DUBLIN/GALWAY/CLIFFS OF MOHER/INISHEER (ARAN ISLANDS)

OVERVIEW

• When: 2 July- 7 July, 2025
• Where (accommodations): Dublin: Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, The Chancery Hotel; InterContinental Dublin; Galway: The Galmont Hotel & Spa
• Transportation: Aer Lingus direct flight from Boston (BOS) to Dublin, Ireland (DUB). Train round trip from Dublin to Galway on Irish Rail; Lally Tours: Galway to Cliffs of Moher cruise, Aran islands and Connemara
• Sights/attractions: Dublin: Kilmainham Gaol, Marsh’s Library, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Castle, Grafton Street, Ulysses Rare Books, Temple Bar, Ha’penny Bridge, Guinness Storehouse/Gravity Bar, Trinity College Library, St Stephen’s Green; Galway: Eyre Square, Galway Cathedral, The Spanish Arch, Latin Quarter (Quay Street), Aran Sweater Market, Galway Girl statue (near The Quays bar), Heart in Hands, The Neachtain bar, M. Fitzgeralds, Blackrock Diving Tower, Crane Bar
• Food/drinks: Dublin: Fumbally Cafe, Cafe en Seine, Murphy’s Ice Cream, Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill, Roly’s Bistro, Mister Magpie; Galway:The Front Door Pub, Hazel Mountain Chocolate, The Dough Bro’s Wood Fired Pizza, Kai Restaurant

Sean’s dad is 100% Irish, his mom is 50%, so what does that make him? An Irish branch! Sean has been to Ireland as a kid (we are talking 30+ years ago). I have only passed through Dublin on a layover, which of course does not count. So we are making this right and visiting Ireland for real! Country #72 for me, not that anyone else is counting.

This long weekend trip did not start as smooth as expected. In fact, in ALL our travels neither of us ever fell sick on the way to the destination. Well, there is always a first. We got Chase Sapphire Reserve credit cards this year, and were very excited to enjoy the lounge access at Boston Logan airport before the trip. We knew that Aer Lingus food will not be a culinary masterpiece (and it was not), so we figured we’d have a good dinner at the lounge before take off. And, you probably can guess the rest of the story. Three hours later, right before the plane food was served, Sean started to feel sick. And it continued on up until we landed. I don’t know why I paid for the assigned seat, because he spent more time in the bathroom than actually sitting (it’s a mean joke). Flight attendant gave him some anti- nausea meds, but he could not even hold that down. I was seriously considering going straight to the hospital after we land, but luckily it didn’t come to that. He recovered and we were able to enjoy this trip, but for sure it’s the experience we hope to never encounter again.

We landed at 4 am Thursday morning and spent this day in Dublin. On Friday, we took the 2.5 hr train to Galway and enjoyed the hotel/spa after sightseeing the main part of town. Saturday we had a full day tour with a cruise to see The Cliffs of Moher, Aran Island Inisheer, and a drive through Connemara. Sunday we returned to Dublin for the afternoon exploring, and Monday late afternoon flew back to Boston. It sounds like a lot of moving around, but it was not stressful and we had time to relax at the hotels. I will group all of the activities per city for organization sake.

DUBLIN

ACCOMMODATION

We knew we’re arriving early morning, but did not book two nights at The Chancery Hotel. It was pricey, we were arriving mid week, so I was hoping the room would not be occupied and we would get an early check in. No Irish luck there. We got to the hotel, Sean is in dire need to get rest and we are informed that room is not expected to be ready until 3pm (we are here at 5am). They do NOT have a single room available for additional cost.

Luckily, Radisson Blu Royal Hotel was only 2 minutes walk away and they had a room that we could check into right away. We ended up paying a full price for a few hours of sleep, but there was no other way. If Sean was not sick, we would’ve stored the luggage and went to have early breakfast, but rest was a lot more important now, so we were glad to be able to close the eyes in a horizontal position. I did not take any pictures of this room, but the bed was comfortable and I saw they even had a tub.

