hahahaha A new subscriber here & golly gosh, you both made me have a good old laugh out loud, which is just what I needed most tonight. I almost choked on my sandwich! lol It's funny because on one hand, you went through a lot together & it must have been quite the experience/challenge, but on the other hand, you created really personal, fun & challenging experiences together (which can bring us even closer to each other) & you have learnt much more about new travel to Ireland. I'm sure your next trip will be more smooth sailing, but even if you do encounter some minor challenges, that's ok too & just keep creating fun experiences. Also, challenges will always be a good learning experience for all of us & even a time for personal growth. We just returned from Ireland & although we didn't encounter any issues @ all, I can certainly appreciate the myriad of challenges that many can & do face during the your travels. For our family, my husband sorted everything out booking wise & thank goodness all went very well, so I was utterly appreciative for his good work. You guys come across as a very chilled, down to earth & sweet couple & I'm glad I found you by sheer accident. We so love Ireland & as we have strong roots there, visiting was a truly heart warming & precious experience. I'd always wished to fly there, but never had until now & it was a dream come true. Finally, I'm so glad that you don't take yourselves too seriously & I personally find this very refreshing. Thanks for sharing your experiences with we viewers. Cheers & peace✌
@MYLOVEOFIRELAND2303. First of all, big thanks for subscribing and watching. Secondly, thanks for your wonderful comments 😀 You paid us back with laughter (belly laughs) and smiles. Just happy you didn’t choke on your sandwich.😀 You seemed to summarize our last trip perfectly. We usually are working towards the same goal but we have different ideas on how to get there. 😂 It makes for interesting conversations and negotiations 😀 We balance things pretty well together. That’s great you and your family got to travel to Ireland! It’s one thing to see videos/pictures of Ireland but unless you actually go there and feel it you’re not getting the whole sense of it.😀 We really enjoy laughing. We don’t mind laughing at ourselves. We’re so happy we gave you a good laugh and a smile. Hope you can get back to Ireland. All the best. Peace and cheers to you as well. 👍😀✌
@donstravelsandrants. That’s kind of you to say.😀 Thanks so much for continuing to watch and comment. I need to comment about your Thailand videos. Loved the food market! The DH monkey comment cracked me up! 😂 We arrive in Dublin on September 6. Excited to go south and west! 👍😀❤🇮🇪🇺🇸
We went in late Feb of last year. I started planning the trip in September. I deep dove into all things Ireland. The food, the sites, the culture, the slang, etc. etc. and still didn't know everything without coming off as your regular American tourist so don't worry about the Derry mix up. The only reason I knew the difference was because I had watched the Netflix show 'Derry Girls ' I would urge you to take a tour bus on some of your travels. It's so educational. We took PaddyWagon tour, from Dublin, to Rock of Cashel, Blarney Stone Castle and a quick stop in Cork. Very informative. They will also make sure you know the famine was not becasue of a potato blight, as we in the USA were told in our history books. There was plenty of food at the time but Britain shipped 30k boats full of fish, grain, and livestock from the Island to feed the people of Britain. Virtually starving out the population of Ireland. That's one of the reason for the historical bad blood they have towards the Empire. That and Cromwell and the Easter Uprising but that's for another day. I would encourage you to take a ferry from Galway to the Aran Islands. Very beautiful and one of the highlights if our trip. We fell in love with Galway as well❤ We took a tour bus while in Galway as well. It was the Galway Tour Company. We went to the Cliffs of Moher, The Dolmen in the Burren among other stops. The driver gave us a non stop history lesson as he drove. Literally non stop and I absolutely loved it. We stopped here and there along the way so we could get out and take photos and he pointed out various castles and Abbey's and their history. If we would have taken a car we would have missed a ton of fascinating history along our way to the Cliffs. That made the trip to the Cliffs and our memories 10x better than If we had just driven up by ourselves. There is so much to see and do you could spend months in Ireland and not see everything. Good luck and safe travels!✌🏼
@WRover4669. Thank you for watching and thank you for your comments and recommendations! We really enjoyed reading your comments! Yes, we have a stack of books, many maps and the laptop is charged at all times.😀 No rabbit hole was too deep! I wish we would have watched ‘Derry Girls’ though. We also researched the origins of the ‘bad blood’ and its worthy of full college course. We read about the famine and stories of the Irish being shipped off to the Carribean to work in the cane fields. As you said, that’s not the story we heard growing up. The day we left for Ireland, the Queen passed away. Her funeral was set for the day we flew back to the USA. With that in the backdrop, we had some our most memorable conversations. For us, the self driving tour gave us the opportunity to be more spontaneous in our destinations. We really enjoyed being able to hang out with locals with a pint in front us.😀 I think you brought up a strong case for using a group bus tour. I would love hearing all the stories and history as well! I must admit, I would usually cringe when I saw a tour bus coming towards us!😀 The bigger vehicle always wins! Aran Islands still on the list. We loved Galway as well. Sorry for the long reply. Thanks and hope you get to see some of our other videos! Good health and safe travels
Yes, it's true that food was exported to Britain during the famine. While the trigger for the famine was the potato blight the main cause was the affect of the penal laws over the previous three centuries. The penal laws (anti-catholic laws) took away the rights of the native Irish to own land, to obtain an education, have any civil rights or hold any wealth. The population were effectively reduced to serfdom. Around the time of the famine 1845 - 1852 Britain was one of the most industrial and wealthy countries in the world but about a million Irish were left to starve to death and another million were forcefully migrated to north America. During the famine Britain spent more money garrisoning Ireland with soldiers than on famine relief.
@@zipperzoey2041 just a quick point the working class all over the British empire got the shitty end of the stick,not just in Ireland. The people who managed to leave didn’t end up with a better life, they just didn’t starve to death.
You know, you're right WRover 4669. When younger, it was always trying to get out of the touristy areas, mingle with locals, doing your own thing. We've traveled back to many of the places visited before, and now in our older years and we do the tours with guides often to tourist meccas. Places we had been before we realize now we saw NOTHING of what the places really were; the history, the culture...the fuller things only a guide could interject.
@zipperzoey2041 It's not as black and white as the original poster said - yes, food and resources continued to be exported to England from here in massive amounts, rather than being used to feed the populace. That wasn't a universal thing across the entire island, however, as there were places where, simply, the blight caused local starvation - even today, significant amounts of the island have essentially dead land - too bad for arable crops, with poor nutrient value for sheep or cattle. I remember standing in one ghost village on the top of a lonely Mayo mountain, not even listed on any Ordnance Survey map, yet there a dozen or so ruins around a single street lie, the steep hillsides around still lined with famine-era crop grooves that failed, without so much as a stick of a tree growing on that bleak, wind-blasted summit. When their crops died, so did that entire village. Elsewhere, some - not many, but some - English landowners did what they could to help their tenants through the famine, employing them on things like the somewhat pointless Famine Roads, going from nowhere much to nowhere, but at least providing employment, work, a chance to live. Where my parents live, they look out on one such Famine project, which was used to employ, and support, hundreds of people during its construction. So, yes, it's a complex topic, but the truth falls in both camps - the blight, and the largely indifferent mismanagement from the then Colonial masters.
I was in Bushmills yesterday. I live in Northern Ireland. I am so glad you got to see the most beautiful part of Ireland, the North Antrim coast. ❤ The Carlton is a great hotel. We were going to Chicago and had an early flight so stayed the night there. We cleared customs and my husband realised he had left his insulin in the room fridge. I went to an Aer Lingus member of staff who contacted the hotel, walked me to arrivals where the manager of the Carlton hand delivered me the insulin. Yes the Irish are so accommodating and helpful. Glad you had a great holiday.
@stepheboyd17. 😀That, is a great story about the people from Aer Lingus and the Carlton! They truly stepped up and deserve the recognition! We really enjoyed our stay in Bushmills 😀👍 It was a perfect place to have access to all the beautiful sites on the North Antrim coast and the people we met were very welcoming 😀 Thank you for watching and commenting.
I'm from Kerry and I recommend you do Kerry and West Cork. These counties have a micro climate from the gulf stream which makes them particularly lush. The west coast gets rockier the further north you travel. In Kerry we have the highest mountain range in Ireland. Kerry and West Cork are very geared towards tourism and not in a bad way. Lots of restaurants and hotels. You will read about the Ring of Kerry which is a circular route anti clockwise around the middle of the county. I wouldn't recommend it. It's long, it will be very stressful for you to drive and you will spend the best part of the day in the car rather that getting out and about and meeting people. I would recommend you do the Dingle Penninsula instead. It's much shorter and lots of bang for your buck scenery wise. There are a number of routes to drive the Dingle Penninsula including the Conor Pass. This is really scenic but look at videos of it first to see if you would be comfortable driving it, sections are very narrow, only 1 car wide. Definitely book a walking tour while there . That will get you out of the car and chatting to people. I would recommend South Kerry, Derrynane, Ballinskelligs and Valentia Island. Killarney. In west cork I would recommend Ballydehob, Clonakilty.
I agree with this .... especially the micro climate ... driving one minute in sun and the next in rain lol then hail and then sun again and only 5 mins down the road
@@thissecondhalfadventure I moved from The Netherlands here for just a few years,.... 18 years ago, so staying out a welcome here is hard to do so it is :D
If by “southern” Ireland you mean as opposed to Northern Ireland, UK; just use Ireland. If you mean areas like Cork, maybe just use where you mean to go.
@@ATLmodK Yes, you’re right. That would save us from any unintended misunderstandings 😀 What we actually meant was “southern “ Ireland as compared to our first trip where we stayed north of a line from Dublin to Galway. We didn’t understand the double meaning. Thanks for watching and sharing. We hope to visit Co Cork and Co Kerry and Co Wexford this trip. 😀✌
Enjoyed your comments and watched your videos on your visit to my country.(I'm a Dub) Waterford, Kilkenny, Cork, Kerry all beautiful though my favourite spot is in Mayo Achill Island. Take time in the National Park in Killarney. Cong in Mayo is very pretty and right beside Ashford Castle.
@1tommymulligan. We really appreciate your support 😀 We are only in Dublin one day this time. The south and the west are in the plan this trip. We knew of Achill Island and Cong but not enough time get everything done 🙁 during the first trip. Again, thanks for watching and adding locations for our next trip! 😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
Just came across your channel, thanks for your info on Ireland. I am heading to Ireland in April from Australia and are doing the south. Will keep you informed.
@kimjones-gw9gu. Greetings from the State of Indiana! Thanks for watching and commenting 😀 That would be a kind gesture of you to give us an update ✌ I’m not sure if you have read any other comments, but we’ve gotten so many suggestions from Irish viewers regarding sites in the south of Ireland we had to create lists (categorically)😀 . With your trip coming up soon this might be too late. Could be a good resource though. All the best and safe travels!
Go to the copper coast in Waterford around Dungarvan and stradbally. Try the cycle greenway from Waterford to Dungarvan along old railway track. There is a lot of them being developed in ireland now and they are stunning. Go across to youghal and kinsale in cork and on through glengariff to Kerry. That should keep ya happy for a week or so 😅😅. Enjoy.
@grahamwilkinson7079. Thanks👍 Appreciate you watching our videos. A couple of viewers have mentioned the Copper Coast. I will look up Dungarvin! Greenways are usually very cool. Chicago and NYC have been utilizing old urban railway lines for a few years 😀 Asheville NC , we found, has some nice greenways. You’ve made some great suggestions. Looking up Youghal and Glengariff. Loved the comment 😀👍✌️🇺🇸🇮🇪
I have been to Ireland a lot, and when I mean a lot, I mean a lot. Yet I have never been to the Waterford and Dungarvan area. Happy to say I'm going to that area for my first time this June. Will be traveling with a friend whose father was from Dungarvan, yet she has never been to Ireland before. Hoping to connect with cousins she knows of, but have never met.
Thanks for another lovely video. At the end as you discuss your return trip to Ireland you draw a line over to Galway City. You should seriously consider the western part of Galway county, a region known as Connemara. A trip to the national park, Kylemore Abbey and a short detour to Doolough in County Mayo would be high on any Ireland travel itinerary. (Doolough is probably the most beautiful place in the country!) And then there’s the Aran Islands….! 🇮🇪
@DELTUBES. You’re the best! 😀Thank you for continuing to watch and support our videos. Love that recommendation! Doolough looks like an amazing beach! We actually went to Kylemore Abbey grounds and hiked the medium trail at Connemara and did a video of our day out. Stopped at a coffee shop in Oughterard. Another great day in Ireland! And then there’s the Aran Islands. 😀 We discussed going out there but the timing just didn’t work out. It’s still on the list for this trip! Thanks again 👍😀🇺🇸🇮🇪
I'd definitely recommend flying into Shannon and doing the west coast from there. The west coast is much different from the east coast. Including the people 😊
@gaothmhor. Thanks for your comment! We looked into Shannon. For us, Dublin was less money and had a schedule that worked better for our vacation time frame. We met quite a few really nice people in the northern part of the island. Excited to see the southern half and chat with as many people as possible. 😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
I love the video, hope Ireland didn't cost you too much....If you want to enjoy Ireland then just ask an Irish person to help you out, we are a very friendly people. Don't over think it. Remember the Irish spread all over the world, it wasn't well thought out. 🤣. There is a joke I love. How do you know the Irish are taking over your country? One of us showns up with a sleeping bag and the name of a lad with a couch. The next thing you know there are Irish bars eveywhere and Paddy's day becomes a holiday.....
@daveologhlen. Thanks for watching and making us smile 😀. It’s always better when you spend less than you budgeted for 😀. We hope to learn from our mistakes 😂. We over think this trip at home . We know when we get out and about, if we need assistance , we just need to ask a local.😀 Loved the joke. All of the Irish people I originally met were in Chicago 😂👍✌🇺🇸🇮🇪
@matthewmurphy750. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍. We had such a lovely time, we are coming back. We’re heading to the south half of Ireland this time. Thanks again !😀👍
A suggestion for someplace to visit that's not on the usual US tourist map - The Hook Lighthouse, Co. Wexford. It's the oldest working lighthouse in the world and it's where the saying 'by hook or by crook' was derived. Nearby is New Ross where the Dunbrody famine ship is moored. It's a reconstruction of a ship used to take Irish emigrants to the US during the Gorta Mór - the Great Hunger (the Great Famine). Very poignant. Then onto Waterford City, the oldest City in Ireland and where Strongbow married Aoife and the occupation of Ireland began. After that then to Cork and then Kerry and An Daingean (Dingle). Enjoy...
@pattobin7066. Very good call!! Never knew about “by hook or by crook “ derivation 😀👍 Love all of the places you mentioned. Your comment felt enthusiastic! Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your suggestions. We appreciate that 😀 All the best!
@johnw614. Thanks so much for your comment and for watching! Not sure if any of our other videos have info that would help . Wishing you safe travels!! 👍✌😀
Lovely vid guys. You're welcome back anytime, I'd suggest driving Dublin to Galway, then South around the coast back to Dublin. If possible check out, Clare Island, Westport, and The Burren in Clare.( The Cliffs of Moher are great but packed with tourists and can be skipped, likewise Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel) Kilarney Park, Kerry is beautiful but avoid staying in the town it's a tourist trap. Explore the South West Coast, without too much planning,relax and enjoy tte pace. If Summer time try strawberry picking in Wexford and visit Wicklow. Above all relax and enjoy and chat to the locals at every opportunity.
@philipstewart2993. Thank you! 😀 Appreciate the time you took for your suggestions. Right now it looks like we’re going in a clockwise direction. We like the Wicklow and Wexford suggestions!👍 We’re also looking at Killarney. We’re pretty good at ferreting out the real touristy spots,but that is good to know. Probably not Blarney Castle, but the grounds look nice. Last time we visited we stayed in Galway (and loved it) , saw the cliffs and hiked in Connemara. Definitely planning for seeing the southwest coast. The one thing we try not to do is over plan. We enjoy the slower pace. Chatting with the locals on our first trip provided some of our best memories. We’re having fun putting this all together and enjoy your input. 👍😀🇺🇸🇮🇪
@@thissecondhalfadventure I'm mixed on Blarney Castle, part of me feels you need to do it as a tourist just once, and part of me says skip it. I did it once, but will be back in June with friends. I will say the grounds/gardens are worth it, even if you don't kiss the stone.
Hi there I enjoyed watching your video and I’m glad you enjoyed your trip here in Ireland. A suggestion I would make is to fly into Shannon airport which is on the west coast of Ireland, you can visit the west of Ireland from there and then travel to Kerry which is a definite must do taking in dingle town (have a real ice cream cone in Murphy’s) and Killarney town ( the dromhall hotel in Killarney is a fabulous hotel and very well priced) you could then travel to county cork and stay in the imperial hotel and visiting the English market (fabulous organic restaurant upstairs) and visit kinsale town. Inchedonney hotel is another fabulous hotel even for one night midweek would be cheaper I think. The ring of Kerry drive is fab. Eccles hotel in glengariff in county cork where Maureen O Hara lived and the drive along the Atlantic coast back to Shannon airport are amazing. I would also recommend taking guided tours on a bus also you get to see so much. You could contact an Irish travel agent for information. Tourism Ireland are a great help. Good luck and happy planning.
@OO-tq6nh. Thank you for the kind words. You’ve gone above and beyond 😀 with your tips! I’m taking notes. We actually wanted to fly into Shannon but it turned out cheaper to fly into Dublin. Plus, Dublin airport had a more flexible schedule for us. I’ve seen many old movies and Maureen O Hara was always a favorite. Thanks for taking the time to share this info with us. 👍👍
Hello Karen & Chris. Your guide and observations are refreshing practical. I'd suggest you view Ireland's favourite painting in the national gallery (free) - The meeting in the turret stairs - for this particular painting, the viewing times are limited to Thursday midday and Sunday 2 - 3 pm. As you wisely point out, these times need to be double checked. As you drive south from Dublin, detour slightly to the Rock of Dunamase. I always associate the painting and Dunamase for some romantic reason. As you travel motorways or boreens, play traditional Irish slow airs on the sound system as it draws on the soul and the landscape. Finally, enquiry about Irish music accompanied by Irish dancing. When both are together, just enchanting. Happy travels!
@paulo4129. Thank you for your comment 👍😀 What a cool tip! I’m going to look the painting up! Thanks for pointing out days/times. We love so many genres of music. You created a painting in my head for the driving music! We traveled to western North Carolina (Asheville) US and listened to a lot of Bluegrass music. I know there are a lot of connections to Ireland. It’s an interesting story, how Bluegrass evolved. Hoping we get that enchanting experience. Hope you keep watching. All the best! ✌👍😀
Drive to Waterford first stop , visit Waterford Glass, then across the south coast into Cork City via Kinsale. Then head out to West Cork , plenty of small towns, Bantry, Schull and Glengarrif . Next the Ring of Kerry into Tralee / Killarney .
@JacktheHand. First, thanks for watching and commenting ! Thanks for mentioning some of the small towns.😀👍 Finishing up our accommodations. We’ve looked at the route you mentioned 😀👍. Hope you keep watching!
Some suggestions for your next trip - scenic drive Wild Atlantic Way, Ring of Kerry, The Burren - County Clare, King John's Castle - Limerick, West Cork region, Dingle Peninsula. There are so many wonderful places here in Ireland. Happy planning for your Irish adventure part 2
@alicewalsh1596. We are looking at Limerick and you’re only the second person to mention it which surprised me. The other sites you mention are also on the list! There’s so much to see and we tend to chat with people so we’ll see everything we can 😂 Thank you for watching and joining the conversation. All the best to you! 👍✌😀
@TheTrichD. Thanks very much for watching! We’re going to see as much of those three locations as we can fit into each day😀. Thank you for mentioning Caha Pass. It looks pretty amazing. We are hoping to drive around the Ring of Beara but not sure if we would have enough time. Driving over the pass looks like a great option. Thank you for the suggestion and thanks for the nice comment .
