As you know, we’ve been to Ireland more than a handful of times over the past ten years or so… We most recently went on a family trip to Ireland in 2022 (you can check out the cost breakdown on that here), but Tyler and I love to get back there. I would say this was definitely our most ambitious trip there, as we rented a car and turned it into a multi-stop family road trip. Buckle up – this is how we spent our holiday in Ireland:
Day 1: The Journey Begins
It all started with a super-smooth airport experience in Tampa. We parked in the economy lot (pricing-wise, this is your best bet) and met up with my in-laws. From there, it was off to Atlanta for a long layover. What’s the best way to survive a 5+ hour layover? Fast food, obviously. The kiddos were thrilled. After some serious snack damage, it was finally time to board the flight to Dublin, where the adventure really began.
Day 2: Arriving in Dublin
Touchdown in Dublin! After breezing through customs, we hopped on a shuttle to Thrifty to pick up our Renault Trafic. The guy at the counter tried to get us to downgrade to something just a bit smaller, but with a crew of six, plus luggage, we didn’t have a ton of options. We took a quick detour to Halfords for a booster seat for our son, since it was cheaper to buy one than rent one. A quick stop at Lidl for some groceries, and we were off—driving on the other side of the road (always a thrilling experience – huge kudos to Tyler for captaining our ship).
… and Immediately Hitting the Road
We drove through the countryside to Cork on very little sleep, so we detoured. A pit stop at Dunnes for a caffeine jolt and leg stretch was absolutely called for. After a brief parking struggle, we finally checked into the Leonardo Hotel Cork (which we had actually stayed at previously). Dinner at The Oliver Plunkett was hearty – I’d pass on the pizza, but the Irish lamb stew was just what I needed on a cold evening. By the time we made it back to the hotel, we were all tuckered out.
Day 3: Exploring Cork City
Breakfast at The Bookshelf at The Elysian was a lovely way to start the day. From there, we made our way to Shalom Park. This was a fun return, as our kiddo had played there two years ago – we definitely got some great then and now moments! We then popped into Aldi for a few more groceries (and a couple kids’ books, including one about Kevin the Carrot). Post-nap, we found ourselves at Marina Market, which is Cork’s largest indoor market. Think Armature Works in Tampa. We got toasties and burritos, as well as watched the ice skating. We wrapped up our evening with a wander back to the hotel.
Day 4: Navigating County Cork
We started our day at the Dulce Bun House (because who can resist an Irish sweet bun?), then hit up Penneys for some window shopping. When in Ireland! We then attempted to visit the Blackrock Castle Observatory, but it was closed for field trips. Whoops. Instead, we walked around Cork Harbor before meeting up with my friend Clo for a lovely lunch at Castle Café. Note: the mussels are definitely a sharing dish! We then hit the road to Rosscarbery. We met up with some family friends, who were kind enough to let us stay with them, then hit up Nolans bar for drinks with Tyler’s parents. The night ended with fish and chips from Max Bites, where the owner learned everything he could about us!
Day 5: Chill Vibes in Rosscarbery
After a late start, we left the kiddos with my in-laws and had a little breakfast date at Drip Coffee. Fun fact: I introduced their staff to the London Fog, which they loved. If you ever find yourself in Rosscarbery with this beverage, you have me to thank. 😉 We spent the day leisurely walking around Rosscarbery and checking out the playground (another return from our last trip). It was a slow, easy day—exactly what we needed after some of the go-go-go. Later, we celebrated our baby girl’s first birthday at Dunes Bar and Bistro. I would definitely recommend the curry, though the staff surprised her with a delicious lemon cupcake to top off the evening.
Day 6: Dingle or Bust
The morning started with a flurry of packing and cleaning – had to get the house back in order for our friends! After a final goodbye with them, we made quick stops for cough drops and cold medicine (this is the part of the trip when pretty much everyone came down with a cold). The drive to the Dingle Peninsula was gorgeous, though we learned that our Airbnb in Cloghane was very remote. After dropping off our bags, we grabbed some groceries at the closest grocery store, the SPAR Castlegregory, and made sure we were stocked up – it’s not easy to run out again when it’s 20 minutes away! The rest of the night was spent cozying up in the house, with a fire in the fireplace.
Day 7: Blown Away by Glanteenassig Forest Park
These roads were by far the most treacherous of our trip! We had a bit of a mishap that required reversing before we finally made our way to Glanteenassig Forest Park! We were immediately met with a crazy wind at Lough Caum. The scenery was breathtaking, but we were literally being blown away – we didn’t even get the kids out of the back. We drove a little further down to Lough Slat, which was calm enough for us all to do some exploring. After some much-needed downtime at the house, we popped into O’Connors Pub for drinks and dinner, where we learned the locals were calling our car a “mini bus.” The food was so-so, but the vibes were perfect.
Day 8: Detour in Limerick
We had to get started early, as this was the longest drive! About halfway through our trip to Leitrim, we made a quick detour into Limerick. Rift Coffee was a wild experience, where both Tyler’s and my beverages were made differently than we expected. Then we wandered around the People’s Park, which had the best playground we’d seen – definitely recommend it for a stop with kids! Gas prices were insane (around $120 USD to fill up the tank), but the adventure didn’t stop there. We then met up with Tyler’s family in Leitrim, where we got to see their homes and their farms. The cows were humongous! Afterward, we checked into our Airbnb at Lough Rynn, ready for a good rest before our next adventure.
Day 9: A More Relaxed Day
This was the quiet day we needed to power through the rest of the trip! The boys popped over to GALA Mohill, where the shopkeeper adored our son. They brought back beverages from Berry & Brew, but we then took it easy watching Home Alone. We had a late lunch (I have found the Irish really like to have a meal at 2pm) at Lough Rynn Castle. The castle was our first of the trip, and it was beautiful – totally decked out in Christmas decorations. Our lunch with the family definitely extended into dinner, but we were able to walk back to our Airbnb with full bellies and full hearts. We capped it off with a Ratatouille viewing before bed – because there are no screen time limits on vacation. 😉
Day 10: Goodbye Dublin
It was time to pack up and check out, with a final goodbye to the family. We made one last stop at Boyce & Co Cafe (their cookies were so good) before making the drive back to Dublin. Finding parking in the city was a nightmare, but after some trials related to parking a MINI BUS, we finally made it to Lemon & Duke for lunch with Tyler’s cousin, Lína. This was lovely and a great way to wrap up the trip before dealing with the logistics of returning the car during rush hour traffic. Fortunately, we made it back in time, then shuttled over to the Clayton Airport Hotel. And that was it. We were in for the night, ready to head home the next day.
And that, my friends, was our Irish family adventure— it was far from a perfectly planned trip, but it was the spontaneous moments and a little bit of chaos along the way that made it that much more fun.