After a nice Irish breakfast at the hotel, it was time to start our new adventure. We headed south towards the town of Cobh. This cute, seaside town is located on an island in Cork City’s Harbor. The colorful buildings made it so charming. What makes this town so famous is this was the last port that the Titanic stopped at in 1912. They have a wonderful museum that is dedicated to the Titanic. We took a walk around the town. There are some pretty steep hills so make sure you bring comfortable walking shoes. Our walk brought us to…
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If you want to have a traditional Irish pub experience, then visit Geary’s Pub. As soon as we walked through the doors, we felt welcomed. The locals where were at the bar smiled at our group as we walked to a table by the fireplace. We wanted to warm up so Irish coffees were ordered all around. They were made with such care. The whipped cream used on top was freshly made. And it was accented with a shamrock on top. A little biscotti cookie was served on the side, which was a nice treat. It was the perfect ratio…
Leave a CommentInside the Charleville Park Hotel is the Park Bar & Grill. The bistro style menu offered a little bit of everything. Since I had just visited Smithwick’s, I got a pint of their Red Ale to enjoy while I looked at the menu. I was not extremely hungry, so I ordered their soup of the day. It was a Root Vegetable soup. It came out pureed, so it was creamy. I noticed that this is a common thing for soups in Ireland. I was expecting this to be a chunky soup with pieces of potato, carrot, and parsnips. But it…
Leave a CommentThis beautiful, quaint hotel is just on the outskirts of town. It’s only about a mile walk to get into town. The rooms are a great size, perfect for spreading out. The downside is there were not USB charging ports, so make sure you have a converter plug. The entire staff is friendly and very helpful. They helped with restaurant / pub suggestions as well as helped get taxis for guests who did not want to walk. The hotel offers a large Irish breakfast each morning. There is an assortment of cereals, fruits, eggs, sausages, and juices. Enjoy! T
Leave a CommentOur next stop was Charleville. We would be spending 2 nights in town. After checking into the hotel, it was time to get some dinner. We ate at the Park Bar & Grill that was located inside the hotel. After dinner it was time to start exploring Charleville. It was a small Irish town, exactly what I was hoping for. The shops were closed for the evening, but the pubs were open. We stopped at a local pub that was recommended to us by the staff at the hotel. It was Geary’s Pub. This pub was extremely cozy inside. We…
Leave a CommentSince 1710, Smithwick’s Brewery has been making beer for Ireland and eventually the world. After you take the brewery tour, stop on over to the tasting room. You have the option of getting a pint of one of their many beers or you can take a flight. I went for the Smithwick’s Red Ale flight. The flight included: I really enjoyed the red ale. They did not have that strong hoppy taste. They were somewhat sweet, smooth, and they felt light. Make sure you take time to visit the brewery. And if you have enough time check out their gift…
Leave a CommentWhen walking around Kilkenny we stopped at a pub called Paris Texas. One of the reasons we stopped was because of their name. We had actually been to the town of Paris, Texas and we had to see what this was all about. It truly was a Texas themed restaurant because their entire menu was Texas BBQ. While it smelled delicious when we walked in we were not going to get Texas BBQ in Ireland. We wanted to stick with local food. We did hear that they offered the best Irish Coffee in Kilkenny. So that is what we all…
Leave a CommentWe were heading southwest towards the charming town of Kilkenny. Along the drive it was amazing to see the old churches and structures that are still standing. It helps bring history to life as Ella would tell us stories about what we saw. Kilkenny is a medieval city that is also known as the Marble City because of its distinctive black marble. This was one of my favorite stops on the trip. As we rode through the town, I could not help but notice the blend of medieval structure with modern day conveniences. We did not have enough time in…
Leave a CommentWe started off the morning with an Irish breakfast at the hotel. They had traditional American dishes like eggs, bacon, oatmeal, and hash browns. Then they offered unique European dishes. I wanted to make sure I tried some of these. The baked beans we interesting to me, not because of the beans themselves, but that they were being offered for breakfast and not lunch/dinner when they normally would be offered in the States. The beans did not have that BBQ taste. They are in a tomato sauce that was sweet and simple. It did not overpower anything else that I…
Leave a CommentIf you are looking for a cozy coffee shop in the heart of Dublin, then check out Beanhive. They are famous for their coffee art on top of each cup. It was really special. Looking at the art helped start conversations with other patrons that were at the shop. Check them out at beanhive.ie Enjoy! T
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