I see Karen is still sore about the whiskey and chocolates 🙂 Karen I'd suggest getting in touch with the owners about it. Also a 10AM check out is very early! Glad to hear you're coming back to the Emerald Isle. If you're in Dublin for a couple days I'd suggest visiting the National Museum of Archaeology, Kildare St Dublin. It's about a 10 minute walk from Trinity college and free entry. It's full of artifacts from all over the island covering the last 10,000 years. If you've Irish ancestry by the time you leave that Museum you'll know all about the people you're decended from. There are other National Museums in Dublin and around the country e.g. Famine Museum in Roscommon and they are free to enter and very informative.
Thanks so much for the tips zipperzoey! We’re very much looking forward to our upcoming return to Ireland, when I plan to buy replacement whiskey and chocolates. I think they’ll just taste that much better for the wait!😊 Thanks so much for watching and commenting 😊❤️🇺🇸🇮🇪
@@thissecondhalfadventure You're welcome. The reason I recommend the Museum of Archaeology is that most visitors make a bee line for the Book of Kells which is very impressive but the museum contains many more artifacts of a similar age and older. In fact the museum holds the largest collection of Bronze and Iron age gold artifacts in western Europe. As for the trip to the west and the south just follow the Wild Atlantic Way for great scenery. If you're in Wexford town check out the statue of Commodore John Barry, a Wexford man who was co-father of the United States Navy and The John F. Kennedy Arboretum.
For whiskey, go to Middleton in county Cork and go on the Jameson tour. Then go to Clonikilty and do the whiskey tour there and maybe make your own gin; then do the chocolate making tour.
We were there in 2018 and 1 of my favorites was the Irish National Stud and Gardens in Kildare. Also loved the Blarney Woolen Mills in County Cork, just to name a couple. We are going back in May of 2024 to Dublin, the take a train to Northern Ireland, I am so excited.
@sandipitakos6385. Big apologies for not responding quicker. 🙏 Wow, the stud farm and Japanese Garden looks amazing. Sounds like a version of the Lexington KY area. Thank you for suggesting these places, they sound like great spots! How cool that you’re heading back. We wished we could have stayed in Belfast. The causeway coast was beautiful. You’ll have to let us know what you thought about your visit! Thank you for watching and commenting. Safe travels 👍👍😀
@fly4fun350 First of all, thanks for watching and commenting!! We did not know about that information, so thanks again. We knew about Alcock and Brown’s first transatlantic landing near Clifden ( Co. Galway ) and some other landmarks. One of our RUclips cohorts is an airplane enthusiast. We’ll attach a link to his playlist on planes. 😁 ruclips.net/p/PL-yulPTai01npOyRQqFXXvt9tXYsXXTnk&si=xqlSjZloRh37gqN_
If you like gardens, if you're traveling before May, you should visit Mount Congreve just outside Waterford city, a fantastic place to visit full of early spring plants. If you're visiting after May, you should visit Lismore in county Waterford, founded in the 7th century, there's a castle garden there and a Cathedral, a very beautiful small town.
@MultimediaIreland. Those are wonderful tips! We’ll be there in September. Love small towns. Nothing like a peaceful walk through a garden or a small town to relax during a busy trip! We appreciate the time you took watch our video and share these locations. 👍😀🇺🇸🇮🇪
If you do go to Waterford/ Mount Cosgrove then I recommend you visit Curraghmore House and Estate it is the Oldest and most continuously lived in House in Ireland home of Lord Waterford the history is amazing but check hours as its not open to the public every day. Also if you’re in Chicago you can get a 99 at “ The Cone” on west Madison Ave
@@davidbennettst6095 Thanks for watching and commenting! Loved the information about Curraghmore House. Good point about business hours 👍 In the interest of providing a true comparison of a 99 in Chicago, to having one in Ireland we’re checking out the address of “The Cone” 😂 Thanks again. 👍
Not a bother, I enjoyed the video glad to see good honest people appreciating our beautiful island. You're video is very informative for other's not to make the same mistakes as you guys.
A must visit is to Kilkenny City, you won’t be disappointed ☘️🇮🇪 and calcannon make peeled boiled potato, after it’s soft, throw in lots of butter some milk (just a little) and loads of raw white onions (of course salt and pepper) mash by hand masher and don’t over mash, its absolutely delivious 😋
@Gruig15. Thanks for commenting! Kilkenny has received a lot of support from the viewers! 😀 It sounds like we need to go there😀👍 Ok, I’m curious. Does colcannon always have cabbage? I wasn’t sure if you accidentally left it out. Thank you for sharing. I know we’ll try colcannon 😀👍
Another informative video, thanks Guys. In the southern part of the country visit Watertford and the copper coast. Beautiful town and countryside, but the coast is special and not as well known to the tourists.
Thanks so much for the kind words and the recommendations David! We know you have family in Dublin - we'll be flying in around Sept 6 - any chance you'll be visiting the city then? We'd love to grab a pint with you!
Went last year and spent the most time in the south of Ireland. Don't pass up Dingle. Check airbnbs outside Dingle on the coast. We stayed at an amazing place on a cliff about 10 mins outside of the town. Wish we could have stayed longer there. Galway was great for music. Ring of Kerry and the Killarney National Park is a must too.
@whooooaa1. Appreciate you watching and commenting. We’re excited that we heading back to Ireland. We’re looking at accommodations around Dingle. Thanks for the tip 👍 Loved Galway.
Only saw your video this evening so apologies for coming late into the conversation. If your coming back to Ireland in 2024 look at flying into Shannon Airport. Firstly it's a much smaller airport but much less stressful than Dublin. It also has a US Preclearance facility for you departure. Shannon is ideal as its located half way along the West Coast. I would recommend visiting counties Kerry, Clare, Galway and Mayo. I suspect you may have visited Donegal when you travelled to Derry. The reason I picked ths counties is purely the beauty of the scenery along the " wild Atlantic way", the people and and at times the isolation. If you thought the roads were narrow firstvtime round they get narrower the further west you go 😊. Enjoy planning your next visit, there's loads to see. Safe travels
@user-jc2ye3yj7c. No apologies needed here!😀 We really wanted to fly into Shannon but Dublin had a much better price and better flight options for the return. Those factors dictated our decision.🙁 Donegal was everything you said. I played golf on Sheep Haven Bay and Karen hiked at Mt. Errigal. We are planning for Kerry and Cork and east this time. 😀👍We’ve gotten some of the same advice about the roads in the west of Cork and Kerry. We’re getting a smaller car this time 😂 Thank you for joining in. All the best to you!! Hope you keep watching.
@@GrandWalkingTours We like the way you think but we need to fly into Dublin. We hope to see Bunratty near the end of our trip though 👍 Thanks for watching and commenting. 😀😀
I am from Cork. I love West Cork and think it is often overlooked. Glengarrif is a gorgeous coastal town close to the bigger town of Bantry. Lots of gorgeous nature and interesting historical sites.
@kerrybutcher283. 😀We’re assembling a great list of places provided by so many viewers! West Cork is being mentioned often. It looks amazing. Thank you for watching and sharing with us. 👍😀
Our favorite activity we did in Ireland was to visit Ashford Castle in Cong and visited the Falconry. We were able to "fly" the falcons and it was amazing! I highly suggest you do it.
@cindykline9379. That’s cool that you mentioned that! We’ve seen a video on Falconry in Ireland 😀 We were close to Cong when we visited Connemara. Hiked at Connemara and visited the grounds at Kylemore. Did they also have owls? It looks great! Thanks for watching and sharing with us 👍✌😀
Hi Karen & Chris. I would recommend a visit to Kilkenny. Irelands medieval capital. You can visit the castle, climb the round tower, see a medieval merchant’s house and many more interesting things to do and see xx
@bridkavanagh8894. Thanks for watching and commenting! Kilkenny is definitely on our agenda 😀. I think I read about the “Medieval Mile” . We’re excited to check out Kilkenny 👍 Thanks for recommending it.
I’d highly recommend spending time in Clare. You have bunratty castle and folk park where you can immerse yourself in medieval Ireland and even attend a banquet. You have the renowned cliffs of moher along the “flaggy shore” as Séamus Heaney calls it in his poem “Post-script”. A you also have one of the geological wonders of the world - The Burren with its glacial landscape, foreign flora, and Stone Age graves. A lesser known gem in Clare is Cragganowen - a 16th century settlement and museum. If you can fly to Shannon, you definitely should. It is a quick an easy airport where you’ll be through security in 10 minutes and won’t need to remove liquids or electronics. It was also the first airport in the world to have a duty free shop and US pre clearance. And it has one of the longest runways in Europe, which was partly funded by NASA, because it is a designated landing site for the ISS if needed. Cork probably has more flight options though and is a fine airport with more shops.
@benogorman8505. Big thanks for watching and commenting 👍 Happily, on our first trip we drove to the Cliffs from Galway and had a great day. Sadly we didn’t have time for the Burren . We’re going to be farther south but not terribly far. It would be nice to get there and the settlement. Very cool information about Shannon Airport! Wanted to fly into Shannon but the price and schedule at Dublin worked out better for us. I will be searching for ‘Postscript’ . 😀
I just got back from Ireland, and I made a few mistakes. I planned too much time in Dublin, booked a standard instead of automatic car, booked too much time in hotels and not b&bs, did not fly direct, transferred in London/Heathrow (which I will never do again), used a private car to go from Dublin to Kilarney instead of using the train. When I go again, I will do all my own driving (not a big deal), I will fly direct into Shannon and use air b&bs exclusively. Plan more time in the small towns and avoid the real tourist spots.
@patrickhanly7458. Thanks very much for sharing!! We’re making our second trip to Ireland in September and we are making some changes similar to yours. We really wanted to fly into Shannon direct out of Chicago, but we chose Dublin because the price difference was significantly lower. I agree, the smaller towns were some of our best memories 😀 Some of the tourist spots aren’t too bad if you can get there before the tourist buses. We also hope to use the train on the two days we don’t have a car. Sounds like you have a plan 👍😀 Thanks for watching and safe travels.
I'm so glad I read this, not that you made mistakes. This is what we are doing in September for our first Ireland trip. We are flying into Shannon, reserved a mini automatic car (we drive compact cars at home too), and will be splitting our time (one week total) around Shannon and the Dingle area and flying back out of Shannon.
@@patrickhanly7458 Ah. My mistake. We are going in late August really. We usually go to the UK in September so that was a reflex. Hopefully late August is also an ok time to go. I got a good flight deal to Shannon in late August instead of our usual mid-September. We have had a lot of good weather luck in England and Scotland in mid-September. I prefer the shoulder seasons so it's a little less crowded but the days are still a decent length for sightseeing. This will be our first time driving on the left. I'm pretty stressed about that.
What ever you choose to visit, plan loooots of time for everything. We traveled to the southern part of Ireland in a week but three would have been beter. South west Ierland is magical! I liked the Clifford of Moher but it’s very busy. The Kerry cliffs are wonderful and wild. They have a great view on Skellig Island too. I would definitely book a room in the south of the peninsula if you choose to drive the ring of Kerry. We happened to stay way too long around Killarney and drove to Port Magee through lady’s view and the Ballaghbeama Gap at the end of the day. It was in June and it was the best thing what could have happened to us. The road was clear of other tourists and we couldn’t stop with whoo’s and whaaa’s, so incredibly beautiful!! The ring of Kerry from Port Magee to Kenmare is majestic and you can have a break at Skellig chocolate and cafe 😉 We plan to stay a week at the Beara peninsula during our next Irish visit.😅 What ever you choose to do, enjoy!
@cecilenoe8356. Thanks so much for sharing your travels and tips!👍 We know it’s tough to see everything in the time frame we have 🙁 so we’re trying to prioritize the places we want to visit. Try to have alternate plan if the weather is against us 😀 We were looking at Beara rather than the full Kerry Ring. Not sure yet 😀 The drive to Port Magee you mention sounds great! All the best to you. Safe travels 👍😀✌
Your list of things you did not get to do is hysterical. Particuraly the food items. Not having a 99 is borderline sacrilege. Yes it's just soft-serve ice cream with a Flake, but there is something very satisfying about it. Glad you are going back. Problem is in researching your next trip, you are going to have so many things on your list you can't do them all. Then you'll go and see only some of those fantastic places and learn about others that you wish you had 'just one more day'. That list will grow and grow and grow. I have been to Ireland 58 times and I have yet to see half of the things that are on my list, because that list keeps growing. So many places I want to go back to and so many I have yet to see.
Hi Katrina! It was great to meet you and Des as well! Our favorite thing about Ireland is the warm and friendly people and you certainly represent your country well! Thanks for the recommendation of the Bald Eagle for dinner- the food was good and the staff was funny and personable! 😊☘️🇮🇪🇺🇸
@KitKatKittyKat. This reply comes from Chris 😀 Yes, we had a great time! What a great recipe for fun: A dog (Jessie) to pet, talking about music, a dash of politics and just good vibes! Good stuff! Please tell Des I owe him a pint😀 Really enjoyed talking to you both. Thanks for reaching out Katrina!
@@thissecondhalfadventure I will let him know but honestly that’s how we roll here in Ireland, nobody owes anyone anything 😎 Hopefully we will meet again one day, delighted to hear you guys had a great time and I will keep an eye on the rest of your adventures! Safe travels ♥️
I traveled to Ireland in October 2023 and had an amazing time! Planned the trip myself, in part, with the help of your suggestions. Thank you very much!!! I leaned heavily on Rick Steves' guidebook, somewhat on a Fodor's guidebook, and sat in front of my computer for countless hours. Roughly, we started our trip in Dublin, made a clockwise circle around the The Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland and back to Dublin. I made my share of mistakes. Despite warnings, I tried to pack too much in! One regret is that we bypassed Galway. So enamored with Ireland's natural beauty, locations of this type took priority. We were only going to have lunch in Galway, but then weather considerations, combined with our schedule, forced our decision to skip Galway. (Maybe some not so great planning, too.) We wanted to make sure we got to the Cliffs of Moher on a good weather day. I didn't want to make a new reservation and cancel a planned one. If a situation like that ever comes up again though, I might decide to make an accommodation change and let go of the money. Well see... I suggest you explore Galway. Wherever you choose, I will watch your videos. 🙏♥☘
@cynthiab9077 thank you so much for your kind words and support! We, too, loved all the natural beauty of the Republic and Northern Ireland. We used Galway City as a hub for three nights, and were lucky enough to find a B&B (not too expensive) in the Merlin Park neighborhood with a bus stop literally right outside their door. This enabled us to drive to area sights by day (the Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey, Connemara National Park, etc.), then take the bus into Galway City in the evening to visit the Spanish Arch, trad music sessions, Aran sweater market, and meet the locals in pubs without having to drive. Here's a link to one of our Galway videos... Thanks again, and happy travels! ruclips.net/video/xk3Nqgm98_M/видео.htmlsi=_J4U7sJHqbq0kJYY
@johnshortt3006. Thanks for watching and commenting! Good call! Cobh is definitely a place we want to see. Are there any places in Cobh you recommend? We are aware of the more popular sites (Titanic) . Thanks for mentioning the train. I think we saw a 1 hour train ride to Cobh from Cork. Probably better than driving and parking though. Thanks again.👍
The Roaring Donkey is a great pub with local trad musicians on Tues or Wed night. There’s lovely restaurants and a nice walk along the waterfront. There’s a zoo but we didn’t make it there.
@@johnshortt3006 Thanks for responding to my question. We want visit the waterfront, see a few shops and probably grab a bite. The Roaring Donkey looks great! Thank you for sharing that😀👍✌
@danielgoh4290. Thank you for watching and commenting 👍. So many of our viewers have taken time to send us their favorite towns, drives, sights and more!! We’ve put together a large list of sites from the comments we’ve received. Sadly, we have to decide which ones can or can’t get to in the timeframe we have.🙁 The number of responses has been so cool! Hope you keep watching our videos! 👍😀✌
Great video, your comments are so gracious, it will be a pleasure to have you back in September, don't miss Kilkenny, Ireland's most medieval city in the southeast of the country.
@edmurphy5636. Thanks for the kind words! We’ve looked at Kilkenny and we’re going to stay there two nights. We think we can get down to Wexford and Waterford and back to Kilkenny in a day trip. Is that crazy? Too much in one day? Thanks for sharing your comments! 😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
Hi, You can easily do Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford as a day trip, but basing yourself in Kilkenny during your stay in the southeast makes the most sense. I'm a retired man with lots of time and if you need someone to show you the hidden bits of Kilkenny, I'd be delighted to do so. Enjoy your trip.@@thissecondhalfadventure
@edmurphy5636. Thanks for your response! That confirms some things we weren’t sure about. If you like send us your contact information to Thissecondhalfadventure@gmail.com We’ll see what works out. We’re finishing up primary details. Thanks for your kind offer! 😀👍
@mcgarrtirishgal3903. Thanks for watching and joining in! I must say Derrynane Beach looks amazing 😀👍 If time allows, we’ll probably stop! 👍 We’re also going to be near Kinsale 👍 Cashel is on our wish list! Great choices. Hope you keep watching 👍😀✌
@mellaanne1. Thanks for your comment. You can be sure we won’t be driving in the highly congested areas.😀 We will have to watch checkout times a little closer. 😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
I got upgraded from a Ford Focus to a BMW sedan - it was a most splendid upgrade! (Part of the upgrade was that my old college friend from Navan showed up at the airport in a nice upmarket Landrover wagon - and the rental guy saw an opportunity!) It was actually a only slight price increase - and it was a superb choice for all the twisty hill roads of the west and south coasts on our 10 day sojourn! My wife certainly approved... just saying! Thoroughly enjoyed the trip west from Navan to Westport, the trip down past Galway bay to the Burren and cliffs of moher, the trip around the Dingle peninsula (fabulous) - and then down to Crookhaven and back through Cork, Fermoy and the Waterford Glass facility. A never to be forgotten 10 days in Eire and one I hope to repeat - for a month this next time.
Sounds like you had a fabulous trip, and nice wheels to boot! Always good when you keep the Mrs. happy - in our house we say "Happy wife, happy life!" 🤣Thanks so much for watching and commenting!❤️
@northernsegageorge6510 Thanks for the comment. Ireland is truly our favorite place to visit. Hope you keep watching our videos. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I would suggest seeing Connemara. You have so many historical sites to see, fresh fish from the sea and scenery to die for. Everything is in within a short distance, Kylemore Abbey and the lovingly restored walled, Victorian garden, the hike up to the sacred heart high in the mountain. Connemara National Park with the Diamond Hill. You have the Padre Pio shrine at Tully Cross, a beautiful beach at Renvyle, and if you're feeling brave, you can hop the ferry to Inish Bofin from Cleggan. Clifden, which is the main town, is where Alcock and Brown's plane landed in the bog, and the Marconi station is nearby. To me, it's one of the best places Ireland has to offer as everything is on the doorstep. Whether you want a posh hotel or hostel and everything in between, it's all here in a stones throw. I love the mountains and lakes of Connemara and blessed to live here.