When we finished sightseeing and finally checked into The Chancery Hotel, I could tell it was definitely a nicer of the two. The room was pretty small, but it had a city view and I even went to their spa for about 40 minutes while Sean took a nap before dinner.

Short but comfortable stay and unbeatable location in Dublin. We walked to all the main tourist sights from this location.

On the last night in Dublin we stayed at the InterContinental Dublin. It was a bit further away from everything, but it was in a nice quiet neighborhood.

It was a lot more space than the previous hotels and we loved the spa. Great sauna/steam room, nice pool and a hot jacuzzi. Exactly what we needed before the flight back. Oh, and an excellent espresso martini to fight off the jetlag!

It is about 20-30 min taxi to the main sights (as well as the airport) depending on traffic, but we were not doing as much sightseeing at the end of the trip, so that did not bother us at all.

Dublin’s do’s!

Dublin (in terms of land area) is nearly the same size as Boston. It also reminded me of Boston a lot- similar architecture, lots of pubs, parks etc. It makes total sense, given the fact that Boston is the most “Irish” city in the United States, and as many as 20% of the population identifies as Irish.

It is a very walkable city, at least when it comes to the main tourist attractions. There is a lot of history, many museums, and churches.

Kilmainham Gaol

This former prison, now a very important museum to Ireland’s history, is the only destination that we needed to take a taxi to. It is a bit further out of town, so getting there on foot for the 10.30 am visit on our first morning was not possible. I was not sure if Sean will have the strength to get up after a couple hours of sleep and go here, but we both made it.

If you plan on visiting, get your calendar out and count the days left until you want to go here. Tickets must be purchased in advance and they go on sale 28 days prior, at midnight Ireland time. How do I know this? Because when I was planning the trip I read enough Reddit posts and knew that I have to grab the tickets at 7pm EST for the day I want them, because they sell out in minutes. I watched them disappear in front of my own eyes, so it is definitely true. They do release some of the tickets on the day of visit if there are cancellations, but I would never expect to get those.

Our tour started at 10.45 am (recommended arrival is 15 min prior) and took about an hour. It was very interesting and extremely informative. Many important Irish people were imprisoned here, including 1916 Easter Rising revolutionaries. Several were executed here and it changed the course of Ireland’s history forever.

It was a very good history lesson and, since I knew very little about Irish history, I enjoyed the tour a lot. Sean actually wrote his theses about James Connolly- one of the key leaders of the Easter Rising, who was executed in this prison. No relation though, just a very common Irish name!

Marsh’s Library

This well preserved library opened in 1707 and was the first public library in Ireland. It is not open on Sunday or Monday, so we made a point to visit on our first day in the country.

You don’t need much time here, but it is for sure worth it. Some of the oldest printed books are stored in this building and you can smell history in the air!

When purchasing tickets (available online, but we bought it at the entrance) you can combine the visit with Saint Patrick’s Cathedral located near by. It’s not a big saving, but still a few Euros. Since we planned on visiting cathedral anyway, it made sense to get a combo ticket.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

Belonging to a Church of Ireland this cathedral is over 800 years old. Massive stained glass windows, English Gothic architecture- it’s a sight to behold.

What was different from the other churches we are used to visiting- they had a little market right at the entrance. Selling Guinness sweatshirts, socks etc. It seemed a bit odd to shop here, but Sean got a nice pullover (good excuse to shop when ‘proceeds go to church’).

Christ Church Cathedral

Another beautiful church, though undergoing renovation inside, so don’t be surprised to see some scaffolding.

What was more impressive to us than the main church, was the Crypt. Measuring 63.4m long it is the largest in Britain or Ireland, constructed in 1172–1173. We almost left without going downstairs, but when we were about to leave it started raining. As we were contemplating on what to do next, one of the men working there came running to us and asked if we had seen the Crypt. When we said no, he was shocked: ‘It’s the most impressive thing here!’ He was right. Don’t skip the crypt! And the rain shower passed right when we explored the depths of this church- perfect timing.

Dublin Castle

We are determined to cram as much Irish history as possible on the first day. So here comes another guided tour!

