Doolin and Lisdoonvarna

Our last night in Ireland, and it can only be spent in one way - with the local music! We explore the town of Doolin and and old tower castle before heading back to Lisdoonvarna for the most fitting farewell to Ireland… great food, great drinks, great music, and as the Irish say, great craic!

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Bridges of Ross and Loop Head

Nature does amazing things. At the Bridges of Ross, we followed an old Victorian pastime as we crossed over the natural rock bridge and stood over the sea, before continuing on further down the peninsula to an old lighthouse, WWII era markers, and a piece of Irish folklore!

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County Clare Farmstay

Sometimes a normal hotel is just too boring. With all the amazing places out there, why settle for boring? We traded in the normal hotel by the airport for an amazing experience with wonderful people at a farm stay in County Clare!

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Galway City

After a long week through quaint countrysides and tiny islands, we finally made our way into the city! Our exploration in Galway took us to a gourmet grocer, a great Irish pub, a huge cathedral, and a posh tea room… all while wandering down the city’s famous old streets!

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Farewell to An Nead

Today we said our farewell to An Nead cottage in beautiful Connemara. It was ten years since our last stay… hopefully it won’t be another ten before we get back there!

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Night on the Galway Coast

After a scenic cruise through the Connemara countryside, we settle in by Galway Bay for a sunset, great seafood, great music in a fun pub, and we even got to make a new friend!

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Omey Island and the Sky Road

We drove the full way around Sky Road for amazing views and great driving. We decided to keep going along the coast, and found ourselves taking a very unique way to get across the sea to Omey Island!

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Clifden Castle

From the famous Sky Road you can look down on the ruins of Clifden Castle, but this time we found a way to actually go into the ruins and see it up close! We set off down the trail to explore the castle ruins, from the crumbling old walls to the towering turret and the overgrown outbuildings!

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Clifden

Our return to Clifden brings us back to a favorite cafe in search of good coffee and the apparently famous carrot cake, before hitting a proper whiskey pub along the main street of town. We make our way out to the famous Sky Road for incredible sunset views that lead into an amazingly clear Irish night!

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Roundstone

Roundstone is a charming little fishing village along the Connemara coast with bright colored houses and boat-filled harbor. We venture to the pier, sample some local seafood, and get in some culture at the traditional music center before a breathtaking stop along a secluded country road!

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Cnoc Suain

Cnoc Suain was the center of our honeymoon ten years ago. It was where we made our home base, it was the site of the little village on the hill with our cottage An Nead. It was where we woke every morning to the stillness of the Irish countryside or the thrill of running through the fields with the dogs and pony. Today, we revisit the land of Cnoc Suain, walking those same bogs and fields, passing through those amazing buildings, and learning of how they’ve grown since our last visit.

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Traditional Music and Local Pubs

We hit a couple of Connemara pubs on an amazingly clear Irish night! First we stopped in Ougtherard where we had a great meal with beers and music. After a bit of a craft brewing rant, we found our way back to Spiddal on the coast to check out a place we heard had quality session music… and were treated to a performance by one of the greats!

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Coral Beach and the Connemara Seaside

The Connemara seaside is a wild and rugged coast, full of rocky shorelines, sprawling bogland, and small natural beaches. We went seeking some of these beaches today. We returned to Coral Beach, with its rocky micro-environments and grainy coral instead of sand, before exploring the textures and colors along the White Strand!

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The Gaeltacht and the Coast

We head west along the Galway Bay coastline toward the sea, stopping in the seaside town of Spiddal and talking a bit on the preservation and resurgence of the Irish Language as we venture along the coast!

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Nighttime in Salthill

After a great dinner on the pier at Barna, we headed into the Salthill section of Galway city, where we found a great pub with great beers and great people. If you don’t have a fun night at the pub, can you really say you were in Ireland?

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An Nead

After ten years away, we finally make it back to the lovely little cottage An Nead! Tucked back in the bogland in a rediscovered pre-famine village on a cultural center site with amazing hosts, An Nead is where we stayed over our honeymoon. It is one of our most favorite places in the world, and now we’re back!

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Our Heart in Ireland, Pt. 2

Ten years had gone by since out honeymoon, ten years since we left our heart rock with a message in the box at the seaside grotto. We’ve often wondered what became of that stone. Was it moved or taken out? Was it still there? Today we will find out for sure!

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Our Heart in Ireland, Pt. 1

In September of 2008, on our honeymoon in Ireland, we found a personal treasure on a hike up a mountain… a wedding gift from the lovely Emerald Isle herself! We returned to a seaside grotto with our gift, and left it to absorb all of the powerful energy of this place, and also some of that Irish luck! And so began our heart’s ten-year stay in Ireland…

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Westport and Irish Seafood

In the town of Westport, Co. Mayo, we adventured out for some good seafood. But first, an amazing sunset over the Quay couldn’t be missed! We bid farewell to our Hobbit Hole, and then ventured further south to Co. Galway, into the town of Letterfrack, to find even more of the best Irish waters had to offer…

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