I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Ireland has a special place in my heart. I’ve now visited the country on a few different occasions, most recently for about a week with Sara and Liz, and I was so excited that Ireland would be our son’s first trip abroad.
We booked the flight tickets last year, and despite putting together (refundable) plans, I wasn’t entirely sure we’d get to go. Despite running into some hiccups with our original hotel reservation, we made it happen. We packed up – toddler packing list here – our things, grabbed the passports, including the little guy’s, and headed out. After some flight delays and a mad dash to the second leg of our flight, we made it to DUB early in the morning, ready to take on the day.
Day 1: Dublin
After getting our bearings in the airport, we took the Dublin Express into the city center. This bus is super easy, and I’d highly recommend getting the roundtrip ticket so long as you can hold on to it for the duration of your stay. We arrived at our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Dublin Custom House, and asked for an early check-in, which they were fortunately able to accommodate. All of us took a nap before we got ready to hit the town.
We spent some time at Merrion Square Park, which has an adorable playground, before grabbing an early dinner with Tyler’s family at Gallagher’s Boxty House. We then picked up groceries and searched for gloves (out of season) before calling it a night.
Day 2: Rosscarbery
Getting to Rosscarbery was a bit of a trick! We ended up taking the train to Cork, then taking the bus from there, while Tyler’s family rented a car and drove. We met up with them at RossNua, which is owned by a family friend and was an absolutely lovely place to stay.
We enjoyed the nearby playground, a double rainbow, as well as fish and chips from The Max Bite in the square. If you’re looking for an adorable apartment off the beaten path of the Wild Atlantic Way, look no further!
Days 3 – 4: Kinsale
Our host brought us to Kinsale, where we checked into the Trident Hotel Kinsale. We had a bit of a lazy afternoon and got a Kinsale Seafood Bake from the Wharf Tavern downstairs – this was delicious, and you should absolutely order it. We also grabbed groceries, since when you’re traveling with a toddler, you go through a lot of milk (and snacks).
The next day was more exciting, as we grabbed breakfast at Pier One (also on-site) and did some serious exploring. Desmond Castle, the Kinsale Town Park, and the Kinsale playground were key highlights. We got dinner at The White House, which is where Tyler had a ginormous burger and I had some excellent chicken curry. Before we headed out to Cork, we were able to enjoy another breakfast and some more time at the playground. Then it was on to the bus!
Days 5 – 6: Cork
The bus from Kinsale to Cork was super easy, and we were able to check into the Jurys Inn Cork without issue. That is, until we learned we didn’t have a fridge. They fortunately allowed us to store our milk at the restaurant downstairs, but that led to some interesting middle of the night runs! We got lunch at Farmgate Cafe, located inside the English Market, and enjoyed some local shopping.
Highlights from our time in Cork include Shalom Park, Scoozi for breakfast (very family-friendly), Market Lane for lunch, and Elizabth Fort for the great views – especially of Finn Barre’s cathedral. Of course, the best part of our time in the city was meeting up with my friend Clo, who lives just outside Cork! We were able to grab breakfast with her at Naturally Nourished before taking the train back to Dublin…
Days 7 – 9: Dublin
We made our way back to Dublin with Tyler’s family, where we were reunited with my mom and sister at the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre. While they also didn’t have a fridge in the room (clearly a much bigger deal to us on this trip than it has ever been), they were kind enough to give us milk when requested, so we made it work. This hotel is also super centrally located – it was right along the St. Patrick’s Day parade route, so we were able to watch from just outside (and inside) the hotel!
While the parade was the most exciting part, we also enjoyed a family dinner at Brannigans, drinks in Temple Bar, dinner at The Church, and donuts at The Rolling Donut. We also had some fun at Diamond Park and took great pictures at EPIC – it’s worth the visit for the sign. We also managed to coordinate a big family reunion with some of Tyler’s cousins; they’re a couple times removed, but still. We went to the Merrion Inn for a late lunch, then grabbed “99s” at a carnival on our last night.
And from there, we headed to London! It was a quick in-and-out, filled with lots of drama, but that is another story…
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