Celebrating 35 Years in Beautiful Ireland

35 Years!

We met in the 3rd grade, started dating at 16, went to the same college, and married one month after graduating. We have two incredible grown sons who are with their high school sweethearts (it runs in the family I guess!), and are blessed with one beautiful granddaughter.

Where We Stayed

While in Ireland, we stayed six nights in Dingle, six nights in Westport, one night in Galway, and one final night in Dublin.

• Dingle Skellig – When we approached the charming town of Dingle, we immediately saw the Skellig Hotel, situated on the most westerly peninsula in Europe (and truly one of the most beautiful places in the world). The hotel has exemplary service and is located just a short distance from the center of town. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the hotel each morning before we started our day.
• Westport Plaza – Our second half of our trip was spent at the Westport Plaza, located in County Mayo in Ireland. It’s located at the southeast corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Ireland. With a population of under 7,000 people, Westport offers beautiful landscapes, friendly people, and vibrant culture.
• Corrib House B&B – Before we headed home, we spent a night at The Corrib House, a beautifully restored historic Georgian townhouse located on the edge of the Salmon Weir, in the heart of Galway City. We enjoyed views of the spectacular River Corrib from our window and delicious coffees, pastries, and a made-to-order breakfast before heading to Dublin.

Driving on the “wrong side” of the road

We rented a small’ish car for our two-week stay. Lucky for me, I’m married to a brave man who volunteered to drive on the “wrong side of the road”! He did an excellent job and it was interesting as I watched him get more and more comfortable with the many MANY roundabouts, the right turns into traffic (sketchy!), and mostly, the VERY VERY narrow country roads.

I took my turn on two occasions where I drove in town so I could go slow. Even so, I drove about six blocks before calling it good. I’m an Ireland driver now. LOL.

Beauty Everywhere

The Irish countryside was truly the most beautiful we’d ever soon. We marveled at the tapestry of rolling green hills dotted with ancient stone walls and grazing sheep. Misty mountains and clear lakes framed charming villages with vibrant pubs.

Some of the older, more unique homes also piqued our interest – traditional cottages with thatched roofs and stone exteriors, or brick facades with climbing ivy. The air was fresh and filled with wildflowers everywhere we turned.

We took special notice of the numerous sheep farms, most of them branded in pink or blue by owners. Wild flowers lined most of the country roads and we couldn’t get over the beautiful colors as we drove or pedaled around the lush countryside. The azaleas were plentiful and we couldn’t help but to stop and smell them along the way!

Cliffs of Moher

In between our stay in Dingle and Westport, we traveled north along the coast where we took a car ferry over a portion of a bay instead of around it. Then we continued to the Cliffs of Moher where we journeyed to the top of the cliffs followed by a ferry ride out in the ocean to get a look from below.

The Cliffs of Moher are a stunning natural wonder! They rise dramatically from the Atlantic Ocean, stretching for about eight miles along Ireland’s western coast. They reach a maximum height of about 702 feet at their highest point and we were truly in awe.

Bicycling Ireland

Over the last several years, we’ve traveled to northern locations for our summer anniversary trip so that we can do some biking in more acceptable temperatures (NOT Texas weather). Oregon in 2021, Jackson Hole in 2022, Banff in 2023, and Ireland in 2024.

Cycling Slea Head Drive along the Dingle Peninsula is now our #1 ride thus far. We rented e-bikes in town for the week and Rode Slea Head three different times in slightly different fashion. We enjoyed both the winding coastal road (along the Atlantic) past dramatic cliffs, ancient ruins, and golden beaches, as well as the serene and scenic journey through rolling green hills, sheep farms, and along quiet country lanes. 

In Westport, we e-biked the Greenway Trail, which follows a former railway line and winds through lush countryside, past sparkling lakes, and along the base of the majestic Croagh Patrick mountain. We rode between Westport and Achill Island and enjoyed beautiful car-free paths where we came face-to-face with sheep roaming the trails.

So Many Sheep!

Before we left for Ireland, I told Mike that my dream was to come across sheep on the roads and biking trails as we traveled along the lush countryside. My dreams were met many times as the sheep farms were literally everywhere! We also had the pleasure of feeding and holding baby lambs along the Dingle Peninsula.

Counting sheep has taken on a new meaning after being on holiday in Ireland!