@moirafitzgerald5353 thank you so much for watching and commenting! We had the great fortune of visiting your lovely Connemara on our last trip over, including Kylemore Abbey and Diamond Hill. The scenery was stunning and there was so much to see and do, as you said. Find the link to that roadtrip video here- ruclips.net/video/OhVqDSiOzwY/видео.htmlsi=fvZcJjkEyd1dojqT If only there were more time for it all... ❤🇺🇸🇮🇪🍀 (there's no emoji for wistful wishing, apparently...)😆
@thissecondhalfadventure It's a shame that you didn't take the opposite route to Galway as it's so much more picturesque. I'm glad that you were able to view some of God's magnificent performance from the Diamond Hill. I was blessed to go to school in Kylemore Abbey, which was brought by the Benedictine order when their home in Ypres was burnt to the ground. The nuns carried the sacred heart high into the mountain, and the castle, which had originally been built as a wedding gift, became Kylemore Abbey and a girls boarding school. Unfortunately the school closed in 2010. I don't know if you got to feel the magic in the air between Letterfrack and Kylemore Abbey. You need at least a good week to see all that Connemara has to offer. If you would like to visit my area in the future, I would be happy to help plan you a good itinerary that's affordable. One of my closest friends resides in Oughterard and she's a wealth of knowledge of her area as I do of mine. There are 2 small islands 40 minutes by ferry to them which are both inhabited. You don't need a car to go over and the Islands are only open in the season for tourists. I love getting the ferry over to Inish Bofin and the smaller Island is called Inish Turk. Kylemore Abbey has changed alot since your last visit and now includes the new chapter house and retreat. It's such a shame that you stayed in Galway city and I hope that you will visit my beautiful area again so that I can show you some hidden gems here that many tourists don't know about or get to see. I'd love to connect with you if you're happy to do so as you so obviously love our beautiful Emerald Isle.❤️🙏
@@moirafitzgerald5353 how fascinating that you attended Kylemore’s school! We were sad that we didn’t have time to hike up to the Sacred Heart statue☹ We saw when we were there that they were beginning the expansion you mentioned. The islands sound amazing,! We would love to return to the northwest of the ROI, but it may be a while before we can do so- we have our itinerary nearly set for this fall’s trip, and next year holds a commitment to visit family in Alaska and film the area for our channel. So we’d be looking at 2026 at the earliest 🙁We’d love to stay in touch though and see what develops. If you are interested, forward your contact info to our channel email : Thissecondhalfadventure@gmail.com Thanks so much for your info and support of our channel,😊🇮🇪🇺🇸❤
It was very disconcerting - and there was hardly a mention of it online. Thank goodness for the kind people at Aer Lingus and Chris’s easygoing nature! Thanks so much for viewing and commenting !😊♥️
Chris & Karen. Just found your vlog & new to your channel. Ireland travel is fresh & I'm planning a return in September 2024. We visited Ireland in April-May 2019, pre COVID-19 🙃😉👍🏻
@berniemcmahon5440. Welcome to our channel!!! Thanks for watching and commenting. 😀👍 We’re also returning to Ireland in September. We try to be informative and have a little fun on this channel. We enjoy getting feedback. Sometimes it’s critical but most times the feedback is fun, positive and informative. Read a few of them if you get a chance. 👍😀
Yes, St Patrick's Southside parade on Western Ave to 111th. Beverly & Mount Greenwood locations. We head to Ireland for our second trip. Hoping to base'camp' ... stay 3 days at each of 4-5 locations for sidetrips. Not run & gun ...
@@berniemcmahon5440 Hah! Was the cool street with larger homes and yards called Longwood ? ‘Base camp’ cool! Our best times were heading out from our base for the day and getting back to enjoy the town/village we were staying in. Sounds like you have a fine plan!😀 All the best on your trip. 👍✌😀🇺🇸🇮🇪
I’m from Northern Ireland, about 8 miles from Bushmills. One thing you didn’t mention, food-wise, was a Veda loaf. This is a malt loaf and I think it’s a loaf peculiar to Northern Ireland. If you’re back again & get the chance buy the uncut one (the pre-sliced one isn’t the same imo) and slice it thickly yourself. Toast it, butter it and eat while the butter is melting with a big mug of tea. Comfort food at its finest. My husband and I were being tourists in our own country today:we went to Derry this morning on the train, had coffee and a lovely scone in a wee cafe in the Craft village and then walked the walls before coming home. Derry people are very friendly. Glad you had a good trip.
@hf3739. Thanks for watching and commenting!! Of course I had to find out what a Veda loaf was😀 We had a micro brewery in town that used the spent grains to make bread and pizza crust. Is this similar to the malt flour? Your description of the toast and tea just made us smile. Sounds very comforting 👍 It’s good to be a tourist in your own country. Sometimes we forget all the things we have with in a 2 hour drive. We also picked up some coffee at a cute/creative cafe as well. The name fails me ☹ Every one we met in Derry was friendly as you said. We were extremely happy that we able to stay for a couple of days in Northern Ireland 😀👍 Hope you keep watching. Thanks.
@Malevich2024. Thanks for watching 👍 That’s part of our plan. We would really like to visit Wicklow city but we may not get there (time) because we are heading west into the county and south to Wexford. Kilkenny for sure!! Hope you keep watching. Appreciate the comment.
People always go to Glendalough in Co. Wicklow which is an old monastic sight, it is beautiful. However, depending on the time you go it can be quite tourist heavy. I recommend trying Powerscourt Gardens in Enniskerry (also in Wicklow). Again, this can be a bit touristy but there’s the gardens to walk around in, a whiskey house tour, and a small shopping centre (inside the old Powerscourt house) for some souvenir indulgence ☺️. Also for the maps, before you go, you can download an offline google maps of a region which is very helpful. It doesn’t take traffic or such into account but ensures that you always have directions available.
@chocohooligan8634. Thank you for your suggestions 👍 Yes, we’ve gotten many mentions about Glendalough. Enniskerry is nearer to Dublin I see. We’ve got one day in Dublin before we pick up our car. Some places we’d like to see in Dublin but we’re also looking at a half day trip by train on that day. Decisions to be made😀 Appreciate the tip for google maps . Having that extra resource is always a good thing 👍😀 Thank you for sharing that with us.
The south of Ireland contains Wicklow, Waterford, Wexford, Cork, Kinsale. Kerry, Dingle. Adare and Cashel not to mention all the things to see in each place. One of the best things we experienced was a ruin of an abbey near Golden. A shop keeper in Cashel told us about. And then there are the Aryan Islands, the Cliffs of Mohr, the Killarney National Park, the Blarney Castle, the Muckross House, the Ring of Kerry just to name a few.
@mdrewry04. Thank you for your comments 👍 You’ve mentioned a lot of the places we want to visit! You’re right, “all the things to see “ at each stop throw off a schedule 😀 The reward is you we’re fortunate enough to see a ruin you’ll never forget 😀 We met a retired league rugby player in Oughterard that had opened a coffee shop and was doing great work for his hometown. It’s great to check everything off ones list but talking with and listening to the locals is the best! Thanks for watching 😀👍✌
When you guys come back I’d recommend my home county Co.Wicklow (Glendalough) is a beautiful area about a hour outside Dublin and make your way by the south east Co.wexford Co.Waterford Co.Cork Co.Kerry all county’s are next to each other and personally from someone who is 30 minutes from Dublin avoid it it’s ok for a day but honestly the south east/south west of Ireland is a far better experience of Ireland for you guys. 😊
@jamesbyrne4204. 😀We are heading south to Wicklow and west towards Cork. Arrive in Dublin early morning so we’ll be doing the adrenaline walk😀 for the day and head out the next morning. We missed a lot in Dublin last time. Thank you for your comments!👍😀✌
What a terrific video! My home in Ireland is Lanesborough, County Longford. The village is actually two of them, Lanesborough and Ballyleague, divided by the River Shannon. A placard on the bridge tells you that Lanesborough is in County Longford, and Ballyleague is in County Roscommon. The river also marks the division of provinces(Leinster and Connaught), and Catholic dioceses (Armagh/ Clonmacnoise and Elphin). The river scenery is beautiful. It’s about 30 miles north of Athlone, also on the River Shannon…perhaps a future visit will take you along its banks, its the longest river in Ireland (214 miles).
We'll be seeing the southern half of the republic on this year's trip, but have been to Athlone and plan to see the Shannon again in Limerick this trip! Such a beautiful country you have!🙂🇮🇪🇺🇸🍀💚
You guessed the nature and purpose of a spice bag perfectly 🙂It is indeed a big bag of greasy food to soak up the alcohol after a night in the pubs, and it never fails.
@steviemac9055. Thanks for validating our original thoughts on the spice bag 😀 We got a spice bag just recently in Dublin. We’ll get into details in an upcoming video. All I will say now is that we were fit as a fiddle the next day! Thanks for your comment. Loved it!
Oh, how wonderful! Loved this video. Maybe we'll run into each other since we'll be there in September as well. This will be my 2nd visit. This time we're going to visit Cobh and Kinsale which are near Cork. This was at the suggestion of an Irish friend living in the states. Happy Travels!
@debradamato4269. Thanks so much for your comment! Sorry our paths won’t cross as we just returned home yesterday. Your Irish friend is steering you in the right direction 👍 We based ourselves in Cork and visited both. So cool in our opinion. Not sure what your interests are but lots of history and beautiful seaside views. If you have questions let us know! Glad you watched the video. Safe travels!!
@@thissecondhalfadventure Great Grandparents were from Cork area. We were in Ireland once before and I absolutely loved being there. This trip will also include Dublin, Killarney, Dingle and Galway. Absolutely love staying at Pax House in Dingle. Happy to return to some places I've been, and looking forward to taking trains this time during our explorations. Maybe this time the Cliffs of Moher won't be socked in with fog. LOL Looking forward to your next video of your most recent adventure.
Hi guys, my one recommendation is to get out of Dublin, there's so much more to see! Travel the Ring of Kerry, or the Wild Atlantic Way, visit Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. Just to the south of Dublin is the Wicklow mountains, and Glendalough, a personal favourite day trip of mine, travelling up and over Sally Gap to get there. The Rock of Cashel is a nice stop if you have time. To the north of Dublin (about an hour by car), is Newgrange, a 5000 year old tomb which is cool if you want to kill a few hours.
@andrewrymell1. 👍 We’ve had quite a few suggestions regarding Wicklow. All of them have been positive 😀 We’re going south from Dublin so Wicklow is part of the plan but like you mention, time is our biggest obstacle 🙁 Newgrange looks very cool but we know we won’t have time. If you have a chance, we have a couple of videos about Galway,the Cliffs and Sligo. The other locations you mention are great choices Our lists get longer each day. Thanks for watching and joining in the discussion!
@davishello22. That’s cool! Our last trip was also September so we’ll hope that the weather matches that trip 😀 Can’t count on it though. You’ll have let us know how much fun you had!! Hope you keep watching. Safe travels.👍✌️
Where in Scotland? I hope you have a nice trip. We went to Edinburgh, Dunbar, and Stirling two years ago in September. The weather was beautiful, clear skies, not more than a drop of rain. It was all breath taking. The food was unbeatable too. We ate basically at random for the week and didn't get one bad meal. Our only issue was the queen laying in state on the Royal Mile for most of our trip. That was a big mess to try to navigate around. Oh..and the wasp nest inside our VRBO.
@LouiseCarson-e5m Big thanks for watching 😀✌ Hoping you have a great time. Let us know if you have any last minute questions? Not sure where in Ireland you’re going but we’ve released videos about sites north of Galway including the Causeway Coast area. Best wishes!
Had a “crisp” (tayto) sandwich for lunch today, with a little brown sauce. Fish pie, is an absolute must, comfort food of highest order. We always have Cadbury’s flakes for ice cream cones in summer, and just so.
Loved your video. Planning my own second half trip with hubby. Interested more in slow travel. I want to start in County Clare and not necessarily see everything. I would love to see a video of Doolin, Ennis, any of the County Clare sites. I’m reading the entire memoir series by Niall Williams and Christine Breen about County Clare. Looking forward to watching your videos! 😊
@cherylkurland1755. Thank you!! How cool for you and your hubby 😀 Not sure if you’re driving or not. Driving gave us a chance to set our own schedule at a pace that we were comfortable with. We stayed in Galway for three nights. We did a day trip to Connemara/ Kylemore Abbey with short stops here and there. Next day was a day trip to Cliffs. Sadly we didn’t get to Doolin or Ennis. We’re going to see if we can get to Ennis this year 😀 The memoir series sounds like a great resource! That’s a great idea. Thanks for suggestions, we’ll do the best we can to get to a couple of spots in Clare👍😀
@@jonathantipper9614 Apologies for not responding quicker 😀✌ That sounds beautiful! Thanks for the suggestion. I enjoy a comment that makes me curious enough to do a little research 😀 Your comment is going on our list to let others know about places a little off the radar that should be checked out 😀 Thanks for watching and letting us know. Hope you keep watching. 😀👍✌
@@jonathantipper9614 I would have bet money I responded to your comment but now I don’t see it. My apologies ✌. Loved the suggestion! We’re going to be on the move a few times and this looks like we need to hang out in the area for a while 😀 It’s going our list for the next time 😀when we can enjoy it more! Thanks for commenting and watching 👍✌😀
Killarney National Park, Kinsale (a beautiful town!), the Cliffs of Moher (Yes, touristy, but so amazing!), Lahinch Beach, the Burren. I saw them all last year on our tour and loved them all. Going back in June to explore more of the Wild Atlantic Way!
@Bozoette. Thanks so much for watching! Loved the cliffs! We’re hoping to see Killarney and Kinsale and more on this next trip. I think there is a very nice golf course in Lahinch😀. Very cool that you’re going back👍 Check in with us when you return if you get a chance. Safe travels!! Hope you keep watching!
Come to Wicklow an hour south of Dublin. Beautiful scenery you can visit so many wonderful places around county Wicklow and beyond. It’s called the garden of Ireland and its beautiful scenery and landscapes do the title justice.
@ellen8428. Thank you watching and for your recommendation. It’s kind of funny but on our last trip we were up in the Guinness Sky Bar. We could see the Wicklow Mountains on that clear day. We told ourselves that we would go see them on the next trip 😀. We plan to get a closer view this time!
@typedrtyped5376. Thanks for your comment! 😀 It’s looking like we’ll be in that area (why not). I think that’s where Jameson is, right? Thank you for the suggestion of Spike Island. Love hearing about places we haven’t read about. 👍❤ Thank you for watching and sharing your info! All the best !
A few musts are Waterford, staying at the Fitzwilton Hotel. Cycling to Dungarven from Waterford using the Greenway. Also Roscarberry is great especially the standing stonds about 1 km outside of the town. Baltimore is also a lovely town. Cant leave out Ring of Kerry and Diamond hill in Connemara, Cliffs of Moher and the best place in Ireland is Achill Island and Westport and Croagh Patrick. Hope that helps you.
@belfast01uk Thanks very much. That’s a great list of suggestions!! We were lucky enough to visit Connemara and the Cliffs of Moher on our first trip but we’re kicking ourselves for not getting to Westport or Achill Island. We’re staying south of Galway and Dublin this time so we plan to visit Waterford and Kerry. Roscarberry and Baltimore are going on our list😀👍 The greenway sounds like a great ride as well. Thanks again for sharing with us. Hope you keep watching 👍😀✌
@norikobeck2009. Thank you for watching and joining in the conversation ! We’re going to visit Wexford and stay in Kilkenny. It looks like we could go to Enniscorthy on our way there 😀 Thanks for the tip. Looks like something we would enjoy. Hope you keep watching!
@GordonLF. Thanks for watching and commenting. You know, everyone wants a long awaited trip to go perfectly. We missed a second page for the confirmation from the printer for the Airbnb . Don’t know how rental car date changed (clerical?) Bottom line we didn’t catch it! We always joke that ‘ reading is a skill’ . We didn’t pay enough attention and it didn’t ruin our trip but it cost us a few more dollars. I guess we’re just trying to impress on viewers to pay better attention than we did. We’re not perfect but we won’t make ‘those’ mistakes again 😀👍✌
Traveling is super hard, things always seem to come up! but it is what makes it an adventure and exciting, and a mixture of good and unfortunately bad! We will be heading to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland this autumn! Our last trip was Japan and Korea. My worse travel experiences were in Colombia but partially through airlines cancellation from the US side. Loved Cartegena and Medellin though!
@glorytalbott5500. You certainly seem to have the right state of mind to travel! 😀 Sometimes things just happen. Just don’t let it ruin your trip. The travels you’ve been on sound amazing! Very curious about language barrier in Korea and Japan. We’re also curious about Columbia 😀 We wish you safe travels this autumn. Let us know if you have any questions about Ireland or Northern Ireland. Thank you for watching and commenting.
My sister married a Japanese man twenty years ago and they have four children. So we (my grown daughters came, too) stayed with my sister when in Japan. My sister is fluent in Japanese and English but I still learned some basic Japanese like thank you (aragato gozaimasu) and other short polite responses. I only knew thank you in Korean and that was it! But we were in Seoul and we still managed to get around there. The worse thing I did was try to stick Korean won into a metro ticket machine in Japan instead of Japanese yen. Someone nicely commented that I was using the wrong money, lol. The good thing about Colombia is it's cheap once you get there. But be careful of the area. Most Americans stay in the area of Poblado in Medellin but we also liked staying in other parts such as Bello where we only saw the locals. I've been to Medellin five times. Americans often pronounce Medellin incorrectly so look up the proper way to say it before traveling there. Someone corrected the way I said Edinbough (Scotland) so I've since corrected it before we go there this autumn! My husband and I plan to see Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland for the first time ever.
@Alan112573. Thank you for watching 👍👍 We really hope to go to the crystal factory. We would like to pick up something there😀. We also want to explore Waterford as much as we can! Glendalough is an excellent selection! We’re trying to work out how much time we can spend. We appreciate your comments!!
Good tip about flying to Shannon and accessing the Wild Atlantic Way which runs from West Cork to Donegal, amazing scenery in all counties along the way. Try and go to see hurling or Gaelic football games (unique Irish sports) - you’ll meet and see the real Irish at these very popular sports, hurling is the fastest field game in the world. Also take in a County Agricultural Show or similar - again you’ll meet the locals !! Go off the beaten track a little, don’t stick rigidly to the guide books. Good luck and have a great time. 🇮🇪🇮🇪
@jackbeag. Thanks for jumping in and sharing these tips! Yep, Shannon would have been great to fly into but Dublin turned out to be less money. Plus Dublin had better departure times that worked with our schedule.👍 Great suggestion about sports! 😀👍 I need to study up a bit on hurling. Just started watching rugby in the last couple of years. I’m guessing Gaelic football is different. I’ll be checking that out as well. The county Ag Show is also a cool idea. We’re familiar with them in the state of Indiana.🐂🐖🐑
We loved this video, this so sounds like my wife and I traveling. Things happen but just enjoy and have fun. Heck we may run into you, we will be in Ireland in September 2024 in the south also. You will most likely find us stumbling from the Midleton Distillery.
@jameswhitted762. Thank you 🙏 for that comment. We try to make the best of what we have to work with. Why ruin a vacation by dwelling on small things . Sounds like you and your wife have a good thing going. I think we’re going to Middleton. 😀 Date to be determined but what a laugh that would be if we accidentally met?!?😀 I meant stumbling out of the distillery 😀 We’re close to confirming our ‘hubs’ that we go out for day trips. Excited about south Ireland since we went north last time. Safe travels and good times! 👍✌😀
@@fiachraswaz 😀👍We’re going to be in that area..if you think of a couple of places, we would certainly add them to our list. Thanks again for watching and commenting!
If your driving head down to aghada for lunch, its a nice little village and is on the water. Either that or head down to ballycotton, again a really nice little village where you can get a nice fish meal ( ballycotton also has a pretty famous fish wholesalers) ballycotton is about 25 mins from midleton on the youghal side and is a bit hidden away so if its just lunch aghada is probably a better option both in terms of distance and driveability. You probably wont have the time but fota wildlife park is just before cobh (the titanics last port of call) and is unique in terms of while you walk around it the wildlife roam free except the tigers etc, that would be asking for trouble. You probably know midleton would be close enough to cork city but personally id be more inclined to go to places outside the city ( blarney etc) but there is a few places in cork city to see. All in all depending on how much time ye have there would be plenty to see in the east cork region....beware of the traffic round cork city it can be manic at times
@@fiachraswaz Thanks! Yeah I have that wildlife park marked if we have some time to do that. We will see about checking out those places you pointed out.
The most famous tourist spot in the south is the Cliffs of Moher. Tourists often drive to the visitor centre, park in the car park and wander around the area near the car park which is usually crowded (probably not in September though). It will cost you €16 to park there. The alternative is to drive to Liscannor. A farmer has turned his land into a car park. You pay €2 for the day (that was the rate 2 years ago, it may have increased) and you walk along the cliffs from the car park to the visitor centre. It's a beautiful walk along the cliff path and rarely crowded. It takes about an hour. Go on a clear day. It's miserable in the rain. And don't walk too near the edge. The cliff sometimes crumbles away without warning and people have died there. But they marked off a path for walkers and if you stick to that there's absolutely no danger. They've kind of overdone the safety aspect so you can walk outside the marked path (everyone does) but it's safest to stay away from the edge. To find the Liscannor car park, stop in the village of Liscannor and anyone local will give you directions. There's also a pub in the centre of the village that does great seafood but I can't remember its name. You can also walk from the visitor centre to Doolin but I've never done that and a local told me the path is quite rough.
