Two Weeks in Ireland

IrelandTravelogue
Written By Amber Dunlap

Two weeks in Ireland is behind me, but a newfound love for Irish culture, its people, and its cottage-coated countryside lives on.

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I’m sitting in the airport lounge (thanks to Priority Pass) at Shannon Airport on Ireland’s west coast. My flight to Porto is delayed by an hour due to an ATC shortage, so I thought I’d write to catch you all up on this first leg of my autumn adventure. While it’s fresh and before it gets overwritten by the long walk through Portugal and Spain that I’ll begin tomorrow.

Ireland was an impromptu decision. Walking the Camino was the main reason for being over here, but when I searched for flights a few months back, I saw a $230 one-way to Dublin staring back at me on my screen. I’d always wanted to go to Ireland so I said why not, and turned my positioning flight into a two-week preface to my Camino walk.

 

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With Ireland now part of the plan, I felt inspired to learn more about the country. In the weeks and months leading up to my arrival, I watched every movie, read every book, and listened to every podcast on the country that I could get my hands on. I’m so glad I took the time to do that because it was that in-depth introduction that added this extra layer of appreciation for everything I experienced.

In my two weeks here, I spent time in just three places: Dublin, Galway, and a little lakefront town surrounded by farmland called Oughterard. The happenstance order in which I visited each of them allowed for this increasingly more intimate look at Ireland from bustling big city to approachable medium-sized town to small village where everyone knows everyone.

I liked sizing down as I went. Dublin was a swirl of activity from the first instant, full of commotion yes, but also with more things to see and do than I could possibly fit into the week I had given it. Doing Dublin first meant that, in my slight overwhelm at being in a new place, I could at least still feel invisible enough to find my way with it and on my timing. Small towns don’t offer the same luxury of invisibility.

What I loved most about Dublin was its ability to be big, but feel small. I felt this the most within its pubs. On my second night in the city, I decided I’d wander the Temple Bar neighborhood until I found a pub with live music and the sort of atmosphere I had in my mind for what an Irish pub is supposed to look and feel like. I found it within minutes.

At The Quays, just a few steps down the road from where I was staying, I heard a banjo playing, someone singing, and people clapping. One peek inside at its earthy atmosphere, soft lighting, and clearly original wood-paneled bar, I knew I’d found my place. I walked in, snagged the last stool at the bar, and ordered myself my first-ever pint of Guinness. I didn’t care that I was on my own. All that mattered was that I was inside of my own Irish dream come true, right down to the song Galway Girl floating to my ears as I took my first sip.

Dublin was a dream. The days flew by, all while I balanced chipping away at an article (the Munich City Guide now live on Paradise!) I had due and exploring my new environs. Some of the highlights were my guided tour of the Kilmainham Gaol, the prison that housed a whole host of Irish revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, visiting the Long Room of the Library at Trinity College, enjoying lunch on a bench in St Stephen’s Green on a beautiful sunny day, and trying my first cottage pie with a new friend I’d made while working at a cafe in town.

On my last day in Dublin, I took a day trip to Howth, a gorgeous headland not far from Dublin with a cliff walk and really quaint seaside town. It was the perfect way to close out my time on the east coast of Ireland and just another pinch-me moment of “I’m in Ireland!”

The next day, I got on a bus and traveled due west towards Galway. It was a Sunday and little did I know that was one of the best days to be in Galway. At least if you plan to experience its pubs. Not knowing what else to do, that’s exactly what I did. I followed the same strategy I did in Dublin and walked the city center until I heard live music and felt a good atmosphere. A spot called Tig Coili quickly fit the bill.

It was so packed I could barely squeeze through the door, but just inside there was a circle of musicians playing the fiddle, guitar, banjo, and flute. The rest of the room was lively clapping and singing along. I didn’t care that there was nowhere for me to sit or stand, this was definitely where I wanted to be. I ordered myself a Guinness and awkwardly stood as close to the band as I could.

It was obvious that I’d not only found the ideal Irish pub, but it was also mostly full of locals. At some point, I managed to get out of no man’s land and into a corner with a small ledge to put down my beer. Like in Dublin, I preferred to be a wallflower as I found my footing in my new environment. And while it worked for awhile, eventually the Irish couple in front of me turned around and pulled me into a conversation.

Before I knew it, I was exchanging numbers with the wife and making plans to go for a hike with her and her dog for later that week. They then invited me across the street with them to another pub where their favorite band was set to play. I finished my Guinness and joined them, going on to have the best first and only night in Galway, beyond anything I could have expected when I hopped off the bus from Dublin just a few hours prior.

The next day, my pet sit via TrustedHousesitters in Oughterard began. I’d be spending my last week in Ireland in a cottage in the countryside with an adorable jack russel terrier. The setup was straight out of a dream. The cottage itself was surrounded by farmland, had its own cold plunge, sauna, and fully-equipped gym for me to enjoy, and was within walking distance of town where there were cute cafes, pubs, and country stores. When and if I wanted to, I could always catch a bus to Galway or some of the other nearby destinations like Clifden and Roundstone.

I thought I would too, but Oughterard consumed me. I was instantly pulled into its charm. The daily dog walks alone were unbelievably beautiful, with lake views off in the distance, Connemara ponies and cows grazing in the foreground, and the earthy smell of the bog and wildflowers scenting the misty air. I couldn’t believe I was getting to experience this. It felt like the missing piece of my Ireland experience that I didn’t even know I needed.

Each day, I’d do some mix of cold plunge and sauna, a trail run to the lake or along the river, and usually a walk into town to get a pastry, cup of coffee, or to pop into one of the interesting shops. I made friends with the farmers in the houses on either side of me and their dogs too, all of which were border collies for some reason. It was idyllic and, quite honestly, inspiring.

In no small way, my time in Oughterard, added a few more details to the still unfinished picture of what a life when/if I ever settle somewhere might look like. Serene, full of beauty and solitude, but also community and easy access elsewhere. I might buy a fixer-upper like my cottage hosts did, make it into my dream home over time and not all at once, like my cottage hosts did, and invest instead in my passions of the moment - like cold plunges, saunas, and gear for enjoying the outdoors, yes…like my cottage hosts did.

Ireland may have come together as an afterthought in my plans, but what it’s done is deliver me on the doorstep of my Camino through Portugal with the warmth and openness of the people I’ve met here, the new visions for my own life and what might compose it, and a still unsatiated desire to continue to learn more about this great, green isle. I am so grateful for having come to Ireland and for the experiences I got to have while here. For the sunshine, too. That was a nice surprise! Perhaps the next time I’m here, Ireland will be the beginning, middle, and end of a trip, not just the preface to the main adventure to follow.

 

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Mini Ireland Guide

Favorite Places I Stayed

Favorite Things I Did

In & Around Dublin:

In & Around Galway:

In & Around Oughterard:

Favorite Food, Drink, & Dining Experiences

In & Around Dublin:

In & Around Galway:

In & Around Oughterard:

Amber Dunlap
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