The Plan

Our plan is to explore the west of Ireland during a 2-week period in the late spring, right after my 50th birthday.  We'll use our rental car to get from place to place and ride our rented bikes in and around each of our destinations to burn off all the Guinness we plan to consume.  We both have Irish ancestors, and I've been doing research on Ancestry.com and with some newly-discovered relatives to try to find out more about where our families are from and how they lived.  This is going to be a very special trip!

The itinerary:

Galway, Co. Galway, 2 nights
Maghera, Co. Clare, 2 nights
Waterville, Co. Kerry, 2 nights
Castlemaine, Co. Kerry, 1 night
Adare, Co. Limerick, 1 night
Westport, Co. Mayo, 3 nights
Inverin/Spiddal, 1 night
Dublin, 1 night

Galway:  I chose the Park House Hotel for our first two nights in Ireland because it's within walking distance of the train station (where we'll arrive from Dublin), it's located right on Eyre Square in the heart of old Galway, and the rooms are very quiet and comfortable (no room is adjacent to any other room)  - great for recovering from jetlag and preparing ourselves for all the fun we're about to have.

Maghera:  Why the heck are we staying somewhere no tourists ever go?  Well, partly because no tourists ever go there, and partly because this is the closest place to where some of my ancestors lived.  The Morey line (my father's mother's line) lived in Tyredagh Upper, Affick and Tulla, towns just east of Maghera in Co. Clare.  The darling farmhouse we're staying in, called Hillview Farmhouse B&B (www.hillviewbandb.com), is located such that we can leave there on our bikes and explore the whole area east to Tulla. 

Waterville:  Not much going on in Waterville, but it's on the coast of Co. Kerry with views of Skellig Michael, the island we'll be visiting, and is situated well for (hilly and windy) coastal bike rides.  No accommodation booked here yet, but we're considering a small place called the Clifford B&B located right on the main road.  It's very plain but offers bike storage facilities and has decent reviews for such a simple place.

  Co. Kerry

Castlemaine:  Again, this isn't a major destination, like Dingle would be.  We intend to ride around the Dingle Peninsula and to shop and eat in the town of Dingle, but there's a fabulous organic farm with restaurant and accommodation in Castlemaine called The Phoenix (http://www.thephoenixrestaurant.ie/).  It positions us closer to the next day's destination, too.  At the Phoenix, we've rented the gypsy caravan for one night (we'll be "glamping"), and we'll enjoy an organic dinner of locally-sourced ingredients right there on the farm.

  The Phoenix, Co. Kerry

Adare:  This village has been named one of Ireland's prettiest villages.  Rather than stay right in town, I thought it might be nice to try staying in a country estate.  The place I chose, Clonunion House, is a 200-year old farmhouse located just outside of Adare.  There are many large, fancy estates and castles all over Ireland where tourists like to stay, but given the hardships endured by my ancestors, I don't feel comfortable luxuriating in such places.  This particular farmhouse seems a bit less grandiose while still getting good reviews.  We should be able to ride our bikes from the property into town for dinner.  Check out other photos of Clonunion House here:  http://www.clonunionhouse.com/gallery.php

   Clonunion House, Adare

Westport:  After sleeping for one night in each of two different spots, it will be nice to settle in for three nights at our darling B&B just outside of Westport in Co. Mayo.  The Woodside Lodge B&B (www.woodsideireland.com) is quaint on the outside and updated inside in a modern, bright style, complemented with a scattering of antiques.  This B&B is right by the entrance to the Great Western Greenway, the longest off-road cycling trail in Ireland - 26 miles of traffic-free, paved, coastal riding splendor (52 mi. round trip).  The village of Westport is one of Ireland's "prettiest villages," full of great pubs and shopping, and it's close to Foxford, where my husband's mother's ancestors lived.  The cycling in Co. Mayo is some of the best in all of Ireland, so we've planned to ride here at the end of the trip, saving the best for last!

  Woodside Lodge B&B, Westport, Co. Mayo

 

 

Inverin/Spiddal:  We'll have to return our car and bikes in Galway on Wednesday, so on Tuesday,  we're leaving Westport and getting a bit closer to Galway.  The coastal town of Inverin is right next to the better-known craft village of Spiddal, and I've found us what I think will be a fabulous spot for our last night in the west.  The An Caladh Gearr thatched roof cottage, built in the late 1800s, is a traditional cottage that's been made into a B&B.  This is the type of cottage that our ancestors inhabited over a century ago, and I expect that we'll have a very special experience here.  Here is the link to learn more about this historic gem:  http://www.goireland.com/galway/an-caladh-gearr-thatched-cottage-accommodation-bed-and-breakfast-id9519.htm

 

  An Caladh Gearr, Inverin/Spiddal

 

 

Dublin:  I think it will be with heavy hearts that we head to Dublin by train for our last night in Ireland.  I've chosen the Brooks Hotel, a 4-star boutique hotel in the heart of Dublin (www.brookshotel.ie).  It's just a 2-minute walk to St. Stephen's Green, which has been compared to New York's Central Park in terms of green space in the heart of a major city.  We should have just about time for a walk through St. Stephen's Green, an exploration of the Temple Bar area, maybe a jaunt across the Ha' Penny Bridge which crosses the River Liffey, and a short pub crawl before we have to pack up our stuff for the flight home.  Trust me, the pub crawl is the most important element of the evening :-)