Croagh Patrick

After a few too many miles on the bike (aka sore butts), we opted for a short ride one day and headed to Croagh Patrick, a striking, conical mountain in County Mayo, Ireland. The hike is revered as a pilgrimage site, its summit offering breathtaking vistas of Clew Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

While Mike did the challenging hike, I sat at a coffee shop and visited with some friendly locals. The people were not only extremely helpful and kind, they were curious about life in America too.

Dublin

We spent just one short night in the city of Dublin, Ireland’s vibrant capital, but hit the two places that were top of our list.

1. The Guinness Storehouse – For beer lovers like us, this attraction is a must! The storehouse takes visitors through the history and brewing process of Ireland’s iconic stout and then culminates in the Gravity Bar, where we enjoyed panoramic views of the city and sipped a perfectly poured pint of Guinness.
2. The Temple Bar – We took a horse buggy from the Storehouse to The Temple Bar, a famous pub in Dublin known for its lively atmosphere, traditional Irish music, and historic charm. We lucked into a front row seat in front of some talented musicians and enjoyed a glass or two.

Delicious Food and Lots of Pubs

While in Ireland, we enjoyed a variety of lively pubs and unique restaurants. We ate a ton of fish – and seafood chowder every darn chance we got! I even made my own homemade chowder when I got home! Here are a few of our favorites stops we noted.

Pubs

• Gallagher’s – We took a detour after landing in Ireland and drove through Cork where we stopped for our first pint, fish and chips, and meat pie.
• Dick Mack’s – Mike had his eye on this pub in downtown Dingle with its light blue exterior and fun outdoor area.
• Kruger’s – Kruger’s is known as Ireland’s most westerly bar and conveniently located along Slea Head Drive. We stopped for a beer on our first e-bike ride when we bumped into the e-bike show owner (Hi John!) and realized we were going the wrong direction (but it didn’t really matter).
• Paddy O’s – During the end of one of our rides, we stopped at Paddy O’s for a pint, fish tacos, and some seafood chowder. As we relaxed, we were entertained by a group of Irish lads who were singing and having a great time (and flirting with a group of young women!).
• Foxy John’s – A pub serves as a hardware store during the day and a pub at night. We sat along boxes of tools while sipping a beer. Kinda crazy!
• The Porterhouse Bar – We enjoyed this packed pub in downtown Westport where we listened to live Irish music on several occasions.

Restaurants

• Dingle Hotel Restaurant – After a long day of travel, we opted for the hotel restaurant the first night in Dingle. We were very pleased with their seafood chowder and seafood pasta. We shared both and deemed the chowder to be one of the best we’d tried!
• Out of the Blue – This seafood only restaurant was a popular place in Dingle and we opted to go early to get a table. Mike enjoyed the scallops risotto and I had monkfish in mustard sauce.
• Fish Box – Another very popular place in Dingle and more casual than most. We enjoyed sharing seafood chowder, fish tacos, and crispy chili monkfish (the favorite and spicy!).
• By Land and Sea – This was probably the best meal we had and located in downtown Dingle. We were lucky to get a reservation! Mike had lamb chops and I had a delicious steak. Yes, meat this time but a welcomed break from all the seafood we ate!
• Solas (Dingle) – This tapas style restaurant was amazing. We enjoyed sourdough and roasted tomatoes, chorizo croquettes, hake with pesto, fig and goat cheese, and crab tartlets!
• Cornrue (Dingle) – This sweet coffee chop was high on the list for Mike. We stopped on our way before one of our rides and enjoyed coffees, a sourdough cookie, and orange cake. The sourdough cinnamon rolls were sold out (Mike’s reason for going!) so we ordered a couple for the following day.
• Arno’s (Westport) – Another one of our favorite meals! We enjoyed sweet potato coconut soup, lamb shoulder, monkfish, and split a chocolate brownie!
• Servd (Westport) – This was a more casual stop but we thoroughly enjoyed it on one of our last evenings. Mike had a burger and I enjoyed street style chicken stack – spicy and delish!
• This Must Be The Place – This was another coffee shop high on our list. We enjoyed coffees, a yogurt bowl, a berry streusel, and a sausage roll.
• Brasserie (Galway) – One of our favorite dinners out and Mike surprised me with fresh flowers and a sweet anniversary card. We enjoyed another top-rated seafood chowder, monkfish, and hake – one last delicious seafood meal!