@valcollinsbooks1712 thanks so much for watching and commenting! We had the great pleasure of visiting the Cliffs on our last trip over, and though we didn't park down by Hag's Head, we had lovely weather that day and walked down to there and back to the visitor's center and O'Brien's tower. What stunning scenery! We stayed well away from the edge! We took a look at your author website and ordered your newest book from Amazon! Looking forward to reading it! Thanks again for watching and best of luck with your book series!
I'm an irishman born and bred. I live in a small county called Monaghan about 1 1/2 hrs drive from Dublin airport headng North. Castle Leslie is a beautiful place to stay in a quaint little village called Glaslough (look it up) it was made famous when Paul Mc Cartney (from the Beatles) got married there to Heather Millls in 2002.
every time I have hired a car in Ireland they never have the type of car I book, even when I have booked months in advance, they most have much bigger car which are much more expensive. They also have like a holding bond which can be as much as 3000 euro on your credit card.
@robertnairn7353. Thanks for watching and for your comment. You’re not the first person to mention the car upgrade issue. My dad used to call it “the old switcharoo “. 🙀 The person hiring the car usually doesn’t have time to wait for the car they hired and they’re forced into the upgrade so they can be on their way. Other than taking your business elsewhere, I’m not sure how to remedy that problem. We use a tour company for parts of our trip. We hire our vehicle through them which saves us a few headaches such as the holding bond. Thanks again. 👍😀
We were in Ireland for 3+ weeks. I did all of the planning myself. I didn't want to leave it to a travel agent. We also rented a car mid way (spent one week in Dublin). We rented from the airport because of the days and also, it is a quick drive out of Dublin. It was simple and would recommend the airport. We did have some issues with the actual check-in area, but we had some fantastic Irishman help us find the right area. I believe it was less expensive than in town. We also did the Dingle Peninsula, and Conors Pass. All i can say, is read everything you can about Ireland. I bought one book (Lonely Planet). But also went to the library and rented many books. I felt like I knew everything I could. We got so lucky as we only had 2 days of rain. We went September-October. I agree ask, people are so amazing!
@tarakennedy3041. Three plus weeks is a great amount of time to spend in Ireland! We also chose to pick up our car on our way out of Dublin. No need for a car as it was easy walk. 😀We bought a couple of books but we also used the public library. We watched our share of RUclips also.😀 You sound like you were well prepared. And had a wonderful trip. September is a good time of year to visit Ireland, you just never know what the weather will be! Very cool only had two days of rain 👍 The people were absolutely awesome . Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. All of the feedback we’ve received from viewers has been amazing.
How'ya. We have been three times to Ireland. About 1-15. hours west of Galway is Kylemore Abbey, somewhat touristy, but the drive from Galway is stunning, with what you associate Ireland as, green rolling hills and mountains, all around you. We also recommend to visit the Kerry Cliffs outside of Portmagee at the far western end of the Ring of Kerry. Warning that the roads are very narrow and you won't a tour bus in sight for at least 15 kms since the roads are essentially one-way roads. Touristy, but worth the view is the Cliffs of Moher. But save yourself some money and park at "Guerin's Path". It is about a 10 minute walk from the visitor center and has one of the best views of the cliffs. Last time we were there Martin, the farmer who owns the land, was charging 5 Euros to park at his lot and then it is a 3-5 minute walk to the cliffs. We also love a visit to Cobh (pronounced "Cove"), which is between Waterford and Cork on the Southern Coast. It was the last stop on the Titanic before the Atlantic Crossing. The little village is beautiful with great views and colorful buildings (it is somewhat crowded in the warm weather days/months).
@HouseofCards9244. Thanks! Hope you’re doing as well as we are!😀 We stayed in Galway last time (shameless plug) and have some videos from Connemara,Kylemore and the cliffs. Loved the drive to Connemara. Great tip about “Guerin’s Path”. Thanks for telling us about the “road” to Kerry Cliffs🤣. We’d like to go there. Several viewers have mentioned Cobh. We really hope to visit that village. We love getting all of this input from viewers. It’s just making our decisions harder but, that’s a good problem to have. Thanks again 👍😀✌
If you find yourself in Dublin Central you can hop a dart train for a 20 minuet ride to Howth a beautiful harbour marina cliff walk and great views from the summit. Plenty of places to eat and drink and Howth castle, a spot loved by Dubliners not very touristy , the lakes of Killarney and powers court house. Also Loch Tae in wicklow owned by the Guinness family
@discontentedcitizan6046 Thanks for your comment! We’ve heard a lot of good things about Howth. A 20 minute train ride would be perfect 😀. Your description of it sounds like just what we’re looking for. The lakes and Powers Court are also on our list. I’m going to look up Loch Tae . Thank you for some great recommendations and thanks for watching.
@@thissecondhalfadventure If you have any questions get in touch. Wishing you all the best in your travels. May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face.
@@discontentedcitizan6046 😀 We really appreciate your support! All the best to you as well! For two days we’ve tried to think of a midwestern blessing or saying but everything we know seems to have come from Ireland. 😀. Thanks again!
Hi Chris and Karen. During the troubles in Northern Ireland my job took me to Derry/Londonderry for a couple of months. When I was questioned by the police (RUC) on my way to Derry I told them I was going to Derry. I was immediately asked to step out of the car and I and the car was searched. I was told later that if I had said I was going to Londonderry I probably would not have been searched. The next time I went through the checkpoint I told them I was going to Londonderry and sure enough, I was waived through. The RUC, which mostly comprised of Protestant personnel would only refer to the place as Londonderry. Those who called it Derry were always Catholic and nationalist and viewed with suspicion by the RUC. Thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I look forward to your next visit here as I live in Cork and hopefully you'll visit. I enjoyed watching your last trip and hope it will be less confusing for you.
@billyo54. It’s always a treat to read your comments! 👍 Thank you for continuing to watch and sharing your experiences! We will probably will be in Cork or Cobh in September. Maybe you know of a good little pub to visit. Share a pint possibly. 😀
@@thissecondhalfadventureCobh used to be named Queenstown , it was the last call of the Titanic before heading to is doom. There is a museum there dedicated to it. Happy travels. 👍
I approve all your food choices except for the spice bag 😂 just make sure it’s real Irish butter on that Tayto sandwich. Nothing else works and it wouldn’t taste as nice. There’s so much to see and do - my biggest recommendation would be to allow a lot more time than you initially plan for. I know it pushes up accommodation costs etc but the roads you’ll want to travel will take you longer than you can imagine, especially down around the must see areas of west Cork and Kerry (which is probably the best spot for any seafood). Trying to cram too much in is a mistake many visitors to our lovely island make. My one tip if you’re visiting Glendalough in Co. Wicklow is actually not to park in the main car park, but head for the (free) ‘overflow’ car park a couple miles down the road in Laragh. A beautiful walk through native woodland brings you down into the monastic settlement, and then it’s up to you guys how much further you’d like to go. A must see pub about fifteen minutes drive from that car park is The Cartoon Inn, Rathdrum. And in the same village there’s the house of Avondale and a stunning treetop walk…really I could write you an itinerary of my county alone for at least a week - and absolutely everywhere is the same. Slightly randomly…if you find yourself in Roscommon area look up Rathcroghan. Stunning archaeological and historical landscape rich in the type of mythology were well known for. Have a good trip and no doubt you’ll be back…and back…and back…
@LittleFi83. Thanks for watching and leaving such a wonderful comment(s)😀 You know, Kerry Gold butter is in our grocery. We know a store where we can buy Tayto and we have bread, but, something tells us it won’t taste the same here in NW Indiana 😀 Our goal is to see as much as we can, to talk to as many people as we can and eat as much as we can😂, without being in a hurry! We try to have a backup plan or two for each day.
@LittleFi83. I sent my reply too early. I wasn’t finished 😂 We loved your suggestion about the car park at Glendalough and Cartoon Inn👍👍Its added to our list! Big thanks to you for taking the time to share your suggestions with us 😀👍✌
@martinwilliams1784. Thank you for watching from England!! Great suggestion! We even did that (go to the post office) in a small town in North Carolina U.S. They gave us the name of a great breakfast spot and how to get there 😀 We appreciate your support Martin👍✌
We are getting ready to take a trip to Ireland, it's been a long time coming, too. I am trying to consume as much information as possible, and I thank you for yours. We booked through AAA, that has been quite an issue, but I think we are set. Like you mentioned "Rewiew". We are actually staying 2 extra days because of an error, but it's going to work out fine. Lemonade from lemons Our trip is going to be mostly North and a couple of days in Dublin. The two extra days we are renting a car and heading to Galway. We found a place to stay, a BB just east of Galway, about a 20 minute walk. We are going to research what is available to see between Dublin and Galway . We are a little nervous about renting a car, which seems complicated and driving . But if it is easy, old people would be doing it, I'm 68. " Don't let the ole man in." Thank you again, and if you have any tips suggestions, especially the car rentals, Im all ears. John
@johndillon3942. That’s very cool that you’re able to get this journey accomplished! Loved the “Lemonade out of lemons” We loved the north half of the island! Galway was just fun. Very lively with buskers outside and Trad music in several pubs. We didn’t make it to the university area. Sean’s in Athlone is the oldest pub in the world. Right by the Shannon River. There’s a castle as well. On a side note there is a rest area with a statue of the Obamas on the way to Galway. As one viewer commented ‘ they’re no spring chickens’ 😂 After only driving in the U.S. , I was really nervous about changing it all up. It starts to make sense after a little while. Karen helped a ton with directions and signs.There’s some more detailed driving info on our Driving in Ireland video if you get a chance to watch. Feel free to ask any more questions.
If you want to see more south, 100% do the ring of Kerry. It will take you to probably the most awesome places in The Republic! When you in this neck of the woods, do shout out, I'm in Cork myself and would love to spoil you both with the better version of Guinness, Either Beamish or Murphy's, both as black as Guinness, but local and imho way better! Cork by the way is the True Capital of Ireland. Also in and around Cork there are a lot of great historical places like the birthplace of Michael Collins, and the place of his assassination. When you land in Dubs, make sure you drive a little north. The hill of Tara. One of the oldest monolithic complexes in the world and just a little drive. also, when there and you want to get the best pint of black, do go to John Kavanagh's (aka 'The Gravediggers') in Glasnevin, this is considered as The best Pint of Black you can get. ☘
Two more tips based on ur vid. The "no coverage, so no internet, so no navigation issue" Google Maps and Apple Maps both have the option to download the map on device. This map copy will be valid for from the top of my head 6 weeks (could be 6 months, anyhow time enough) and as the GPS on device doesn't need internet, you always can find your way. The second one is linked to this, Most devices have the option for dual sim, most second "sims" are Esim's basically a code you enter on device and you are good to go. Pay as you go sims are really cheap here, and for instance with 3 (telco) you pay 20 euro for a month unlimited 5g, calls and texts. So when you land, just grab one of them and you never have any connection issues. when you dual sim, you can even keep your own number active at the same time, so the homefront can reach you on your own number.
@Carloco-ly6wn. It’s a cloudy dreary day in nw Indiana and your comments put smiles on our faces 😀😀 We’ve heard a lot about Cork and after a day of driving and doing ‘touristy’ things, I am sure we’ll be ready to try a pint of Beamish or Murphey’s or both 😂 Can’t guarantee anything, but you’ll probably hear from us. Thanks for the fun and informative comment!
Sorry to hear about all the mishaps with you bookings. You seem a lot more tranquill about it than I would be (I'm Irish). Re. looking for you accommodation in Bushmills, don't be afraid to ask. Anytime I'm going somewhere in Ireland I don't know I don't use satnav or Google maps, I just head in the general direction and ask. Be prepared for a possible long conversation, especially if you stop and ask an old man walking his dog in Mallow Co. Cork. I speak from personal experience! Though I was in a mad rush I had to enjoy him and laugh about it later. I've been asked directions by tourists many times. Once late at night when I knew they had no time to get it wrong I had them follow me in their car until I got out of town (Ennis, a difficult place to navigate) and got them on the right road (to Kilkee)
@AthDara62. We really enjoyed your comment!! The mistakes of course were frustrating at the time, but we tried not to let them ruin our trip. One of us gets more excited than the other, so between the two personalities we reach a pretty good balance 😀 We promised ourselves to stop and ask directions on this visit. We look forward to chatting with people along the way! Very kind of you to lead the tourists out of Ennis. Also, loved your story about the old man and his dog in Mallow. I’m sure if our paths crossed we would also have a lengthy conversation 😀👍 Thanks for watching and leaving a wonderful comment. All the best!
the bar you are talking about is called darky Kelly's, you should also see the marsh library est 1707 and still there its just beside st Patrick church
@nupnag. Thanks for watching and commenting! I looked up Darkey Kelly’s. That’s quite a story attached to it😀 We were right in that neighborhood! The pub we mentioned in the video was further north. We veered northeast off of O’Connell onto Parnell/ Summerhill as I recall. It would be nice to check out Marsh Library and St. Patrick’s this time👍 Thanks for sharing some info on Dublin 😀👍
My first time seeing your videos, you are such lovely people, please come back to Ireland soon. I would recommend visiting Wicklow, Waterford and Cork. "Victor's Way" in Wicklow, Dungarvan in Waterford and Cobh in Cork but there are so many wonderful spots to visit, you will have to make many trips again. Happy travelling ❤
@annbrennan7788. We’re so glad you found our channel!! Thank you for the kind words! You’ve suggested three places we’re hoping to see 👍. You’re right, we won’t get to see everything on this trip either so we will have to come back😀 Thanks for watching and commenting. We really enjoy hearing from everyone. All the best to you and safe travels 😀✌❤🇺🇸🇮🇪
@nikhilanand3920 thanks so much for watching and commenting. We work hard to find just the right music, it's nice that someone noticed! We use a service called Epidemic Sound, which allows us to search by genre, mood, timing, etc. We also use their sound effects. Find our playlist with the music we've used here: share.epidemicsound.com/ftcfd4/?playlist=163uexfsipvvdveiodnx5nyw2n1u3av5 And, if you sign up to Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 7 days for free!
@patriciabermingham2039. That’s very nice of you to say!😀 We appreciate your kind words 👍👍 We’ve received so many suggestions about Westport! We’re talking about a third trip to Ireland because we know two trips won’t be enough 😂 We would like like to see more of Mayo and Sligo and Donegal. Thanks for watching and commenting!!
Fishy Fishy (LOVE the name!) is now on my list! We have good friends in Indianapolis, Indiana, and there is an awesome meadery in the Fountain Square neighborhood there, so we've been known to have a mead or two! Thanks so much for the tips, and thanks for watching! 🙂❤
I went to Ireland last June and it was THE BEST!! We went through Cashel and I wish we could have visited The Rock of Cashel and the Abbey nearby. We stopped in for a quick snack on the road, and I though it was a really charming town! If I get to go back I FOR SURE want to go back to Cashel and to Powerscourt as well! Ireland is the most beautiful place in the world!
@nikkijones4655. Totally agree! Friends and acquaintances ask us ‘what is the best thing about Ireland?’. It’s hard to give a short answer 😀 One of the first things we say is ‘the people’. Then we rattle off 10 more things 😂 We’re going to be near Cashel. We know it’s supposed to be touristy but we hope we can fit it into our schedule! Thanks so much for joining in the conversation! Glad you’re watching our videos ✌️👍😀
@yzwoody Thanks for watching! We really liked Galway. If you’re driving you can get to the Cliffs of Moher or Connemara from Galway. I’ve got other suggestions but they all depend on what you want to do or see. Do you want to go north or south? Would be happy to share any info we’ve got. Let us know.
You mentioned you are from Indiana. I'm currently in Minnesota/ TwinCities , but originally from Chicago's SouthSide ... Irish-American, don'tcha know😂😊 Take care & keep up the great videos. Informative & enjoyable 👍
@berniemcmahon5440. That makes me smile! I attended several Southside Irish St. Patrick’s Day parades back in the day! 😂 Western Ave. and 111th sounds familiar. Thank you for the compliments and reminding me of those days!
hahahaha A new subscriber here & golly gosh, you both made me have a good old laugh out loud, which is just what I needed most tonight. I almost choked on my sandwich! lol
It's funny because on one hand, you went through a lot together & it must have been quite the experience/challenge, but on the other hand, you created really personal, fun & challenging experiences together (which can bring us even closer to each other) & you have learnt much more about new travel to Ireland.
I'm sure your next trip will be more smooth sailing, but even if you do encounter some minor challenges, that's ok too & just keep creating fun experiences.
Also, challenges will always be a good learning experience for all of us & even a time for personal growth.
We just returned from Ireland & although we didn't encounter any issues @ all, I can certainly appreciate the myriad of challenges that many can & do face during the your travels.
For our family, my husband sorted everything out booking wise & thank goodness all went very well, so I was utterly appreciative for his good work.
You guys come across as a very chilled, down to earth & sweet couple & I'm glad I found you by sheer accident.
We so love Ireland & as we have strong roots there, visiting was a truly heart warming & precious experience. I'd always wished to fly there, but never had until now & it was a dream come true.
Finally, I'm so glad that you don't take yourselves too seriously & I personally find this very refreshing.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with we viewers.
Cheers & peace✌
@MYLOVEOFIRELAND2303. First of all, big thanks for subscribing and watching. Secondly, thanks for your wonderful comments 😀 You paid us back with laughter (belly laughs) and smiles. Just happy you didn’t choke on your sandwich.😀
You seemed to summarize our last trip perfectly. We usually are working towards the same goal but we have different ideas on how to get there. 😂
It makes for interesting conversations and negotiations 😀 We balance things pretty well together.
That’s great you and your family got to travel to Ireland! It’s one thing to see videos/pictures of Ireland but unless you actually go there and feel it you’re not getting the whole sense of it.😀
We really enjoy laughing. We don’t mind laughing at ourselves. We’re so happy we gave you a good laugh and a smile. Hope you can get back to Ireland.
All the best. Peace and cheers to you as well.
👍😀✌
You know something, Karen and Chris, you're both dead sound and decent. Hope you both come back again. 👍😊💙🇮🇪🇺🇸
@donstravelsandrants. That’s kind of you to say.😀 Thanks so much for continuing to watch and comment. I need to comment about your Thailand videos. Loved the food market! The DH monkey comment cracked me up! 😂
We arrive in Dublin on September 6. Excited to go south and west! 👍😀❤🇮🇪🇺🇸
Hope you both have a great time come September. Don't pay attention to my rants, I say things I shouldn't say. 🤣😂👍😊🇮🇪🇺🇸
Karen and Chris,
You should go to the Curraghmore Estate near Portlaw in Waterford. It's beautiful.
@@brendakane1485 Thanks for joining in on this adventure! We will be getting to Waterford and hope we can see all we want😀👍 Thank you for watching!
Visit Donegal it's beautiful
We went in late Feb of last year. I started planning the trip in September. I deep dove into all things Ireland. The food, the sites, the culture, the slang, etc. etc. and still didn't know everything without coming off as your regular American tourist so don't worry about the Derry mix up. The only reason I knew the difference was because I had watched the Netflix show 'Derry Girls '
I would urge you to take a tour bus on some of your travels. It's so educational. We took PaddyWagon tour, from Dublin, to Rock of Cashel, Blarney Stone Castle and a quick stop in Cork. Very informative. They will also make sure you know the famine was not becasue of a potato blight, as we in the USA were told in our history books. There was plenty of food at the time but Britain shipped 30k boats full of fish, grain, and livestock from the Island to feed the people of Britain. Virtually starving out the population of Ireland. That's one of the reason for the historical bad blood they have towards the Empire. That and Cromwell and the Easter Uprising but that's for another day.
I would encourage you to take a ferry from Galway to the Aran Islands. Very beautiful and one of the highlights if our trip.
We fell in love with Galway as well❤
We took a tour bus while in Galway as well. It was the Galway Tour Company. We went to the Cliffs of Moher, The Dolmen in the Burren among other stops. The driver gave us a non stop history lesson as he drove. Literally non stop and I absolutely loved it. We stopped here and there along the way so we could get out and take photos and he pointed out various castles and Abbey's and their history. If we would have taken a car we would have missed a ton of fascinating history along our way to the Cliffs. That made the trip to the Cliffs and our memories 10x better than If we had just driven up by ourselves.
