Ireland Road Trip | Final (and Favorite) Days

Our last two days in Ireland were incredibly beautiful, and we consider them our best days. As we traveled along the west coast and through the amazing countryside from County Clare to Connemara we were wishing for more time to just hang out and enjoy the views.

Our first stop, a short drive from Moy House, was the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs stretch for 5 miles along the Atlantic Coast and stand 702 feet tall at their highest point. There are walking paths in several directions with incredible views any way you go.

The Cliffs of Moher are a big attraction and can be a little crazy with tourists so try to get there early morning, or for the best lighting for photography, late evening just before the area closes. We were there late morning in drizzly rain, but it was still well worth the stop.

As we continued on the Wild Atlantic Way, the rain subsided, the sun came out, and we totally fell in love with Ireland!

Love the reflections of clouds in the water

The Burren was a uniquely beautiful area that we would have loved to explore more if we had the time. The 160 square km is covered with huge pavements of limestone.

Gotta love the Irish humor!

This is Connemara (Conn son of the sea) Built in 1999 by Joyces Craft Shop For no apparent reason

It could not have been a more perfect day! Our biggest regret was the long drive we had to make that day to arrive for our reservation at Rosleague Manor in Connemara, County Galway. The hotel was not up to the standards of others in Ireland’s Blue Book, and it would have been nice to relax and enjoy more of the beautiful scenery along the way. On a positive note, now we know for future trips. We got on the road early the next morning and stopped at Kylemore Abbey before heading to the city of Galway and eventually to Shannon for our last night in Ireland.

Kylemore Abbey is a magical place full of rich history. Currently it is home to a community of nuns who sought sanctuary there in 1920 after their abbey in Belgium was destroyed during World War I. Mitchell Henry built the castle and victorian gardens for his bride Margaret after spending their honeymoon at the location. It took one hundred men four years (from 1867-1871) to complete the castle which covered approximately 40,000 square feet. The couple raised their nine children on the property which was self sufficient and provided employment for 125 local residents. The couple were well loved and took great care of the employees and their families. It was a storybook romance that ended sadly when Margaret died at an early age from dysentery while visiting England.

We were glad we had arrived early to beat most of the crowds and to take advantage of the lovely walk through the woods instead of taking the shuttle out to the walled victorian garden. We rewarded ourselves with a delicious homemade chocolate muffin (no need to start sugar withdrawals at this point), and an herbal tea made with herbs straight from the garden before continuing our drive to Galway

I always love taking time to stop and “talk to the animals” – such expressions!

Loved, loved, loved the Bohemian city of Galway. Wish we could have stayed longer – definitely on the radar for a future trip.

Our last two days in Ireland were by far our favorite and when we truly fell in love with the country. For our next visit we will spend more time on the west coast – by far our favorite area.

Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter.
Lullabies, dreams and love ever after.
A thousand welcomes when anyone comes…
That’s the Irish for You!