Northern Ireland & Donegal

One of the many beneficial parts of having visitors in Ireland is that we also get to travel more and see other areas that we may not have seen yet. On my parents' visit to Ireland, we got to take a trip to Northern Ireland and the Antrim Coast, yet another stunning part of the island.

We packed up our car, AKA the Little Green Machine, and set out Friday evening after work, planning to get to the coast by night. Well, that would've worked if a hay truck didn't catch on fire and cause the major northbound highway to close. Only in Ireland! So, we followed the advice of our go-to Ireland guru, our friend Phil, and spent the night in the coastal town of Carlingford. It was unplanned, but turned out to be a charming little stop.

Antrim Coast / Carrick-a-Rede

The next morning, we left early and drove a couple hours to the Antrim Coast and made our first stop at the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The bridge spans 20 metres and is 30 metres above the rocks below, connecting the mainland to Carrick-a-Rede island. The pictures are below are deceiving because the bridge was much higher than it looks! 

My Mom assured me the bridge didn't shake when you walk across. She also was the only one on it in a previous visit... different story during busy season! I'm not scared of heights, but it's unnerving walking across the rope bridge, staring down at the rocks below and feeling the bridge bounce up and down as the maximum capacity is reached!

View from bridge

After Carrick-a-Rede, we stopped at the Giant's Causeway. According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant, Finn MacCool, was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Finn accepted and built the causeway across the North Channel so the giants could meet. Finn's wife then disguises him as a baby, and when Benandonner sees the size of the "baby," he believes that his father must be monstrous. Benandonner flees back to Scotland in fear, destroying the causeway behind so Finn can't follow.

Now, my Geologist of a father would be happy to explain the real reason the causeway formed. The fascinating pattern of polygonal columns were formed from volcanic activity 50-60 million years ago, caused by rock crystallization under conditions of slow cooling. There are identical columns across the sea in Scotland, hence the giant story.

Whichever story you choose to believe, it makes for some gorgeous scenery!

Next, we made a short stop to view the coastal remains of Dunluce Castle, then drove another couple hours back into the northern part of the Republic of Ireland to stay the night in the town of Malin in Donegal. 

Dunluce Castle

Brandon & parents - Dunluce

On Sunday morning, we took a scenic drive to Malinhead, the northern most point in Ireland, for more views of rugged beauty. The route we chose was drawn on a map by a sweet, local woman named Mary. She said, "you'll feel like you're driving through someone's backyard, but you aren't, so keep going!" Ha! She wasn't kidding...

The so-called "road"

Finally saw sheep on the road!

Malinhead

After Malinhead, we made a short stop in Buncrana for a nice walk, then made the trip back to Dublin. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend! One word to the wise: to anyone braving a trip in a small car, on the other side of narrow country roads, with their nervous parents in the backseat, good luck to you! Ha. It's an experience in itself ;) Though in all sincerity, it was wonderful to be able to view more of scenic Ireland with my husband and parents by my side.

Malinhead - Northern most point in Ireland

Dublin Visitors: Round 1

I've been neglecting the blog, I know! We've been traveling through Europe the last few weekends in a row and I haven't found the time, but I'm back in action today and will try to write much more frequently.

I decided to start my posts about all our visitors at the O'Naber B&B. First of all, let me say that we're extremely appreciative of everyone who has come to visit us. As anyone who has moved to a land far far away knows, you get plenty of, "I'm totally coming to visit you"s. As expected, the follow through on this is always pretty poor. 

Believe me, we know how much time, money, and planning it takes to actually take a trip to Ireland, so we understand when it's just not feasible. However, for those that have, kudos to you! It's likely a once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit a friend or family member abroad (and stay for free!) in a country with someone who knows the lay of the land. Best of all, we get super excited to take people around and show them the sights and what our lives are like over here. It's a "stay-cation" for us and we always feel recharged when familiar faces are around :)

Bray to Greystones

Our first familiar faces were those of my parents. They had been to Ireland twice previously, but didn't hesitate to hop on a standby flight over (thanks to my airline captain brother). Per their usual luck, they brought seldom seen sunshine and warm weather with them to the Emerald Isle. They arrived on a Thursday morning and, thanks to my Accidental Housewife status, I was able to play tour guide and design my own walking tour of Dublin and the surrounding areas. 

