Ireland is a wild, various country with so much to see and do! In honor of St. Patrick’s Day coming up here in March, I wanted to do some topics about Ireland. If you’ve ever thought to go, this is a great starting point to get an idea of what’s where.
The 8 Regions or areas we’ll cover in this post are:
- Dublin
- Counties Meath, Wicklow, Athlone, Kildare, Laois
- Shannon
- Cork & Southeast Ireland
- Galway & Western Ireland
- Killarney & Southwest Ireland
- Londonderry & Antrim Coast
- Belfast
Dublin
Fun Facts:
- Almost half of the population is under 25 years old
- Dublin is where Bram Stoker wrote “Dracula” in 1897
- St. Valentine’s relics are kept under the Whitefriar Street Church
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- Dublin Whiskey’s Golden Triangle
- Guinness Storehouse
- Trinity College & the Book of Kells
Hidden Gems:
- Dublin Literary Pub Crawl
- Epic Museum with Irish Family Historic Centre
- Georgian Quarter
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Dublin City Food Tour
- Dublin Whiskey Trail
- Howth Hiking Safari
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: Fallon & Byrne, The Hairy Lemon, & Matt the Thresher
- Pubs: The Brazen Head, O’Donoghue’s Pub, Harboumaster Bar & Restaurant
- Coffee: Kaph
Counties Meath, Wicklow, Athlone, Kildare, Laois
Fun Facts:
- Trim Castle is where they shot a scene from Braveheart.
- Meath is often called “Royal Meath” after the former seat of the Irish High Kings on the Hill of Tara
- The Boyne Valley is home to the most megalithic carved stone art in Western Europe
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- Bru Na Boinne
- Hill of Tara
- Trim Castle
Hidden Gems:
- Bective Abbey
- Loughcrew Cairns
- Mellifont Abbey
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Hiking in the Mourne Mountains
- Newgrange & Knowth
- Slane Castle Distillery
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: Room 8, The Snailbox, & Zucchini’s
- Pubs: Hatchett Inn, James Griffen Pub, & Swans Bar
- Coffee: Caldwell’s Coffee House
Shannon
The Burren, Ennis, Limerick, Bunratty & Adare
Fun Facts:
- Ennis is famous as the home for Traditional Irish Music and holds festivals and ‘trad’ sessions throughout the year.
- The rocks that make up The Burren were all formed during the Carboniferous period between 359 and 299 million years ago.
- The Burren takes its name from the Irish word ‘Bhoireann’(VUR-IN) meaning a ‘stony place’ or a ‘rocky place’.
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- The Burren
- The Cliffs of Moher
- Dromoland Castle
Hidden Gems:
- Burren Perfumery
- Knappogue Castle Banquet
- St. Tola’s Goat Cheese Farm
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Burren Farm Experience
- Burren Walking Tour
- Ennis Walking Tour
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: Barrastra Seafood Restaurant, Earl of Thomond Restaurant at the Dromoland Castle, & Wild Honey Inn
- Pubs: Cruises Bar, Dan O’Connell’s, & Preachers Pub
Cork & Southeast Ireland
Cork City, Kinsale, County Cork, Waterford, & Kilkenny
Fun Facts:
- Kilkenny is known as the Marble city for their famous Black Marble. This can be found in many of the preserved old buildings.
- Film star George Clooney’s great-great-grandfather was baptized Nicholas Clooney in Windgap church, Kilkenny on July 23, 1829.
- Monks in Kilkenny founded the craft brewing culture. They found the way of purifying the deadly water on their land and crafting it into ale. This became the Smithwick’s Experience.
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- Kilkenny Castle & Grounds
- Medieval Mile Museum
- St. Canice’s Cathedral
Hidden Gems:
- Afternoon Tea at Butler House
- Cakeface Patisserie
- Nicholas Mosse Pottery Workshop
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Jerpoint, Belmore House
- Kilkenny Hurling Experience
- Kilkenny Medieval Mile Museum & Walking Tour
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: Campagne, Ristorante Rinuccini, Zuni Restaurant
- Pubs: Left Bank, Hole in the Wall, Kytelers Inn
- Coffee: Cafe La Coco
Galway & Western Ireland
Fun Facts:
- The Claddagh ring is worn with the intention of conveying the wearer’s relationship status and expresses a different status according to which hand it is worn and where the heart points to.
- A traditional fishing boat used in Galway Bay. Recently there has been a major revival of the Galway hooker. The boats are still being painstakingly re-constructed.
- A district of cobblestone streets in the old centre of Galway. In this sociable place you will find many of Galway’s best pubs, galleries, shops and street-performers.