You can purchase tickets online and I would probably recommend doing so if you are visiting on the weekend. Since it was Thursday we just walked in. Normally we do a self guided tour, but the tour with the guide gives access to the additional sites on the premises, and the next tour was starting in a few minutes, so we chose that. I am glad we did!

Besides being very informative and interesting, we were able to see the underground river and this beautiful chapel (it is not used as a chapel anymore). For this alone, the tour with the guide was worth it!

‘State Apartments’ were beautiful and overall we felt like an hour spent in Dublin Castle was not a waste of our time.

Grafton Street and bookstores

We have reached the maximum brain capacity to absorb historical facts for one day. Time to walk though the hustling and bustling shopping street and visit a few book stores that are near by.

We didn’t have much time to shop, just walked into a couple thrift stores (there seem to be many vintage boutiques) and then checked out Ulysses Rare Books followed by Hodges Figgis.

Temple Bar

One of the most unique things about Ireland was seeing how huge pub culture is here. Day or night, pubs had people (or standing near the pub and having a pint). In the evening, especially in the Temple Bar area lots of pubs have live music. A lot of the songs are popular American hits, but we were able to come across the real Irish music as well!

What was different from Boston pubs -there was no cover fee to enter. No pressure to buy drinks either. So we bar hopped after dinner and listened to different musicians – perfect way to end our first day in Dublin!

All of the above (plus breakfast, lunch and dinner with the friends) was in the first 24 hours in Ireland. What we didn’t get to do was to visit Guinness Storehouse and Trinity College.

We left those two sights for Sunday afternoon after we returned from Galway.

On the way to Guinness Storehouse we passed by the Ha’Penny Bridge– opened in 1816 is considered one of the most charming bridges in Dublin.

Guinness Storehouse

The MOST visited attraction in Ireland, so even though Sean does not drink alcohol (and I am normally gluten free) we still could not miss it.

I did not know what to expect, but definitely not this.

Seven floors of interactive, colorful, full of facts exhibits. Tasting rooms and media room (with the old Guinness commercials and mascots) and finally Gravity bar on the top floor with the 360 views of Dublin skyline!

You cannot just come to the Gravity bar, tickets are required for the Guinness Storehouse experience. It does come with the free drink- Guinness for me, soft drink for Sean. My GF rule was abandoned for a brief moment. It felt criminal to leave Dublin without having their most famous beer.

Trinity Trails and The Book of Kells

Last tour of this trip (we booked tickets for this and Guinness online one day prior). The most prestigious and oldest college (university) in Ireland and home to the greatest cultural treasure- Book of Kells.

There are a few different ticket options with various prices and tour length. We opted for a full Book of Kells experience with the student guide around the campus. It is not usual for us to have this many guided tours, but since we enjoyed all previous ones, figured we should end the trip with one more.

The student (graduating next month) was funny, was knowledgeable, and the tour was for sure a lot more enjoyable than just us walking around by ourselves. It also gave access to additional gorgeous building with a lot of intricate details inside and out.

Once the grounds tour was over, we went into the exhibition hall explaining the Book of Kells.

Afterwards it was a room with the actual The Book of Kells, but no photography is allowed and there was a guard intensely watching everyone, making sure this rule is obeyed. It is a mystery where the book was produced, but it’s an exquisite work of art. It contains the four New Testament gospels and is believed to be the reason Christianity was saved from the Pagans.

Finally we went to the Long Room of the Old Library. It is being prepared for renovations and a lot of the books have been removed and safely stored (we knew this coming in). We found the room still impressive, despite the many empty shelves.

The last experience was at the Red Pavilion– digital exhibition that Sean enjoyed a lot more than I did. I could have gone without it and not miss out on anything. For sure I’d recommend taking a student guided tour and visiting the Old Library while it’s still open. Once it closes for renovations, it might be a decade until it’s reopened for visitors again.

Oscar Wilde Memorial Sculpture

It was a short walk from Trinity College, so we stopped by the Merrion Square to check out the sculpture dedicated to Oscar Wilde. Statue was built close to his home, right across the street and it commemorates this famous Irish writer, poet and celebrity of 19th century.

