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MY IRELAND GIRLS TRIP: THE PLACES AND MOMENTS I’M STILL THINKING ABOUT
I took my BaldGirlWillTravel Ladies Trip to Ireland September 7–16, 2026, and yes, I am just now sitting down to write about it.
But in my defense, I barely had time to unpack. Almost immediately after returning home from Ireland, I had to start preparing for my October trip to Japan, and before I knew it, I was packing another suitcase and getting back on a plane.
So Ireland had to sit with me for a little while. And maybe that was a good thing.
Because now that I have had some distance from the trip, I can really think about the full experience—not just one or two attractions, but ten days of cities, castles, whiskey, dramatic coastlines, medieval ruins, green countryside and a whole lot of sheep, cows and horses outside the motorcoach windows.
We covered a LOT of ground.
We started in Dublin, traveled through the Wicklow Mountains and Kilkenny, headed west to Galway and Connemara, made our way south through the Burren and past the Cliffs of Moher, and then spent several days based in Cork before returning to Dublin.
And one of the things I loved most about this trip was that the journey between destinations was part of the experience.
THE IRISH COUNTRYSIDE WAS PART OF THE SHOW
Ireland is one of those destinations where you really do want to look out the window. We did a great deal of sightseeing by motorcoach, and I never got tired of the countryside.
Rolling green fields.
Stone walls.
Little villages.
Sheep everywhere.
Cows.
Horses.
Mountains.
Lakes.
And then, as we moved west, increasingly dramatic Atlantic scenery. There were moments when the actual drive was every bit as beautiful as the place we were driving toward. Our journey through Connemara was especially beautiful. The region is filled with lakes, rivers, mountains, boglands, stone walls and dramatic Atlantic coastline. And traveling portions of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way gave us exactly the kind of scenery I had pictured when I thought about visiting Ireland.
Except seeing it with your own eyes is better.
DUBLIN STARTED THE TRIP OFF STRONG
Our first full sightseeing day in Dublin was honestly stellar.
We started with a walking tour of Dublin City, and I am always a fan of doing a walking tour early in a trip. It gives you some history, helps you understand how a city is laid out and makes everything you see afterward make a little more sense.
After the walking tour, we visited the Irish Whiskey Museum.
I really enjoyed this experience because it was not simply, “Here is some whiskey. Drink it.” The museum walks you through the history of Irish whiskey—its origins, its decline, its eventual revival and the traditions behind producing it—and, yes, the experience ended with a guided tasting. And I certainly was not mad about that.
But the biggest surprise for me in Dublin was the Merry Ploughboy. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. At all. The Merry Ploughboy is a traditional Irish music and dance dinner show, and I went into it thinking it would probably be one of those tourist experiences that was pleasant enough. Baby, we had a TIME. The live music was excellent. The dancing was fun. The performers were engaging, and the whole room had great energy. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable evenings of the trip. Sometimes the thing you are least excited about ends up being one of the things you remember most. That was absolutely the Merry Ploughboy for me.
WICKLOW, GLENDALOUGH AND KILKENNY
The next day took us out of Dublin and into the Wicklow region, often called the Garden of Ireland. And this was where you really started to understand why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle. Mountains, lakes, forests and green everywhere.
We visited Glendalough, an early Christian monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. The site sits in a glacial valley between two lakes and includes its famous round tower, old stone churches, Celtic crosses and monastic ruins.
From there, we continued to Kilkenny. Kilkenny has that charming medieval feel that people often imagine when they picture old European towns—historic architecture, narrow streets and, of course, Kilkenny Castle. We toured the city and visited the castle, which dates back to the Anglo-Normans and was later extensively remodeled during the Victorian period.
It was a completely different experience from Dublin and a good example of why I am glad this trip was not built around staying in one city.
GALWAY, CONNEMARA AND THE WEST OF IRELAND
From Dublin, we headed west to Galway. Galway has a much smaller feel than Dublin, and we explored areas including Eyre Square, Shop Street, the Spanish Parade and the Spanish Arch before having some time to enjoy the city on our own. But one of the most memorable parts of our time in western Ireland was not just a single attraction. It was the drive through Connemara itself.
DRIVING THROUGH CONNEMARA
Connemara is one of those places where the scenery is the attraction. We spent the day traveling through this rugged region of County Galway, and it looked very different from the Ireland we had already seen. The landscape is a mix of mountains, lakes, rivers, boglands, stone walls, small villages and Atlantic coastline. Our itinerary described it as one of the wildest and most romantic regions in Ireland, and after driving through it, I completely understood why. The scenery felt raw and open.
You would pass a lake and then suddenly see mountains rising behind it.
Then there would be stretches of bogland, old dry-stone walls cutting across the landscape, cottages tucked into the countryside and sheep scattered across the hills. And because Connemara sits along Ireland’s Atlantic coast, the scenery keeps shifting between mountains, inland lakes and views toward the water.
