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It has been quite some years since my last trip to Dublin. My husband regularly has to visit Dublin for work and his upcoming birthday inspired us to combine his worktrip with some extra days in Ireland. We had visited Dublin quite extensively last time, and had even made a trip to Howth, Wicklow Mountains National Park and Glendalough, so I had to come up with a new destination for my husbands birthday weekend. 

After some research I decided we would either drive West to Galway or North to Belfast and the Northern coast. We decided on a trip to Galway, attracted by the traditional music and the nature parks. 

We flew to Dublin on Saturday morning, where we picked up our rental car from the New Way desk just before noon, a subsidiary company of Avis and Budget. New Way is a bit pricier than Sixt, but after our bad experience with Sixt in Norway, and the fact that New Way offers rental cars with all possible insurance and unlimited km included, in combination with good reviews, tipped the scales favourably in their direction. Our car was a Skoda Fabia with 33000 km on the teller, and no real signs of wear or tear. And even though we were insured against everything, we took photographs of all the minor scratches on the car. 

They car did not have a gps but we managed to connect our smartphone to the screen of the car, and could use waze or google maps on the car system as a gps. We drove to Galway and made a stop after about 1,5 hour at the town of Athlone, where we had lunch at a small spot named Fine. They have a small menu with all day breakfast, sandwiches or a Buddha bowl, and some great looking cakes and pastries. Their coffees and lattes are really good. We both had a wonderful Chai Latte, I had a Banh Mi sandwich and my husband had scrambled eggs on toast.

We then went for a Guinness to Sean’s bar, the oldest pub of Ireland. They even had Guinness 0,0 on tap, great since I do not drink alcohol but could have a Guinness anyway. We compared it with the regular one and it came really very close to the original one with alcohol. The pub was lively even though it was the middle of the afternoon. We had a chat with the really nice bar tender.

We continued and arrived around 4 PM at the Galmont hotel in Galway, we immediately drove into the hotels’ car park and checked in. You get a reduced rate of 12 euro per night to park your car in the car park underneath the hotel. The rooms are spacious, a bathroom with a bath and shower, coffee and tea facilities in the room. The hotel also boasts a swimming pool, a sauna, jacuzzi and gym. We decided to top up our room rate with the breakfast at 13,5 euro per person, which is very reasonable for an extensive breakfast buffet, starting at 8 AM on Sundays and at 7 AM on weekdays.

I had booked us a table at the Ruibin bar and restaurant in the bar section, where they offer a sharing menu. We decided to change clothes and go out to discover Galway. It is only a 5 to 10 minute walk to the tourist centre of the town from the hotel. The centre is mainly comprised of one street with bars and restaurants on both sides, buskers on the street, some more talented than others, and shops with Irish stuff to take home. It was sunny and the street was packed, it must be a madhouse here is summer. We had some time left before we were expected for our dinner, so we decided to have a drink first. We tried some of the bars on the main street, but were not really taken away with any of them, they were either too full, too loud or everyone was just watching football games. So we crossed the river to maybe already have a drink at The Crane Bar where I planned to go after dinner, but it was almost empty. So we went for a tea and coffee at The Secret Garden. I ordered a small pot of tea, which was really large. I managed to only drink half of my tea before it was time to go. But it is a great spot to while away an hour or two with a book and a pot of tea or a coffee, they also serve cakes. There is a cute garden terrace at the back, for which it was too cold. We walked to the Ruibin restaurant and bar and were caught off gard by a sudden heavy downpour while the temperature also dropped dramatically. We were happy to sit down in the warm restaurant which overlooks the bay where a rainbow appeared.

We ordered a glass of champagne for my husband and I against my principles I ordered a mocktail which really pleasantly surprised me, it was really very good. The waiter later told me they make all their sirops and infusions for the cocktails and mocktails themselves. We ordered some plates to share, we tried the local oysters, which were good, but not extra ordinary. All the other dishes were really good and nicely presented, they also serve vegetarian dishes. And the service is super friendly and pleasant. The place comes highly recommended and scores high on both atmosphere and quality. After dinner we returned to The Crane Bar, where musicians played on the second floor. We still managed to find two empty stools and enjoyed the last three songs of the first band, who let the public join in the signing. I loved it. Many people left after this first gig while others arrived. The first band played from 6:30 till 8:30 and the second gig started at 9:30, which was an open mic, meaning that several musicians joined in to play together. The leaders were a fiddler and a flute player who were joined by others playing different instruments. They played wonderful but overall a bit repetitive, so we left halfway since I was quite tired after the previous short night. The gigs on the second floor are on a small podium where people listen quietly to the musicians. 

