This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Conn chapter.
Where could be a better place to spend St. Patrick’s Day than in Ireland itself? This past spring break, I had the luck of the Irish to experience this magical holiday in Ireland. The crowded streets, delicious food, and incredible views could not be compared to anywhere else! My trip to Ireland lasted only four days, but was filled with adventure, potatoes, and Irish accents. They were not joking when they said the Irish love potatoes, because I had a different type of potato with almost every meal!
I spent my first day in Ireland exploring Dublin and getting used to the time zone. I arrived at 4:00 a.m. and I was very, very tired, so I went to sleep and woke up to get ready for the day. My first destinations were St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Dublin. Outside the St. Patrick’s Cathedral, there was a fair that the city set up for St. Patrick’s Day that had small markets with local vendors, rides, and games for kids. After exploring that, I headed over to a restaurant called The Brazen Head, which is the oldest pub in Ireland. Here I had the best Irish food during my stay in Dublin. I ordered the fish and chips, and my mom, who traveled with me, ordered the traditional beef stew, which, of course, came with mashed potatoes on top. My fish and chips were so fresh, and the portion was huge! After we enjoyed our lunch, we headed over to the Guinness Storehouse to take a tour to learn how they make their famous drink. Then, we walked around and found a temple bar, which had a bunch of restaurants and small stores. After that, we headed to the hotel to get ready for St. Patrick’s Day!
We woke up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready for our tour with the Paddywagon Tour company. This tour took us to the Rock of Cashel and the Blarney Stone. The Rock of Cashel was an old castle ruin where St. Patrick went to convert the Vikings to Catholicism. After about an hour there, we headed over to the Blarney Stone. The castle was located in a smaller village that had restaurants and gift stores. We first entered the garden, which had many types of plants and flowers. That led us to the castle, where we had to walk up many flights of narrow spiraling stairs to bring us to the top of the castle, where the Blarney Stone was. The point of the Blarney Stone is to kiss it to bring good luck into your life. So, we did. They had one person to hold you as you leaned off a ledge of the castle to kiss the stone. This was so scary, especially for someone who is afraid of heights. I quickly did it and then went right back down the stairs to explore the rest of the garden and the village. For lunch, we ate at a local pub. I had gotten a chicken with bacon and Gouda sandwich that was served with french fries, of course, a potato. After lunch, I went to the gift shop to pick up a few souvenirs and went back on the bus. For dinner, I went to a steakhouse called Hawksmoor. I split a steak with my mom, served with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Once dinner was over, we took an Uber to the hotel in order to avoid the crowded streets filled with partiers.
The next day we woke up early to catch another tour bus to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. The first stop was in Galway for about two hours. Here, we explored the city by buying Claddagh rings and having an authentic Irish breakfast at a local place. We then walked along the water and took some pictures. Then, we took the bus to the Cliffs of Moher, where we explored the breathtaking views. Here, we walked along the cliffs and took in the amazing views. There were tons of sheep and wildlife on the drive there. We then went to a local village nearby to get a small bite to eat before heading to Dublin.
On the last day, we walked around Dublin to do some last-minute shopping and exploring. We went to Trinity College to look at the Book of Kells and take in the views. Then, we had to head to the airport to go back home. This trip was definitely one of my favorite destinations! I would highly recommend going to Ireland, especially during St. Patrick’s Day.