Ireland was a whirlwind of beauty, everywhere. The sounds of accents and gorgeous music, sights of green and animals and water, and smells of…manure. You just need to know when to breathe from your mouth and not inhale through your nose!

Dublin to Galway was the first trip we had where we had to hop in an itty bitty car and drive on the left side of the road. When I say “we” I mean Jeff. I did not get behind the wheel, and that is why we are still alive today.

Galway, home of the Claddagh, was an adorable area. Plenty of live music, enormous pubs, and nearby castles…which basically describes a lot of Ireland.

From Galway we traveled to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. This is where we really experienced fear and anxiety level spikes during the trip. The roads were extremely narrow, windy, no shoulders, and opposite sides of the road we were used to being on.

There are two way roads that could not fit two side by side cars, so one car would hopefully see the other car coming and pull over to let the one pass. This is especially scary when going across small bridges that definitely only fit one car at a time, yet you cannot see if a car from the opposite side is coming. Your best option is to honk the horn to announce your presence and just pray.

We made it to the Cliffs of Moher and it was beyond worth the scary journey. Woah. Just woah. The scenery is so simple, yet so breathtaking. A camera cannot even begin to capture the reality of these cliffs. If you are going to go, make sure you go when it first opens in the morning. Best to experience the views without many people taking up the small paths.


We planned to go to a national park in the Burren, but on our way there from the Cliffs of Moher, my heart could not handle the roads that seemed to get more and more narrow. Some roads that were meant to be driven in both directions, barely looked wide enough for one direction- so I said, “No, thank you.” Not worth my life. We didn’t make it to that park.

Blarney Castle, Inch, Dingle, Killarney, and Cork were all lovely. The roads to the Killarney National Park were much more manageable – and it was a gem to see.



We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast in Cork. What a neat experience that was – getting to stay in a home over 200 years old, meeting other travelers at breakfast, it was so homey and inviting. We enjoyed it so much we are considering having a B&B as a retirement plan.