The next morning after breakfast we drove in the direction of the Connemara national park. It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Galway to Connemara national park. We stopped at Kylemore abbey, which isn’t actually an abbey, which disappointed me a bit, since it was a kind of fairytale castle a rich man built for his wife on the occasion of their marriage. Unfortunately the wife died quite young. You can visit the castle and the gardens, which we didn’t, but we did visit the shop and bought a nice woolen sweater for my husband and a jacket for myself. 

We then continued to the visitors centre of the national park, where you can use the toilets, and there is also a small cafe where you can get drinks and some small snacks and pastries.

From the visitors centre three trails start, a short yellow one, the blue lower diamond trail  (1 hour), and the red higher diamond trail (2,5 to 3 hours)  that goes up to the top of the hill. All three trail start behind the visitors’ centre. You get beautiful views over the park and the lake that we primarily know from the French song Le lac de Connemara, a traditional hit on wedding parties in Belgium. Halfway the blue trail you take a left and follow the red trail going up the Diamond hill.  We only got halfway up the hill when suddenly a very strong wind brought hail and rain, the temperature dropped and Diamond hill disappeared in the fog. We did not continue on the red loop but went back down to the blue trail. Our pants were soaked after another rain shower, but we enjoyed being out and the beautiful views. The area is known for its bogland, heath, grassland and woodland. In the past the area was a source for peat, that was used as firewood.

We took the car and continued the loop around Connemara park in the direction of Clifden, when we saw a little foodtruck on Dooneen Pier, Ballinakill bay in Letterfrack, just outside the visitors centre of Connemara park, on the edge of a lough. Do stop here, it is the best fresh crab I had in a while. Snappy Snappy food truck serves fresh crab rolls, on homemade Japanese style white milk bread rolls that they toast on all sides and fill with a crab mixture and some greens on the side. You can choose between two dressings, a mustard-dill mayo dressing or a lemon-chili mayo. We chose the first dressing, everything is served in recycled compostable packaging. The crab is caught in the nearby lough. It was a gorgeous lunch in all its simplicity looking out over the lake and the owner is super friendly and just listening to him explaining the dish makes you want to order. They are open on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 12 to 5 PM or till they sell out! It was one of the best finds of our trip.

We continued our road trip to Clifden, and after Clifden took a right turn to An Caislean and  An Spideal, the coastal road back to Galway, the views between Connemara and Galway are just stunning. We did not visit Clifden or Spideal because the weather was just too bad, too much wind and it was freaking cold. 

We decided to return to the hotel, for me take a nap, and to enjoy the swimming pool and the spa (sauna, jacuzzi and hot tub). I slept through the wellness time, but my husband enjoyed his time in the sauna and jacuzzi. We changed and walked to Éan restaurant and wine bar, where I had booked a dinner for my husbands’ 60th birthday. Éan, meaning bird, is the brainchild of the Michelin award winning couple Enda McEvoy and Sinead Meacle, owners of the Michelin star restaurant Loam that closed down last year. We were warmly welcomed in this really cosy restaurant. They surprised us with a complementary Burgundian sparkling wine for my husbands’ birthday, so attentive. The menu is quite small, with plates you can share if you want too, which we did. The plates look like little works of art, and the quality is just outstanding, using locally sourced ingredients in a very inventive and tasty way. You know the food is good when you see everyone in the restaurant slowly enjoying each bite on the plate, the chef, Christine Walsh deserves a Michelin star. I promised the sommelier Niall Flynn to compliment him on his charm and his beautiful blue eyes in my blog. My husband rounded off this great dinner with a great glass of Irish whisky, Clan Colla aged 11 years aged in Bourbon barrels. Éan also does breakfast and lunch ! (walk-inn only)

After dinner we walked again in the direction of The Crane Bar, this time the second floor was closed and they would play on the ground floor in the pub starting at half past 9 ( they had said ‘half nine’ the day before which we had misunderstood as half past eight, since we in Dutch call half past eight, ‘half nine’!). Several musicians joined in and every few songs they asked the public to be quiet for a song sung by one of the musicians. Visitors can ask to sing a song or request for a certain song. The atmosphere was really good. We did not stay till the end but walked back to the hotel to get in bed in time!

We had also added a breakfast for the second morning, even though we weren’t very hungry after the dinner of the previous night. After breakfast we checked out (before taking your car from the car park, you have to have your parking ticket scanned at the lobby to get the reduced parking price per night).