St. Stephen’s Green

Lastly, before going to dinner we walked through the famous park in the heart of Dublin. It was a site of the Easter Rising back in 1916 and now is a pleasant public park, which also reminded me of Boston Commons.

And that is what we saw in basically 1.5 days in Dublin. But of course there was food! We did not go hungry on this trip (as if we ever).

Food in Dublin

We are foodies and recently gluten free foodies, so the expectations of finding great dining were pretty low. Sean from his childhood visit to Ireland had an impression of food being very basic, so we were pleasantly surprised to find this amazing culinary scene!

For our first breakfast, we came to Fumbally Cafe and had superb breakfast followed by one of the best GF chocolate cakes ever.

It was so good, I tried one bite and could not stop eating it. Hence no photo…We took two of the cake slices to go and enjoyed them the following day in Galway.

Our last breakfast in Dublin was close to InterContinental Hotel, because we didn’t want to go far. We were actually walking towards a different restaurant, but then saw Mister Magpie caffe literally on the corner. It looked cute, so we went inside. Come to find out- they had GF bread and plenty of options for breakfast, so we decided to stay. One of the best scrambled eggs were here! And normally I am not a big scrambled eggs person, so this says a lot.

Also, exceptional coffee too!

For lunch on our first day we went to Cafe en Seine– beautiful interior, centrally located, and amazing food and drinks!

We had French onion soup, scallops and risotto. Oh and espresso martini to keep me going. Everything was delicious!

Last lunch was at InterContinental right before the flight- it was fine, but nothing spectacular. I would not seek out that as a destination to eat.

And finally dinner. First night we sort of invited ourselves to the dinner that our friend Brian had already reserved for him and his wife. Talk about small world. We met Brian and his friend in Cuba in February 2023, over two years ago. We had super fun conversations, couple dinners together, and exchanged Instagram handles. Brian lives in Virginia and travels a lot, but in the past two years we were never in the same place at the same time. I saw his travels on IG, he saw ours, that’s how we kept in touch.

Right before our Ireland trip, I saw that Brian posted that he is on the train to Dublin. So I messaged him and asked if he will still be there two days later. Come to find out, he did a similar itinerary visiting Dublin, then Galway and then returning to Dublin, and we would actually be in the same city one of the days that we are in Ireland! Brian told us they have dinner booked at Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill and was kind to change the reservation to add me and Sean.

But that is not all on the small world part. We are walking down a random Dublin street, going from one tourist attraction to the other and I see a man and a woman ahead of us. A man says something and turns- and guess who it is? Brian and his wife Karen! Yes, we knew they are in Dublin, yes we had dinner set up. But to run into each other on same random street- that is a chance of one in a million :)!

We had a great dinner with laughs and chats and really enjoyed the food too. I wonder where in the world we will run into each other again!

For our last dinner in Dublin we went to Roly’s Bistro. It was good and very close to the hotel. By the end of the trip we were a bit tired and did not want to have to commute far.

Restaurant has been open since 1992- to be able to make it 33 yrs says a lot!

Oh, and I almost forgot! Murphy’s ice cream! We had it in Dublin and Galway and its incredible!

Dingle Sea Salt and Honeycomb Caramel was my favorite. Sean also loved Butterscotch.

GALWAY

I am glad we took the 2.5 hr train to Galway, because it was a completely different feel from a busy city like Dublin. Oh and the train. I booked the tickets on Irish Rail about a month in advance and completely forgot I selected assigned seats. We arrive to Hudson Station, barely making the train with 3 minutes to spare and jump into the first random train car. We are walking, looking were to sit, almost take the seats, but Sean says- let’s move over by a few more. We go there, I look up- the seat that we selected (randomly) IS the seats that I actually booked! We know this, because they show our names above!

Talk about a coincidence, pure luck, being at the right place on the right time! I told Sean he should buy a lottery ticket (he did not:) ).

