Ireland – C'est le Brie

Two years ago I went to Belfast and Northern Ireland for my Master’s program where I conducted research with a team for an amazing organization, Widows Against Violence Empowered (WAVE). WAVE is a trauma support center that provides assistance for those impacted by the Troubles and surrounding conflict in Northern Ireland. It was an enduring, but inspiring project that informed my academic concentration in International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. I won’t forget the people I met, and tangible impact WAVE has on the victims and survivors across Northern Ireland. After almost two weeks of conducting interviews, attending group sessions, and conducting research, I was ready for a solo break to reflect and decompress. I had 24 hours to myself before I headed back home to Washington, DC and decided to spend it in the coastal town of Howth after a friend recommended the area to me.

If you are interested in booking an easy half-day tour to Howth from Dublin, I recommend this one. I traveled on my own, but I’m sure a tour reduces some of the stress!

On my last morning in Belfast, I took the Aircoach bus down from Belfast to Dublin, arriving at the train station. From there I took a Bolt ride (similar to Uber) to my hotel. It was around $25, but it was worth it for the ease. I ended up staying in Sutton on the outskirts of Howth because the hotels and inns in town had already been booked out. My hotel was the Marine Hotel Sutton. It’s a historic waterfront hotel that provided a dose of seaside quaintness.

After I checked in and dropped my bags off, I took a short walk to the Sutton train station and hopped on a short train ride down to Howth.

When I arrived, I decided to do some exploring among the shops and restaurants along the harbor. It’s an easy place to people-watch and just enjoy this cozy corner of the world. I had fun taking photos and popping into some of the cute shops. Similar to my previous Amsterdam post, I brought my 35mm Holga camera with me for unique film shots and am sharing a few black and white photos in this post.

I hadn’t planned to take a boat ride, but there were a few tours offering bookings on the spot that departed every hour. Since it was a foggy day, the captain recommended that I head to Ireland’s Eye, since the coastal tour would be too cloudy to see anything. I took his word for it and was so happy I did. If you’re interested in booking a boat tour ahead of time, see here on GetYourGuide for a few options. You can’t go wrong!

When I boarded the boat, I could see fog in the distance which we headed straight toward. Before I knew it, we were surrounded by fog and I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Mystical indeed! The fog opened quickly and the island appeared before our small tugboat. We off-boarded and were able to roam around at our leisure. There were small beaches and lots of birds, like kittiwakes and guillemots. It was fun to take photos and enjoy the serenity of this little island. I took some time to sit on the beach before the next boat came to take us back to Howth.

After going back through the fog and arriving to shore, I spotted two adorably ugly Irish grey seals. I couldn’t help but giggle and snap a few photos as they bobbed along in the harbor.

My original draw to visiting Howth was to take the hike up on the cliffs and see the lighthouse. I followed my GPS and the pathway along the eastern coastline. There were so many gorgeous spots to take photos and I had only wished my sister was with me so we could have photoshoots!

I spent a couple of hours walking along the coast and its cliffs, taking in the sights and sounds. There were so many birds nesting and cawing along the cliffs and nesting. It was truly stunning. The fog had settled in though, which added to the magic of the day, but also made it difficult to see the full views. I didn’t make it down to the lighthouse because the fog was too thick, but the trail was still striking. The pathway was well-maintained and easy to follow. The photos don’t do the views quite justice and the cliffs were higher up than they even appear!

After I arrived back into town, I was eager to get to my dinner reservation at 30 Church Street. It was such a cozy restaurant to relax in with a glass of wine after a long day. I indulged in the beet and goat cheese salad and the Supreme of Corn-Fed Chicken. I had a wonderful window seat with views of Saint Mary’s Abbey ruins next door. The lovely end to a day on the coast before I headed back to the hotel for the night.

I recommend this beautiful day or weekend trip next time you’re in Ireland! Reminder to book here if you want a day tour!

❤ Natalie

I just recently got back from a trip to Ireland with one of my best friends and knew I had to do a post about the delicious food we ate. Traveling there was probably one of the most comical experiences of my life since we are just two American girls who decided to rent a car and explore as much of the country as possible. We battled many spiders along the way and made many many Irish friends who would let us pet their dogs and reverse our car when we were stuck and lost.