Online we had bought two tickets for the morning time slot between 8 and 11 AM to visor the the Cliffs of Moher. Online you pay 7 instead of 12 euro per person which includes the parking fee and a visit to the exhibition in the visitor’s centre. It takes about 1,5 hour drive from Galway to the Cliffs of Moher visiting centre.  When we arrived the wind was really fierce, we first made a toilet stop at the visitors centre and immediately walked up to the cliffs, that have been fenced of with concrete slabs, which are really necessary, the wind was at times so strong people got blown over and fell down on the open square where the white tower stands. We started with some sunshine, had some rain then after which the skies cleared for a glorious sun. We had arrived just after 10 AM, and it was still rather quiet then, so we saw the cliffs with few other visitors around. We continued on the coastal path to the North, and upon returning the place was suddenly filled with busloads of tourists, who come during peak times between 11 AM and 6 PM. So go there as early as possible to have a quiet visit of the cliffs. The views are really spectacular!! If we would have had more time I would have preferred to walk up from Doolin or Hags’ Head, but we lacked the time and the weather was also not favorable. We were lucky to see the cliffs under a sunny blue sky, and the fierce wind make it only more adventurous!

We visited the little exhibition in the visitors’ centre, but skipped the bar, restaurant and shop. We decided to make another stop in Athlone on our way back to Dublin to lunch again at Fine, which we had enjoyed so much on the way into Galway and enjoyed again this time. 

We arrived in Dublin and looked for a gas station close to the airport where we filled up the car and paid the toll way fare or the M50. We returned the car at the airport around 4 PM, the New Way rental booth was closed so we returned the key at the Budget Avis booth. The queue at the airport taxi stop was quite long, so we took a ‘Free One’ car that had just delivered people at the airport to the Hampton by Hilton hotel in Smithfield, north of the river Liffey. The rooms are quite small but has everything one needs and are very clean. Our room faced the back of the hotel and was very quiet. The only draw back is the rather small double bed. I had another nap while my husband did some work for his next working day in Dublin.

We then walked over to the Black Sheep in Capel street to have dinner. It was one of the only places that was open on a Monday evening, the place is very lively and the food is very decent pub food, they also have vegetarian options. After dinner we headed to The Cobblestone pub on King street where they play live music every evening of the week. The place was packed and an Irish traditional band was already playing, we could not really get close enough to the listening area to really enjoy he music, but started a conversation with a lady who was one of the musicians who would start the next session at 9 PM. She also was waiting for the first band to end to grab a playing spot for her and her friend. We had a nice and really interesting chat about traditional music and dance eduction in Ireland, she herself worked as a schoolteacher. Together with her we moved towards the playing area every time a spot came free, and by the time the second band started she had managed to secure a good playing spot for herself and her friend (who played the banjo) and we had managed to secure two high stools in the listening area. My husband ordered two Guinness 0,0 out of a can, they did not have it on tap, but is was quite good. The second session was led by the duo of the band Ispíní na hÉireann or the ‘Sausages of Ireland’ led by banjo player Adam J. Holohan and guitar player Tomás Mulligan, a punk Irish traditional band, who brought a very lively set. They often  play ‘The Full Irish Session’ at The Coblestone Pub when other trad musicians can also join in. Our friend Eibhlin (Eveline) Ni Bhaoighill turned out to be a real good accordion player and led some of the set herself. She also plays every Wednesday evening in O’Donoghues on Merrian Row, starting at 8:30 with a singer arriving at 9PM for an interactive and sing along set. I will surely go and listen on my next visit to Dublin! The pub was packed, unfortunately some of the tourists did not understand that one should listen to the music when standing or sitting in the listening area of the pub. It was a great way to round of my last evening in Ireland. 

The next morning my husband got up before me to go to work. I went out around 9 M and got a take away croissant and a tea at the Guud Day just next to the hotel. I then walked to the Hugh Lane gallery which opens at 9:45 opposite the Garden of Remembrance. The entrance is free of charge and they have a nice collection of Irish art and the studio of painter Francis Bacon.

I walked over to the other side of the Liffey to the National Gallery where I wanted to visit the temporary exhibition ‘Turning Heads’ with works from Breughel, Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer I had missed earlier in Antwerp. The permanent collection of the National gallery can be visited free of charge!

I walked back and had a light lunch at Brother Hubbard North on Capel street. After lunch I had a short nap at the hotel before taking a cab to the airport ( it took only 20 minutes) and the plane back to Brussels. 

What I remember the most from this trip is the utter friendliness of the Irish!

Read my travel blog about my previous visit to Dublin in 2016!