Following our time in Kilarney and the Ring of Kerry we were ready to close out the trip and head to Galway, with one epic stop at The Cliffs of Moher. The drive from Kilarney to the Cliffs of Moher is a little over 2 hours – there is a ferry that would add on an extra 20 minutes to the trip, but we decided to bypass that and drive the entire way.
Cliffs of Moher ||
Cliffs of Moher ||
Pretty much a must see if you find yourself in Ireland! They are truly breathtaking and I don’t think any picture I took could do them justice. There is no reason to book ahead of time – your parking fee is the same as the fee to see the cliffs. They have interactive exhibits, two cafes & a gift shop for before or after your cliff experience. It was amazing that on one side of the cliff was clear skies and then on the other you have the clouds rolling in.
We spent about two hours at the Cliffs and that’s only because we ate at the cafe! I was really nervous with the winds that we would somehow get swept out to sea, but if you stay alongside the guided path you’ll be fine. You are able to go out on your own, that many people did do to take photos, but to me there was no picture worth the chance I might slip and fall –> dramatic, but that’s all I kept picturing!
Heading to Galway from the Cliffs is about an hour and half and some of the most hair raising turns you’ll take while driving! Our stay in Galway was brief, but packed full of lots of sightseeing and walking!
Stay ||
Stay ||
We stayed at The Park House Hoteland to be quite honest, it was my least favorite of all the rooms we stayed in. It just didn’t feel as updated as the other places we had been in, but the hotel itself was perfect for what we needed for those two nights in Galway. I didn’t realize that breakfast was included with our package, which was perfect for getting our days started. The staff was very accommodating, but my only qualm was that it felt outdated. However, it was a great deal for being smack dab in the center of Galway, everything was within walking distance & parking was included!
Eat & Drink ||
Eat & Drink ||
If you’re craving Italian ||
If you’re craving Italian ||
I wish we had gone to the Dough Bros for pizza the one night I was craving it because we heard from so many people that it was amazing. Instead we opted for Venice Restaurant, which was good, but not amazing! I did have pizza and Gary had pasta and again we split olives because that was just the theme of our trip! I will say it was super authentic in that everyone at the restaurant was actually from Italy!
Papa Rich Kitchen ||
Papa Rich Kitchen ||
Beware, you will have to go through a store to get into the restaurant – at least we did because there was construction going on and I ended up buying a sweater 😂 We both LOVED the food at Papa Rich Bistro, there is another restaurant that is associated with it that is more street food, but much of the menu is the same. We split the spring rolls & pulled pork burger – so good after you’ve walked all morning exploring!
Blakes Bar ||
Blakes Bar ||
We stumbled upon Blakes Bar which is connected to Brasserie on the Corner, which is where we originally wanted to eat. We ate at the bar and had such wonderful service! You’re able to order from the Brasserie restaurant even though you’re eating at Blakes Bar. We split a delicious steak and had the best onion rings – not greasy at all! If you want to eat at Braserie, I highly suggest making a reservation because the odds of walking in and grabbing a table are very low during dinner time. Blakes Bar is a bit more low key, but you still get great food and service!
The Kings Head ||
The Kings Head ||
Located in the Latin Quarter, this is a great spot to get yourself a pint of Guinness which I clearly didn’t indulge in, but Gary had enough for the both of us! They have live music nightly and it’s a big pub that you don’t feel overcrowded in. We didn’t eat here, but they do serve food.
An Pucan ||
An Pucan ||
On our final night in Galway we walked into An Pucan just in time for the live music to start! Being pregnant and in a bar is about as fun as going to the dentist, but I have to say I really enjoyed the music and vibe of this place! It helped that it was directly across the street from our hotel!
Explore ||
Explore ||
Galway is a small city with a lot to offer. Like many cities, it’s extremely walk-able and once we parked our car at the hotel, we didn’t use it again until we were leaving to head back to Dublin!
