Make a Plan and Get to the Must-Sees Long a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to traveling, I am a bit overwhelmed trying to put together an itinerary for a week-long stay in Ireland. So many castles, bluffs, beer tours. Sifting…
Using Galway as a Base for Daytrips Our time in Galway is limited—we will use the place as a base, a place to sleep and keep our gear while we explore nearby Cong. Staying at Flannery’s Hotel, we take a…
Big Castle, Big Saint, Big History On the last leg of our roadtrip in Ireland, driving from Galway back to Dublin, we take a slight detour north to see what is billed as the largest Anglo-Norman fortress in the country.…
Remembering Margaret Rice and Her Five Sons As ambivalent as I might feel about disaster tourism—is it really okay to go and look?—I am still drawn to all things Titanic. Of course, I loved the James Cameron movie, reenacted actor…
A Visit to Sean’s Bar in Athlone A series of unfortunate events lead us to Sean’s Bar in Athlone. Driving from Galway back to Dublin but willing to take detours should we see a reason to frolic and detour, we…
Staying in Galway on a Budget Our stay in Galway will be a short one, so basically we want to check into a hotel that is inexpensive, safe, and clean. We get lucky and book a visit at Flannery’s Hotel,…
If you are not into the film, should you bother visiting Cong? As robust as one’s Netflix account might be, some of us just are not big fans of The Quiet Man, the John Ford-John Wayne-Maureen O’Hara film about a…
Finding Ireland in a Frolic and Detour Returning to Galway from a day trip to Cong (where The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne, was filmed), we cannot help but notice in the distance what appears to be a very big…
A Walkable Way to Understand Ireland It takes a while for us to figure out that the way to enjoy Ireland is to wander it. Set out with a destination in mind, sure, but allow time to meander when you…
Killarney, Ireland’s Street with Promise So many things can be hoped for on a road named Inner Relief; surely a tourist who finds this spot in Killarney, Ireland is on the right path. —Lori Tripoli ~Advertisement~ ~Advertisement~ Planning a…