This is also part of Ireland where the Irish language is still very much alive. Connemara includes Gaeltacht communities where Irish is spoken in everyday life, so this is not only a beautiful part of the country but also a region where traditional Irish language and culture remain particularly strong. And this is exactly why I am glad we were traveling by motorcoach. If we had simply been moving between cities by plane or train, we would have missed so much of this. The drive gave us time to actually watch the landscape change. To see the Twelve Bens and other mountain ranges in the distance.
To pass little villages and stone walls.
To see sheep grazing beside the road.
To look out over quiet lakes.
To get glimpses of the Atlantic.
And to understand why this part of Ireland has inspired artists, writers and travelers for generations.
Parts of Connemara also form part of the Wild Atlantic Way, the enormous coastal touring route that follows Ireland’s western seaboard. The route is known for exactly the landscapes we were seeing—mountains, dry-stone walls, remote beaches, little villages and dramatic Atlantic views. There are some destinations where you spend the drive waiting to arrive. Connemara was not like that. The drive was the experience. I was perfectly happy sitting on that motorcoach looking out the window and watching Ireland unfold around us.
And then, right in the middle of all of that wild scenery, we arrived at Kylemore Abbey.
KYLEMORE ABBEY WAS EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN I EXPECTED
Kylemore Abbey was another major highlight And when I say this place is beautiful, I mean stunningly beautiful. The Abbey itself is impressive, but for me, the grounds were what made the visit so special. The lake. The mountains. The gardens. The views in every direction. It felt like every time I turned around there was another picture waiting to be taken.
Kylemore Abbey was one of those places where the pictures do not adequately prepare you. The property is surrounded by the dramatic landscape of Connemara, and the setting alone is worth the visit.
The lake.
The mountains.
The gardens.
The Abbey.
Every direction gave you another view.
The estate dates to 1868 and includes the neo-Gothic Abbey, Gothic Church and Victorian Walled Garden. The interior was beautiful, but for me the grounds were the real star. I could have spent hours wandering around that property. There are places that are beautiful in photographs, and then there are places where photographs cannot really capture what it feels like to stand there Kylemore Abbey is one of those places.
THE BURREN AND THE CLIFFS OF MOHER
Our route from Galway toward Cork took us through the Burren and to one of Ireland’s most famous natural attractions: the Cliffs of Moher.
And yes, they are absolutely worth seeing.
The Burren is one of the strangest and most fascinating landscapes in Ireland. Instead of the lush green fields you expect to see, the countryside suddenly turns into vast stretches of exposed gray limestone, giving it an almost lunar appearance. But despite how barren it looks, the Burren is actually incredibly rich in plant life, with hundreds of species of wildflowers growing between the cracks in the rock. Driving through it on our way to the Cliffs of Moher felt like watching Ireland completely change landscapes right in front of us.
From there, we continued to the Cliffs of Moher. This was not my first visit to the cliffs. I had been there before, so for me, part of what made this visit special was getting to experience them again through the women in the group who were seeing them for the first time. And that is one of the things I love about group travel. Sometimes you get to return to a place you already know is beautiful and watch someone else have that first reaction. The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s most recognizable natural landmarks, stretching for roughly eight kilometers along the Atlantic coast and rising as high as about 755 feet above the water.
Even when you have seen them before, the scale is still impressive.
There is the sheer drop of the cliffs.
The endless Atlantic stretching out in front of you.
The wind coming off the water.
The sound of the ocean below.
And that feeling of standing at the western edge of Ireland looking out over all that water. It is dramatic no matter how many photographs you have seen—or, in my case, even if you have stood there before. But on this visit, I found myself paying almost as much attention to the reactions of the ladies as I did to the cliffs themselves. For several of them, this was their first time seeing this place they had probably seen in photographs and travel videos for years.
Watching them take it in, take their pictures, walk along the viewing areas and experience the scale of it for themselves added something different to the visit for me. That is one of the unexpected benefits of revisiting a destination with other people. You may not be seeing it for the first time, but you get to share in someone else’s first time. And sometimes that makes a familiar place feel new again.
The weather is also part of the experience at the cliffs. This is the Atlantic coast of Ireland, so wind, mist, clouds and rapidly changing conditions are simply part of the landscape. And honestly, I think that suits the Cliffs of Moher. They do not need perfect blue skies to be spectacular. A little gray sky and Atlantic wind only make the scenery feel more dramatic. What also made this day special was that the cliffs were not an isolated stop. We had spent the journey traveling through the Burren and the west coast countryside, watching the landscape change as we went. By the time we reached the Cliffs of Moher, they felt like the dramatic centerpiece of a day spent experiencing the rugged western side of Ireland. For me, returning was a reminder of why the Cliffs of Moher remain one of Ireland’s signature sights. But this time, the best part may have been watching other women discover why for themselves.