In anticipation of going to Ireland, I did not give food much of a thought and prepared myself thinking that it would be bland and monotonous. But I was completely wrong about my assumptions! While there are some platters you would expect to see consistently (Beef Stew, Chicken Curry, etc.), there was a wide variety of restaurants and options. Not to mention all of the food was tasty fresh and lovingly prepared. Ireland presented us with the perfect dose of comfort food and farm-to-table indulgence!

I have compiled a list below of my favorite Irish culinary experiences while visiting earlier this month. Keep in mind we did do a lot of traveling around the country so these places are scattered location-wise but all were incredible. Did I forget to mention the hospitality in Ireland was out of this world. Every person we met was so genuine and kind!

The King’s Head Pub in Galway, Ireland – We had gotten off the plane, picked up our rental car, visited Clonmacnoise (so beautiful!) and headed to Galway for site-seeing and fooood! The King’s Head is one of the more famous pubs in Galway and rightly so. It had a peaceful back patio where we were seated and enjoyed a lovely meal of Fish & Chips and Roasted Chicken & Veggies (an appropriate first meal in Ireland). We also had the bread and cheese platter for an appetizer and split a nice cold beer.
Hazel Mountain Chocolate Factory (Instagram) in County Clare, Ireland – Our first full day in Ireland was crammed with castles, caves, and cliffs. We had a midday pit-stop at Hazel Mountain which we had heard fabulous things about. We tasted different dark chocolates and then had a lovely tea break outside on their front porch. The desserts were delicate and rich with incredibly deep flavors. We tried the Rose & Raspberry Fika and White Chocolate Fruit Tart with Hot Chocolates on the side!
Keanes Garden Center Cafe in Kilcolgan, Ireland – While en route to the stunning Killarney National Park, we randomly pulled off to grab breakfast and what a delight! Keanes Garden Center Cafe was surrounded by beautiful flowers and served up delicious Coffee and Quiche Lorraine.
Salvador’s in Killarney, Ireland – We were hangry and tried to go to Bricin but did not have the patience for the long wait. Salvador’s gave us a delicious and traditional Irish meal of Guinness Stew and Roasted Chicken not to mention a tasty Bruschetta for appetizer.
Cafe Hans in Cashel, Ireland – While en route to Kilkenny, we stopped by the Rock of Cashel and figured we would pick a quick lunch spot. What was originally going to be a quick sandwich turned into a three course meal from one of my (now) favorite restaurants in the world. Cafe Hans delivered the most thoughtful meals with intense and complimentary flavoring. Not one ingredient was overlooked and every component to the dishes was essential to creating this perfect meal. I had the Mozzarella, Roasted Tomato, and Beet Salad, Pork & Mushroom Risotto with Crispy Sage and Fried Butternut Squash (currently drooling thinking about it), and White Chocolate Mousse with Pomegranate Seeds for dessert. Needless to say, it is a meal I will never forget.
Ristorante Rinuccini in Kilkenny, Ireland – If you are ever in Ireland, or anywhere else in the world, and are craving a perfect Italian meal, then stop everything you’re doing and head straight to Rinuccini’s right away. Located adjacent to Kilkenny castle, this beautiful restaurant features traditional Italian dishes made so perfectly, you would think you were in Italy, and they had displayed the countless awards to show for it. I indulged in their Polpettine con Spaghettini and Cheesecake Al Caramello for dessert.
Cakeface in Kilkenny, Ireland – On our way out of town after mailing some post cards and finishing up last minute shopping in Kilkenny, we headed to Cakeface to try out yet more dessert. I got the Rastachio Sambo and it was so tart and sweet and indulgent. ❤
Queen of Tarts in Dublin, Ireland – If you like brunch, then you can’t go to Dublin without going to Queen of Tarts. They have quiches and scones and cookies galore. The restaurant was quaint and the food hearty. I had the chicken and bacon sandwich, and it was perfect before a full day walking around the city. Even if you’re super full, do not skip dessert. In my opinion the Victorian Sponge Cake should not be missed! Also they have the cutest coffee mugs if you need a fun souvenir!
Guinness Factory in Dublin, Ireland – Get beer, get drunk and have fun. It’s like a giant party for tourists, plus the city view at the top bar is stunning. Be sure to book your tickets in advance and keep in mind a free beer is included in admission. ‘Nuff said.