ACCOMMODATION

Luckily we chose The Galmont Hotel & Spa for our stay in Galway, because it was very close to the train station as well as the center of town. The weather was predicting 100% chance of rain (and it delivered), so it was a lot easier to manage sightseeing knowing that our hotel is close by. The room was ready when we arrived, so we dropped off our luggages and first checked out the spa. Unfortunately all massages were booked well ahead, so we could not set up any treatments. However, they have a pool, multiple saunas, steam rooms and jacuzzi outside, so we happily used them after a few hours of sightseeing. The main pool and jacuzzi are part of the room stay.

To use their more intense saunas/aromatherapy room etc, there is an up charge of 25 Euros for guests at the hotel. Sean did not care for the saunas, but I had a very relaxing time there.

Galway sights

Galway is a coastal town and I am sure is very charming, especially if you get the nice weather. We still liked it, but the weather was a total absolute crap. Rain, wind to the point that no umbrella is staying up, and about 65F.

Our first stop in the quick afternoon sightseeing was Eyre Square. Drenched in the rain it did not look like much, but I assume it’s much better in the nicer conditions.

Galway Cathedral on the other hand was a beautiful sight! As soon as we walked in, I was ‘wow!’ Super tall ceilings, beautiful stained glass windows- this was the last major stone Cathedral built in Europe and was finished in 1965.

One of the most impressive sights in Galway at least for me.

Spanish Arch was a bit underwhelming, but it is an historical landmark, so we took an obligatory pic!

And now it’s time to do some shopping and grab some food in the Latin Quarter (Quay Street).

You cannot miss the Galway Girl Statue right in front of The Quays Bar and Music Hall and of course everyone needs an Aran sweater from the Aran Sweater Market. Because the sweaters are a bit bulky and considerably heavy (made from Merino wool), the Market offers free shipping worldwide. We traveled with the carry-on luggage only, so this was a great service to have.

Now what does not take up much space in the suitcase? Jewelry of course! Famous Claddagh ring has hands encircling a heart with the crown on top of the heart. When worn facing the wrist- the person is taken (engaged, married, dating). When pointing out- they are single. It symbolizes friendship, loyalty and love. So OF COURSE Sean had to get me one. There are a few stores in Galway, but we shopped at Heart in Hands.

The owner was super nice, he said he designs the rings and the price was reasonable as well. Also, we got a 10% VAT refund by filling out the form and submitting it at the airport. We could not do the same for the sweaters unfortunately, because they were being shipped. We walked into the nearby store/museum, but it was crowded and the designs were not as delicate. Price was higher too, so Heart in Hands was better in my opinion.

We had Salthill Promenade marked as a place to walk around, but the weather was simply too cold and dreary. We drove by it the following day and also saw another landmark – Blackrock Diving Tower– very popular place during warm days. People actually jump off this thing into the water!

As we were driving Wild Atlantic Way, our guide pointed out the house with the roof shaped like Wild Atlantic Way sign. Apparently this is worth 3 million Euros because its got an uninterrupted view of the ocean. I guess we are not property shopping in Galway!

Last but not least- you cannot come to Galway and not visit the pubs. The Neachtain Bar, M. Fitzgeralds, Crane Bar– those are just a few of the pubs with live music. Check the times they play, because they vary, but for sure a fun way to end the night!

Galway food

Since we arrived in the afternoon we started with lunch. Initially we considered the famous Mc Donagh’s, but most of the dishes were fried, there was basically nothing gluten free, so we left. The Front Door Pub had plenty of availability and we grabbed a quick bite.

Not the healthiest of choices, but at least GF!

We followed this up with dessert. Rainy day did not call for ice cream, so we had amazing spicy hot chocolate from Hazel Mountain Chocolate. Very cute store, super nice person working there and delicious chocolate.

Now we can go to the spa and relax!

For dinner Sean was craving pizza and The Dough Bro’s Wood Fired Pizza had GF crust option so that’s where we went. There was a line to get in and the pizza flavors were super unique. We tried the one with curry and potatoes, and the other with pork belly. Both were great.

Both breakfasts in Galway we ate at the hotel simply due to the convenience. Lunch on the second day was in Aran islands since we had the tour. But the BEST meal in Galway (and in Ireland) was at Kai Restaurant. Our guide recommended it, but since we had no reservations we did not expect to get in.