There is so much to see and do you could spend months in Ireland and not see everything.
Good luck and safe travels!✌🏼
@WRover4669. Thank you for watching and thank you for your comments and recommendations!
We really enjoyed reading your comments!
Yes, we have a stack of books, many maps and the laptop is charged at all times.😀 No rabbit hole was too deep! I wish we would have watched ‘Derry Girls’ though.
We also researched the origins of the ‘bad blood’ and its worthy of full college course. We read about the famine and stories of the Irish being shipped off to the Carribean to work in the cane fields. As you said, that’s not the story we heard growing up.
The day we left for Ireland, the Queen passed away.
Her funeral was set for the day we flew back to the USA. With that in the backdrop, we had some our most memorable conversations. For us, the self driving tour gave us the opportunity to be more spontaneous in our destinations. We really enjoyed being able to hang out with locals with a pint in front us.😀
I think you brought up a strong case for using a group bus tour. I would love hearing all the stories and history as well! I must admit, I would usually cringe when I saw a tour bus coming towards us!😀 The bigger vehicle always wins!
Aran Islands still on the list.
We loved Galway as well.
Sorry for the long reply.
Thanks and hope you get to see some of our other videos!
Good health and safe travels
Yes, it's true that food was exported to Britain during the famine. While the trigger for the famine was the potato blight the main cause was the affect of the penal laws over the previous three centuries. The penal laws (anti-catholic laws) took away the rights of the native Irish to own land, to obtain an education, have any civil rights or hold any wealth. The population were effectively reduced to serfdom. Around the time of the famine 1845 - 1852 Britain was one of the most industrial and wealthy countries in the world but about a million Irish were left to starve to death and another million were forcefully migrated to north America. During the famine Britain spent more money garrisoning Ireland with soldiers than on famine relief.
@@zipperzoey2041 just a quick point the working class all over the British empire got the shitty end of the stick,not just in Ireland. The people who managed to leave didn’t end up with a better life, they just didn’t starve to death.
You know, you're right WRover 4669. When younger, it was always trying to get out of the touristy areas, mingle with locals, doing your own thing. We've traveled back to many of the places visited before, and now in our older years and we do the tours with guides often to tourist meccas. Places we had been before we realize now we saw NOTHING of what the places really were; the history, the culture...the fuller things only a guide could interject.
@zipperzoey2041 It's not as black and white as the original poster said - yes, food and resources continued to be exported to England from here in massive amounts, rather than being used to feed the populace.
That wasn't a universal thing across the entire island, however, as there were places where, simply, the blight caused local starvation - even today, significant amounts of the island have essentially dead land - too bad for arable crops, with poor nutrient value for sheep or cattle.
I remember standing in one ghost village on the top of a lonely Mayo mountain, not even listed on any Ordnance Survey map, yet there a dozen or so ruins around a single street lie, the steep hillsides around still lined with famine-era crop grooves that failed, without so much as a stick of a tree growing on that bleak, wind-blasted summit. When their crops died, so did that entire village.
Elsewhere, some - not many, but some - English landowners did what they could to help their tenants through the famine, employing them on things like the somewhat pointless Famine Roads, going from nowhere much to nowhere, but at least providing employment, work, a chance to live. Where my parents live, they look out on one such Famine project, which was used to employ, and support, hundreds of people during its construction.
So, yes, it's a complex topic, but the truth falls in both camps - the blight, and the largely indifferent mismanagement from the then Colonial masters.
I was in Bushmills yesterday. I live in Northern Ireland. I am so glad you got to see the most beautiful part of Ireland, the North Antrim coast. ❤ The Carlton is a great hotel. We were going to Chicago and had an early flight so stayed the night there. We cleared customs and my husband realised he had left his insulin in the room fridge. I went to an Aer Lingus member of staff who contacted the hotel, walked me to arrivals where the manager of the Carlton hand delivered me the insulin. Yes the Irish are so accommodating and helpful. Glad you had a great holiday.
@stepheboyd17. 😀That, is a great story about the people from Aer Lingus and the Carlton! They truly stepped up and deserve the recognition!
We really enjoyed our stay in Bushmills 😀👍
It was a perfect place to have access to all the beautiful sites on the North Antrim coast and the people we met were very welcoming 😀
Thank you for watching and commenting.
Kerry, Galway, Mayo & Donegal (in fact the entire West coast), would comfortably dispute that claim...😏
@@coldphinger no way 😂
@@coldphinger 😀 We’re excited to see Kerry, Cork, Waterford Wexford and more.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Wexford has entered the room.@@coldphinger
I'm from Kerry and I recommend you do Kerry and West Cork. These counties have a micro climate from the gulf stream which makes them particularly lush. The west coast gets rockier the further north you travel. In Kerry we have the highest mountain range in Ireland. Kerry and West Cork are very geared towards tourism and not in a bad way. Lots of restaurants and hotels. You will read about the Ring of Kerry which is a circular route anti clockwise around the middle of the county. I wouldn't recommend it. It's long, it will be very stressful for you to drive and you will spend the best part of the day in the car rather that getting out and about and meeting people. I would recommend you do the Dingle Penninsula instead. It's much shorter and lots of bang for your buck scenery wise. There are a number of routes to drive the Dingle Penninsula including the Conor Pass. This is really scenic but look at videos of it first to see if you would be comfortable driving it, sections are very narrow, only 1 car wide. Definitely book a walking tour while there . That will get you out of the car and chatting to people. I would recommend South Kerry, Derrynane, Ballinskelligs and Valentia Island. Killarney. In west cork I would recommend Ballydehob, Clonakilty.
@gaothmhor. Thank you for all of this great information! I’ve got my Collin’s Ireland Comprehensive Road Atlas open! 😀
👍😀✌🇺🇸🇮🇪
RoK is soooo nice :(
But then again so is Dingle. howbout they just add a week and do both :D
I agree with this .... especially the micro climate ... driving one minute in sun and the next in rain lol then hail and then sun again and only 5 mins down the road
@@MichaelCoIIins 😂 If we stayed an extra week we would probably wear out our welcome!😀
@@thissecondhalfadventure I moved from The Netherlands here for just a few years,.... 18 years ago, so staying out a welcome here is hard to do so it is :D
A small tip, when you visit again (welcome back!) don’t say you’re visiting “southern Ireland” / like Derry it may trigger some people ❤
@mamba101. 😂 Thanks for keeping us from shooting ourselves in the foot again😀👍
Frankly let them be triggered, no one really cares, and those who do care you don't want to know anyway
If by “southern” Ireland you mean as opposed to Northern Ireland, UK; just use Ireland. If you mean areas like Cork, maybe just use where you mean to go.
@@ATLmodK Yes, you’re right. That would save us from any unintended misunderstandings 😀
What we actually meant was “southern “ Ireland as compared to our first trip where we stayed north of a line from Dublin to Galway. We didn’t understand the double meaning.
Thanks for watching and sharing. We hope to visit Co Cork and Co Kerry and Co Wexford this trip.
😀✌
@@thissecondhalfadventure don't forget Waterford.
Enjoyed your comments and watched your videos on your visit to my country.(I'm a Dub) Waterford, Kilkenny, Cork, Kerry all beautiful though my favourite spot is in Mayo Achill Island. Take time in the National Park in Killarney. Cong in Mayo is very pretty and right beside Ashford Castle.
@1tommymulligan. We really appreciate your support 😀 We are only in Dublin one day this time. The south and the west are in the plan this trip.
We knew of Achill Island and Cong but not enough time get everything done 🙁 during the first trip.
Again, thanks for watching and adding locations for our next trip! 😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
@@thissecondhalfadventure The west is stunning no doubt enjoy your trip. I’ll be out West in June.
Just came across your channel, thanks for your info on Ireland. I am heading to Ireland in April from Australia and are doing the south. Will keep you informed.
@kimjones-gw9gu. Greetings from the State of Indiana!
Thanks for watching and commenting 😀
That would be a kind gesture of you to give us an update ✌
I’m not sure if you have read any other comments, but we’ve gotten so many suggestions from Irish viewers regarding sites in the south of Ireland we had to create lists (categorically)😀 . With your trip coming up soon this might be too late. Could be a good resource though.
All the best and safe travels!
Go to the copper coast in Waterford around Dungarvan and stradbally. Try the cycle greenway from Waterford to Dungarvan along old railway track. There is a lot of them being developed in ireland now and they are stunning. Go across to youghal and kinsale in cork and on through glengariff to Kerry. That should keep ya happy for a week or so 😅😅. Enjoy.
agree waterford is stunning and way underrated Dungarvan is a lovely little town I've been there a few times this year
@GrandWalkingTours. 👍 we appreciate you sharing! We plan to get to Waterford 😀. Thanks for mentioning Dungarvin. 😀👍✌️
Hope you keep watching!
@grahamwilkinson7079. Thanks👍 Appreciate you watching our videos. A couple of viewers have mentioned the Copper Coast. I will look up Dungarvin! Greenways are usually very cool. Chicago and NYC have been utilizing old urban railway lines for a few years 😀
Asheville NC , we found, has some nice greenways.
You’ve made some great suggestions. Looking up Youghal and Glengariff.
Loved the comment 😀👍✌️🇺🇸🇮🇪
I have been to Ireland a lot, and when I mean a lot, I mean a lot. Yet I have never been to the Waterford and Dungarvan area. Happy to say I'm going to that area for my first time this June. Will be traveling with a friend whose father was from Dungarvan, yet she has never been to Ireland before. Hoping to connect with cousins she knows of, but have never met.
Thanks for another lovely video. At the end as you discuss your return trip to Ireland you draw a line over to Galway City. You should seriously consider the western part of Galway county, a region known as Connemara. A trip to the national park, Kylemore Abbey and a short detour to Doolough in County Mayo would be high on any Ireland travel itinerary. (Doolough is probably the most beautiful place in the country!)
And then there’s the Aran Islands….! 🇮🇪
@DELTUBES. You’re the best! 😀Thank you for continuing to watch and support our videos.
Love that recommendation! Doolough looks like an amazing beach! We actually went to Kylemore Abbey grounds and hiked the medium trail at Connemara and did a video of our day out. Stopped at a coffee shop in Oughterard. Another great day in Ireland!
And then there’s the Aran Islands. 😀 We discussed going out there but the timing just didn’t work out. It’s still on the list for this trip!
Thanks again 👍😀🇺🇸🇮🇪
I'd definitely recommend flying into Shannon and doing the west coast from there. The west coast is much different from the east coast. Including the people 😊
@gaothmhor. Thanks for your comment! We looked into Shannon. For us, Dublin was less money and had a schedule that worked better for our vacation time frame. We met quite a few really nice people in the northern part of the island. Excited to see the southern half and chat with as many people as possible. 😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
Ireland for holidays@@thissecondhalfadventure
I love the video, hope Ireland didn't cost you too much....If you want to enjoy Ireland then just ask an Irish person to help you out, we are a very friendly people. Don't over think it. Remember the Irish spread all over the world, it wasn't well thought out. 🤣. There is a joke I love. How do you know the Irish are taking over your country? One of us showns up with a sleeping bag and the name of a lad with a couch. The next thing you know there are Irish bars eveywhere and Paddy's day becomes a holiday.....
@daveologhlen. Thanks for watching and making us smile 😀. It’s always better when you spend less than you budgeted for 😀. We hope to learn from our mistakes 😂. We over think this trip at home . We know when we get out and about, if we need assistance , we just need to ask a local.😀
Loved the joke. All of the Irish people I originally met were in Chicago 😂👍✌🇺🇸🇮🇪
Hope ye had a lovely time. Don't be afraid to come again and explore other parts of the country
@matthewmurphy750. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍. We had such a lovely time, we are coming back. We’re heading to the south half of Ireland this time. Thanks again !😀👍
A suggestion for someplace to visit that's not on the usual US tourist map - The Hook Lighthouse, Co. Wexford. It's the oldest working lighthouse in the world and it's where the saying 'by hook or by crook' was derived. Nearby is New Ross where the Dunbrody famine ship is moored. It's a reconstruction of a ship used to take Irish emigrants to the US during the Gorta Mór - the Great Hunger (the Great Famine). Very poignant. Then onto Waterford City, the oldest City in Ireland and where Strongbow married Aoife and the occupation of Ireland began. After that then to Cork and then Kerry and An Daingean (Dingle). Enjoy...
@pattobin7066. Very good call!! Never knew about “by hook or by crook “ derivation 😀👍 Love all of the places you mentioned. Your comment felt enthusiastic! Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your suggestions. We appreciate that 😀 All the best!
Thank you both for the info.
We're going in a couple weeks and looking forward to it!
@johnw614. Thanks so much for your comment and for watching! Not sure if any of our other videos have info that would help .
Wishing you safe travels!! 👍✌😀
Lovely vid guys. You're welcome back anytime, I'd suggest driving Dublin to Galway, then South around the coast back to Dublin. If possible check out, Clare Island, Westport, and The Burren in Clare.( The Cliffs of Moher are great but packed with tourists and can be skipped, likewise Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel) Kilarney Park, Kerry is beautiful but avoid staying in the town it's a tourist trap. Explore the South West Coast, without too much planning,relax and enjoy tte pace. If Summer time try strawberry picking in Wexford and visit Wicklow. Above all relax and enjoy and chat to the locals at every opportunity.
@philipstewart2993. Thank you! 😀 Appreciate the time you took for your suggestions.
Right now it looks like we’re going in a clockwise direction. We like the Wicklow and Wexford suggestions!👍 We’re also looking at Killarney. We’re pretty good at ferreting out the real touristy spots,but that is good to know. Probably not Blarney Castle, but the grounds look nice. Last time we visited we stayed in Galway (and loved it) , saw the cliffs and hiked in Connemara. Definitely planning for seeing the southwest coast.
The one thing we try not to do is over plan. We enjoy the slower pace. Chatting with the locals on our first trip provided some of our best memories.
We’re having fun putting this all together and enjoy your input. 👍😀🇺🇸🇮🇪
@@thissecondhalfadventure I'm mixed on Blarney Castle, part of me feels you need to do it as a tourist just once, and part of me says skip it. I did it once, but will be back in June with friends. I will say the grounds/gardens are worth it, even if you don't kiss the stone.
@@jeffreymayes907our daughter is quite the gardener, and found Blarney’s poison garden fascinating on her visit a few years back! ☠️🤣
Hi there I enjoyed watching your video and I’m glad you enjoyed your trip here in Ireland. A suggestion I would make is to fly into Shannon airport which is on the west coast of Ireland, you can visit the west of Ireland from there and then travel to Kerry which is a definite must do taking in dingle town (have a real ice cream cone in Murphy’s) and Killarney town ( the dromhall hotel in Killarney is a fabulous hotel and very well priced) you could then travel to county cork and stay in the imperial hotel and visiting the English market (fabulous organic restaurant upstairs) and visit kinsale town. Inchedonney hotel is another fabulous hotel even for one night midweek would be cheaper I think. The ring of Kerry drive is fab. Eccles hotel in glengariff in county cork where Maureen O Hara lived and the drive along the Atlantic coast back to Shannon airport are amazing. I would also recommend taking guided tours on a bus also you get to see so much. You could contact an Irish travel agent for information. Tourism Ireland are a great help. Good luck and happy planning.
@OO-tq6nh. Thank you for the kind words.
You’ve gone above and beyond 😀 with your tips! I’m taking notes.
We actually wanted to fly into Shannon but it turned out cheaper to fly into Dublin. Plus, Dublin airport had a more flexible schedule for us.
I’ve seen many old movies and Maureen O Hara was always a favorite. Thanks for taking the time to share this info with us. 👍👍
Hello Karen & Chris. Your guide and observations are refreshing practical.
I'd suggest you view Ireland's favourite painting in the national gallery (free) - The meeting in the turret stairs - for this particular painting, the viewing times are limited to Thursday midday and Sunday 2 - 3 pm. As you wisely point out, these times need to be double checked. As you drive south from Dublin, detour slightly to the Rock of Dunamase. I always associate the painting and Dunamase for some romantic reason. As you travel motorways or boreens, play traditional Irish slow airs on the sound system as it draws on the soul and the landscape. Finally, enquiry about Irish music accompanied by Irish dancing. When both are together, just enchanting. Happy travels!
@paulo4129. Thank you for your comment 👍😀
What a cool tip! I’m going to look the painting up! Thanks for pointing out days/times.
We love so many genres of music. You created a painting in my head for the driving music!
We traveled to western North Carolina (Asheville) US and listened to a lot of Bluegrass music. I know there are a lot of connections to Ireland. It’s an interesting story, how Bluegrass evolved.
Hoping we get that enchanting experience.
Hope you keep watching. All the best! ✌👍😀
Drive to Waterford first stop , visit Waterford Glass, then across the south coast into Cork City via Kinsale. Then head out to West Cork , plenty of small towns, Bantry, Schull and Glengarrif . Next the Ring of Kerry into Tralee / Killarney .
@JacktheHand. First, thanks for watching and commenting ! Thanks for mentioning some of the small towns.😀👍 Finishing up our accommodations. We’ve looked at the route you mentioned 😀👍. Hope you keep watching!
Some suggestions for your next trip - scenic drive Wild Atlantic Way, Ring of Kerry, The Burren - County Clare, King John's Castle - Limerick, West Cork region, Dingle Peninsula. There are so many wonderful places here in Ireland. Happy planning for your Irish adventure part 2
@alicewalsh1596. We are looking at Limerick and you’re only the second person to mention it which surprised me. The other sites you mention are also on the list! There’s so much to see and we tend to chat with people so we’ll see everything we can 😂
Thank you for watching and joining the conversation. All the best to you! 👍✌😀
All of West Cork, Kerry, Wicklow, The Caha pass. I enjoyed watching your video, thank You
@TheTrichD. Thanks very much for watching!
We’re going to see as much of those three locations as we can fit into each day😀.
Thank you for mentioning Caha Pass. It looks pretty amazing. We are hoping to drive around the Ring of Beara but not sure if we would have enough time. Driving over the pass looks like a great option.
Thank you for the suggestion and thanks for the nice comment .
I see Karen is still sore about the whiskey and chocolates 🙂
Karen I'd suggest getting in touch with the owners about it. Also a 10AM check out is very early!
Glad to hear you're coming back to the Emerald Isle. If you're in Dublin for a couple days I'd suggest visiting the National Museum of Archaeology, Kildare St Dublin. It's about a 10 minute walk from Trinity college and free entry. It's full of artifacts from all over the island covering the last 10,000 years. If you've Irish ancestry by the time you leave that Museum you'll know all about the people you're decended from. There are other National Museums in Dublin and around the country e.g. Famine Museum in Roscommon and they are free to enter and very informative.
Thanks so much for the tips zipperzoey! We’re very much looking forward to our upcoming return to Ireland, when I plan to buy replacement whiskey and chocolates. I think they’ll just taste that much better for the wait!😊 Thanks so much for watching and commenting 😊❤️🇺🇸🇮🇪
@@thissecondhalfadventure You're welcome. The reason I recommend the Museum of Archaeology is that most visitors make a bee line for the Book of Kells which is very impressive but the museum contains many more artifacts of a similar age and older. In fact the museum holds the largest collection of Bronze and Iron age gold artifacts in western Europe.
As for the trip to the west and the south just follow the Wild Atlantic Way for great scenery. If you're in Wexford town check out the statue of Commodore John Barry, a Wexford man who was co-father of the United States Navy and The John F. Kennedy Arboretum.
Kinsale. You have to visit Kinsale 💚
@@marymccaffrey48 👍👍😀 It’s on our shortlist Thank you for joining in the conversation. Hope you keep on watching!🇺🇸🇮🇪
For whiskey, go to Middleton in county Cork and go on the Jameson tour. Then go to Clonikilty and do the whiskey tour there and maybe make your own gin; then do the chocolate making tour.
Kinsale would be a lovely spot to spend a few days on your next trip.
Kinsale is actually on our short list of destinations! We're looking forward to it! Thanks so much for your advice and for watching!
We were there in 2018 and 1 of my favorites was the Irish National Stud and Gardens in Kildare. Also loved the Blarney Woolen Mills in County Cork, just to name a couple. We are going back in May of 2024 to Dublin, the take a train to Northern Ireland, I am so excited.
