Ireland 2026
- amygahyeon
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
About a month ago, I went on an impromptu trip to Ireland with a friend.
For an international trip, it was pretty last minute. We booked our tickets less than a month before departure, which, for some people may be the perfect amount of time to plan, but as someone who plans things out six months to a year ahead, I felt spontaneous and a bit naughty.
As I started sharing the travels plans with people, many asked "Why Ireland?"
Well... to be honest I don't have one solid reason I wanted to go to Ireland. A conglomerate of different reasons (and rationales) led to the decision.
For one, I have never been to Europe. Many people are shocked by this, as I've come to find out. But like, plenty of people have never been to Europe. Most people in the world have never even left their country.
The truth is, I also found it a bit odd that I had never been to Europe. Without getting too deep into the why or overanalyzing my upbringing, at the age of 26, at a crossroad of life in the midst of an active, ongoing quarter life crisis, I've finally told myself: I am going to Europe.
I still haven't fully covered the "why Ireland", specifically. Well, they speak English (also Irish), it's one of the closest European countries you can get to (aside from maybe Iceland), and people rave about its culture and its beauty. Also recently I've had close relationships with people of Irish heritage (shoutout to Matt and Tess).
Several pints of Guinness, lots of Irish music, countless churches, and a hell of a lot of craic later... boy, am I thankful for PTO.
Ireland was amazing beyond my expectations.
We covered Dublin, Galway, and Killarney, each of which had its own unique personality and history. A week truly was not enough to experience everything the country has to offer, but I felt like we got enough for now.
We began our journey in Dublin—explored the city, walked along the River Liffey, visited the famous St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Marsh's Library, and randomly had really really good pho at this hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese place in the Temple Bar area.
The Book of Kells experience in Dublin was quite memorable. Created by Celtic Monks in the 800s AD, the book contains the four gospels in Latin and is highly valued for its richly decorated pages, the calligraphy, and the artwork. I can still picture the intricate designs in those pages. The book survived centuries of invasions and hardships, but is now resting in a cozy, temperature- and humidity-controlled glass box at Trinity College. Photos were not allowed in the display room of the book, but there are plenty photos online.
In Dublin, we also visited St. Michan's Church, featuring its famous crypt. Inside the crypt are coffins dating back to as old as the 1600s, and many of the bodies are mummified due to the particular condition in the crypt. It was a little spooky, and some of the things the tour guide told us left us with cocked heads, but it was just cool to be in there, especially because the tour was discontinued for a while after some past incidents. We had to leave a bit early from the tour to catch our train to Galway, but I was glad to have been able to squeeze it in.
Galway was lively, young, and full of energy. Just as one would expect out of a college town (I believe there are two universities in the city). We had really good pizza at this place called the Dough Bros. I enjoyed walking around the town and people watching. There was live music everywhere, with people dancing on the streets. We wound down our evening by staying awhile at a pub listening to live music and drinking a couple of pints.
We booked a full-day bus tour of the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher. Unfortunately, Ireland decided to wake us up with the worst weather of the week that morning - foggy, rainy, with zero visibility. We took a VERY ROUGH ferry ride (seriously, thank god for Dramamine) to Inis Oírr (aka, Inisheer), the smallest of the three Aran Islands, with only about 300 full-time residents. The small fishing village was quaint, peaceful, and welcoming. Then we were on the bus for another two hours to the Cliffs of Moher, which, to our disappointment, were not visible—like at all. Ireland must want me to come back.
Killarney... Oh Killarney... Our final destination—was definitely my favorite part of the trip. The main town area of Killarney was filled with lively pubs, restaurants, shops, and people out and about enjoying their time. Killarney took me by surprise - it was just as lively and exciting as Galway, but felt less "touristy". The only hiccup was that the rental car place we were supposed to pick up our car from was closed by the time we made it to Killarney. We were kind of shocked that they closed so early (we got there at like 5 PM), but hey—I hear that they do take their work-life balance very seriously in Europe and they have nothing but my respect in that regard.
