“Are you sure you want to drive?” I asked my intrepidtraveling companion while planning a vacation to Ireland.
Having been to the Emerald Isle before, I wassomewhat familiar with Ireland’s small country roads, roundabouts (or trafficcircles) every which way you turn, and shortage of such safety features as guardrails.
After arriving in Shannon on a dark and rainymorning, we picked up our rental (springfor a GPS!). With itinerary in hand, we began our weeklong adventure in thewestern part of the country, wending our way south and east, eventually endingin Dublin.
Our first destination, Dromoland Castle Hotel, is (theoretically) just 20 minutes from Shannon Airport in County Clare. It didn’t take long before we came upon our first roundabout, followed immediately by our GPS chirping in her Irish brogue, “Recalculate, recalculate,” a phrase we were going to become all too familiar with over the course of our travels.
We soon arrived at Dromoland, which dates backto the 16th century. It was the ancestral home of the O’Briens, Barons ofInchiquin, one of the few native Gaelic families of royal blood and directdescendants of Brian Boroimhe (Boru), High King of Ireland in the 11th century.
The following morning we took part in one ofDromoland’s signature activities, a “HawkWalk.” The walk is just one of a number of programs for experiencing thisancient sport, during which you learn about the natural history of birds ofprey and their role in the environment, and (if willing) take part in handlingand flying of one of the resident Harris hawks. This really is an experiencenot to be missed, especially in the midst of the Castle’s 410 park-like acres.
“One more night at Dromoland and then it was time for Adare, billed as the “prettiest Village in Ireland,” with its many traditional thatched roof cottages.”
Having survived the experience of serving asa human landing strip, it was back into the car for an excursion to the nearbyvillage of Bunratty, complete withits own 15th-century castle and a re-created village to tour (and shop your waythrough). The castle offers a medieval dinner in the evenings. While it is a tourist attraction, it was —much to my surprise — a thoroughly enjoyable one. If you’re hungry or thirstyduring the day, or want to skip the banquet, the authentic and historic Durty Nelly’s pub is steps away fromthe castle and makes a nice stop for a pint of Guinness and a platter of fishand chips.
One more night at Dromoland and then it was time for Adare, billed as the “prettiest village in Ireland,” with its many traditional thatched roof cottages. Back in the car and it was off to Killarney, in southwest Ireland’s County Kerry, accompanied by the much-too-frequent “recalculate” admonishments from our disembodied traveling companion.By late afternoon, we arrived at the Killarney Park Hotel our digs for the night. Located right in the center of town, the Killarney Park is a sleek, contemporary hotel with all the “mod cons” and amenities you could ask for. The town of Killarney, long popular with the Irish themselves, gained international exposure when Queen Victoria first visited in 1861.
The town itself is a bit touristy, butadjacent to our hotel was the 25,000-acre KillarneyNational Park, a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts who come to enjoy thecombination of mountains, lakes, woodlands, waterfalls and wildlife. Forhistory and architecture buffs, there’s also the 19th-century Muckross House and Gardens. You canexplore all this on foot, bicycle, horseback or a horse-drawn “jaunting car.”
Along with the park, the biggest attractionwhen staying in Killarney (indeed in all of Ireland) is the nearby Ring of Kerry, the 110-mile circularroute of truly spectacular coastal scenery.
Keep the car parked in your hotel lot andleave the driving here to someone else. Buses are one way to go, but we optedto hire a private guide recommended by the hotel, which graciously made thearrangements for us. With our driver’s skill behind the wheel and expert commentary, wewere free to sit back and enjoy the scenery that neither of us would have beenable to concentrate on had we been driving ourselves.
Leaving Killarney the next day, we made thescenic drive to the picturesque fishing village of Kinsale in County Cork. This holiday destination is not as well knownto Americans as it is to Irish and European visitors, who come to enjoy thefishing, sailing, and annual gourmet and jazz festivals.
Only one last drive remained, this time to Dublin, where we had already doneenough research to know that we didn’t want to —and didn’t need to — drive inthe city. Dublin is well worth more than a day’s visit, but if you do have onlya day to spend, you can opt for a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus tour of thecity, or narrow down your itinerary. Any or all of these would make for aperfect Dublin day — stroll down lively GraftonStreet, with its boutiques, cafes, pubs, and entertaining streetperformers; visit the Book of Kellsat Trinity College; cruise the River Liffey; and enjoy an Irish beerand music at one of Dublin’s many pubs.
Sadly, it was home to the States thefollowing morning, though we were happy to finally be able to leave thetransporting to others.
For information, visit irishtourism.com.
CarolSorgen is a Baltimore-based freelance writer.
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