Well hello again, friends. It's your favorite traveling gnome here, back with another adventure. This time I'm casting the story back 13 years (wow, this gnome is feeling quite old) when we drove a full circle of Ireland in 7 nights, starting and ending in Dublin. Was it memorable? Absolutely. Was it perfectly paced? Well, let's just say this gnome has some thoughts on that.

Dublin

We kicked things off in Dublin, and what a place to start. Trinity College is a must, and the Long Room library had me absolutely speechless. Floor to ceiling ancient books and the smell of history in every corner. Afterwards we visited the Guinness Storehouse to take in the views of the city with a freshly poured (the right way!) pint of Guinness. Let me tell you it tastes different than in the U.S. No, it's not all in my head. It's actually a thing!

A Little Side Trip from Dublin

Before we hit the road, we hopped on a train from Dublin out to the coast for a hawk walk. We had a little time to kill on the beach and spotted a jellyfish. After a quick chat about how she came to be on the beach and her deep-sea adventures I of course had to snap a picture of us together. But the real highlight? A falconry experience where we got to hold a hawk. Well, the humans did. This gnome stayed well back of those talons! The hawk landed right on my human's arm and then just... walked (more like hopped) alongside us. It was quite magical and absolutely unforgettable. One of those experiences that makes travel extra special.

The Blarney Stone

I'll be honest. My humans passed on kissing the Blarney Stone and honestly, I supported that decision entirely. The views from Blarney Castle are stunning and the grounds are gorgeous, but this gnome draws the line at dangling upside down over a centuries-old rock that millions of lips have touched. We admired it from a respectable distance and moved on with our dignity intact.

The Cliffs of Moher

Breathtaking doesn't cover it. The cliffs stretch along the western coast in a way that makes you stop and just stare. I may have gripped my human's backpack a little tighter up there, but the views were worth every moment of it. There is a reason these cliffs draw so many visitors and tourists, their unique beauty. If I could do it again, we would have spent a few hours walking the cliffs.

Galway

In Galway we had little time to do much but we did spend time in the square next to our hotel people watching and a night at a pub with live music! We could have spent a few days here wandering the streets and popping into pubs. Which brings me to our biggest lesson of the trip, and I say this with love: do not try to loop all of Ireland in a week.

Here's what kept happening. We'd arrive somewhere new after a full day of sightseeing and by the time we settled in, the town was starting to wind down. Shops and restaurants were closing, and yes, even the pubs were calling it earlier than we expected. We were technically there but we never really got to be there, if you know what I mean.

Belfast and the Titanic Museum

We were a little worried to visit Belfast due to the unrest we were seeing on the news. We asked others in Ireland about this and were informed that things usually happen away from the center and the news usually hyped things up. The whole time we were in Belfast we felt safe. This taught us a valuable lesson: the news is designed to sell, and it might not be a completely accurate representation.

We visited the Titanic Museum and were genuinely moved by the exhibits that brought something we associate with a very famous movie alive with the stories of the real humans who were on board. It's immersive, emotional and incredibly well told. Plan to spend some time here and not rush your way through.

The Giants Causeway

The Giants Causeway is a beach of ancient hexagonal basalt columns stretching out into the sea. It felt like something out of a legend, which of course it is. Standing there among the stones with the wind coming off the water gives even a gnome the quiet calm feels for the beauty and longevity of nature. It's spectacular and absolutely worth the journey north.

What We'd Tell You

Ireland is one of those places that deserves more time than you think. If we did it again, we'd slow down and spend at least two nights in each place.

The towns we visited were all wonderful and the people were among some of the nicest we've found in all of our travels. We just wish we'd given ourselves the chance to fully experience Ireland.

Give yourself time to wander and actually feel like you've arrived somewhere, instead of just passing through to check things off your list. Take your time even if that means you'll see less because you'll experience more. And isn't that the reason for traveling? To experience new people, places and cultures?!

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