Wow, it’s take me a little while to write about my trip to Ireland but I’m excited to finally share it with you because it was such an adventure! I spent a week driving my little car around this beautiful country with James and three of my best friends. I took an absolute tonne of photos so I’ll share them in two instalments – starting with our time in Co. Cork and Co. Kerry.
The most adventurous part of the holiday was probably the journey. We booked to come over on the ferry both because I wanted to bring the car and because I didn’t want to fly. To avoid undertaking a 5 hour drive to the ferry port in Liverpool in the early hours, we stayed the night in a hotel and used the evening to explore the city. I stupidly lost my car keys in the taxi at night – so we missed our ferry in the morning. Silly me. I always get anxious about travelling in case something exactly like this happens! After a very (very, very) stressful morning, the ferry company booked us on the overnight boat, along with a bunch of lorry drivers who were pretty perplexed as to why we were there. The only vegetarian option on the ship were chips, so all 5 of use had a very beige dinner, which didn’t make us seem any more normal… It was a bizarre experience, but at least I’ll never forget it!
When we finally arrived, our first stop was Cork where we saw the City Gaol and camped out in the beautiful Franciscan Well brew pub. Most of our visit was spent with Amy’s Irish family, which was truly lovely. All of her Aunts and Uncles and cousins came over and we shared dinner and cried with laughter watching her little cousins play together. It must be wonderful to have a large family that are close enough to see often. Amy’s family were so welcoming to us, and really helped us recover after our nightmare journey!
Our next destination was co. Kerry and we stopped off in Owenahincha, Skibereen, Loch Hyne, and Glen Gariff on the way. I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the wild swimming opportunities in Ireland and so we took our first dip in Lough Hyne, followed by a sunset swim at Glen Gariff! It’s hard to explain why I love wild swimming so much. It’s painful at first and hard to force yourself to take the plunge but once you’ve been swimming for a while your whole body tingles. When you get out it’s euphoric and everything feels warm and fuzzy. James was very sceptical that we’d swim in Ireland but after he’d done it once he swam every day! Cold water has magical properties…
Glen Gariff was my favourite spot of the day. We had this calm and unspoilt jetty all to ourselves, which was pure magic. For anyone travelling to Ireland, put this on your do-not-miss list!
We had a couple of nights in a beeeeautiful cottage in Kells Bay (thanks Air BNB!) and spent our time exploring Inch Strand and Dingle Bay – including a trip to see Dingle’s resident Dolphin Funghi. On our return we drove over Connor Pass – hoping to see some views from Ireland’s highest mountain road – but were met with a very scary wall of fog. I couldn’t see very far but I love fog and it was pretty spectacular.
In Ireland a lot of the dogs roam free (like cats do!) and we made friends with this gorgeous fellow in Kells Bay. We called him Rufus and he would follow us up from the bay to our cottage. I miss you Rufus! He helped make our cottage so cosy that we didn’t want to leave, but our next stop was co. Galway so we had to say our goodbyes. Stay tuned for Part II of my Ireland adventure!
Lovely, lovely country! So nice to have a good few days to drive round and visit different things, take pictures, and get in some swimming. You’re quite brave to get into those cold waters!
I thought you might love Ireland! It was perfect, and the water honestly wasn’t so cold once you’d jumped in and swap around for a bit. When you get out, your whole body feels warm and tingly. It’s an amazing feeling!
Oh what a lovely adventure! I have been itching to hop over the pond more than usual recently. These photos are gorgeous and it sounds like you all got to do a lot of different things. Seeing your friend’s family sounds like a treat and must have made your trip feel like several mini trips! That dog is so sweet! That is one thing I worry about with travel, is seeing the animals who are homeless. It makes me feel so sad and powerless.
I haven’t swam in the cold see, I just swam in the warm sea for the first time last summer. hehe but I think I can see the fun in it. I love water all of the time. Part mermaid… just been landlocked.
So excited to see Vol. II! XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
You should! One of the reasons I love road trips is because it likes having lots of mini breaks at once – you get to see so much more! The dogs in Ireland aren’t actually homeless, they go home to their owners for food / at night, but then they wander around freely during the day, like domesticated cats do. I think it’s nice actually, that they get that freedom. I didn’t witness any animal abuse / strays in Ireland, unlike Greece, where they’re everywhere. I love water too – swimming is the best! xx
sounds like such a lovely holiday! and the photos are beautiful! xx
Thank you Laura, I wish I could go back! xx