The older I get and the more I travel, the less interested I am in visiting the big, trendy, congested cities. Don’t get me wrong; there are definitely big cities that are musts for anyone’s bucket list (Prague, Hanoi, and New York City all come to mind), but it is in the smaller towns, that are slightly less overrun by tourists, where the real magic happens. These are the places where you fall in love all over again with traveling and what makes this world so exciting. This is where you find the nuances, and where each country gets its unique character.
When I was in Ireland, my dream destination and the one place I’ve always hoped to go, I knew that I definitely wanted to set aside some time to explore Dublin, Galway, and Cork. They’re frequented by millions of international visitors every year for a reason, and I wanted to find out what that reason was for myself.
However, the best part about Ireland were the towns and villages that I randomly stumbled across on my drives. It was the tasty food, the quirky people, and the unpolluted views that really made my Irish experience what it was. Here are some of my absolute favorites.
Cobh
I didn’t exactly “stumble upon” Cobh, because I had seen the charming, colorful town splattered all over my Instagram feed and decided that, without a doubt, it was somewhere I had to go. Because the universe likes to test me, I got to experience it in none of its glory, without the blue skies and shining sun beating down on my smiling face. Instead, Cobh welcomed me with pouring rain at glacial temperatures coupled with gale force winds that were almost violent enough to rip me off the top of the hill (but not quite, I did prevail).
Cobh is located in County Cork, situated on the coast facing Spike Island and Haulbowline Island, and only a 30 minute drive southeast from Cork City. In addition to its bright pastel colors, it is also home to St. Colman’s Cathedral, on the highest point of the city overlooking Cobh Harbor and one of the tallest buildings in all of Ireland.
Historically, the importance of Cobh as a port city is nothing to turn your nose up at. It was a major point of departure for nearly half of the Irish people who emigrated to America in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was where many Irish people embarked on their journeys to penal colonies such as Australia. Perhaps most famously, it was the last port of call for the RMS Titanic before she started her journey across the Atlantic Ocean, tragically never to reach her final destination. Despite having seen the movie Titanic at least ten trillion times (never once refraining from sobbing and blubbering by the end), I had never heard of Cobh up until about a year ago.
The Cobh Museum is steeped in the maritime history of the town, with records of embarkations and deportations, as well as a genealogical section where visitors can conduct research about their own family members who may have passed through.
The Titanic Experience, also located right on the harbor, is a major tourist attraction, and a museum I was unable to resist (the price tag of €9.50 initially scared me off back into the rain, but the wind quickly encouraged me back inside to the warmth). It is fascinating learning about the ship, what life was like for passengers, and the horrifying details of the shipwreck. They also gave you your own ticket, and you were able to see if your assigned passenger was saved or lost at sea. As much as really overly popular museums repel me, this was one of my favorites in a long, long time.
Gougane Barra
As I drove in the direction of Killarney from Cork City, a sign for Gougane Barra called out to me. I braked a little bit more recklessly than was probably wise, took a left turn, and followed the road. I hadn’t anticipated the fact that the roads were going to be 2 feet wide, or so windy that every turn came with the risk of colliding head-on with another driver, but it was more than worth it.
Gougane Barra, it turns out, is a forest park, full of tons of native trees and wildlife and gorgeous Irish mountains. I walked around St. Finbarr’s Island, with St. Finbarr’s Oratory perched eerily atop it, the gate reminding you that this is a holy place. The park is Ireland’s first national park, and the entry is free if you decide to walk in. There are 10 kilometers of hiking and biking trails, incredible views everywhere you go, plenty of friendly sheep, and a small inn, Cronin’s Hotel, right beside the lake for a nice pint and sleep after a long day of walking.
Dingle
Dingle is a small fishing village on the Dingle Peninsula, the only town on the entire Dingle Peninsula, and it’ll give you that dose of Irish charm that you’ve been craving. In fact, the Dingle Peninsula is one of the only places in Ireland where locals still speak Irish, and in 2005 the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs announced that the anglicized versions of town names will no longer be featured on road signs. If you see An Daingean on a sign leading into the town, you know you’re going the right way.
Don’t let the fact that Dingle only has a population of 2,000 fool you; these people are in for a good time. Any time of day you can walk into a Dingle pub, grab a pint, and make a friend. If you’re feeling extra friendly, head down to the waterfront, where a wild dolphin, Fungie, commonly and playfully seeks out human contact with swimmers, surfers, and kayakers. Fungie is the first recorded dolphin in the wilds of Ireland to actively seek out human contact, and has become famous and beloved by locals and visitors.
If you’re looking for some GOOD EATS, Dingle has that too. Their fish and chips are fresh as they come, and the village is also home to the original Murphy’s, artisan ice cream famous across the entire island for its unique flavors, like Irish coffee.
Skellig Ring
Everyone has heard of the Ring of Kerry, but not nearly as many have heard of Skellig Ring, the coastal loop that branches off the Ring of Kerry and offers some insanely stunning views over the ocean.
By far my favorite was the Cliffs of Kerry, a scaled-down and much less crowded version of the Cliffs of Moher. LOOK AT THEM. JUST REVEL IN THEM, PLEASE. I swear, those colors are the result of none other than Mother Nature herself, and the view was freakishly breathtaking. The best time to drive the Skellig Ring is on a clear day, if you’re lucky enough to have one on this emerald island of perpetual downpour.
Sneem
Sneem is a small village that is located along the Ring of Kerry, which has, for a long time, been associated with a very laid-back lifestyle. It is beautiful, compact, and perfect for a lazy afternoon.
I parked my car in Sneem and walked down its main street, enjoying the beautiful day and the peacefulness of the Sneem River, when I saw a man sitting in the park with a gigantic, bizarre mammal sitting beside him. Naturally, I went up to him and asked him about his pet, who I now saw was attached to a leash and chewing cud like a cow. What in the fresh heck. The man introduced himself as John, and his pet mountain goat as Puck, a name meaning male goat in Irish. John let me pet Puck, and explained that his horns are a good indication of how old he is. Apparently mountain goats make good pets, and John seemed perfectly content to sit in the park with his boy and people watch all afternoon. I fell in love with both of them.
If you’re not fortunate enough to get to meet John and Puck, you’ll be able to walk through Sneem’s sculpture park, including a series of stone sculptures, known as The Way the Fairies Went, overlooking the river. The sculptures, representing fairy huts, won the National Landscape Award in 1997, if you’re big on notoriety. Fun fact: lots of Irish people actually believe in fairies and blame them for unfortunate incidents, like potholes. I usually blame the universe for that and continually ask it why it hates me, but whatever works.
At the very least, Sneem has, allegedly, the best Irish coffee around, and there is nothing better than an Irish coffee as a pick-me-up. It’s a classier and more cultural vodka Redbull, and it is TASTY.
Ireland is incredible. The cities are great, but the villages and the country’s natural beauty is what you’ll remember most. What is your favorite spot in Ireland? Any recommendations for the next time I’m there? Comment, comment, comment!