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- Connemara
- Eyre Square Park
- Galway Bay
- Spanish Arch
Hidden Gems:
- Coral Beach
- Promenade of Salthill
- Wild Atlantic Way
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Galway Bay in a Day
- Galway Food Tour
- Trad on the Prom
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: Ard Bia, Kai, & Loam
- Pubs: The Crane, Tigh Neightans, The Universal
- Coffee: Coffeewerk
Killarney & Southwest Ireland
Killarney, Dingle, Tralee, & Kenmare
Fun Facts:
- There are 57 pubs in this small town with a population of just over 2000 people. (Dingle/Tralee)
- 2 million visitors each year – worth €400 million to Killarney & surrounding areas. It was first made popular by Queen Victoria who visited Killarney in 1861 staying at Muckross House. (Killarney)
- Fungi the dolphin, is Dingle’s most famous resident who has been welcoming tourists to Dingle for over 30 years. (Dingle/Tralee)
- Kenmare has more restaurants than bars! (Kenmare)
- Kenmare Stone Circle is one of the largest in the South West of Ireland comprising of 15 boulders. (Kenmare)
- Killarney National Park is the oldest national park in Ireland – 1932. Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil is also nearby. (Killarney)
- Original Irish name for Kenmare town is ‘Neidin’ meaning ‘ little nest ‘ because the town ‘nestles’ amongst the surrounding mountains which are such a striking feature of the landscape. (Kenmare)
- Tralee is home to the Rose of Tralee Festival which has been operating for over 60 years and celebrates Irish culture and heritage. (Dingle/Tralee)
- Actor Michael Fassbender is the most famous local resident. Though born in Germany he moved there as a child with his parents who took up work there running a restaurant. (Killarney)
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- Beara Peninsula (Kenmare)
- Beehive Huts(Dingle/Tralee)
- Dingle Peninsula(Dingle/Tralee)
- Horse Riding, Ventry(Dingle/Tralee)
- Kenmare Lace (Kenmare)
- Kenmare’s shops, cafes, & art galleries (Kenmare)
- Ring of Kerry(Killarney)
- Torc Waterfall & Muckross House(Killarney)
- Pubs & Nightlife(Killarney)
Hidden Gems:
- Banna Strand Tralee (Dingle/Tralee)
- Gleninchaquin Park (Kenmare)
- Ladies View (Killarney)
- Killarney Lake Cruise & Innisfallen Island(Killarney)
- Pottery on the Dingle Peninsula (Dingle/Tralee)
- Quirky Dingle Bars (Dingle/Tralee)
- Skellig’s Chocolates(Killarney)
- The Park Hotel Kenmare (Kenmare)
- Tom Crean Brewery (Kenmare)
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Boat Tours on Tralee Bay (Dingle/Tralee)
- Dingle Distillery (Dingle/Tralee)
- Dingle Hike (Dingle/Tralee)
- Garnish Island (Kenmare)
- Jauntin Car Experience(Killarney)
- Kenmare Foodie Tours (Kenmare)
- Killarney Horse Riding(Killarney)
- Lorge Chocolatier (Kenmare)
- Walk or Hike the National Park(Killarney)
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: Gaby’s, Lord Kenmare’s, Quinlan’s Seafood(Killarney), The Chart House (Dingle/Tralee), The Global Village (Dingle/Tralee), Doyle’s Seafood (Dingle/Tralee), Mulcahy’s (Kenmare), The Lime Tree (Kenmare), No. 35 (Kenmare)
- Pubs: JM Reidy’s Pub, O’Connor’s Pub, Sheehan’s Pub(Killarney), Foxy John’s Pub (Dingle/Tralee), O’Sullivan’s Courthouse Pub (Dingle/Tralee), John Benny’s Pub (Dingle/Tralee), Crowley’s (Kenmare), The Coachman’s (Kenmare), The Wander Inn (Kenmare)
- Coffee: Lir Cafe(Killarney), The Treehouse Cafe (Dingle/Tralee), Poffs (Kenmare)
Londonderry & Antrim Coast
Londonderry & the Antrim Coast
Fun Facts:
- St. Patrick’s grave is in Downpatrick
- Liam Neeson was born in Ballymena, Co. Antrim
- The name Catwalk – derives from the walls of Derry when the posh ladies used to make ‘catty’ remarks to passers-by
- There is Game of Thrones door trail featuring scenes from the show carved into wood from the trees in the Dark Hedges that were damaged in a storm
- Derry Girls is written by local writer Lisa McGee and is based on growing up in Derry in the 1990 during ‘The Troubles’
Londonderry
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- City Walls
- Derry’s Guildhall
- The Peace Bridge
Hidden Gems:
- Derry Craft Village
- Derry Girls Murals
- Museum of Free Derry
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Beyond the Bridge
- Londonderry Walking Tour
- Hurley Making
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: Walled City Brewery, Brown’s Bond Hill, Soda & Starch
- Pubs: Peder O’Donnell’s, Blackbird Bar, Friels Historic Bar
- Coffee: The Warehouse
The Antrim Coast:
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- Ballycastle Town
- Giant’s Causeway
- Mussenden Temple
Hidden Gems:
- Elephant Rock
- Game of Thrones Afternoon Tea
- Gobbins Walk
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Bread making
- Game of Thrones Archery & Axe Throwing
- Giant’s Causeway Walk
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: Bushmills Inn, The Cellar, Harry’s Shack
- Pubs: The Fullerton Arms, Harbour Gin Bar, McCollums
- Coffee: Mine & Hers Cafe
Belfast
Fun Facts:
- The first time Led Zeppelin performed Stairway to heaven was in Belfast at Ulster live in the 1970’s.
- The symbol of Belfast is a seahorse. It has been chosen to be the symbol of Belfast in tribute to Belfast’s origins and maritime history.
- Van Morrison was born in Belfast in 1945. Brown Eyed Girl’ was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It remains one of the most played songs till today.
Most Popular Sites to See/Visit:
- Belfast City Hall
- Belfast Peace Wall
- Titanic Museum
Hidden Gems:
- Belfast Castle
- Hillsborough Castle & Gardens
- Ulster Museum
Sample Tour Ideas:
- Belfast City Tour
- Breadmaking Experience
- Black Cab Tour
Best Food & Drink:
- Restaurants: John Longs, Muddlers Club, Mourne Seafood Bar
- Pubs: Crown Liquor Saloon, The Duke of York, Whites Tavern
- Coffee: The National Grand Cafe
Ready to Plan your Irish Journey and grab a pint like this guy?
If so, Easy Breezy Journeys is here to make it easy for you! Just click HERE to get started!
