Dublin has many sights and attractions to offer. But especially the surrounding countryside and the many smaller towns are definitely worth a visit.
In the second week of November, me and my friends went on a road trip. We drove through the south and west of the country.
One of the highlights of our trip was the first stop at the Jameson Whiskey distillery near Cork. This is located in the town of Midleton, twenty minutes from downtown Cork. We took a guided tour of the distillery. We were told the history of Jameson Whiskey, and the process of how whiskey is made, from start to finish. The tour ended with a whiskey tasting. The tour guide explained very well how the whiskey should taste, making the tasting very interesting.
The Jameson Whiskey, for example, should first taste fruity and then vanilla, the finish brings a wooden note with it. This makes the whiskey dry in the end but somewhat spicy despite the milder taste.
We spent the other four days in Killarney and the surrounding area. Killarney is a modern but yet traditional town, situated in the middle of a national park. The city center offers a great cultural variety. You can visit rustical pubs, where either classic Irish folk music, or current charts are played. Killarney offers many opportunities to try typical Irish food, but has also American, Italian, and other international restaurants. Many different nationalities mix with the locals here. Everyone seems to feel comfortable and welcome in this sociable and idyllic town.
An absolute must is the Killarney National Park. It offers beautiful hiking trails for both experienced and unexperienced hikers. You can admire historical places, such as a castle, or enjoy the nature, the green landscape, mountains, lakes, and also a large waterfall.
The Ring of Kerry is also located in this national park. A 179 km long panoramic coastal road that offers many beautiful sights. We were lucky to be on the road at a time of the year when you hardly meet any tourists. Unfortunately, but also for the same reason the weather was not as good as hoped. Nevertheless, we could enjoy the view, the landscape, lakes, and the many quiet and empty beaches. Only the wind threw a spanner in the works from time to time. When we drove to the top of a mountain, by car, the wind was extremely strong that we could not get the door of the car open. So, we had to admire the beautiful view from the car.
Another day trip we made was to the Cliffs of Moher. Here you can visit impressive cliffs and take a 3-hour hike along them. On one side of the path the sea rages, while on the other side you can admire an enchanting green landscape as far as the eye can see. The cliffs were really impressive, which is why I recommend a visit there to anyone traveling to Ireland.
The five days went by very quickly but were definitely enough for our route. One could have taken even two days longer, if one made a stop in Galway or Limerick. However, we decided against it, because of the high Covid-19 incidence in these two places, too risky for us. Nevertheless, we gained many new impressions and have closed Ireland even more in our hearts.
