Land of Eire: A Bucket List Trip to Ireland

October 7, 2025 — Although about 10% of Americans actually have some Irish heritage, it seems like almost all of us claim it- particularly when St. Patrick’s day comes around. So what better place to visit in retirement than the beautiful island of Ireland. This will cover some of the highlights and things you might want to consider on a trip here.

What Would You Like to Do

There are many reasons to visit Ireland. Some come for golfing trips that hit the many famous Irish links courses, such as Ballybunion and Lahinch. Other people come to hike, walk, or cycle. Most come to experience the amazing scenery, get a kick out of Irish pubs, or experience bustling cities like Dublin. Many others plan a trip to Eire to explore their family roots.

You can come on a packaged tour that specializes in any of those reasons, or you can plan your own trip. Obviously the package tours are a lot easier, whisking you from the airport to your hotel, picking out restaurants, and squiring you around to see the sights. That relieves much of the stress of traveling, and is quite relaxing. You will have to be part of a group, which might range from 10-12 to over 50 people. Although that can make you feel like you are part of a herd, you might also meet some interesting travel companions. For single people, this can be a much more social way to travel. Planning your own trip, with or without the help of a travel agent, has the advantage of customizing your experience to the activities and sights you are looking for. Since driving on the left side of the road is a bit harrowing, hiring a driver is a safer bet than renting a car.

Where to Visit

The Republic of Ireland (member of the EU) is about the size of South Carolina, while Northern Ireland (part of Great Britain in the north) has the area of West Virginia. The Republic of Ireland uses the Euro and metric system, whereas Northern Ireland’s currency is the English Pound, and measurements are in the Imperial system.

Dublin, the largest city, is in the southeast. Very old, it has beautiful parks and historic buildings like St. Patrick’s cathedral. There are pubs everywhere, particularly in the ancient Temple Bar area near the river and Trinity College.

A visit here can involve walking around or on a hop on hop off bus. The modern new Epic Museum of Emigration offers a fascinating glimpse into the Irish emigration experience over the centuries. That includes the disastrous potato famine in the mid 1800’s that caused so many desperate Irish to risk an ocean passage to the Americas and Australia. If you know an ancestor’s name, where they came from, and about when they left, here you can pay for help in the search for your ancestors.

On our recent trip we headed west to the Southwest coast, our small group using a driver provided by our travel agent. We covered only a tiny fraction of what there is to see in these beautiful countries.

Staying in the tiny coastal town of Ballyvaughan, we used that as a base to experience Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction, the Cliffs of Moher. Those towering cliffs fall to the crashing ocean below, and careful observers might see seabirds including puffins.

In Northern Ireland the Giant’s Causeway, with its amazing stone columns, is the number 2 tourist attraction on the Island.

Sheep and cattle are everywhere in the burren near Doolin, where limestone stewn from the steep hillsides goes down to he raging surf below. Doolin is a tiny village on the coast with a beautiful beach and rocks. We got there driving on narrow lanes enclosed by ancient stone walls and lush vegetation. Both sides of the road featured heather and brilliant red blossoms of wild fuchsia. The narrowness of the lanes is a good reason not to try to rent a car and drive yourself, because of the harrowing experience of driving on the left hand side while a giant truck passes from the other direction.

After a few days there we moved on to the Dingle Peninsula. Dingle itself was the most charming town on our trip, filled to overflowing with old time pubs and handcraft shops. Don’t miss the amazing seafood at the Fish Box or the pub atmosphere at places like Peter Geaney’s. The Dingle Peninsula goes along a narrow road high above the sea, exposing fantastic scenery from high above. Don’t miss the Blasket Island Museum, which documents the lives of the hardy folks who inhabited these islands off the coast for hundreds of years until all left in the 1950’s.

The Dingle Peninsula has been the site of some Star Wars movies. Ryans Daughter was filmed along the beautiful sand beaches just up the road in Inch.

So Many Things to See and Do

Like we mentioned, our report covers only a fraction of what there is to see and do in Ireland. As an example, we stopped in the coastal town of Foynes and went through the fascinating museum there that documents the giant flying boats that were the first commercial flights between America and Europe. While slow, we sure would have like all the room they gave passengers.

On to Dublin

Heading back towards Dublin we drove through many beautiful little towns near Limerick like Adare, the site of the 2027 Ryder Cup (they are already pretty excited about it!). Besides churches, Desmond Castle, pubs and shops, it features thatched roof cottages that demand to be photographed. The town of features the fascinating museum of the seaplanes that were the first airships linking the U.S. and Europe. They might not have been fast, but with their wide seats, bunks, dining area, and private cabin, they sure had a lot more room that today’s cramped airliners

Looking for Irish Roots

We had lunch in the fishing port of Dungarvin, where we think my Irish great, great grandmother left for America in the 1840’s or 50’s. Our family details are sketchy, but many an Irish-American comes to the Emerald Isle looking for, and connecting with their long separated cousins. In Dungarvin there were plenty of pubs to choose from for a drink and delicious seafood chowder. Just up the mountains from there in Rothgormuck we experienced a wonderful small hotel, Honora’s Cottage, with its fabulous food. An early morning hike up the country lane to the mountains before breakfast, saying hello to the sheep and Beltie cattle along the waym was a highlight of the day.

Ireland offers a surprising range of terrain. The next we saw a lot of that on our way to, driving over high mountain passes the vistas to the Monastic town founded by St. Kevin. This spot is well worth the visit for the ancient cathedral, graves, and defensive tower.

Standing Stones

Many people make a hobby of seeking out ancient standing stones, similar but not quite as big as England’s Stonehenge. There are many to choose from, and our target were the Piper’s Stones in Athgreave, thousands of years old in the Bronze Age. It is said that one of the stones separate from those in a circle was the Piper, calling the tune to the dancers. Unfortunately there must have been some problems in the recent passed, because we were denied access by a locked gate and big warning signs. If interested, there are plenty of resources to help you find many of the more accesible stones in the country.

Wrapping Up

We hope this gives you a small idea of the fun sights and experiences that await your dream trip to Ireland. Before you go decide how you want to tour these beautiful countries (the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, part of the UK), and the top places you want to see.