@sandipitakos6385. Big apologies for not responding quicker. 🙏
Wow, the stud farm and Japanese Garden looks amazing. Sounds like a version of the Lexington KY area.
Thank you for suggesting these places, they sound like great spots!
How cool that you’re heading back.
We wished we could have stayed in Belfast. The causeway coast was beautiful. You’ll have to let us know what you thought about your visit!
Thank you for watching and commenting. Safe travels 👍👍😀
We just got back from Ireland. As a pilot I loved seeing Amelia Earharts landing site in Derry.
@fly4fun350 First of all, thanks for watching and commenting!!
We did not know about that information, so thanks again. We knew about Alcock and Brown’s first transatlantic landing near Clifden ( Co. Galway ) and some other landmarks. One of our RUclips cohorts is an airplane enthusiast. We’ll attach a link to his playlist on planes. 😁
ruclips.net/p/PL-yulPTai01npOyRQqFXXvt9tXYsXXTnk&si=xqlSjZloRh37gqN_
If you like gardens, if you're traveling before May, you should visit Mount Congreve just outside Waterford city, a fantastic place to visit full of early spring plants. If you're visiting after May, you should visit Lismore in county Waterford, founded in the 7th century, there's a castle garden there and a Cathedral, a very beautiful small town.
@MultimediaIreland. Those are wonderful tips!
We’ll be there in September. Love small towns.
Nothing like a peaceful walk through a garden or a small town to relax during a busy trip!
We appreciate the time you took watch our video and share these locations. 👍😀🇺🇸🇮🇪
If you do go to Waterford/ Mount Cosgrove then I recommend you visit Curraghmore House and Estate it is the Oldest and most continuously lived in House in Ireland home of Lord Waterford the history is amazing but check hours as its not open to the public every day. Also if you’re in Chicago you can get a 99 at “ The Cone” on west Madison Ave
@@davidbennettst6095 Thanks for watching and commenting! Loved the information about Curraghmore House. Good point about business hours 👍
In the interest of providing a true comparison of a 99 in Chicago, to having one in Ireland we’re checking out the address of “The Cone” 😂
Thanks again. 👍
It's beautiful down in around cork an Kerry, Killarney has some beautiful lakes very relaxing
@johncasey8082. Thanks for watching and commenting!😀
We’re hoping to see as much of that area as possible 😀
Not a bother, I enjoyed the video glad to see good honest people appreciating our beautiful island. You're video is very informative for other's not to make the same mistakes as you guys.
@@johncasey8082 Thank you! That was our intention 👍
A must visit is to Kilkenny City, you won’t be disappointed ☘️🇮🇪 and calcannon make peeled boiled potato, after it’s soft, throw in lots of butter some milk (just a little) and loads of raw white onions (of course salt and pepper) mash by hand masher and don’t over mash, its absolutely delivious 😋
@Gruig15. Thanks for commenting! Kilkenny has received a lot of support from the viewers! 😀 It sounds like we need to go there😀👍
Ok, I’m curious. Does colcannon always have cabbage? I wasn’t sure if you accidentally left it out.
Thank you for sharing. I know we’ll try colcannon 😀👍
Another informative video, thanks Guys. In the southern part of the country visit Watertford and the copper coast. Beautiful town and countryside, but the coast is special and not as well known to the tourists.
Thanks so much for the kind words and the recommendations David! We know you have family in Dublin - we'll be flying in around Sept 6 - any chance you'll be visiting the city then? We'd love to grab a pint with you!
@@thissecondhalfadventure I'd love that too but moving to Valencia at the end of this month. If I'm back in town by then I'd love to catch up 🙂
Went last year and spent the most time in the south of Ireland. Don't pass up Dingle. Check airbnbs outside Dingle on the coast. We stayed at an amazing place on a cliff about 10 mins outside of the town. Wish we could have stayed longer there. Galway was great for music. Ring of Kerry and the Killarney National Park is a must too.
@whooooaa1. Appreciate you watching and commenting. We’re excited that we heading back to Ireland. We’re looking at accommodations around Dingle. Thanks for the tip 👍
Loved Galway.
What was the name of the place you stayed at? We are planning our September trip.
@@pamr308 Thanks for your question. I’d be happy to. Let me know which one or which ones you’re referring to .
We’re also going in September.
Only saw your video this evening so apologies for coming late into the conversation. If your coming back to Ireland in 2024 look at flying into Shannon Airport. Firstly it's a much smaller airport but much less stressful than Dublin. It also has a US Preclearance facility for you departure. Shannon is ideal as its located half way along the West Coast. I would recommend visiting counties Kerry, Clare, Galway and Mayo. I suspect you may have visited Donegal when you travelled to Derry. The reason I picked ths counties is purely the beauty of the scenery along the " wild Atlantic way", the people and and at times the isolation. If you thought the roads were narrow firstvtime round they get narrower the further west you go 😊. Enjoy planning your next visit, there's loads to see. Safe travels
and bunraty castle only 20 mins drive too start the trip off with a castle visit
Definitely fly into Shannon .
@user-jc2ye3yj7c. No apologies needed here!😀
We really wanted to fly into Shannon but Dublin had a much better price and better flight options for the return. Those factors dictated our decision.🙁
Donegal was everything you said. I played golf on Sheep Haven Bay and Karen hiked at Mt. Errigal.
We are planning for Kerry and Cork and east this time. 😀👍We’ve gotten some of the same advice about the roads in the west of Cork and Kerry. We’re getting a smaller car this time 😂
Thank you for joining in. All the best to you!!
Hope you keep watching.
@@GrandWalkingTours We like the way you think but we need to fly into Dublin. We hope to see Bunratty near the end of our trip though 👍
Thanks for watching and commenting. 😀😀
@@marymurray1111 Thank you for watching!! It would have been better for us but it just didn’t work out🙁
I am from Cork. I love West Cork and think it is often overlooked. Glengarrif is a gorgeous coastal town close to the bigger town of Bantry. Lots of gorgeous nature and interesting historical sites.
@kerrybutcher283. 😀We’re assembling a great list of places provided by so many viewers! West Cork is being mentioned often. It looks amazing.
Thank you for watching and sharing with us.
👍😀
Our favorite activity we did in Ireland was to visit Ashford Castle in Cong and visited the Falconry. We were able to "fly" the falcons and it was amazing! I highly suggest you do it.
@cindykline9379. That’s cool that you mentioned that! We’ve seen a video on Falconry in Ireland 😀
We were close to Cong when we visited Connemara. Hiked at Connemara and visited the grounds at Kylemore. Did they also have owls? It looks great!
Thanks for watching and sharing with us 👍✌😀
Hi Karen & Chris. I would recommend a visit to Kilkenny. Irelands medieval capital. You can visit the castle, climb the round tower, see a medieval merchant’s house and many more interesting things to do and see xx
@bridkavanagh8894. Thanks for watching and commenting! Kilkenny is definitely on our agenda 😀. I think I read about the “Medieval Mile” . We’re excited to check out Kilkenny 👍 Thanks for recommending it.
I’d highly recommend spending time in Clare. You have bunratty castle and folk park where you can immerse yourself in medieval Ireland and even attend a banquet. You have the renowned cliffs of moher along the “flaggy shore” as Séamus Heaney calls it in his poem “Post-script”. A you also have one of the geological wonders of the world - The Burren with its glacial landscape, foreign flora, and Stone Age graves. A lesser known gem in Clare is Cragganowen - a 16th century settlement and museum.
If you can fly to Shannon, you definitely should. It is a quick an easy airport where you’ll be through security in 10 minutes and won’t need to remove liquids or electronics. It was also the first airport in the world to have a duty free shop and US pre clearance. And it has one of the longest runways in Europe, which was partly funded by NASA, because it is a designated landing site for the ISS if needed. Cork probably has more flight options though and is a fine airport with more shops.
@benogorman8505. Big thanks for watching and commenting 👍 Happily, on our first trip we drove to the Cliffs from Galway and had a great day. Sadly we didn’t have time for the Burren . We’re going to be farther south but not terribly far. It would be nice to get there and the settlement.
Very cool information about Shannon Airport!
Wanted to fly into Shannon but the price and schedule at Dublin worked out better for us.
I will be searching for ‘Postscript’ . 😀
I just got back from Ireland, and I made a few mistakes. I planned too much time in Dublin, booked a standard instead of automatic car, booked too much time in hotels and not b&bs, did not fly direct, transferred in London/Heathrow (which I will never do again), used a private car to go from Dublin to Kilarney instead of using the train. When I go again, I will do all my own driving (not a big deal), I will fly direct into Shannon and use air b&bs exclusively. Plan more time in the small towns and avoid the real tourist spots.
@patrickhanly7458. Thanks very much for sharing!!
We’re making our second trip to Ireland in September and we are making some changes similar to yours.
We really wanted to fly into Shannon direct out of Chicago, but we chose Dublin because the price difference was significantly lower.
I agree, the smaller towns were some of our best memories 😀 Some of the tourist spots aren’t too bad if you can get there before the tourist buses.
We also hope to use the train on the two days we don’t have a car.
Sounds like you have a plan 👍😀
Thanks for watching and safe travels.
I'm so glad I read this, not that you made mistakes. This is what we are doing in September for our first Ireland trip. We are flying into Shannon, reserved a mini automatic car (we drive compact cars at home too), and will be splitting our time (one week total) around Shannon and the Dingle area and flying back out of Shannon.
@@RandomJane104Good trip schedule. Enjoy.
@@RandomJane104 may and September are considered the best times to go, BTW.
@@patrickhanly7458 Ah. My mistake. We are going in late August really. We usually go to the UK in September so that was a reflex. Hopefully late August is also an ok time to go. I got a good flight deal to Shannon in late August instead of our usual mid-September.
We have had a lot of good weather luck in England and Scotland in mid-September. I prefer the shoulder seasons so it's a little less crowded but the days are still a decent length for sightseeing.
This will be our first time driving on the left. I'm pretty stressed about that.
What ever you choose to visit, plan loooots of time for everything.
We traveled to the southern part of Ireland in a week but three would have been beter.
South west Ierland is magical!
I liked the Clifford of Moher but it’s very busy.
The Kerry cliffs are wonderful and wild. They have a great view on Skellig Island too.
I would definitely book a room in the south of the peninsula if you choose to drive the ring of Kerry.
We happened to stay way too long around Killarney and drove to Port Magee through lady’s view and the Ballaghbeama Gap at the end of the day. It was in June and it was the best thing what could have happened to us. The road was clear of other tourists and we couldn’t stop with whoo’s and whaaa’s, so incredibly beautiful!! The ring of Kerry from Port Magee to Kenmare is majestic and you can have a break at Skellig chocolate and cafe 😉
We plan to stay a week at the Beara peninsula during our next Irish visit.😅
What ever you choose to do, enjoy!
@cecilenoe8356. Thanks so much for sharing your travels and tips!👍 We know it’s tough to see everything in the time frame we have 🙁 so we’re trying to prioritize the places we want to visit. Try to have alternate plan if the weather is against us 😀
We were looking at Beara rather than the full Kerry Ring. Not sure yet 😀
The drive to Port Magee you mention sounds great!
All the best to you. Safe travels 👍😀✌
Your list of things you did not get to do is hysterical. Particuraly the food items. Not having a 99 is borderline sacrilege. Yes it's just soft-serve ice cream with a Flake, but there is something very satisfying about it.
Glad you are going back. Problem is in researching your next trip, you are going to have so many things on your list you can't do them all. Then you'll go and see only some of those fantastic places and learn about others that you wish you had 'just one more day'. That list will grow and grow and grow. I have been to Ireland 58 times and I have yet to see half of the things that are on my list, because that list keeps growing. So many places I want to go back to and so many I have yet to see.
I love your positivity
@user-nm6vv4yi8o. Thank you for the ‘positive’ reinforcement! 😀
Thanks for the comment and for watching 👍✌
Lovely to meet you both, and hope you had a great time at The Gravediggers.. will send you the photos soon. Katrina ❤
Hi Katrina! It was great to meet you and Des as well! Our favorite thing about Ireland is the warm and friendly people and you certainly represent your country well! Thanks for the recommendation of the Bald Eagle for dinner- the food was good and the staff was funny and personable! 😊☘️🇮🇪🇺🇸
@KitKatKittyKat. This reply comes from Chris 😀
Yes, we had a great time! What a great recipe for fun: A dog (Jessie) to pet, talking about music, a dash of politics and just good vibes! Good stuff!
Please tell Des I owe him a pint😀
Really enjoyed talking to you both. Thanks for reaching out Katrina!
@@thissecondhalfadventure I will let him know but honestly that’s how we roll here in Ireland, nobody owes anyone anything 😎 Hopefully we will meet again one day, delighted to hear you guys had a great time and I will keep an eye on the rest of your adventures! Safe travels ♥️
@@KitKatKittyKat thanks so much!♥
@@KitKatKittyKat Thanks again for the hospitality! We’ll see about meeting up again.
Would love to do it! Thanks for watching Katrina ❤
I traveled to Ireland in October 2023 and had an amazing time! Planned the trip myself, in part, with the help of your suggestions. Thank you very much!!! I leaned heavily on Rick Steves' guidebook, somewhat on a Fodor's guidebook, and sat in front of my computer for countless hours. Roughly, we started our trip in Dublin, made a clockwise circle around the The Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland and back to Dublin. I made my share of mistakes. Despite warnings, I tried to pack too much in! One regret is that we bypassed Galway. So enamored with Ireland's natural beauty, locations of this type took priority. We were only going to have lunch in Galway, but then weather considerations, combined with our schedule, forced our decision to skip Galway. (Maybe some not so great planning, too.) We wanted to make sure we got to the Cliffs of Moher on a good weather day. I didn't want to make a new reservation and cancel a planned one. If a situation like that ever comes up again though, I might decide to make an accommodation change and let go of the money. Well see... I suggest you explore Galway. Wherever you choose, I will watch your videos. 🙏♥☘
@cynthiab9077 thank you so much for your kind words and support! We, too, loved all the natural beauty of the Republic and Northern Ireland. We used Galway City as a hub for three nights, and were lucky enough to find a B&B (not too expensive) in the Merlin Park neighborhood with a bus stop literally right outside their door. This enabled us to drive to area sights by day (the Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey, Connemara National Park, etc.), then take the bus into Galway City in the evening to visit the Spanish Arch, trad music sessions, Aran sweater market, and meet the locals in pubs without having to drive. Here's a link to one of our Galway videos... Thanks again, and happy travels!
ruclips.net/video/xk3Nqgm98_M/видео.htmlsi=_J4U7sJHqbq0kJYY
@@thissecondhalfadventure Sounds terrific!!! Thanks!!!
Cobh is a town in the south I ecommend. It's a short train ride from Cork
@johnshortt3006. Thanks for watching and commenting! Good call! Cobh is definitely a place we want to see. Are there any places in Cobh you recommend? We are aware of the more popular sites (Titanic) .
Thanks for mentioning the train. I think we saw a 1 hour train ride to Cobh from Cork. Probably better than driving and parking though.
Thanks again.👍
The Roaring Donkey is a great pub with local trad musicians on Tues or Wed night. There’s lovely restaurants and a nice walk along the waterfront. There’s a zoo but we didn’t make it there.
@@johnshortt3006 Thanks for responding to my question. We want visit the waterfront, see a few shops and probably grab a bite.
The Roaring Donkey looks great! Thank you for sharing that😀👍✌
Thanks for a great video. So glad to read all the helpful and informative comments.
@danielgoh4290. Thank you for watching and commenting 👍. So many of our viewers have taken time to send us their favorite towns, drives, sights and more!! We’ve put together a large list of sites from the comments we’ve received. Sadly, we have to decide which ones can or can’t get to in the timeframe we have.🙁 The number of responses has been so cool!
Hope you keep watching our videos! 👍😀✌
Great video, your comments are so gracious, it will be a pleasure to have you back in September, don't miss Kilkenny, Ireland's most medieval city in the southeast of the country.
@edmurphy5636. Thanks for the kind words! We’ve looked at Kilkenny and we’re going to stay there two nights. We think we can get down to Wexford and Waterford and back to Kilkenny in a day trip. Is that crazy? Too much in one day?
Thanks for sharing your comments!
😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
Hi, You can easily do Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford as a day trip, but basing yourself in Kilkenny during your stay in the southeast makes the most sense. I'm a retired man with lots of time and if you need someone to show you the hidden bits of Kilkenny, I'd be delighted to do so. Enjoy your trip.@@thissecondhalfadventure
@edmurphy5636. Thanks for your response! That confirms some things we weren’t sure about. If you like send us your contact information to Thissecondhalfadventure@gmail.com
We’ll see what works out. We’re finishing up primary details.
Thanks for your kind offer! 😀👍
17:32 kinsale in Cork, ring of kerry, derrynane beach and rock of cashel, also Doolin in co. Clare would be all nice places 👌
@mcgarrtirishgal3903. Thanks for watching and joining in! I must say Derrynane Beach looks amazing 😀👍 If time allows, we’ll probably stop! 👍 We’re also going to be near Kinsale 👍 Cashel is on our wish list! Great choices. Hope you keep watching 👍😀✌
You are great to drive in Dublin I’m Irish would not drive on the east coast. Quite mean of the hotel to have a 10 am check out. Thats very early
@mellaanne1. Thanks for your comment. You can be sure we won’t be driving in the highly congested areas.😀
We will have to watch checkout times a little closer.
😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
I got upgraded from a Ford Focus to a BMW sedan - it was a most splendid upgrade! (Part of the upgrade was that my old college friend from Navan showed up at the airport in a nice upmarket Landrover wagon - and the rental guy saw an opportunity!) It was actually a only slight price increase - and it was a superb choice for all the twisty hill roads of the west and south coasts on our 10 day sojourn! My wife certainly approved... just saying! Thoroughly enjoyed the trip west from Navan to Westport, the trip down past Galway bay to the Burren and cliffs of moher, the trip around the Dingle peninsula (fabulous) - and then down to Crookhaven and back through Cork, Fermoy and the Waterford Glass facility. A never to be forgotten 10 days in Eire and one I hope to repeat - for a month this next time.
Sounds like you had a fabulous trip, and nice wheels to boot! Always good when you keep the Mrs. happy - in our house we say "Happy wife, happy life!" 🤣Thanks so much for watching and commenting!❤️
Thank you for visiting our country and I hope you both return.
@northernsegageorge6510
Thanks for the comment. Ireland is truly our favorite place to visit.
Hope you keep watching our videos. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I would suggest seeing Connemara.
You have so many historical sites to see, fresh fish from the sea and scenery to die for.
Everything is in within a short distance, Kylemore Abbey and the lovingly restored walled, Victorian garden, the hike up to the sacred heart high in the mountain. Connemara National Park with the Diamond Hill. You have the Padre Pio shrine at Tully Cross, a beautiful beach at Renvyle, and if you're feeling brave, you can hop the ferry to Inish Bofin from Cleggan.
Clifden, which is the main town, is where Alcock and Brown's plane landed in the bog, and the Marconi station is nearby.
To me, it's one of the best places Ireland has to offer as everything is on the doorstep. Whether you want a posh hotel or hostel and everything in between, it's all here in a stones throw.
I love the mountains and lakes of Connemara and blessed to live here.
@moirafitzgerald5353 thank you so much for watching and commenting! We had the great fortune of visiting your lovely Connemara on our last trip over, including Kylemore Abbey and Diamond Hill. The scenery was stunning and there was so much to see and do, as you said. Find the link to that roadtrip video here-
ruclips.net/video/OhVqDSiOzwY/видео.htmlsi=fvZcJjkEyd1dojqT
If only there were more time for it all... ❤🇺🇸🇮🇪🍀 (there's no emoji for wistful wishing, apparently...)😆
@thissecondhalfadventure It's a shame that you didn't take the opposite route to Galway as it's so much more picturesque.
I'm glad that you were able to view some of God's magnificent performance from the Diamond Hill.
I was blessed to go to school in Kylemore Abbey, which was brought by the Benedictine order when their home in Ypres was burnt to the ground.
