Get off the Beaten Path and into the Glen
Why Ireland?
In 2008, Erica’s dad and stepmom, Ed and Judy moved to Glengarriff, Ireland. Judy’s family owns a piece of property in the small village that sits in Southwestern Cork County on Bantry Bay, and several years prior, they had visited realized that the house needed to be entirely rebuilt. Ed and Judy oversaw a lot of work as the new house was slowly built, commuting from Connecticut to Ireland, every several months. Eventually, they realized that Ireland was their home, and have lived there permanently ever since.
Erica was fortunate to spend Thanksgiving of 2004 in Glengarriff with Judy’s extended family as the house was coming along. She was even able to go back a few years later in 2007, when the house was getting its finishing touches, with just her sister, Heather, dad, and Judy to spend an enchanting Christmas on the bay. Glengarriff hosts a polar plunge on Christmas morning that Heather and Ed participated in before warming up with some hot toddies and installing a bar. Come to Acres Gate to check out what it looks like now!
Two years into our relationship, we decided that it was time to cross the pond for a visit. It fitted that our first international trip as a couple was to beautiful Ireland in July 2014. It was Erica’s first time experiencing the country as an adult and with warm weather, and it was Andrew’s first time meeting Erica’s dad. The trip was full of love, joy, beautiful scenery, and lots of beer!
Our map of the places we loved. Glengarriff is the tiny village with all of the locations!
Day 1- Galway
The city was quaint and full of artists. We had our first Guinness in Ireland and then slept off our jet lag.
Day 2- Cliffs of Moher
The next day we visited one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been- Cliffs of Moher. Erica was scared to get to the edge, so of course, Andrew got as close as possible. The views are unforgettable- a must-do!
After a beautiful morning at the cliffs, we took the scenic drive south to County Cork. We stopped at the charming town of Adare for a bathroom break and a quick bite to eat. As the day went by, the skies became darker, and we were eventually in a dense fog as we drown the windy roads to our final destination, Glengarriff.
After an emotional reunion, we spent our evening doing what the Irish do best, drinking. Even though Glengarriff is a small village, there are plenty of pubs to grab a Guinness or Smithwicks in. We went out every evening and never went to the same pub twice.
Day 3- Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve
In addition to our family, Glengarriff has a ton to offer and is a great home base from which to explore West Cork. The next day we stayed in town to explore the Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve, aka the glen. There you will find waterfalls and can climb to Lady Bantry’s lookout for a panoramic view of Bantry Bay.
Day 4- Garnish Island
The next day, we spent more time exploring the magic of Glengarriff. We took a ferry from the Blue Pool, past Seal Island, and out to Garnish Island to see Italian gardens and more great views. We’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Day 5 – Beara Peninsula & Bantry
Driving the Wild Atlantic Way around the Beara Peninsula was one of our most memorable days in Ireland. We drove through quaint fishing villages, hung out with some sheep, and got stuck behind cows for what felt like forever! We would have loved to have taken the cable car out to Dursey Island, but the wait was too long. There were beautiful sights around every turn, including a beach.
After spending the day exploring, we made it to Bantry House for one of their outdoor summer plays. The sunset was altogether gorgeous.
Day 6- Fishing in the Bay
After some adventure packed few days, Erica’s dad took us fishing out on his boat. We came back empty-handed, but it was lovely to spend some quality relaxing time together. To top it all of, the view of the sunset from home is always such a beauty.
Day 7 – Jameson Factory and Blarney Castle
Luckily for us, the drive from Glengarriff to the Jameson factory was less rural than the Wild Atlantic Way. The tour of the Jameson factory was informative but felt inauthentic. The tasting of whiskey at the end was undoubtedly the best part.
After the factory, we headed to Blarney Castle and gardens. It was simply incredible. We didn’t kiss the stone but loved exploring the castle and the gardens, which made us feel like we were in a fairy tale. Our pictures don’t quite do it justice so, you’ll have to go for yourself to experience the enchantment.
Day 8 – Heading to Shannon
After a sad goodbye, we took our time driving to Shannon. We enjoyed the unexpected Irish traffic jams of sheep on the road and the fantastic views around every turn. We spent some time taking in the sights at Killarney National Park, planning on making it to Shannon by the evening.
Although it was quite touristy, we decided to join in the fun at the medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle. We had a great time and got our last pints in Durty Nelly’s.
Ireland Travel Tip
When visiting the Emerald Isle, you must explore on your own. Ireland is incredibly easy and safe to travel around, so there is no need for a guided tour. Even the smallest towns have amazing things to offer that you would never discover had you been in a line of buses on the Ring of Kerry.
Our recommendation would not only be to see the big tourist highlights like the cliffs of Moher and Dublin (we’ll get there one day) but also to drive to places where you might get stuck behind a guy moving his cows from one pasture to the next. Driving the Ring of Beara is one of our best travels memories because it is off the beaten path and isn’t full of tourists.
Ireland Mistakes
The only issues we ran into were though navigating. We just took screenshots of google maps while we were on wifi because neither of us had international plans at the time. We have since learned better and download maps of places we will be either on google maps or maps.me before we head out. Even offline, downloaded maps will give turn by turn directions and show your location. You live, and you learn!