Our trip from Manhattan, KS, to Dublin, Ireland. Where we stayed, ate, and explored!
When we were asked to join some friends for the KSU vs Iowa St. football game in Dublin, Ireland, we jumped at the chance to go. Since I was still so recently out of treatments, I was a bit nervous, but I started preparing myself as best I could. Walking in the Flint Hills and rowing on my Hydrow at home became my go-tos. I mean, I didn't come this far, to come this far!
I know a LOT of people do a great job planning their trips out entirely prior to leaving, and I get it. If you are traveling that far, you want to make sure that you get to see and do certain things. We are not that scheduled when we travel; we plan a couple of things, but we do try to leave space for adventure. Space that can be filled with the recommendation of the locals, to get a true experience of the country we are in.
A few months before we left, we picked one big tourist thing, which was the Cliffs of Moher with Paddywagon Tours. They offered small group trips, which are perfect for us. There is a plot twist here, but more on that later. The other thing I always like to do, if it is offered, is a Hop-on Hop-off bus. I think they are a great way to see a city, get around, and get the lay of the land. Also, many of the drivers are local and share their unique experiences and perspectives.
We always asked the locals where their favorite spots were to eat and drink
I looked at various hotels and kept coming back to one, the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Rd. There were several factors that kept leading me back here. First, the proximity to Aviva Stadium and to the City Centre. Both directions were about a 20-minute walk, so it would make it very convenient for us to get around the city. Second, they offered a breakfast buffet and almost 24-hour room service. I know you might be laughing, but I do LOVE a breakfast buffet when I am traveling, especially with a group of people. It allows everyone to eat what they want, and it almost always has fresh fruit or crackers that you can grab to take with you for the day. Lastly, and maybe the biggest reason, the Clayton hotel offers true King-sized beds! If we wanted to get some sleep after all the walking we would be doing, we needed to be comfortable.
Like with most trips, it seemed so far away, and in an instant, it was next week. Fortunately, we had several of the travel essentials we needed for international travel, but it was time to play guess the weather and pack. I know you might say, just look at a weather forecast, and I did, but Ireland is like here (and many other places), the weather forecast is a rough guess, so you need to be prepared to adjust when necessary.
Once we arrived in Ireland, we stopped at an ATM before we left the airport to get a little bit of cash. Now, I know some of you would say NOT to do this, but this is what WE prefer. We only took at $50 EUROS, just enough in case we wanted to grab something after we dropped our bags at the hotel.
The cab ride was quick, about 25 min. to the Clayton Hotel, check-in was a breeze, and we were off adventuring less than an hour after we arrived. Instead of walking, we took an UBER to the City Centre and grabbed some lunch and roamed. There were so many fun shops, statues, and of course, St Stephen's Green. After a couple of hours and full bellies, we decided to head back to the hotel. Jet lag was rearing its ugly head.
Shortly after we got back our friends' messages, they were at O'Brien's, a pub just about a block away from the hotel. We choose to stay in and enjoy some Uber Eats, get to bed, and hit the ground running in the morning! It was a good choice, especially for me. Once I start feeling run down, there is no going back, and it takes me days to recover.
Did you even go to Dublin if you didn't drink a Guinness?
Our next day was filled with exploring again, this time on the Paddywagon tour bus. Originally, we were scheduled on their small group tour, but that had to be canceled, so a huge tour bus on small roads, here we come! Even though this was not the tour that either of us planned, our guide was fantastic, and it was overall a great day. We explored the countryside, the Fishing Village of Kinvara, the Cliffs of Moher, the River Liffey, Galway Bay, and on our way back, we stopped at Bunratty Castle. While it was a long day, we could never have made this many stops.
On our way back to our hotel, we had a fabulous Uber driver. We asked him where we needed to eat while we were in Ireland. He told us two places, fish and chips in Howth at The Oar House and F. X. Buckley's Steakhouse on Pembrooke, if we could get in. J.K. Buckley's Steakhouse on Pembrooke was rated one of the top 5 steakhouses in the world, but we were lucky enough to snag some reservations the night before we left.
Now, it was Friday, this day, we had nothing planned, and somehow it filled up with meeting friends to join a tour of the Guinness factory and then hop on a ghost tour. The Guinness tour was good, but to be honest, it wasn't my favorite brewery tour I have been on. The end of the tour, where you can have an image printed on a pint of Guinness, and then the top floor with the amazing views of the city, were my favorite parts. Then, the ghost tour was NOT a 10/10 either. They tried, but it was so hot in Dublin when we were there, and the bus had no AC, so we started our uncomfortable journey, to say the least. Then the stories and acting were not what I expected from going on other ghost tours.
Saturday was game day, and even though it didn't end how we hoped, it was a fantastic day. The hospitality, the food, everything was amazing, and both of us would do something like this again in a heartbeat! After an amazing breakfast, we spent the rest of the day at the stadium. Serious, so much fun!
Eating Fish and Chips at the Oar House in Howth, Ireland, is a must.
On Sunday, we grabbed a train to Howth to explore, grab some fish and chips, and enjoy the coast. It was seriously beautiful; the peninsula and the bay were just what we needed. There were several fun shops, street musicians, and the cool sea breeze to make it a perfect day. We grabbed two meals in Howth, with our favorite being The Oar House Fish and Chips. Howth was definitely a spot we would go back to; the energy was magnetic for us, and hopefully, sooner rather than later, we get to explore it more.
Monday, our last full day in Ireland, was spent partially on the hop on hop off bus. We walked to St Stephen's Green and got on the bus. Road the loop around town and then hopped off at the Epic Museum. This was not on our original plans, but someone told us that we had to go, and they were 100% correct. The EPIC Museum was, in fact, EPIC! The design of the museum was wonderful, and the use of technology, video, and artifacts completely draws you in. We ended up spending the afternoon here, and I feel like this is one of those places that you could go again and again, each time seeing something new.
After the EPIC museum, we walked to Harbourmaster for lunch. It was a classic Irish lunch, seafood chowder, bangers and mash, and once again, we were off to walk off our lunch! After exploring a bit more along the river, we headed back to the hotel to nap and then get ready for dinner.
We arrived at J.K. Pembrooke's early enough to grab a drink at the bar and enjoy the patio area. We then headed to our table and placed our orders. Our steaks, sides, and sauces were some of the best we ever had, and we are beef people! We have told everyone we know that if you are going to Dublin, you need to go here, and as our Uber driver said, it has to be the one on Pembrooke! My only regret is that I did not buy one of their cookbooks. My fleeting thought was that I could easily order online and not have to carry it back, and while I am sure there is a way, I should have just gotten it while I was there, because I need to know what is in some of their dishes!
The EPIC museum lived up to the hype
As we walked back to our hotel, we were both mixed on being ready to go home, and not wanting to leave Ireland. It was such a good trip, meeting amazing people, not having a schedule, and just bring present, but we missed our dogs and the unmatched comforts of home.
The next morning, we woke up to flight cancellations and a little bit of chaos, but guess what, shit happens. It all worked out after a trip to the airport, and we went back to the City Centre and did some more touristy things in the Temple Bar area. While we had walked through here before, this was a little touristy for us. We enjoyed being out of the city and exploring the less beaten path.
Would we go back to Ireland 100%, without a doubt! Would we recommend it to people? Yes, without a doubt! In fact, I already have our next Ireland trip picked out, and it will be amazing once we can pull it off!