The nuns carried the sacred heart high into the mountain, and the castle, which had originally been built as a wedding gift, became Kylemore Abbey and a girls boarding school.
Unfortunately the school closed in 2010.
I don't know if you got to feel the magic in the air between Letterfrack and Kylemore Abbey.
You need at least a good week to see all that Connemara has to offer.
If you would like to visit my area in the future, I would be happy to help plan you a good itinerary that's affordable.
One of my closest friends resides in Oughterard and she's a wealth of knowledge of her area as I do of mine.
There are 2 small islands 40 minutes by ferry to them which are both inhabited.
You don't need a car to go over and the Islands are only open in the season for tourists. I love getting the ferry over to Inish Bofin and the smaller Island is called Inish Turk.
Kylemore Abbey has changed alot since your last visit and now includes the new chapter house and retreat.
It's such a shame that you stayed in Galway city and I hope that you will visit my beautiful area again so that I can show you some hidden gems here that many tourists don't know about or get to see.
I'd love to connect with you if you're happy to do so as you so obviously love our beautiful Emerald Isle.❤️🙏
@@moirafitzgerald5353 how fascinating that you attended Kylemore’s school! We were sad that we didn’t have time to hike up to the Sacred Heart statue☹ We saw when we were there that they were beginning the expansion you mentioned.
The islands sound amazing,! We would love to return to the northwest of the ROI, but it may be a while before we can do so- we have our itinerary nearly set for this fall’s trip, and next year holds a commitment to visit family in Alaska and film the area for our channel.
So we’d be looking at 2026 at the earliest 🙁We’d love to stay in touch though and see what develops. If you are interested, forward your contact info to our channel email :
Thissecondhalfadventure@gmail.com
Thanks so much for your info and support of our channel,😊🇮🇪🇺🇸❤
Yes, the US Customs surprised my group last month also! We were very confused and slightly stressed because we didn't realize there was a 2nd process.
It was very disconcerting - and there was hardly a mention of it online. Thank goodness for the kind people at Aer Lingus and Chris’s easygoing nature! Thanks so much for viewing and commenting !😊♥️
Chris & Karen. Just found your vlog & new to your channel. Ireland travel is fresh & I'm planning a return in September 2024. We visited Ireland in April-May 2019, pre COVID-19 🙃😉👍🏻
@berniemcmahon5440. Welcome to our channel!!!
Thanks for watching and commenting. 😀👍
We’re also returning to Ireland in September.
We try to be informative and have a little fun on this channel. We enjoy getting feedback. Sometimes it’s critical but most times the feedback is fun, positive and informative. Read a few of them if you get a chance. 👍😀
Yes, St Patrick's Southside parade on Western Ave to 111th. Beverly & Mount Greenwood locations.
We head to Ireland for our second trip. Hoping to base'camp' ... stay 3 days at each of 4-5 locations for sidetrips. Not run & gun ...
@@berniemcmahon5440 Hah! Was the cool street with larger homes and yards called Longwood ?
‘Base camp’ cool! Our best times were heading out from our base for the day and getting back to enjoy the town/village we were staying in. Sounds like you have a fine plan!😀
All the best on your trip. 👍✌😀🇺🇸🇮🇪
I’m from Northern Ireland, about 8 miles from Bushmills. One thing you didn’t mention, food-wise, was a Veda loaf. This is a malt loaf and I think it’s a loaf peculiar to Northern Ireland. If you’re back again & get the chance buy the uncut one (the pre-sliced one isn’t the same imo) and slice it thickly yourself. Toast it, butter it and eat while the butter is melting with a big mug of tea. Comfort food at its finest. My husband and I were being tourists in our own country today:we went to Derry this morning on the train, had coffee and a lovely scone in a wee cafe in the Craft village and then walked the walls before coming home. Derry people are very friendly. Glad you had a good trip.
@hf3739. Thanks for watching and commenting!!
Of course I had to find out what a Veda loaf was😀
We had a micro brewery in town that used the spent grains to make bread and pizza crust. Is this similar to the malt flour? Your description of the toast and tea just made us smile. Sounds very comforting 👍
It’s good to be a tourist in your own country. Sometimes we forget all the things we have with in a 2 hour drive. We also picked up some coffee at a cute/creative cafe as well. The name fails me ☹
Every one we met in Derry was friendly as you said.
We were extremely happy that we able to stay for a couple of days in Northern Ireland 😀👍
Hope you keep watching. Thanks.
For your next trip go through the Wickow mountains, Glendalough monastic site, and Kilkenny.
@Malevich2024. Thanks for watching 👍 That’s part of our plan. We would really like to visit Wicklow city but we may not get there (time) because we are heading west into the county and south to Wexford.
Kilkenny for sure!!
Hope you keep watching. Appreciate the comment.
People always go to Glendalough in Co. Wicklow which is an old monastic sight, it is beautiful. However, depending on the time you go it can be quite tourist heavy. I recommend trying Powerscourt Gardens in Enniskerry (also in Wicklow). Again, this can be a bit touristy but there’s the gardens to walk around in, a whiskey house tour, and a small shopping centre (inside the old Powerscourt house) for some souvenir indulgence ☺️.
Also for the maps, before you go, you can download an offline google maps of a region which is very helpful. It doesn’t take traffic or such into account but ensures that you always have directions available.
@chocohooligan8634. Thank you for your suggestions 👍 Yes, we’ve gotten many mentions about Glendalough. Enniskerry is nearer to Dublin I see.
We’ve got one day in Dublin before we pick up our car. Some places we’d like to see in Dublin but we’re also looking at a half day trip by train on that day. Decisions to be made😀
Appreciate the tip for google maps . Having that extra resource is always a good thing 👍😀
Thank you for sharing that with us.
The south of Ireland contains Wicklow, Waterford, Wexford, Cork, Kinsale. Kerry, Dingle. Adare and Cashel not to mention all the things to see in each place. One of the best things we experienced was a ruin of an abbey near Golden. A shop keeper in Cashel told us about. And then there are the Aryan Islands, the Cliffs of Mohr, the Killarney National Park, the Blarney Castle, the Muckross House, the Ring of Kerry just to name a few.
@mdrewry04. Thank you for your comments 👍
You’ve mentioned a lot of the places we want to visit! You’re right, “all the things to see “ at each stop throw off a schedule 😀 The reward is you we’re fortunate enough to see a ruin you’ll never forget 😀 We met a retired league rugby player in Oughterard that had opened a coffee shop and was doing great work for his hometown.
It’s great to check everything off ones list but talking with and listening to the locals is the best!
Thanks for watching 😀👍✌
When you guys come back I’d recommend my home county Co.Wicklow (Glendalough) is a beautiful area about a hour outside Dublin and make your way by the south east Co.wexford Co.Waterford Co.Cork Co.Kerry all county’s are next to each other and personally from someone who is 30 minutes from Dublin avoid it it’s ok for a day but honestly the south east/south west of Ireland is a far better experience of Ireland for you guys. 😊
@jamesbyrne4204. 😀We are heading south to Wicklow and west towards Cork. Arrive in Dublin early morning so we’ll be doing the adrenaline walk😀 for the day and head out the next morning. We missed a lot in Dublin last time.
Thank you for your comments!👍😀✌
What a terrific video! My home in Ireland is Lanesborough, County Longford. The village is actually two of them, Lanesborough and Ballyleague, divided by the River Shannon. A placard on the bridge tells you that Lanesborough is in County Longford, and Ballyleague is in County Roscommon. The river also marks the division of provinces(Leinster and Connaught), and Catholic dioceses (Armagh/ Clonmacnoise and Elphin). The river scenery is beautiful. It’s about 30 miles north of Athlone, also on the River Shannon…perhaps a future visit will take you along its banks, its the longest river in Ireland (214 miles).
We'll be seeing the southern half of the republic on this year's trip, but have been to Athlone and plan to see the Shannon again in Limerick this trip! Such a beautiful country you have!🙂🇮🇪🇺🇸🍀💚
Oh, and thanks so much for watching and commenting!❤
I think about it every day…
You guessed the nature and purpose of a spice bag perfectly 🙂It is indeed a big bag of greasy food to soak up the alcohol after a night in the pubs, and it never fails.
@steviemac9055. Thanks for validating our original thoughts on the spice bag 😀
We got a spice bag just recently in Dublin. We’ll get into details in an upcoming video. All I will say now is that we were fit as a fiddle the next day!
Thanks for your comment. Loved it!
Oh, how wonderful! Loved this video. Maybe we'll run into each other since we'll be there in September as well. This will be my 2nd visit. This time we're going to visit Cobh and Kinsale which are near Cork. This was at the suggestion of an Irish friend living in the states. Happy Travels!
@debradamato4269. Thanks so much for your comment! Sorry our paths won’t cross as we just returned home yesterday. Your Irish friend is steering you in the right direction 👍 We based ourselves in Cork and visited both. So cool in our opinion. Not sure what your interests are but lots of history and beautiful seaside views. If you have questions let us know!
Glad you watched the video. Safe travels!!
@@thissecondhalfadventure Great Grandparents were from Cork area. We were in Ireland once before and I absolutely loved being there. This trip will also include Dublin, Killarney, Dingle and Galway. Absolutely love staying at Pax House in Dingle. Happy to return to some places I've been, and looking forward to taking trains this time during our explorations. Maybe this time the Cliffs of Moher won't be socked in with fog. LOL Looking forward to your next video of your most recent adventure.
Hi guys, my one recommendation is to get out of Dublin, there's so much more to see! Travel the Ring of Kerry, or the Wild Atlantic Way, visit Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.
Just to the south of Dublin is the Wicklow mountains, and Glendalough, a personal favourite day trip of mine, travelling up and over Sally Gap to get there. The Rock of Cashel is a nice stop if you have time. To the north of Dublin (about an hour by car), is Newgrange, a 5000 year old tomb which is cool if you want to kill a few hours.
@andrewrymell1. 👍 We’ve had quite a few suggestions regarding Wicklow. All of them have been positive 😀 We’re going south from Dublin so Wicklow is part of the plan but like you mention, time is our biggest obstacle 🙁
Newgrange looks very cool but we know we won’t have time.
If you have a chance, we have a couple of videos about Galway,the Cliffs and Sligo.
The other locations you mention are great choices
Our lists get longer each day. Thanks for watching and joining in the discussion!
We are going to Ireland and Scotland in September also! Hope you have a great time.
@davishello22. That’s cool! Our last trip was also September so we’ll hope that the weather matches that trip 😀 Can’t count on it though. You’ll have let us know how much fun you had!!
Hope you keep watching. Safe travels.👍✌️
Where in Scotland? I hope you have a nice trip.
We went to Edinburgh, Dunbar, and Stirling two years ago in September. The weather was beautiful, clear skies, not more than a drop of rain. It was all breath taking. The food was unbeatable too. We ate basically at random for the week and didn't get one bad meal.
Our only issue was the queen laying in state on the Royal Mile for most of our trip. That was a big mess to try to navigate around. Oh..and the wasp nest inside our VRBO.
Thank you so much - we are leaving Canada in 5 days and appreciate your insights
@LouiseCarson-e5m Big thanks for watching 😀✌
Hoping you have a great time. Let us know if you have any last minute questions?
Not sure where in Ireland you’re going but we’ve released videos about sites north of Galway including the Causeway Coast area.
Best wishes!
Had a “crisp” (tayto) sandwich for lunch today, with a little brown sauce. Fish pie, is an absolute must, comfort food of highest order. We always have Cadbury’s flakes for ice cream cones in summer, and just so.
@sheilakerr-jones3435 you're one after my own heart! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Loved your video. Planning my own second half trip with hubby. Interested more in slow travel. I want to start in County Clare and not necessarily see everything. I would love to see a video of Doolin, Ennis, any of the County Clare sites. I’m reading the entire memoir series by Niall Williams and Christine Breen about County Clare. Looking forward to watching your videos! 😊
@cherylkurland1755. Thank you!! How cool for you and your hubby 😀
Not sure if you’re driving or not. Driving gave us a chance to set our own schedule at a pace that we were comfortable with. We stayed in Galway for three nights. We did a day trip to Connemara/ Kylemore Abbey with short stops here and there.
Next day was a day trip to Cliffs. Sadly we didn’t get to Doolin or Ennis. We’re going to see if we can get to Ennis this year 😀
The memoir series sounds like a great resource! That’s a great idea.
Thanks for suggestions, we’ll do the best we can to get to a couple of spots in Clare👍😀
Co Clare is beautiful, and I would suggest a trip to Clare Island as part of your itinerary.
Co Wicklow ard na locha cottage lacken in hills above the lake 👍
@@jonathantipper9614 Apologies for not responding quicker 😀✌ That sounds beautiful! Thanks for the suggestion. I enjoy a comment that makes me curious enough to do a little research 😀 Your comment is going on our list to let others know about places a little off the radar that should be checked out 😀 Thanks for watching and letting us know. Hope you keep watching.
😀👍✌
@@jonathantipper9614 I would have bet money I responded to your comment but now I don’t see it. My apologies ✌. Loved the suggestion! We’re going to be on the move a few times and this looks like we need to hang out in the area for a while 😀 It’s going our list for the next time 😀when we can enjoy it more! Thanks for commenting and watching 👍✌😀
Thanks for sharing!!!
@outdoorstudios2022. 👍✌️😀
Killarney National Park, Kinsale (a beautiful town!), the Cliffs of Moher (Yes, touristy, but so amazing!), Lahinch Beach, the Burren. I saw them all last year on our tour and loved them all. Going back in June to explore more of the Wild Atlantic Way!
@Bozoette. Thanks so much for watching!
Loved the cliffs! We’re hoping to see Killarney and Kinsale and more on this next trip. I think there is a very nice golf course in Lahinch😀. Very cool that you’re going back👍 Check in with us when you return if you get a chance. Safe travels!!
Hope you keep watching!
Come to Wicklow an hour south of Dublin. Beautiful scenery you can visit so many wonderful places around county Wicklow and beyond. It’s called the garden of Ireland and its beautiful scenery and landscapes do the title justice.
@ellen8428. Thank you watching and for your recommendation. It’s kind of funny but on our last trip we were up in the Guinness Sky Bar. We could see the Wicklow Mountains on that clear day. We told ourselves that we would go see them on the next trip 😀. We plan to get a closer view this time!
If you like whiskey I’d consider trip to Midleton Distillery, close to
Cobh where you can also visit spike island.
@typedrtyped5376. Thanks for your comment! 😀 It’s looking like we’ll be in that area (why not). I think that’s where Jameson is, right?
Thank you for the suggestion of Spike Island. Love hearing about places we haven’t read about.
👍❤
Thank you for watching and sharing your info!
All the best !
A few musts are Waterford, staying at the Fitzwilton Hotel. Cycling to Dungarven from Waterford using the Greenway. Also Roscarberry is great especially the standing stonds about 1 km outside of the town. Baltimore is also a lovely town. Cant leave out Ring of Kerry and Diamond hill in Connemara, Cliffs of Moher and the best place in Ireland is Achill Island and Westport and Croagh Patrick. Hope that helps you.
@belfast01uk Thanks very much. That’s a great list of suggestions!!
We were lucky enough to visit Connemara and the Cliffs of Moher on our first trip but we’re kicking ourselves for not getting to Westport or Achill Island.
We’re staying south of Galway and Dublin this time so we plan to visit Waterford and Kerry. Roscarberry and Baltimore are going on our list😀👍 The greenway sounds like a great ride as well.
Thanks again for sharing with us. Hope you keep watching 👍😀✌
Enniscorthy in Wexford County. A castle, a famous battle site, rich history.
@norikobeck2009. Thank you for watching and joining in the conversation !
We’re going to visit Wexford and stay in Kilkenny. It looks like we could go to Enniscorthy on our way there 😀 Thanks for the tip. Looks like something we would enjoy. Hope you keep watching!
It´s difficult to understand that you're savvy enough to manage a RUclips channel but you still make basic mistakes when you travel. Thank you.
@GordonLF. Thanks for watching and commenting. You know, everyone wants a long awaited trip to go perfectly. We missed a second page for the confirmation from the printer for the Airbnb . Don’t know how rental car date changed (clerical?) Bottom line we didn’t catch it! We always joke that ‘ reading is a skill’ . We didn’t pay enough attention and it didn’t ruin our trip but it cost us a few more dollars.
I guess we’re just trying to impress on viewers to pay better attention than we did.
We’re not perfect but we won’t make ‘those’ mistakes again 😀👍✌
Have you ever travelled Gordon?
@@MichaelWilson-cx1hh Like Immanuel Kant.
Traveling is super hard, things always seem to come up! but it is what makes it an adventure and exciting, and a mixture of good and unfortunately bad! We will be heading to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland this autumn! Our last trip was Japan and Korea. My worse travel experiences were in Colombia but partially through airlines cancellation from the US side. Loved Cartegena and Medellin though!
@glorytalbott5500. You certainly seem to have the right state of mind to travel! 😀
Sometimes things just happen. Just don’t let it ruin your trip.
The travels you’ve been on sound amazing! Very curious about language barrier in Korea and Japan. We’re also curious about Columbia 😀
We wish you safe travels this autumn. Let us know if you have any questions about Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
My sister married a Japanese man twenty years ago and they have four children. So we (my grown daughters came, too) stayed with my sister when in Japan. My sister is fluent in Japanese and English but I still learned some basic Japanese like thank you (aragato gozaimasu) and other short polite responses. I only knew thank you in Korean and that was it! But we were in Seoul and we still managed to get around there. The worse thing I did was try to stick Korean won into a metro ticket machine in Japan instead of Japanese yen. Someone nicely commented that I was using the wrong money, lol. The good thing about Colombia is it's cheap once you get there. But be careful of the area. Most Americans stay in the area of Poblado in Medellin but we also liked staying in other parts such as Bello where we only saw the locals. I've been to Medellin five times. Americans often pronounce Medellin incorrectly so look up the proper way to say it before traveling there. Someone corrected the way I said Edinbough (Scotland) so I've since corrected it before we go there this autumn! My husband and I plan to see Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland for the first time ever.
I live in Co Laois if you were in my home and used the Word Londonderry for Derry you would be shown the door followed by a boot up the hole
Thanks for warning us! We'll mind our names and guard our holes! 😆
Recommend visiting Waterford Crystal Factory!
Take a hike at Glendalough, absolutely gorgeous!
@Alan112573. Thank you for watching 👍👍
We really hope to go to the crystal factory. We would like to pick up something there😀. We also want to explore Waterford as much as we can!
Glendalough is an excellent selection! We’re trying to work out how much time we can spend.
We appreciate your comments!!
Good tip about flying to Shannon and accessing the Wild Atlantic Way which runs from West Cork to Donegal, amazing scenery in all counties along the way.
Try and go to see hurling or Gaelic football games (unique Irish sports) - you’ll meet and see the real Irish at these very popular sports, hurling is the fastest field game in the world. Also take in a County Agricultural Show or similar - again you’ll meet the locals !! Go off the beaten track a little, don’t stick rigidly to the guide books. Good luck and have a great time. 🇮🇪🇮🇪
@jackbeag. Thanks for jumping in and sharing these tips! Yep, Shannon would have been great to fly into but Dublin turned out to be less money. Plus Dublin had better departure times that worked with our schedule.👍
Great suggestion about sports! 😀👍 I need to study up a bit on hurling. Just started watching rugby in the last couple of years. I’m guessing Gaelic football is different. I’ll be checking that out as well.
The county Ag Show is also a cool idea. We’re familiar with them in the state of Indiana.🐂🐖🐑
I didn’t finish. We try to stay flexible on our travels and we’ll talk to anyone that listen.
Big thanks for your input. All the best!
😀👍🇺🇸🇮🇪
@@thissecondhalfadventure you are very welcome.
@@jackbeag 👍
@@jackbeag 👍😀
We loved this video, this so sounds like my wife and I traveling. Things happen but just enjoy and have fun.
Heck we may run into you, we will be in Ireland in September 2024 in the south also. You will most likely find us stumbling from the Midleton Distillery.
@jameswhitted762. Thank you 🙏 for that comment. We try to make the best of what we have to work with. Why ruin a vacation by dwelling on small things . Sounds like you and your wife have a good thing going.
