“Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir” - Time is a great storyteller

Warning: This is going to be a long post! Feel free to just look at the beautiful pictures :)

This weekend marks my halfway point in Ireland. Unbelievable!! But what better way to celebrate that than a visit from my Daddy! This week was my half-term break so I met my dad in Dublin last Thursday to do a bit of traveling in the Republic of Ireland. Here’s what we have been up to:

Friday – It was an absolutely beautiful day when we arrived in Galway so we dropped off our things at the bed and breakfast and headed straight for the Connemara region. The drive from Galway to Clifden was along a coastal route through picturesque villages and gorgeous seascapes. The landscape abruptly changed to really rocky and mountainous with deep blue lakes that were equal in beauty to the beaches! After strolling through adorable Clifden, we took the Sky Road, a loop along the side of a cliff overlooking the sea. We stopped by Dan O’Hara’s Homestead just for the namesake before a wonderful dinner in Oughterard! Throughout the day we saw castles, cliffs, rainbows, coastlines, livestock in the road...Connemara was a wonderful introduction to the beautiful scenery of Ireland.

I have 24 pictures of rainbows from the trip :)

Saturday – We had planned on heading to the Aran Islands but the weather was atrocious, even for Ireland’s standards. Instead we met up with a friend from WIP who showed us around Galway City. The rain was heavy and the wind was intense – I don’t think I’ve ever been so wet in my life! Despite the conditions, the city was really nice and it was fun to have Chris as our tour guide. After changing into dry clothes we went to see the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. It was the second time I have seen it and is one of the best movies I have ever seen in my life. When it opens in the USA, please go see it!!

Sunday – We successfully made it to the Aran Islands! The trip over felt like a rollercoaster the sailing was so rough and it was almost comical watching person after person after person get sick. Luckily Dad and I both survived the trip! Once we landed in Inishmór we rented bikes to travel to Dún Aengus, a fort perched on the edge of a cliff. The wind was extraordinarily strong on the ride out there making it super difficult! My dad got a kick out of the fact that I kept informing him that I was not having any fun but in my defense, I felt like I was biking into a wall! Normally, if you are going downhill you can coast without pedaling but in this case you have to pedal even downhill!! We finally made it to the fort which was terrifying with strong winds at the edge of a cliff – my guide book says that “visitors have frequently been blown off and killed on the rock shelf below!” On the bike ride home we got incredibly lost and I was pretty sure we were going to be stuck forever on the island! But we made it back to Rossaveal and drove to Doolin in County Clare where we spent the night. I was really ill on the drive so we didn’t really get to enjoy Doolin’s charm but if I had to pick one town in Ireland for someone to visit to get a feel for the country, it would be Doolin! Right on the water, close to the Aran Islands, next to the Cliffs of Moher and a centre of Irish traditional music, it is a wonderful town!

Monday – In the morning we went to the Cliffs of Moher and then spent the rest of the day exploring the Burren. The Burren is a stretch of really rocky terrain across northern Clare with prehistoric grave sites, tombs, and stone forts. The geology of the Burren was actually really interesting and Ireland was constantly amazing me with its diverse array of scenery!! We spent the night in our favorite town, Kenmare on the edge of the Ring of Kerry. The owner of our B&B was fantastic, the town was quaint, dinner was amazing – I introduced Dad to all the essentials: beef and Guinness pie, banoffee pie, and sticky toffee pudding!

Tuesday – Our itinerary was “maddening” according to our B&B owner but we managed to tackle the whole Ring of Kerry and still made it to Dublin by 10 pm. The Ring of Kerry is the most popular attraction in Ireland and for a good reason! It is a 179 km circuit of unbelievable sights with medieval ruins, mountains, lakes, and beaches. I don’t think I will ever grow stop being amazed by Ireland’s beauty!!

Wednesday morning Dad flew back home and I took the bus back to Belfast. I was really sad to see him go but it was a nice feeling to pull into Belfast and feel like I was returning home in a way. All in all, I had such an amazing week!!