Like I mentioned in this Ireland post, I planned my Ireland trip on a whim and did minimal research before going. I booked a rental car (which I was TERRIFIED about) and a few nights in random hotels based on booking.com recommendations. My plan was to fly into Dublin then drive across the country to Killarney for 1 night, drive along the Dingle Peninsula and up to Galway on the second day, drive out to Connemara National Park and then stay at the Abby Glen Castle (my birthday!) and then drive back to Dublin on the last day. Looking back I wish that I had about 10 more days to really take in the scenery and Irish life, but I this short plan was actually a perfect taste of how amazing Ireland is as a country.
As I mentioned above, day one was mainly spent driving across the country and spending the night in Killarney. From the moment I stepped off the plane I was obsessed with this country. Everyone was SO dang nice! Every interaction I had was amazing - I befriended the rental car girl and ended up chatting with her for 15 minutes before getting my car (the people behind me loved that), then had a my own shuttle to the parking lot where the driver chatted me up about driving in Ireland and made me feel so much less worried about it (I was slightly intimidated about driving on the other side of the road/ driving in general since it had been about nine months since I had last driven). Then I was greeted AT THE SHUTTLE by the next rental car guy, who carried my bag and walked me to my car, all while asking about my trip and plans and giving me a ton of recommendations for pubs and restaurants in Galway (which is where he was from). No joke, if you ever go to Dublin, you have to rent a car from Enterprise, they have the BEST customer service. And then for the rest of the day I felt like I was walking on clouds and talking to angels, no joke. It was super cloudy and overcast, but everyone I talked to was so sweet and kind and welcoming. At the gas station a sweet lady working there asked if she could help me carry things to register or help me grab anything, the toll lady cracked a joke and we chatted for like 2 minutes (which is a crazy long interaction for toll booths!) and then everyone in Killarney was amazing.
I dropped by bags at my hotel (Castle Lodge Hotel, which was a five minute walk to town and perfect for a one night stay) and walked into town to explore a bit. I knew I wanted to try to see some of Killarney National Park since it was right there and looked beautiful in pictures, but it was getting late and dark so I thought I'd have to pass. But then I stumbled up on the SWEETEST couple at a bike rental shop who rented me a bike for $5 and encouraged me to explore and keep the bike as long as I wanted (they let me return it the next day at no charge). And boy, am I glad I saw it. The views were unbelievable, with hidden paths, stunning lake views, and swans everywhere. It felt like a dark, beautiful fairytale. I could have spent days exploring the park, at least I had an evening to get the gist of it.
After spending the entire evening riding around the park, I headed back to Killarney for dinner at The Porterhouse, which was an awesome little Irish pub right downtown. I got the most AMAZING hamburger and fries, chatted with the waitress a bit, and swooned over the old Irish man singing and playing guitar in the corner. As soon as Galway Girl came on, I knew that I was forever in love with Ireland.
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