r/travel • u/UlmSucks • 1d ago
Images + Trip Report Three Years of Ireland
I’ve been visiting Ireland for 3 years now. Can’t say I’ve come close to finishing the island. Kerry remains out of reach, Donegal is still elusive, and the marshes of Connemara are a bit too far from Dublin for an effective day trip. Ireland is getting more expensive, and the island still feels incredibly rural outside of Dublin, which is why I find it so charming, I presume.
I’ve been everywhere from the Antrim Coast to the Barack Obama gas station on several sporadic trips for the last three years. I always find a reason to go back. Don’t let anyone tell you the Cliffs of Moher are a tourist trap or overrated, they are delightful.
90% of tourists I meet are American. I’ve never seen an Asian tourist which is genuinely shocking. I’m guessing Americans visit because of ancestry and Ireland is just too isolated to justify a detour on an Asian traveller’s Europe itinerary. Perhaps they’ve just eluded me.
1 - Next parish: Boston, Cliffs of Moher
2 - Dusk in the city, Kilkenny
3 - Orange bloom, Kilkenny
4 - Rocks, the Burren
5 - Ha’penny Bridge, Dublin
6 - Thoroughfare, Dublin
7 - Grass, Cliffs of Moher
8 - Bank of Ireland at evening, Dublin
9 - Plunging into the sea, Cliffs of Moher
10 - General Post Office, Dublin
11 - Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin,
12 - Church, Dublin
13 - Phoenix Park, Dublin
14 - Path by the sea, Howth
15 - Mural wall, Belfast
16 - Churchyard, Glendalough
17 - Malahide Castle, Malahide
18 - Giant’s Causeway
19 - Sheep, Wicklow
20 - I wandered lonely as a cloud, Glendalough
9
u/ClothesRemote6333 22h ago
The more I see of Ireland, the more I realize you could spend years exploring it.
6
u/askepticalbureaucrat 1d ago
Well done for seeing Malahide and Howth! I'd also suggest:
- Westport
- Lough Owel
- Westport to Dungarvan greenway
- Greystones (via the DART)
- Carlingford
- Slane
- Trim castle
- Chester Beatty Library
- Brittas Bay
- Slieve Bloom Mountains
- Ballinasloe Woods & Lough Tay
- Fanad Head lighthouse
3
u/badlydrawngalgo 13h ago
The Chester Beatty library is amazing. We really only found it because the weather suddenly turned a bit cooler and we were looking to get out of the wind but we spent the afternoon there... then went back the following day!
2
6
5
u/AFlockOfTySegalls United States 20h ago
My wife and I did a loop road trip a few years ago from Dublin -> Cork -> Dingle -> Galway -> Derry -> Belfast -> Dublin. It was so much fucking fun and beautiful.
4
5
4
4
3
3
u/Natalie1417 20h ago
This is exactly the kind of place I love. The balance between the city and nature feels so calm and peaceful.
3
u/nickcash 18h ago
what's that glowing yellow circle in the sky in picture 12? I've never seen that in a photo of ireland before
3
u/Olga_Lanskaya 18h ago
Sounds like a really nice trip 😊 Ireland really is one of those places—you think it’s small, but there’s always more to see.
And yeah, Kerry and Donegal are always the “I’ll go next time” spots, but they’re also supposed to be some of the most beautiful parts.
Cliffs of Moher are definitely not overrated in my opinion either — even with tourists, the view is still amazing.
And the tourist mix thing is interesting too — maybe you just didn’t run into them, or they’re more spread out in other parts of Europe 🙂
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
u/nottoday2017 21h ago
I’m visiting Dublin for the first time in July and planning on a day trip to Howth!
1
1
u/WorkingRedditUser 15h ago
My guy you have not been visiting Ireland for three years. You've been living there.
1
1
u/oldsmellybastard 6h ago
Taking our fourth trip in September. Planning on doing the southern area Cork and Waterford. Can’t wait!
1
1
u/Heavy_Table_9561 4h ago
That looks exactly like the Cliffs of Moher! Such a beautiful place, I really want to go there someday.
1
36
u/LinuxMage 19h ago
When you visit Ireland, stop thinking you can use Dublin as a base for visiting the whole island.
Plan a trip using multiple stops -- Fly into Dublin, stay one or two nights.
Travel to Cork, Stay a few nights there and see west cork and maybe a bit of Kerry or Waterford.
Travel to Galway, stay a few nights and see Connemara and even the islands.
Travel to Belfast and see NI.
Back to Dublin, and fly out.