I first visited Ireland close to 30 years ago. It was a quick trip… just 4 days driving from Galway to Dublin with tourist stops along the way. I was young, in awe of castle ruins, Celtic crosses, and the many shades of green that make up the landscape of the Emerald Isle.
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That first visit left such an impression on me. The stories and landmarks from that trip have never left me. So you can imagine my excitement to return to Ireland and have that shamrock magic touch me again.
Let’s Go To Northern Ireland
After a 6-hour overnight flight from Philadelphia, I landed in Dublin and made it through customs and arrivals in no time. Once you get your baggage, you exit into a common area with some food options and a coffee shop (in case you need an extra caffeine boost!).
My partner in crime for this trip was Sara—we work together at JAI Jewelry. Sara has been to Ireland a few times, so we had fun comparing notes about her travels and mine.
We met up with our driver, who drove us the 2 hours to Belfast. The road was mostly highway, so there wasn’t a lot of picturesque scenery. But yes, plenty of green!
An Easy Tour Around Belfast
We arrived in Belfast and were dropped off at our hotel. We stayed at the 10 Square Hotel. The location was perfect for sightseeing and getting a feel for the city center of Belfast. The rooms were clean, and they served a great breakfast! I would absolutely recommend.
Sara and I didn’t want to give in to the fatigue of jet lag, so we booked an open-air bus tour where we could hop on and off at a variety of sightseeing points. But before we caught the bus, we decided to grab lunch and made our way to The Ivy.
What a lovely spot! We enjoyed sitting in a sunny window surrounded by fancy floral chintz fabrics and lush greenery. We shared fish and chips and an Irish beef burger. Both delicious. What a great start to our day!
What we didn’t anticipate was that a full tummy, warm sunny skies, and jet lag would make it hard to stay awake… even when sitting on a bus tour! Sara and I both laughed for the rest of the trip at how we each would hear a little tidbit about one of the sightseeing stops, and the next thing you knew… we were at the next stop, but we had dozed off in between!
Despite the cat naps ( I can only imagine the other people on the bus looking at us with our bobbing heads, trying to stay awake!) I love taking tours like this when you’re not going to spend a lot of time in a big city. It allows you to see a lot in a small amount of time, and I do feel like we learned a lot about Belfast, its tumultuous history, and more.
We ended our day with a walk around City Hall and an easy dinner at our hotel. You can bet I was sound asleep the minute my head hit the pillow!
Day 2: Giant’s Causeway and More!
A delicious Irish breakfast started our morning before departing with our driver, Rodney, to the Giant’s Causeway. Giant’s Causeway is located along the Antrim coast and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I had seen plenty of images before arriving. But photos just don’t do this location justice. I’ve never seen anything like it. The geometric shapes of the volcanic stones and the precision with which they were formed millions of years ago are remarkable.
I found myself looking at each stone and questioning whether it was actually real! It was so fun hopping from stone to stone, and just walking around the area with the sound of crashing waves in the background.
After a quick stop in the gift shop—I found a great tweed hat for Doug and a Belleek ornament for Kylie… Trevor’s gift was still to come!—Sara and I reconnected with our driver and headed to the Carrick-A-Rede Island which is only accessible by a rope bridge. AND, as we learned from our driver as we pulled into the parking lot, GETTING to the bridge is a bit of a hike too!
But, we MADE IT! And it was worth the trip. The rope bridge is suspended 100ft above the Atlantic Ocean and was first constructed by fishermen over 250 years ago.
I felt very safe crossing and it wasn’t as wobbly as I expected. And the reward was the views… just incredible. I’m so glad we made this journey.
Our driver also made a quick stop for us to see the ruins of Dunluce Castle, which dates back to the 16th century. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, this castle was used as Pyke Castle, home to the House of Greyjoy.
After a long day of touring, Sara and I were ready to crash on our final night in Belfast. We had dinner at a cute spot called The Chubby Cherub!
We headed back to our hotel to pack up a bit and get a good night’s sleep. A big day coming up as we head back towards Dublin, Ireland… we’re meeting up with a video crew from QVC to tell some great stories.
Next stop? Incredible sites that are older than the pyramids of Egypt!
I’ll take you there in PART 2! STAY TUNED!
From my Irish travels to you,
Jill