I think we’re going to Middleton. 😀 Date to be determined but what a laugh that would be if we accidentally met?!?😀 I meant stumbling out of the distillery 😀
We’re close to confirming our ‘hubs’ that we go out for day trips.
Excited about south Ireland since we went north last time. Safe travels and good times! 👍✌😀
@@thissecondhalfadventure im actually from midleton so if you ever need info on places down there just holler
@@fiachraswaz 😀👍We’re going to be in that area..if you think of a couple of places, we would certainly add them to our list. Thanks again for watching and commenting!
If your driving head down to aghada for lunch, its a nice little village and is on the water. Either that or head down to ballycotton, again a really nice little village where you can get a nice fish meal ( ballycotton also has a pretty famous fish wholesalers) ballycotton is about 25 mins from midleton on the youghal side and is a bit hidden away so if its just lunch aghada is probably a better option both in terms of distance and driveability. You probably wont have the time but fota wildlife park is just before cobh (the titanics last port of call) and is unique in terms of while you walk around it the wildlife roam free except the tigers etc, that would be asking for trouble. You probably know midleton would be close enough to cork city but personally id be more inclined to go to places outside the city ( blarney etc) but there is a few places in cork city to see. All in all depending on how much time ye have there would be plenty to see in the east cork region....beware of the traffic round cork city it can be manic at times
@@fiachraswaz Thanks! Yeah I have that wildlife park marked if we have some time to do that. We will see about checking out those places you pointed out.
The most famous tourist spot in the south is the Cliffs of Moher. Tourists often drive to the visitor centre, park in the car park and wander around the area near the car park which is usually crowded (probably not in September though). It will cost you €16 to park there. The alternative is to drive to Liscannor. A farmer has turned his land into a car park. You pay €2 for the day (that was the rate 2 years ago, it may have increased) and you walk along the cliffs from the car park to the visitor centre. It's a beautiful walk along the cliff path and rarely crowded. It takes about an hour. Go on a clear day. It's miserable in the rain. And don't walk too near the edge. The cliff sometimes crumbles away without warning and people have died there. But they marked off a path for walkers and if you stick to that there's absolutely no danger. They've kind of overdone the safety aspect so you can walk outside the marked path (everyone does) but it's safest to stay away from the edge. To find the Liscannor car park, stop in the village of Liscannor and anyone local will give you directions. There's also a pub in the centre of the village that does great seafood but I can't remember its name. You can also walk from the visitor centre to Doolin but I've never done that and a local told me the path is quite rough.
@valcollinsbooks1712 thanks so much for watching and commenting! We had the great pleasure of visiting the Cliffs on our last trip over, and though we didn't park down by Hag's Head, we had lovely weather that day and walked down to there and back to the visitor's center and O'Brien's tower. What stunning scenery! We stayed well away from the edge! We took a look at your author website and ordered your newest book from Amazon! Looking forward to reading it! Thanks again for watching and best of luck with your book series!
I'm an irishman born and bred. I live in a small county called Monaghan about 1 1/2 hrs drive from Dublin airport headng North. Castle Leslie is a beautiful place to stay in a quaint little village called Glaslough (look it up) it was made famous when Paul Mc Cartney (from the Beatles) got married there to Heather Millls in 2002.
every time I have hired a car in Ireland they never have the type of car I book, even when I have booked months in advance, they most have much bigger car which are much more expensive.
They also have like a holding bond which can be as much as 3000 euro on your credit card.
@robertnairn7353. Thanks for watching and for your comment. You’re not the first person to mention the car upgrade issue. My dad used to call it “the old switcharoo “. 🙀 The person hiring the car usually doesn’t have time to wait for the car they hired and they’re forced into the upgrade so they can be on their way. Other than taking your business elsewhere, I’m not sure how to remedy that problem.
We use a tour company for parts of our trip. We hire our vehicle through them which saves us a few headaches such as the holding bond.
Thanks again. 👍😀
One of our favorite places in southern is Kinsale. It’s a must in my book.
@geriiamaral9014. Thanks for your comment! We’re in Cork today and hope to get to Kinsale tomorrow 👍
We had the same accommodation error when the email confirmation was sent to us while travelling so unchecked. They have odd things going on!
@andrewburns4343. Sorry to hear that. Totally understand how that could happen while you’re on the road! Hope everything worked out!
We were in Ireland for 3+ weeks. I did all of the planning myself. I didn't want to leave it to a travel agent. We also rented a car mid way (spent one week in Dublin). We rented from the airport because of the days and also, it is a quick drive out of Dublin. It was simple and would recommend the airport. We did have some issues with the actual check-in area, but we had some fantastic Irishman help us find the right area. I believe it was less expensive than in town. We also did the Dingle Peninsula, and Conors Pass. All i can say, is read everything you can about Ireland. I bought one book (Lonely Planet). But also went to the library and rented many books. I felt like I knew everything I could. We got so lucky as we only had 2 days of rain. We went September-October. I agree ask, people are so amazing!
@tarakennedy3041. Three plus weeks is a great amount of time to spend in Ireland! We also chose to pick up our car on our way out of Dublin. No need for a car as it was easy walk.
😀We bought a couple of books but we also used the public library. We watched our share of RUclips also.😀
You sound like you were well prepared. And had a wonderful trip. September is a good time of year to visit Ireland, you just never know what the weather will be! Very cool only had two days of rain 👍
The people were absolutely awesome .
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience.
All of the feedback we’ve received from viewers has been amazing.
How'ya. We have been three times to Ireland.
About 1-15. hours west of Galway is Kylemore Abbey, somewhat touristy, but the drive from Galway is stunning, with what you associate Ireland as, green rolling hills and mountains, all around you. We also recommend to visit the Kerry Cliffs outside of Portmagee at the far western end of the Ring of Kerry. Warning that the roads are very narrow and you won't a tour bus in sight for at least 15 kms since the roads are essentially one-way roads.
Touristy, but worth the view is the Cliffs of Moher. But save yourself some money and park at "Guerin's Path". It is about a 10 minute walk from the visitor center and has one of the best views of the cliffs. Last time we were there Martin, the farmer who owns the land, was charging 5 Euros to park at his lot and then it is a 3-5 minute walk to the cliffs.
We also love a visit to Cobh (pronounced "Cove"), which is between Waterford and Cork on the Southern Coast. It was the last stop on the Titanic before the Atlantic Crossing. The little village is beautiful with great views and colorful buildings (it is somewhat crowded in the warm weather days/months).
@HouseofCards9244. Thanks! Hope you’re doing as well as we are!😀
We stayed in Galway last time (shameless plug) and have some videos from Connemara,Kylemore and the cliffs. Loved the drive to Connemara.
Great tip about “Guerin’s Path”.
Thanks for telling us about the “road” to Kerry Cliffs🤣. We’d like to go there.
Several viewers have mentioned Cobh. We really hope to visit that village.
We love getting all of this input from viewers. It’s just making our decisions harder but, that’s a good problem to have. Thanks again 👍😀✌
If you find yourself in Dublin Central you can hop a dart train for a 20 minuet ride to Howth a beautiful harbour marina cliff walk and great views from the summit. Plenty of places to eat and drink and Howth castle, a spot loved by Dubliners not very touristy , the lakes of Killarney and powers court house. Also Loch Tae in wicklow owned by the Guinness family
@discontentedcitizan6046 Thanks for your comment! We’ve heard a lot of good things about Howth. A 20 minute train ride would be perfect 😀.
Your description of it sounds like just what we’re looking for.
The lakes and Powers Court are also on our list.
I’m going to look up Loch Tae .
Thank you for some great recommendations and thanks for watching.
@@thissecondhalfadventure If you have any questions get in touch. Wishing you all the best in your travels. May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face.
@@discontentedcitizan6046 😀 We really appreciate your support!
All the best to you as well!
For two days we’ve tried to think of a midwestern blessing or saying but everything we know seems to have come from Ireland. 😀.
Thanks again!
Hi Chris and Karen. During the troubles in Northern Ireland my job took me to Derry/Londonderry for a couple of months. When I was questioned by the police (RUC) on my way to Derry I told them I was going to Derry. I was immediately asked to step out of the car and I and the car was searched. I was told later that if I had said I was going to Londonderry I probably would not have been searched. The next time I went through the checkpoint I told them I was going to Londonderry and sure enough, I was waived through. The RUC, which mostly comprised of Protestant personnel would only refer to the place as Londonderry. Those who called it Derry were always Catholic and nationalist and viewed with suspicion by the RUC. Thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
I look forward to your next visit here as I live in Cork and hopefully you'll visit. I enjoyed watching your last trip and hope it will be less confusing for you.
@billyo54. It’s always a treat to read your comments! 👍 Thank you for continuing to watch and sharing your experiences!
We will probably will be in Cork or Cobh in September. Maybe you know of a good little pub to visit. Share a pint possibly. 😀
@@thissecondhalfadventure you betcha
@@thissecondhalfadventureCobh used to be named Queenstown , it was the last call of the Titanic before heading to is doom. There is a museum there dedicated to it. Happy travels. 👍
@@markfahy400 Thanks for watching Mark!! We plan to see Cobh 😀 Appreciate the suggestion for the museum 👍 Hope you keep watching. All the best to you!
I approve all your food choices except for the spice bag 😂 just make sure it’s real Irish butter on that Tayto sandwich. Nothing else works and it wouldn’t taste as nice.
There’s so much to see and do - my biggest recommendation would be to allow a lot more time than you initially plan for. I know it pushes up accommodation costs etc but the roads you’ll want to travel will take you longer than you can imagine, especially down around the must see areas of west Cork and Kerry (which is probably the best spot for any seafood).
Trying to cram too much in is a mistake many visitors to our lovely island make.
My one tip if you’re visiting Glendalough in Co. Wicklow is actually not to park in the main car park, but head for the (free) ‘overflow’ car park a couple miles down the road in Laragh. A beautiful walk through native woodland brings you down into the monastic settlement, and then it’s up to you guys how much further you’d like to go. A must see pub about fifteen minutes drive from that car park is The Cartoon Inn, Rathdrum. And in the same village there’s the house of Avondale and a stunning treetop walk…really I could write you an itinerary of my county alone for at least a week - and absolutely everywhere is the same.
Slightly randomly…if you find yourself in Roscommon area look up Rathcroghan. Stunning archaeological and historical landscape rich in the type of mythology were well known for.
Have a good trip and no doubt you’ll be back…and back…and back…
@LittleFi83. Thanks for watching and leaving such a wonderful comment(s)😀
You know, Kerry Gold butter is in our grocery. We know a store where we can buy Tayto and we have bread, but, something tells us it won’t taste the same here in NW Indiana 😀
Our goal is to see as much as we can, to talk to as many people as we can and eat as much as we can😂, without being in a hurry! We try to have a backup plan or two for each day.
@LittleFi83. I sent my reply too early. I wasn’t finished 😂
We loved your suggestion about the car park at Glendalough and Cartoon Inn👍👍Its added to our list!
Big thanks to you for taking the time to share your suggestions with us 😀👍✌
I’m in England but I assume the same for Ireland, if looking for somewhere ask at the post office 😊
@martinwilliams1784. Thank you for watching from England!!
Great suggestion! We even did that (go to the post office) in a small town in North Carolina U.S. They gave us the name of a great breakfast spot and how to get there 😀
We appreciate your support Martin👍✌
We are getting ready to take a trip to Ireland, it's been a long time coming, too.
I am trying to consume as much information as possible, and I thank you for yours.
We booked through AAA, that has been quite an issue, but I think we are set. Like you mentioned "Rewiew". We are actually staying 2 extra days because of an error, but it's going to work out fine. Lemonade from lemons
Our trip is going to be mostly North and a couple of days in Dublin.
The two extra days we are renting a car and heading to Galway. We found a place to stay, a BB just east of Galway, about a 20 minute walk. We are going to research what is available to see between Dublin and Galway .
We are a little nervous about renting a car, which seems complicated and driving . But if it is easy, old people would be doing it, I'm 68. " Don't let the ole man in."
Thank you again, and if you have any tips suggestions, especially the car rentals, Im all ears.
John
@johndillon3942. That’s very cool that you’re able to get this journey accomplished!
Loved the “Lemonade out of lemons”
We loved the north half of the island!
Galway was just fun. Very lively with buskers outside and Trad music in several pubs. We didn’t make it to the university area.
Sean’s in Athlone is the oldest pub in the world. Right by the Shannon River. There’s a castle as well.
On a side note there is a rest area with a statue of the Obamas on the way to Galway.
As one viewer commented ‘ they’re no spring chickens’ 😂 After only driving in the U.S. , I was really nervous about changing it all up. It starts to make sense after a little while. Karen helped a ton with directions and signs.There’s some more detailed driving info on our Driving in Ireland video if you get a chance to watch. Feel free to ask any more questions.
If you want to see more south, 100% do the ring of Kerry. It will take you to probably the most awesome places in The Republic!
When you in this neck of the woods, do shout out, I'm in Cork myself and would love to spoil you both with the better version of Guinness, Either Beamish or Murphy's, both as black as Guinness, but local and imho way better!
Cork by the way is the True Capital of Ireland.
Also in and around Cork there are a lot of great historical places like the birthplace of Michael Collins, and the place of his assassination.
When you land in Dubs, make sure you drive a little north. The hill of Tara. One of the oldest monolithic complexes in the world and just a little drive.
also, when there and you want to get the best pint of black, do go to John Kavanagh's (aka 'The Gravediggers') in Glasnevin, this is considered as The best Pint of Black you can get.
☘
Two more tips based on ur vid.
The "no coverage, so no internet, so no navigation issue"
Google Maps and Apple Maps both have the option to download the map on device. This map copy will be valid for from the top of my head 6 weeks (could be 6 months, anyhow time enough) and as the GPS on device doesn't need internet, you always can find your way.
The second one is linked to this,
Most devices have the option for dual sim, most second "sims" are Esim's basically a code you enter on device and you are good to go. Pay as you go sims are really cheap here, and for instance with 3 (telco) you pay 20 euro for a month unlimited 5g, calls and texts. So when you land, just grab one of them and you never have any connection issues. when you dual sim, you can even keep your own number active at the same time, so the homefront can reach you on your own number.
@Carloco-ly6wn. It’s a cloudy dreary day in nw Indiana and your comments put smiles on our faces 😀😀
We’ve heard a lot about Cork and after a day of driving and doing ‘touristy’ things, I am sure we’ll be ready to try a pint of Beamish or Murphey’s or both 😂 Can’t guarantee anything, but you’ll probably hear from us.
Thanks for the fun and informative comment!
Sorry they pulled a fast one on you in Bushmills. I've heard them orangies up there are very shifty, wouldn't go near the place myself.
@johnbrennan7764. Thanks for watching! All I can say is, everyone was very nice to us 😀 We’ll pay better attention to checkout times. 👍
This was a great video!! Thank you!
@wisegirl1206. Thank you for your kind comment!
Hope you get a chance to watch a few more of our videos 😀👍✌.
Sorry to hear about all the mishaps with you bookings. You seem a lot more tranquill about it than I would be (I'm Irish). Re. looking for you accommodation in Bushmills, don't be afraid to ask. Anytime I'm going somewhere in Ireland I don't know I don't use satnav or Google maps, I just head in the general direction and ask. Be prepared for a possible long conversation, especially if you stop and ask an old man walking his dog in Mallow Co. Cork. I speak from personal experience! Though I was in a mad rush I had to enjoy him and laugh about it later. I've been asked directions by tourists many times. Once late at night when I knew they had no time to get it wrong I had them follow me in their car until I got out of town (Ennis, a difficult place to navigate) and got them on the right road (to Kilkee)
@AthDara62. We really enjoyed your comment!!
The mistakes of course were frustrating at the time, but we tried not to let them ruin our trip. One of us gets more excited than the other, so between the two personalities we reach a pretty good balance 😀
We promised ourselves to stop and ask directions on this visit. We look forward to chatting with people along the way!
Very kind of you to lead the tourists out of Ennis.
Also, loved your story about the old man and his dog in Mallow.
I’m sure if our paths crossed we would also have a lengthy conversation 😀👍
Thanks for watching and leaving a wonderful comment. All the best!
the bar you are talking about is called darky Kelly's,
you should also see the marsh library est 1707 and still there its just beside st Patrick church
@nupnag. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I looked up Darkey Kelly’s. That’s quite a story attached to it😀 We were right in that neighborhood!
The pub we mentioned in the video was further north. We veered northeast off of O’Connell onto Parnell/ Summerhill as I recall.
It would be nice to check out Marsh Library and St. Patrick’s this time👍
Thanks for sharing some info on Dublin 😀👍
My first time seeing your videos, you are such lovely people, please come back to Ireland soon. I would recommend visiting Wicklow, Waterford and Cork. "Victor's Way" in Wicklow, Dungarvan in Waterford and Cobh in Cork but there are so many wonderful spots to visit, you will have to make many trips again. Happy travelling ❤
@annbrennan7788. We’re so glad you found our channel!! Thank you for the kind words!
You’ve suggested three places we’re hoping to see 👍. You’re right, we won’t get to see everything on this trip either so we will have to come back😀
Thanks for watching and commenting. We really enjoy hearing from everyone.
All the best to you and safe travels 😀✌❤🇺🇸🇮🇪
Hi - thanks for the great informative video. I'll be departing for Ireland next month.
What is the traditional music track? I love it!
@nikhilanand3920 thanks so much for watching and commenting. We work hard to find just the right music, it's nice that someone noticed! We use a service called Epidemic Sound, which allows us to search by genre, mood, timing, etc. We also use their sound effects.
Find our playlist with the music we've used here:
share.epidemicsound.com/ftcfd4/?playlist=163uexfsipvvdveiodnx5nyw2n1u3av5
And, if you sign up to Epidemic Sound through the playlist link, you'll get 7 days for free!
You are both adorable, what a great channel, real feel good stuff for a Saturday morning.
I live in Westport, Co Mayo on the west coast, come visit!
@patriciabermingham2039. That’s very nice of you to say!😀 We appreciate your kind words 👍👍
We’ve received so many suggestions about Westport! We’re talking about a third trip to Ireland because we know two trips won’t be enough 😂
We would like like to see more of Mayo and Sligo and Donegal.
Thanks for watching and commenting!!
Make sure you go to the beautiful town of Kinsale. Visit Kinsale Mead, and have that fish pie at Fishy Fishy!
Fishy Fishy (LOVE the name!) is now on my list! We have good friends in Indianapolis, Indiana, and there is an awesome meadery in the Fountain Square neighborhood there, so we've been known to have a mead or two! Thanks so much for the tips, and thanks for watching! 🙂❤
I went to Ireland last June and it was THE BEST!! We went through Cashel and I wish we could have visited The Rock of Cashel and the Abbey nearby. We stopped in for a quick snack on the road, and I though it was a really charming town! If I get to go back I FOR SURE want to go back to Cashel and to Powerscourt as well! Ireland is the most beautiful place in the world!
@nikkijones4655. Totally agree! Friends and acquaintances ask us ‘what is the best thing about Ireland?’. It’s hard to give a short answer 😀 One of the first things we say is ‘the people’. Then we rattle off 10 more things 😂
We’re going to be near Cashel. We know it’s supposed to be touristy but we hope we can fit it into our schedule!
Thanks so much for joining in the conversation! Glad you’re watching our videos ✌️👍😀
Visiting late March to early April for one week. Starting in Dublin then doing a road trip. Open to suggestions. No idea where to go or stay
@yzwoody
Thanks for watching!
We really liked Galway. If you’re driving you can get to the Cliffs of Moher or Connemara from Galway.
I’ve got other suggestions but they all depend on what you want to do or see. Do you want to go north or south? Would be happy to share any info we’ve got. Let us know.
You mentioned you are from Indiana. I'm currently in Minnesota/ TwinCities , but originally from Chicago's SouthSide ... Irish-American, don'tcha know😂😊 Take care & keep up the great videos. Informative & enjoyable 👍
@berniemcmahon5440. That makes me smile! I attended several Southside Irish St. Patrick’s Day parades back in the day! 😂 Western Ave. and 111th sounds familiar.
Thank you for the compliments and reminding me of those days!