We’ve been home for about a week now, fresh off eight days in Ireland. The laundry is done, the jet lag has faded, and we’ve had enough time to decompress and actually process what just happened — our first trip overseas as a family, and honestly one of the best trips we’ve ever taken.
Here’s the full recap.
Getting There: What I Learned About Sleeping on Planes
I had high hopes of sleeping through the overnight flight. A five-hour layover in Detroit, a few beers, complete exhaustion — surely I’d be out cold. Nope. Couldn’t sleep no matter what I tried.
Good to know for next time: I’ll prioritize getting as much sleep as possible before a long flight rather than counting on sleep during it. That’s exactly what I did on the return trip and it made a world of difference.
Dublin: Guinness, Castles, and the Best Pub Tip We Got
We landed in Dublin at 10am local time after well over 24 hours without sleep. We grabbed a 15-minute nap at the hotel and went straight out into the city — because what else do you do?
Dublin is a fantastic city. Lively, walkable, and genuinely welcoming. Our rideshare driver gave us what turned out to be great advice — he pointed us to a specific pub he swore served the best Guinness in Dublin. I was skeptical. Guinness is made in Dublin. How different could it be?
Pretty different, as it turns out. Whether it’s the way the keg is tapped, how it’s stored, or something else entirely, there was a noticeable difference between pubs. I made it a personal mission to have a Guinness at nearly every pub we visited for the rest of the trip. Research purposes only.
We toured the Guinness Storehouse, which was excellent — I learned that Guinness is 95% water, which means I was basically staying hydrated the entire trip.
A few other Dublin highlights worth mentioning: Temple Bar (touristy but worth seeing), a tour of Trinity College including the Book of Kells (genuinely stunning), and a local’s recommendation to take the train out to Howth — a coastal suburb with its own cliffs, great hiking, and a completely different pace from the city.
One practical note for anyone planning a Dublin trip: restrooms are not as accessible as they are in the US. Expect to hunt for them, and expect them to be up or down several flights of stairs from wherever you actually are.
Galway: Our Favorite Stop in Ireland
We took the train from Dublin to Galway and immediately understood why people love this town. It has a beach town energy — relaxed, fun, and full of character. Probably our favorite place we visited in all of Ireland.
The highlight of Galway wasn’t a landmark — it was stumbling into a silent disco happening in the street. If you haven’t experienced one: everyone wears headphones, listens to the same music, and dances together. We’ve done silent discos before, but this was different. This group takes it through the streets, pulling in strangers and passersby, and watching people let their guard down and just enjoy the moment was genuinely joyful. I think this should exist everywhere. We’d do it again in a heartbeat — apparently this same group runs events through Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
It was also in Galway that I picked up our rental car for the next leg of the journey. First time driving on the left side of the road, from the right side of the car.
The Cliffs of Moher and the Roads That Lead There
The morning after Galway we drove to the Cliffs of Moher. The scenery was stunning. The roads were… narrow. Very narrow. Winding, hedgerow-lined, barely-wide-enough-for-two-cars narrow. For someone on their first day driving on the opposite side of the road, it was an experience.
We made it. And it was absolutely worth it.
Killarney: A Parade and a National Park
From the Cliffs of Moher we drove to Killarney, a charming town that happened to have a parade going through it the day we arrived. We spent time in Killarney National Park, which was beautiful, before heading on to Cork the next day.
Cork: Blarney Stones and a City That Grows on You
Cork took a little time to warm up to — we weren’t sure about it at first — but by the end of our time there we really enjoyed it. The highlight was Blarney Castle, where our daughter kissed the Blarney Stone.
Tip if you’re planning to go: Get there as early as possible. The line to get into the castle can stretch to multiple hours later in the day. Early arrival makes a huge difference.
We returned our rental car in Cork and caught the train back to Dublin.
The Unexpected Gift: Two Extra Days
At the train station we got word that our airline was offering free flight changes due to weather issues on the East Coast. We looked at each other for approximately two seconds before saying yes.
Two more days in Dublin. We weren’t ready to go home anyway.
Northern Ireland: Giants Causeway and a Game of Thrones Castle
With our bonus day we took a tour bus up to Northern Ireland — and it was one of the best decisions of the whole trip.
A few things we noticed crossing into Northern Ireland: road signs switch to English only (no Irish language), speed limits go back to mph, and the vibe shifts slightly. It felt familiar in a different way.
We visited Dunluce Castle, which served as the House of Greyjoy in Game of Thrones — dramatic, perched on the cliffs, exactly as striking in person as it looks on screen. But the real standout was Giants Causeway. The hexagonal basalt columns stretching out into the sea were unlike anything I’ve seen. Probably my single favorite place in all of Ireland.
We finished the day in Belfast before making our way back to Dublin for one last evening — which ended with running into friends I hadn’t seen in over a decade who happened to be in town on vacation. Ireland keeps giving.
Final Thoughts — and What’s Next
Ireland exceeded every expectation. The people, the landscapes, the history, the pubs — all of it. We’re already talking about going back to spend more time in Northern Ireland specifically.
But here’s the best part of the trip home: during our layover in Detroit, Erica looked over at me and said — “How about Prague in April?”
Sold.
We’re going to Prague. Erica is a nervous flyer who has now done a transatlantic flight and is already planning the next one. That feels like a win worth celebrating.
Stay tuned.