Ireland and Northern Ireland

With Spring Break falling over St. Patrick's Day, we couldn't resist heading to Ireland again. This time, however, we would skip Dublin and spend more time in the West, which is a lot less touristy and more nature-driven. Plus, the music of the West is world famous. To cap it off, we'd end the trip in Northern Ireland, which we had not been to as of yet.

Upon arriving in Dublin, we rented a car and cruised across the island, arriving in Galway by mid-day and staying at the Connacht Hotel. There were various events happening all weekend and we watched a concert on Eyre Square and visited O'Connells pub where Ed Sheeran filmed his video for "Galway Girl". The next morning was St. Patrick's Day so we started it like I have for the past 20 years by watching the U2 video of "Where the Streets Have No Name"from the Rattle and Hum tour. A full Irish breakfast, complete with Guinness fueled us up and we hit the streets to watch the parade. The weather cooperated and while a bit windy, we had some sun. After the parade, we popped into a pub and the girls did some coloring and reading on the floor while we enjoyed a pint. Sarah and I headed to the Salthill Prom to visit a pub in the evening without the kids. We listened to some great music and enjoyed some Guinness. 

Not wanting to linger, we drove north on the 18th up to Connemara National Park. It rained the whole day so when we came to Kylemore Abbey, we just took a picture and got back in the car. We glimpsed the bridge used in the John Wayne film, The Quiet Man, and hooked around to see Dunguaire Castle
Our base for two days was Doolin, the home of traditional Irish music, and we took full advantage, spending each night in the pubs listening to people jam. During the day we visited the Aillwee Caves, hiking beneath the ground, and visiting the birds of prey show outside, where we saw demonstrations and the girls readily volunteered to hold some of the bigger animals. We also hiked the Burren - the rocky land outside of Doolin - and braved the hills. 

After two days, we headed north to the other part of the island - Northern Ireland. Based in beautiful Belfast, we took side trips. Since Sarah is an English teacher and was teaching the author, we visited the Seamus Heaney Home Place where much of his work was on display. While the kids weren't thrilled with this stop, we made up for it by putting in an afternoon at the Titanic Belfast museum. The building site of the ship was outside, still mapped and sitting there in drydock. Inside, numerous exhibits showcase the construction as well as the stories aboard before its downfall. It really is a must-see in the world. We finished the day with a stop in CS Lewis Square where the author has several statues in tribute to his work. 

Outside of the city, we took a hike along the famous Giant's Causeway. The unique rock formations are something that just don't seem to exist elsewhere. Many of the rock formations are open to climb on and the pictures just don't do it justice. Just down the road is the Dark Hedges, the unique road with very old trees arching across. While at this time of year, the trees are bare of leaves, it was a cool sight. Others might remember this as "The King's Road" from "Game of Thrones." And no trip to the north of the island would be complete without a stop at the Bushmill's distillery, a staple of the region for more than 400 years. While it is not my favorite spirit, we had a small taster just to try it out. 

The rest of our time in Belfast was simple. We enjoyed seeing some of the artwork that is on the sides of buildings, ranging from patriotic to violent, showing elements of the city's storied past. Belfast now is one of the more safe cities around, but the tensions still exist. Upon leaving the city, we took a stop in the town of Downpatrick, where outside of Down Cathedral, sits the grave of St. Patrick. Our drive was lovely, lots of sun, and we cut through the Morne Mountains before getting Dublin for our flight. 

My Smilebox Creation