Ireland is a land where magic shimmers over each hill, just ahead – if you could only catch it. It pulls you forward, off the quick motorways and onto the slower, narrower roads lined with stone walls and hedgerows. It’s an unhurried pace Ireland draws you to, and you’re well to heed it, as rushing only leads…
If you’re anything like me, your smart phone is your main mode of communication, the camera you use most often, and your entertainment center. So when you travel you want to use it just like you do at home. There’s only one problem – the cost. It’s not cheap to use your smart phone in…
Reader Question: If you had to choose one side of the island for your first visit, which would it be? This is a great question, though it is much like asking a parent which child is their favorite. I love it all! So which ‘side’ of Ireland for a first vacation? That may be entirely dependent…
Best Group Itinerary in Ireland? Having been to Ireland so many times with kids, what would be your recommendation on the best itinerary for our group? I think this is the hardest for us to decide in looking at everything. They all seem great, but we realize that it is hard to do everything in…
The Burren, famous for its barrenness, is one of the most unique places in Ireland. Its limestone terrain, hardy vegetation, and rugged animals, both wild and domestic, make the Burren a contrast. Barren limestone gives way to open grazing land. The limestone cliffs drop abruptly into the ocean. And beauty appears out of nowhere. Too often…
A falconry experience in Ireland is not to be missed. During our stay at Mount Falcon we had the opportunity to join Jason Deasey, the owner of the Falconry at Mount Falcon, and his adorable Hungarian Vizsla, Chili, on a hawk walk. The mews at Mount Falcon are located in the circle of Woodland Lodges in…
If the owners of Mount Falcon Estate would let me live in one of their Woodland Lodges I would move in tomorrow. My family arrived after a day spent in the tight quarters of our rental car. From Westport we drove Mayo’s untamed portion of the Wild Atlantic Way, wind and rain alternating their battering of us as we drove…
My husband and I have a running joke about titles. British titles, to be exact. Once upon a time, in Merry Olde England, the name of Halstead had a title before it. Now, my husband comes from the line of a 3rd or 4th son, so that withered branch of the family moved to The…
It’s a splurge, to be sure, but if your Ireland vacation won’t be complete without an Ireland castle hotel on the itinerary you can’t beat a stay at Ashford Castle. While I was planning our fall 2014 trip to Ireland, our dates happened to coincide with Halloween. It was only a few days prior that I…
Please note: The original Doolin Hostel is now the Doolin Inn. Read my Doolin Inn review here. The Doolin Hostel is now in the building across the road and while still a very nice hostel which features dorm & private rooms and a complimentary continental breakfast each morning, the information in this article is not…
When planning your Ireland family vacation it’s very easy to fall into what I call a ‘lodging rut’. To put it simply, a ‘lodging rut’ is when you think that your trip can have only one type of lodging, be it hotel, B&B, or self catering cottage. Depending on the length of your trip, your…
It’s fair to say I do quite a bit of packing for travel. And, while I tend toward over-packing (especially when we are driving to destinations), I do try to keep my packing for Ireland a bit lighter. Our most recent trip, however, had a mix of activities – from outdoor pursuits which required warm gear,…
Enclosed by high walls and water, Enniskillen Castle feels every bit the intimidating stronghold it was built to be. Once inside, however, the feeling is quite different, with exploration waiting around each corner. Built nearly 600 years ago by the Maguires, Enniskillen Castle was important for its strategic placement at the juncture of Upper and Lower…
Summer in Ireland won’t offer you and your family huge commercial theme parks or even guarantee you sunshine but you can be sure that you’ll experience nature like you’ve never seen it, discover history that you never dreamed of and find yourself immersed in a culture that can only leave you wanting more. Check out…
There are some places you just return to again and again. For my family, one of those places is Woodview Farmhouse. It certainly helps that this B&B is only 15 minutes from Dublin Airport, but there are quite a few B&Bs which are just as close. So what brings us back to Woodview Farmhouse again…
The Mamore Gap, in the Inishowen Peninsula, offers some of the most stunning views along the most northerly part of the Wild Atlantic Way. It is also home to Donegal’s Magic Road. A ‘Magic Road’ or ‘Gravity Hill’ is actually an optical illusion. A slight downward slope appears to be sloping upward, due to the…
Lower Lough Erne which, on a map, looks like it should be Upper Lough Erne, is a liquid paradise for boaters, fishermen, and escapists searching for tranquility. For those of us on land, a drive around the lough reveals its isolated treasures to those who take the time to search them out. The Treasures of…
It had only been a year since our first visit to Birr Castle Demense and a return wasn’t initially in our plans. Until I received an invitation to come play at their newest attraction. But, as luck would have it, we had just returned from Ireland mere days before – a return trip just wasn’t possible….
We didn’t set out to find the best hot chocolate in Ireland. In fact, the first couple days it entirely slipped my notice that my youngest daughter, Caelan, was ordering hot chocolate every time we sat down to a meal – be it breakfast, tea, or dinner, her request was always the same, “Do you…
The Christmas period offers us many great opportunities to get out and about with the family, with so many things to do, people to see and places to visit. This week, we thought we would take a look at one of Ireland’s most popular travel destinations; the stunning and friendly county of Galway. Often called…