While Ireland might not get as much tourism destination marketing publicity or international tourists as other countries in Europe such as France or Italy. Don't let that fool you, Ireland is an absolutely fascinating destination. The scenery, the sights, the people are fascinatingly interesting and entertaining.
We took a bus tour through the rolling hills of Ireland coming from the airport to our cottages in County Clare. I'll admit at the start of that tour I was a little skeptical and worried that all we were going to see for two weeks were hills and farmland! The Aran Islands was the first tour trip we made. It was interesting to see what "old" Ireland looks like, they predominantly only speak Gaelic on the islands. Dingle, Ireland was my favorite place we went to in the country. The town had a particular culture about it. The over abundance of Murphy's pubs could have helped too. The world renowned company Waterford Crystal is based in Dingle. All the buildings were brightly painted, making them eye catching. The most extensive tour site we made was the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. If the castle was not interesting enough, the Folk Park of all different class levels and their living arrangements was quite intriguing. Whether it was the blacksmith's forge or the weaver's shed, they all gave you insight into how people lived in Ireland over a century ago.
My favorite aspect of this trip was that I got to learn about what part of Ireland my family is from. Also, living like someone who is from Ireland was quite interesting. Of course native people don't necessarily go see sights and certain attractions, but we lived in cottages and made our own meals which is closer to reality then staying in a hotel. A family owned and ran the set of a dozen cottages in the area. I hope to go back and visit Ireland again soon and visit parts of Northern Ireland as well!
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