Abbeygate Street is the main shopping street in the city. There are plenty of souvenir shops, but you also have some nice retail stores to pop into. I actually found the cutest boutique that I was able to buy my sister and mom some gifts in.
Lynch’s Castle is also on Abbeygate Street which is now a bank, but is from medieval times so when you go into the bank they have a history of the castle. It’s known for the interesting gargoyles on the outside. I will note that shops close very early here – 5-6:00 PM so if you’re in the mood to shop, get it done earlier in the day.
Galway Cathedral is actually the “youngest” stone cathedral in Europe, but it’s absolutely stunning! It used to be the site of the old city prison, but was reconstructed in 1958 and finished in 1965. Worth a trip if you’re there!
The Claddagh Area || Close to the city center, it’s where the River meets the bay and is absolutely beautiful! These colorful houses are situated there and reminded me of rainbow row in Charleston! We got stuck in this weird slush / rain storm for about 15 minutes while we were out there, but I guess that’s all part of the adventure.
Keep your eyes peeled for all the colorful doorways as well, perfect photo ops!
Eyre Square || You’ll basically find your way here regardless of where you are. Compared to other parks in cities, it’s a little underwhelming, but what I noticed was that it’s a great meeting place for people and they have some very small statues and attractions that relate back to the history of Galway. This is actually where we spotted this beautiful mural!
Overall Galway was a really cute little stop to make. I think we’ve all heard “Galway Girl” by Ed Sheeran and you cant help but sing the song while walking around. There are musicians playing on the street everywhere and they are all so talented. I think one full day in Galway was plenty for us to get the feel of the city and see what we wanted to see.
Hope you enjoyed these recaps of our time in Ireland. I had fun reliving them and hope I can answer any questions you may have if you’re planning a trip to Ireland!
Travel Guide | Dublin
Travel Guide | Ring of Kerry and other stops
Planning an Ireland Road Trip
Love your travel guides! Ireland looks like such a beautiful place, it's definitely going on my travel bucket list!
Anika | anikamay.co.uk
What a great recap of your time in Galway! I can't imagine how amazing the cliffs look in person because the pictures you have are stunning! I would have been afraid of getting swept out to sea too haha! Hopefully one day we will make it there and I will reference your guides!
xo, Rachel
A Blonde's Moment
I'm so sad we didn't make it to the Cliffs of Moher. It's definitely one of my big regrets. The coastline is just so striking!! I can't get over how you are just glowing – even with the road trip!! Seriously impressive, girlie. 🙂
Ahh travel goals for sure!!
Katherine | oneswainkycouple.com
Aww I'm sad these Ireland recaps are over! Such a beautiful place!!
As soon as I saw the city for today's post I was totally singing that Ed Sheeran song! ha! It's been so fun to follow along on your adventures- such an amazing trip!!
The cliffs are beautiful – one of the places I want to go!
Lisa
Daily Style Finds
Those views are so incredibly stunning!
I'm going to be singing Ed Sheeran's "Galway GIRL!" LOVE these views!!
Lol at the dentist/bar comment. #truestory. Such beautiful pics. You chose a wonderful place for your babymoon
The cliffs are absolutely stunning! What a wonderful trip!
xo, Whitney and Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
YAY! Love your travel guides! The Cliffs of Moher seriously look BREATHTAKING! What a sight!
Rosy Outlook
I love that you found the beautiful doors, and the Cliffs of Moher are a definite must! How gorgeous are those views <3
Green Fashionista
Ugh this makes me want to go there even more! The cliffs are gorgeous and I’d be scared I’d fall off too so you aren’t the only one! And that mural is so cute!
oh galway! somewhere i've always wanted to visit (even before the song haha) but i love that it's super walkable too. that is so nice! look at all those hidden gems. and the cliffs are clearly a must do!
xoxo cheshire kat
Oh what a beautiful place. I so want to visit there one day. Those cliffs are stunning.
