My last international trip before Covid shutdown everything was a roadtrip through Ireland. This trip was unique for me as in I had no itinerary except to arrive and depart Dublin at very precise dates/times. But in-between, I had no plans. I rented a car and figured that I would just stop whenever something interested me.
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Trinity College Library, Dublin
The first day, I did stay in Dublin just to get a bit acclimated and to recover from the long overnight flight. I didn’t do anything too crazy, just walked around the city and absorbed what I could.
I did stop inside the Library at Trinity College because I am obsessed with history, and especially old books and old libraries. I just love that kind of stuff.



The Roadtrip Through Ireland
Seriously what I enjoy most about such a roadtrip is that I have complete control. I decided to take the country roads instead of the highways. And I end-up with the most amazing scenery as well as the most amazing finds. Here’s some photos of the scenery, and a photo of the inside of a 300+ year old pub named “The Dying Cow” that I never would have found if I tried to plan this trip.



Spike Island, Cork
Spike Island is in the County Cork area of Ireland. You can only arrive there via ferry. It was originally a monastery and later converted into a military fort, and then later converted into a prison where it was one time the world’s largest prison. It’s abandoned now. If you’d like more info of it, you can check out their tourist site. Lol, they even have ghost tours at night! (I was too scared to try).
This was probably my favorite part of the entire trip. There was a ton of historical information provided by a very personable and funny tour guide, and you also had time to yourself to spend however you please on the island. You really could make an entire day of it if you wanted. I was lucky that the weather was nice the day I visited, and I could enjoy the exhibits as well as the terrain at my leisure. And there was a comfortable cafe available for refreshments when necessary too.



St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cork
While waiting for the ferry to take me to Spike Island, there was a massive cathedral that you could see from miles around. It was St. Colman’s Cathedral and here is their website. We stepped inside to take a look and it was beautiful. I am obsessed with old churches because of their history and their elaborate structures.



Inch Beach, Dingle Peninsula
And there’s even beach life in Ireland which I didn’t expect! This was a surprise find just from driving. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t very cooperative on this day, but I would definitely enjoy this setting with some sunshine and some extra heat. 🙂


Haunted Leap Castle, Roscrea
And the final day in Ireland was when I stopped at Leap Castle on the drive back to Dublin to catch the flight home. I dedicated an entire post to this specific stop for all the ghost fans…

I hope you all have enjoyed my summary of my roadtrip through Ireland. I’d love to go again because I do enjoy the long scenic drives and the surprises to find along the way.
We’ve been to Ireland a number of times and enjoyed traveling around the country.
Road trips are the best way to learn about Ireland.
That’s exactly what I heard before I went, and it proved to be true! I’m a believer now. 🙂
Beautiful
Aw thank you Kristie!
It looks like a fun trip Pepper! I love The Dying Cow story and the photos!! I agree, sometimes it’s not about the destination, but the journey to get there!
Aw thank you Yvonne! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos! I wish I had better ones, but I’m not great with photography.
I think you’re awesome with photography Pepper!
Cool! Have always dreamt of going to Ireland! A few clinical fellows at work are from there and it sounds majestic! 🙂
I hope you get to visit someday, and that you enjoy it! 🙂
Inch beach is one of the best beaches over here! We do have a fun little country here when the Weather’s some way good 😁😂
Lol I do agree you have a fun little country there! I enjoyed myself immensely. Stopped by pubs every evening for dinner and treated myself to the fab live music too. I can’t wait to go back! 🙂
Amazing! I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore.
Thank you Manish! I hope you get a chance to try it sometime! 🙂