GALWAY, IRELAND

Everyone should write about their first trip to Ireland. It is the trip everyone dreams about whether you are Irish or not. It is the place you dream of going to as a kid, at least I always did. And so now I’m writing about Ireland having just gotten back from our first trip to Galway.

The landscape is not something that can be described in pictures or explained by talking about it. Pictures will never do it justice rather it is something you must experience for yourself. Since my husband and my favorite thing to do is to go somewhere and immerse ourselves in the community as opposed to hotel hopping from one place to the next, we decided to spend all our time in Galway. Galway is one of the most worth it cities you will ever visit. It is busting and lively with so much to do! We stayed for the week at the wonderful and very central Leonardo Hotel, a prime spot to see and walk to everything. If you walk left out of the hotel there is Quay Street (pronounced “Key”) a road lined with fabulous Irish pubs and shops. In Galway you are surrounded by water, gorgeous landscapes, and delicious food. When we touched down in Shannon airport after a sleepless red eye and saw all that green and fog out the window, we were officially welcomed by the friendly Irishman sitting in the seat next to us. “Welcome to Ireland!” he said.

The pubs and food

We pushed through the first day despite our exhaustion on pure adrenaline and excitement of where we were. My husband and I planned ahead for a Hop On-Hop Off tour of Galway City so we could just sit and listen. We got to see the main points of the city and our two young Irish guides were funny and informative. This is our third time booking one of these tours for the first day of our trips and this has been immensely helpful. After getting into our hotel room earlier than originally stated and taking a two or three hour nap, we were able to go out to a pub later on Quay Street aptly named “Quays.” We ended up going to this pub more than twice on our trip for the easy location, good food, Guinness, vibrant energy and stellar music. You can feel right away how different the pubs are in Ireland from the ones back home in America, in large part due to the pubs being geared more toward conversation than just drinking. There are “snugs” or cozy areas tucked in every corner for friends to just hang and talk together and have their own space, and the craftmanship of the pubs is unmistakable; that red/brown deep mahogany wood and the intricately crafted etchings and wood carvings into the walls.

At night Quays live music combined contemporary hits with Irish classics that would always end in rousing, clapping, thumping celebrations. The musicianship and fiddle playing is second to none in all the pubs. I quickly began to see how the people in Ireland have a more engaged, interactive, and high energy relationship with music than in America. There is a diverse and talented music scene in America (and Rhode Island especially) for sure but the audience’s relationship to music is different. Not bad in any way, just different. You are guaranteed an excellent time in all the pubs and people are so friendly. In places like The Crane Bar you can see a “Trad Session” or traditional Irish music session which is so cool to see but be sure to get there early for a drink just to get in because they fill up fast! The pub life is great but if you are looking for a quieter evening and maybe an elevated dining experience both Ruibin’s and Kai Restaurant are must go-tos. Ruibin’s is quiet, elegant and with an extraordinary tapas menu and drinks. Kai Restaurant, run by husband and wife team Jess and David Murphy, is a distinctly modern Irish farm to table dining experience with quite frankly some of the best food I’ve ever had anywhere. Before I end this food section I have to mention McDonagh’s for the best fish and chips you might ever have in your whole life (and I am a Rhode Islander where seafood is a high point!)

The landscape

When it comes to Ireland’s lanscape, photos never do it justice. Witnessing the wild coast of Ireland in person is the only way to feel the awe inspiring beauty and jaw dropping landscapes. Connemara is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and you might really miss out if you don’t see it. My husband and I got to stop in Connemara to take a picture on the famous bridge where John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara filmed the film The Quiet Man that appeared in US theaters in Septmeber 1952. It was indescribable. Most of the days we had shorter plans or just explored around ourselves but we did book an all day bus and ferry tour to see The Cliffs of Moher and also to visit the smallest Aran Island of Inisheer Moor which I would highly recommend doing at least one of these, both if you are able! The Cliffs of Moher are astonishing to see in person and the ferry brings you right up to and underneath them. Inisheer Moor has a population of under 1,000 people a lot of whom speak Gaelic only. Our tour hiked up a mountain and to a castle ruin on the island and the view from at the top is breathtaking. Animals rule to earth, as they should, and they are free to roam anywhere. On our hike and having the feeling of something watching us, I looked to the right and saw a stallion on the top of the mountain watching down on everything.

Visiting Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden in Connemara (second picture from the top) is a must do. The enormous, dream like estate sits in a huge forest and also has its own delightful cafeteria where you can have a delicious lunch before or after you explore! (try the Potato & dill soup with a nice thick piece of their brown Irish bread. Yum!) There is so much to do and experience in Galway you will leave feeling fulfilled. Both my husband and my hearts and minds were changed by Ireland and we were blown away by the humor and kindness of the people and place. Highly recommended!☘️

#Galway #Ireland #besttrips