CORK WAS MY FAVORITE CITY IN IRELAND
And then there was Cork. Cork was my favorite city in Ireland. There. I said it. We spent three nights there, and I left wishing we had more time. There was something about Cork that just worked for me. The people felt incredibly down-to-earth and friendly. The city had energy without feeling overwhelming. It felt fun. It felt easy. And unlike some cities where I am perfectly happy to visit once and move on, I left Cork already thinking about when I could return.
[INSERT PHOTO: Cork city street, river, English Market, or another favorite city scene]
I would genuinely like to go back for a week or more and use Cork as a base to explore more of the surrounding area. For me, that is always one of the biggest compliments I can give a destination. If I leave already planning another trip, you got me. Ireland got me. Or at least Cork did.
MIDLETON DISTILLERY
You cannot do Ireland properly and completely ignore whiskey. So while we were in County Cork, we visited Midleton Distillery. This was a very different experience from the Irish Whiskey Museum in Dublin. The museum gave us the broader history.
Midleton gave us a closer look at the distilling tradition itself.
It was a great addition to the trip because by that point we already had some context about Irish whiskey, so seeing another side of the production and history made the experience even more interesting. And yes. There was more whiskey.
Obviously.
COBH WAS AN UNEXPECTED FAVORITE
One of the nicest surprises of the trip was Cobh.
It was not originally on our official itinerary, but we had an opportunity to stop there for lunch, and I am so glad we did. Cobh is a small harbor town in County Cork, and it is just lovely. Colorful buildings, waterfront views, a beautiful cathedral overlooking the town and that easy feeling you sometimes get in a place where you are not rushing from one attraction to another.
We had lunch, walked around a bit and enjoyed the afternoon. That was it. And that was enough. Sometimes one of the best travel experiences is simply being somewhere beautiful with nowhere you urgently need to be. If you are traveling through County Cork, I absolutely recommend making time for Cobh.
THE ENGLISH MARKET
We also had time in Cork to visit the English Market. And this is exactly the kind of place I enjoy visiting when I travel. Markets tell you something about how people actually live.
The food.
The vendors.
The local products.
The conversations.
The everyday rhythm of a city.
It was another reason I liked Cork so much.
It did not feel like we were only moving from tourist attraction to tourist attraction.
There were opportunities to just experience the city.
BLARNEY CASTLE
Of course, no visit to Cork would feel quite complete without Blarney Castle.
Most people know Blarney Castle because of the famous Blarney Stone, and yes, you can climb all those stairs and kiss it if that is on your personal bucket list. It was not on mine. I had absolutely no interest in climbing all the way up there just to lean backward and kiss a stone, so I happily skipped that part. And I do not feel like I missed a thing. Because for me, the grounds were the real reason to visit. The castle itself dates to the 15th century, and the property includes about 60 acres of gardens, including a water garden, fern garden and the famous Poison Garden.
The grounds are stunningly beautiful.
The gardens.
The pathways.
The greenery.
The views around the castle.
It is the kind of place where you can simply walk, take your time and enjoy the setting. And honestly, that was more than enough for me. You really do not have to kiss the Blarney Stone to make Blarney Castle worth visiting. I am genuinely glad I went, and the grounds alone made the visit worthwhile.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IRELAND?
Absolutely. If Ireland has been sitting somewhere on your travel wish list, I would move it up. Ten days gave us a very good introduction to the country, but it also made me realize how much more there is to see. I would absolutely go back.
And, as always, I have more thoughts about the trip than I can fit into one blog post. Some very complimentary. Some perhaps slightly less complimentary.
You know me.
MORE IRELAND VIDEOS ARE COMING
I have already posted a few short videos from Ireland on my YouTube channel, and I am working on more Ireland videos where I will talk more about the full experience, what I loved, what surprised me and what I would do differently. So if you are not already subscribed to BaldGirlWillTravel on YouTube, now would be a good time. You can find me there at @BaldGirlWillTravel. Follow me at this link!
AND YES, ANOTHER IRELAND GROUP TRIP IS POSSIBLE
I have already had people ask whether I would consider doing another BaldGirlWillTravel group trip to Ireland. The answer is: it is possible.
I am still working through my future travel plans, so nothing is being announced yet, but if Ireland is somewhere you would like to visit with me, stay tuned. I will be announcing my 2028 destinations when the time comes, so make sure you are following BaldGirlWillTravel on YouTube and my other social media platforms so you do not miss those announcements.
FINAL NOTE
Looking back, our September 7–16 Ireland Ladies Trip was a really good reminder of why I enjoy group travel so much. We had the structure of a planned itinerary, but some of my favorite moments were the ones that felt unexpected or unhurried. A great first day in Dublin. A surprisingly fun night at the Merry Ploughboy. The breathtaking grounds of Kylemore Abbey. An unplanned afternoon in Cobh. And Cork, which ended up being the city I loved most. Ten days gave me enough time to experience several different sides of Ireland, but not nearly enough time to feel like I had seen it all. And maybe that is the best kind of trip. You come home with great memories, a few surprises and a list of places you already know you want to see again. Ireland definitely gave me that. And who knows? Maybe BaldGirlWillTravel will be back.
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