Road Trip Across Ireland

Ireland’s largest city, Dublin, attracts people from all around the world. While Dublin has its own unique culture filled with delicious food and a pint of Guinness, outside of Dublin is where the true magic happens. This blog is about a trip I took from one side of the country to the other.

The Drive

The drive to the west side of the island proved to be a scenic one. As we got out of the crowded city, we began to venture out into the farm lands of Ireland. Along with that came some very unique castles that looked to be hundreds of years old. There also seemed to be people living the simpler life out in the country. We drove through small towns and farms filled with Alpacas! There were beaches with only a few of the locals using them. Seemingly untouched by the tourists driving by. 

Cliffs of Moher

About 3 hours away from Dublin is where Ireland meets the Atlantic Ocean on the west side of the country…in a pretty dramatic way. The Cliffs of Moher. It’s like something you would see in a Sci Fi movie. From the land to water, it’s a 700 foot straight drop. The land in which you walk on kind of just stops and a never ending body of water begins. This 700 foot drop creates an immovable wall where you get to visualize the contradiction between land and sea. On a beach, the waves are often soft and calming, almost inviting you to step inside the ocean.

Here, it felt like watching pure violence. The waves would crash and smack into the sides of the cliffs often sending water hundreds of feet into the air. It is one of the only places where I’ve got to experience the raw and natural power of nature. With no protection from the wind, it’s a battle ground to keep your balance. But even with that, the scene was still so peaceful.  

I will probably post a blog about Dublin at some point, but I felt like this experience was much more memorable. We had great weather during our trip and the tour guides kept the long drives interesting. If you are visiting Ireland, it’s worth it to get out of the city and experience the beautiful landscape.