Michelin star restaurant had tables open outside when we walked in, but the owner was super hesitant to seat us saying that it will rain. His wife is the incredible chef and we were assuring him that we do not care if it rains! Just feed us! It took a bit of convincing but we got the table. And yes, it rained. And yes we still were happy.

If you are heading to Galway, for sure make reservations here!

Cliffs of Moher, Aran Island (Inisheer), and Connemara tour

One of the main reasons to go to Galway was that Sean’s family is from the area (island called Inishbofin) and to see the famous Cliffs of Moher. You could technically do a day tour from Dublin (our friend did), but it’s a very long day.

We wanted to see more of the Ireland’s countryside so chose a whole day tour that included a cruise to see Cliffs of Moher, drive through Burren, visit the smallest of the Aran islands- Inisheer and drive back through Connemara and Country Clare along Wild Atlantic Way.

Lally Tours promised a small group- up to 25 people and it was even better- only 10 showed up. Comfortable bus, funny and knowledgeable guide- it was a great excursion!

We started at 9.15 am from the meet up spot near Hyde hotel (a couple minutes walk from where we were staying) and we returned before 7pm. The first stop was after about 40 minutes drive, passing multiple castles, green fields and scenic ocean views. We grabbed some coffee and snacks and continued on.

The weather was not the greatest, but at least it was not pouring rain the entire time like the previous day in Galway. When we arrived to the ferry that was going to take us to The Cliffs of Moher we had an option- stay ashore and see the cliffs from afar or go on the wavy boat. The previous day boat was cancelled due to waves, but since it was going, and it seemed stable enough, we decided to take our chances.

I am glad we did at the end. With the fog and the mist it would’ve been hard to see the cliffs in the distance, but we could still see the magnitude of them from below.

As for the boat ride- it was 25 min to the cliffs, then it slowed down for a bit, audio came on and talked about them, and then 25 min back to where we started. We felt ok, but there were A LOT sea sick people unfortunately. Either way, we glad we did it despite the weather.

For those that wanted to explore Aran island Inisheer– we stayed on the same boat and it took another 30 min or so to reach the island. Luckily the rain stopped and we could actually enjoy the scenery.

The smallest of the Aran islands, Inisheer is only inhabited by around 300 people. There are a couple of restaurants (we had lunch at one of them), a few shops, and a lot of land with rock walls and cattle. Our guide set up a horse and carriage ride with the person that takes care of his horses well (we wanted nothing to do with any animal abuse) and we set off for the ride around the island.

Very fun guy, super friendly, for sure loves his horse. He asked us to get out of the carriage before we could make it up the steep hill. We were happy to walk a bit, so that the horse would not have to pull the heavy weight.

The first stop was the Plassey Shipwreck– very cool site and the best part- all of the crew from this ship survived! It was a cargo ship that got caught in a storm in 1960, and after the crew was rescued, the cargo was then used on the island. Later, storms shifted its position a bit, it looks precariously sideways, but has not completely fallen over yet.

Another interesting stop was The Sunken Church (St. Caomhán’s church). Built in the 10th century it was eventually buried by sand from the island winds, and later on excavated and now preserved by the islanders.

After the church, there was an option to take the horse and carriage back to the starting point or walk over to the O’Brien’s Castle, which we of course decided to do.

Located on the highest point of the island it gave a nice view of Inisheer below.

And after a quick stop at one more Aran sweater shop, it was time to take the ferry back. This time it was 1.5 hours and I actually fell asleep. I think this island was the most unique and our favorite part of the trip.

CONCLUSION

A short adventure that did not start so great, but luckily ended well. While Dublin did not seem so different from Boston, visiting Aran island and hearing so much of the Irish history made this trip very unique. It was heartwarming to see where “Sean’s people” came from, listen to the Irish music, chat with the very friendly locals, and embrace the Irish weather. It is not an exotic island, but I’d love to go back to see more of the country some day (hopefully when it’s sunny)!