We had lunch at the Village Market across the street from our apartment, then walked to the centre to hit the tourist spots -- St. Stephen's Green, Grafton Street, Trinity College, Dublin Castle, The Liffey -- then stopped at Oliver St. John Gogarty's in Temple Bar for a pint of Guinness (my Mom actually had Guinness!) and some live music. Jet lag set in pretty hard after a beer, so we made our way back and had a nice, low key evening at home.

Patrick Kavanagh on Grand Canal

On the Liffey

Pints at Gogarty's - proof of Mom with a Guinness

Friday was spent on the Bray to Greystones walk. It was one of the maybe 5 days that we've had 70 (21+ C) degree weather in Ireland, so I was in a t-shirt and loving it. My Mom, however, actually complained that it was a little hot, ha! I think we should really switch climates.

The 4 of us took took a road trip to Northern Ireland for the weekend, then I took a trip around southwest Ireland with them during the week (both of which I'll cover separately), and we capped the final weekend in Dublin with a trip to Howth. It was a jam packed trip, but well worth it!

It was an amazing experience to make memories with my parents in Ireland AND I was able to take a trip the 3 of us around the beautiful countryside. I guess I have the Irish government to thank for the time off ;)

Next, I'll go over our trip to Northern Ireland and the Antrim Coast...

Dublin Day Trips: Bray to Greystones

The other day, B asked me if I could send him my Dublin itinerary to forward to a visitor in town. As I'm writing itineraries for various European cities, you would think I'd have a great itinerary for the city I'm living in, right? Nope! It got me thinking that I need to put more focus back into Dublin and the surrounding areas. 

The city itinerary is a work in progress, but I'm starting a new series: Dublin Day Trips. 

I've gone on several day trips around the Dublin area that I would definitely recommend for visitors. What's great about Dublin being pretty compact is that you get out of the city quickly. You can take a 30 minute train ride or car ride and be in much more rural, picturesque spot for hiking, lounging, etc. The first trip I'll cover is Bray to Greystones.

Boardwalk & Beach in Bray

Bray and Greystones are two separate coastal towns located just across the Dublin county border in Wicklow. Trains first arrived from Dublin in 1854 and Bray became the hot spot for urban holiday goers, so it was developed to resemble an English beachside town. Greystones is a quaint little town named for a stretch of stones on the beachfront, and makes the location where the southbound DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) terminates.  

View of Bray Boardwalk from the start of the Cliff Walk

The "Bray to Greystones" trip involves catching the DART to either destination (I prefer Bray) and taking the Cliff Walk from one point to the other. You can walk along the boardwalk in Bray, complete the Cliff Walk, stop for a bite in Greystones, and hop on a train back to the city in 3-5 hours total. It's the perfect half day trip! I've done this 5 times now and have enjoyed it every time!

The Cliff Walk itself is about ~3.5 miles and is not strenuous (I've done it in flip flops a couple times, but I would recommend gym shoes!). The route boasts spectacular coastal scenery -- some that, in my opinion, rivals some of the most beautiful places in Ireland on a sunny day. Even after 5 times, the beauty doesn't get old and I'm still compelled to take pictures each time.

See what I mean? Stunning. The path winds around the edges of the cliffs, showing off views of the train cutting through the hillside, rounds off for a great vista of the beach and Greystones in the distance (below), and brings you through country fields on the decline into town. 

My favorite place to end the walk is at The Beach House in Greystones. It's a bright pink pub/restaurant at the end of the walk with a large back patio (useful if you're lucky enough to get a nice day!). It's the ideal place to refuel with a pint and some good local food before walking through the little town centre and heading back into Dublin. 

You can't miss it!

The Bray to Greystones walk is unquestionably one of my top choices for Dublin Day Trips. It's cheap, relatively quick, close to the city, and gorgeous! I'd suggest this for anyone staying longer than 1 day in Dublin, as the city itself is easy to see in a short amount of time. 

More day trips to come...