When I moved to Ireland successful 2022, I had 2 circumstantial goals successful mind.
I wanted to measurement wrong Trinity College's gorgeous library, and I besides hoped to yet spot the Cliffs of Moher, a spot galore readers mightiness admit arsenic the tract of Voldemort's Horcrux cave successful "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
Once I arrived, though, Ireland amazed me. It was acold much beautiful than I expected, and I wanted to research overmuch much of the state than I'd primitively planned.
Over the people of a year, I traveled crossed Ireland by train and autobus — and recovered 4 places that were genuinely worthy it and 2 that didn't unrecorded up to the hype.
Howth was 1 of my favourite time trips from Dublin.
Howth is conscionable a 6-euro, half-hour train thrust from Dublin's metropolis center, but it feels for illustration a wholly different place.
It's a mini sportfishing colony connected Dublin's northeast coast, and the harbor's eateries service immoderate of the best food and chips I had successful Ireland.
The existent highlight, though, is the iconic Howth Cliff Walk. There are aggregate routes to take from; I mostly followed the Cliff Path Loop, which is comparatively easy, tin beryllium done successful 2 hours, and delivers unthinkable views of the Irish Sea.
Bog of Frogs Loop is besides a awesome prime for a much challenging route.
Kinsale is wherever I fell successful emotion pinch Ireland's small-town charm.
Kinsale is simply a colorful harbor municipality adjacent the metropolis of Cork. There's nary nonstop autobus from Dublin, but I sewage location by taking a 14-euro autobus to Cork, and past a short section autobus to Kinsale for 7 euros.
This municipality is known arsenic the nutrient superior of Ireland, and it lives up to the estimation if you emotion seafood. What I loved conscionable arsenic much, though, was Kinsale's creation scene.
The municipality is dotted pinch mini galleries, and arsenic personification who enjoys museums and imaginative spaces, I could person easy spent hours wandering successful and retired of them.
If you person time, Old Head of Kinsale, conscionable southbound of town, is worthy the short travel for its sweeping cliffs on the Wild Atlantic Way. My sojourn location is 1 of my favourite memories from my clip successful Ireland.
Glendalough has beautiful scenery and a charming, historical feel.
I first saw Glendalough successful a romanticist segment successful my favorite rom-com, "Leap Year." I'd wanted to sojourn ever since watching.
An hr by autobus from Dublin, Glendalough vale is simply a budget-friendly measurement to acquisition the Irish countryside, pinch round-trip tickets costing astir 23 euros.
The vale is built astir 2 glacial lakes and the ruins of a 6th-century monastic settlement, giving it a quiet, historical feel.
My favourite portion is the Spinc trail, 1 of Glendalough's best-known hikes pinch stunning views of the valley. It's a spot challenging and time-intensive to complete, but erstwhile you spot the scenery from above, it feels wholly worthy it.
I recovered Dalkey to beryllium the cleanable summertime spot.
Dalkey is simply a large logic that South Dublin is my favourite portion of the city.
It's a small seaside town that's easy to scope by train, pinch round-trip tickets starting astir 5 euros. I recovered the municipality to beryllium compact and walkable, pinch respective mini parks scattered throughout.
Dalkey has beardown links to Ireland's astir celebrated writers and is often associated pinch James Joyce's "Ulysses," which you tin study much astir astatine Dalkey Castle.
That said, erstwhile I visited, I spent astir of my clip connected Vico Road, which runs on the seashore to Killiney Beach. If you bask swimming, the Vico Baths area is 1 of the best summertime spots successful Dublin.
I thought Blarney Gardens were impressive, but I was a small underwhelmed by the castle.
Blarney Castle and Gardens successful Cork are genuinely beautiful, particularly the gardens, which were immoderate of the prettiest I saw successful Ireland.
However, I had precocious expectations for the castle, and I recovered it a small underwhelming to explore.
A batch of my sojourn revolved astir lining up to buss the Blarney Stone, and the astir half-hour hold didn't consciousness worthy it — aliases peculiarly memorable.
I'm gladsome I saw the Cliffs of Moher, but I wouldn't needfully spell back.
The Cliffs of Moher are beautiful and dramatic, and seeing them successful person, particularly the Horcrux cave, made maine gladsome I yet sewage to tick them disconnected my list. However, I astir apt wouldn't spell backmost again.
Some locals warned maine astir the dense summertime crowds, truthful I went successful April, hoping for a quieter experience. Even then, though, the viewpoints were busy, and my sojourn felt rushed.
Reaching the cliffs without a car besides meant a 4½ -hour travel each measurement and astir 36 euros successful carrier costs. Compared to the quieter cliff walks I recovered elsewhere successful Ireland, these didn't consciousness for illustration the champion usage of my clip aliases money —especially connected a student budget.
This communicative was primitively published connected February 6, 2026, and astir precocious updated connected August 14, 2026.
English (US) · 
Indonesian (ID) ·