland, I had to do a whiskey tasting! The tour includes a whiskey tasting and a free whiskey drink (I got the Jameson whiskey ginger and lime) and to this day, it is still one of my fave tours.
It takes a very particular person to appreciate and enjoy whiskey…and unfortunately I am not that kind of person. My alcohol of choice is Tequila (blame my Mexican family) but I am always down to try something new. I first tried whiskey my senior year of college, and I was not a fan. I wish I was because everyone who drinks whiskey just looks really cool and sophisticated. When I was in Ireland, I had the opportunity to visit the Old Jameson Whiskey Distillery so you best believe I was whiskey’s #1 fan that day. Whether you drink or don’t drink whiskey, you need to add this place to your bucket list. Not only is the history remarkable (the Old Jameson Whiskey Distillery has been around since 1780!!), but you get a full blown lesson on how whiskey is made, you get to taste-test whiskey (Jameson, Jack Daniels, and Johnny Walker), and at the very end you get to have any drink mixed with whiskey (or just drink the whiskey straight up). I had a ton of fun visiting the Old Jameson Distillery and now have a much better appreciation for whiskey.
The tour of the distillery was so awesome because we got to see the whiskey being made and the machines were super cool!
ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL
It was a very surreal moment to step in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland. Not only was it a beautiful structure but it was a very spiritual experience. I learned a lot about St. Patrick and how respected he was in Ireland. I learned that St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the National Cathedral of Ireland, as well as the largest cathedral in Ireland. Check out more cathedrals in Europe here.
If you are like every other young person in America, I am almost 99% sure that you go out and celebrate St. Patrick’s day but do you know why that day is a holiday? We celebrate the life of St. Patrick for many reasons but the two main reasons are that:he did a lot of missionary work and established hundreds of churches.
TRINITY COLLEGE IN DUBLIN
Everyone has heard of Trinity College and that’s because it is a world known institution. It’s a beautiful campus with a lot to offer. The very first thing we did when arriving was to check out the Old Library of Trinity College, the largest library in Dublin that is home to some of the rarest books in the world.
The campus is beyond BEAUTIFUL including this beautiful piece of artwork. This is the ‘Sphere Within a Sphere’ and it was just a super cool piece of art.
I couldn’t get enough of this campus, it was perfect.
I couldn’t visit Trinity College and not make it out to see the Historic Trinity Chapel! I really like cathedrals and the Historic Trinity Chapel was a beautiful piece of architecture!
I had the best time and cannot wait to return. I hope this post inspires you visit.
Thank you all for reading, and stay enthusiastic!
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-Maira