When it comes to traveling in Ireland, the typical guided tour can be a bit hectic for someone in my advanced age bracket.
Moving luggage, keeping to a strict schedule, and dealing with the hassle of bus or train connections can all have a negative impact on a trip.
As older travelers, my friends and I weren’t interested in booking the usual arranged tours. We wanted to travel at a slower pace and not make the mistake of trying to visit every site in Ireland, especially since we’d seen many of them before.
Our plan was to focus on historical hotels while throwing some well-known golf courses into the mix.
Choosing the right mode of transportation was critical to the trip’s success, and after much deliberation, we decided that having cars and drivers arranged by each hotel was the best strategy.
Dublin was our first stop, with lodging provided by the famous and very old Shelbourne Hotel. This establishment is centrally located in the middle of the city across from St. Stephen’s Green Park.
We visited several interesting sites during our four-day stay, some of which were within walking distance of our accommodations.
The magnificent library at Trinity College was one of our best choices. We were lucky to able to view its most famous holding, the Book of Kells, because the next day the library was closed for a week due to protests. The Book of Kells, a Latin manuscript of the Gospels, is also a beautiful artwork in its own right and a Celtic-Christian icon.
The Bushmill Brewery, one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions, was also a great experience. We closed out our stay in the capital with a visit to the James Joyce Tower & Museum.
The hotel set us up with a car and driver, and then we were off to Ashford Castle in Mayo County, about a 2½-hour drive. Our driver turned out to be quite a character, and he made the one-way trip interesting with stories of Ireland’s history.
Ashford Castle dates back to the 13th century and has magnificent grounds. It was turned into a fine hotel with about 80 rooms. The accommodations were great and the restaurants — including one called The Dungeon — were superb.
Between boat rides, walks and the castle’s golf course, we had plenty to do.
After our three-night stay, the hotel staff arranged for a car to take us to our next destination, Dromoland Castle in the southwest corner of Ireland.
On the way, we stopped at The Burren — a unique geologic region that encompasses about 10 square miles of exposed limestone. The area was first inhabited more than 6,000 years ago and contains several prehistoric sites and ancient graves.
While it looks like a moonscape, in the right season, you can find flowers blooming and cows grazing.
Dromoland Castle was built in the 11th century but later was renovated and found a second life as a fine hotel.
We took the opportunity to play golf, but then we tried something new: falconry. Falcons are very interesting birds that, when hunting prey, can dive at speeds of more than 200 mph.
Our falcon only flew two hundred yards before returning, but it was still an entertaining show.
While we enjoyed the castles, we appreciated the conveniences of a more modern hotel when we visited Hotel Killarney.
The hotel’s location made it particularly attractive, as it was situated at one of the most scenic locations in Ireland. During our stay, many tourist buses stopped so that their riders could take in the views of the surrounding lakes and mountains.
The main feature of this area, however, is Killarney National Park, a region that includes 25,000 acres of lakes, waterfalls and lush, green forests. Once again, we chose an easy and relaxing method of seeing the park — by horse and buggy.
An additional attraction located in the park was Muckross Mansion. It dates back to 1843 and was owned by a wealthy family with an interesting history.
By this time in our trip, we had traveled about half of the periphery of Ireland.
With the help of our next driver, we ventured southeast to the cities of Kinsale and Cork. We stayed in yet another historic hotel, Hayfield Manor. This hotel, with its famous garden and stately rooms, was listed as one of Cork’s top tourist destinations along with the striking Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
We culminated our journey with a stop at The K Club in Kildare on the way to Dublin. A game of golf on a famous course is never a bad way to end a vacation.
Cruises are fine for a traveler of my age, but old castles with golf courses are much better.