It looks so pretty there. I love the cliffs, and the food looks so good.
sugarcoatedbears.blogspot.com/
The views and the sights are gorgeous! And the food pics have me drooling!!!
Gorgeous photos! Galway looks so cute and I'll admit that I started thinking about that Ed Sheeran song haha. And YIKES about those hair pin turns!! haha. 🙂
I've been loving these recaps! The cliffs look beautiful but I would be nervous near them too! The cathedral is really beautiful too and of course the colorful houses!
Brooke
Pumps and Push-Ups
Oh man love the colors and those lights draped over the streets are just beautiful! What a fun trip! (I also now want fries!)
Wow those views from the cliffs are amazing! Kings Head and Galway sound like such cute places to explore and that gorgeous architecture in the cathedral! Swoon! ADORE that photo of you with the butterfly/angel wings! Emily @ Martinis & Bikinis
Love the Ed Sheeran song, but I totally was thinking of Gerard Butler singing Galway Girl in P.S. I Love You. Ha! What a great end to your trip – I would've been terrified of the cliffs, too, but I can't even imagine seeing them in person. Breathtaking, I'm sure!
Those cliffs!! I'm with you girl, there's no way I would have gone down there and risk falling…nope, not happening.
I love that you got to see both clear and cloudy skies when you were at the cliffs. Each view is incredible and beautiful! Galway looks like such a fun little town. And those colored houses and doors are perfection!
I hearing about all the things you have experienced. Beautiful pictures. I would be afraid that I would fall off the cliffs too!
Yep, I've had that song stuck in my head since I saw the title of your post! Love me some Ed! How beautiful are all of those cliffs! I would have been staying super far back as well. So scary thinking about slipping and falling! I was the same way when we were at the Grand Canyon. One wrong move and it's over. Yikes!
Such beautiful pictures! Those views look amazing. That's something we didn't get to visit while we were there and would love to be able to go back and see them. All of this food looks delicious too! Sierra~Beautifully Candid
Looks amazing! Love all the photos!
~Samantha
goldcoastgirlblog.com
I love Galway and Connemara. The music and scenery are amazing.
No matter where in the world you are, you two find the BEST restaurants and tastiest looking dishes! This is all stunning and I was fully humming Galway Girl to myself while I read it 😉
I've loved reading about your trip so much! Like I told you before I was singing that Ed Sheeran song nonstop when you talked about Galway on your Instagram Stories! The Cliffs of Moher is stuffing, and it almost reminds me of the PCH a little bit.
My vertigo kicked in just LOOKING at the pics of the cliffs. WHOOOOOO. I'm sure I'd topple over the edge. SURE of it!
Wow those pictures of the cliffs are breathtaking! Definitely on my bucket list!
The cliffs! Your pictures are amazing! Such a gorgeous setting… and that food doesn't look half bad either!
Those cliffs are absolutely gorgeous, I can imagine how scary the wind must have been! This is such a great guide and I cannot wait to do Ireland some day!
Omg the cliffs look absolutely stunning!! What an amazing trip! All the food looks so amazing too!
<3 ShannonÂ
Upbeat Soles
These cliffs are amazing- like I cannot believe they're even real! Gorgeous shots, gf!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Those cliffs give me anxiety just by the pictures hahahha. Looks like such a great trip and you really got to see a lot!
That scenery does not even look real!!! Beautiful!!
It looks absolutely beautiful there! I have heard that it’s a must see too and these photos and the way it sounds is convincing enough. Lol, I’d definitely have the same fear about falling, especially since I’m not one to trust water (lol). Also, since I’ve been away a bit, I may have missed this, are you craving olives? When I was pregnant with Aviah, it’s one of the few things I absolutely craved and had to have in the house, so I smiled when reading that. Maybe it’s a baby girl craving? Thanks for sharing your experience wit us, girlie!
Xo,
Jalisa
THE STYLE CONTOUR