Killarney also featured my favorite lodging of the trip. We stayed at this cute B&B just outside of town center, hosted by a very friendly Irishman named Mike, born and raised in the mountains of Killarney. He lives at the property with his children and his grand children, and I sensed that he truly enjoys this work and hosting people from all over the world. The view from our room was amazing too. He even gave us detailed tips on the Ring of Kerry tour we planned to do the following day, and drove us to the car rental place in the morning.
Driving in Ireland was something else. To start, the driving on the left side—as someone who's not used to it—is the most unintuitive thing ever. But we got a hang of it after a while. Also, the roads are sooo narrow and sometimes it becomes a one lane road out of nowhere without any warning, forcing us to pull up to the side of the road which sometimes has a shoulder and sometimes not. The speed limit seems to be 80 kmph everywhere, whether you are driving on the highway or on a rugged, narrow, and windy clifftop road with no guardrails. I recommend opting for the full insurance coverage for car rentals in Killarney.
But enough about the Irish roads. The Ring of Kerry Tour left me speechless—jaw on floor the whole time. We were also blessed with a beautiful weather this day. Everywhere we drove, every which way we looked, the picturesque scenery of the Kerry peninsula delighted our eyes with its emerald pastures, rolling hills, turquoise waters, with a hint of ocean mist in the air refracting the occasional sunshine that caressed our skin with warmth. And the sheep! We could find a sheep almost everywhere we looked. They didn't seem to feel threatened by people at all, grazing where ever they wanted to, on the side of the road, on the trail, the road, and the endless fields they call home.
Our first stop of the Ring of Kerry was the Valentia Island, accessible via a car ferry from the mainland from the North side of the island, and connected back to the mainland through a bridge on the South Side. We hiked a trail along the coastal cliffs, overlooking the ocean and the cliffs, and met many sheep with painted butts (to indicate their gender) along the way.
Though the Cliffs of Moher were a miss, the Ring of Kerry, its cousin, made up for it. Standing at the lookout point, the massive cliffs looked so striking and dramatic, making me feel a little dizzy just trying to take it all in. The water and the waves whipping itself against the cliffside shores—mixed with the colors of turquoise, navy, white, and aquamarine—was so dynamic and full of oceanic energy. It both made want to swim in it but also terrified of the currents and the chill water that would engulf me.
On our final day in Killarney, and the last full day in Ireland, we visited the Muckross Abbey in the Killarney National Park, built originally as a Franciscan Friary, later used as a cemetery. The Muckross Abbey was probably one of the most impressionable memories, not necessarily because of its beauty or for its significance—there are plenty other landmarks for those—but because how casually displayed it is and the level of trust that the National Park has for people coming to visit it. You could access every little room in the old Friary. You can even walk up the steep spiral staircase to where the bell tower was previous to the roof being destroyed. For a building that has survived so many invasions, it was so well preserved. For such a historic treasure (built in 1448), there ware no restricted areas, no visible cameras, no doodles on the walls, which was a bit shocking.
That concludes the highlights of my trip to the Emerald Isle, and and my impression of it in the short 7 days I was there for. This trip, aside from all else, made me realize how much I've gotten used the "recentness" of the US. In my Boston trip, I remember visiting this old church called the Old Ship Meeting House built in the 1650s, and being utterly shocked by it. But in Ireland, and probably the rest of Europe, there are buildings dating back a whole Millennium, still in perfect condition and in use. This is also the case for Korea. The main landmark of Seoul, Gyeongbokgung, was built in 1395, survived the Japanese occupation and multiple wars, and is still proudly standing in the center of Seoul, albeit through a diligent reconstruction effort.
I also saw many similarities between the Korean history and that of Ireland. People weathering the storms of humanitarian rollercoasters, and preserving many of its tradition and the cultural identity to this day, and taking up its own proud space in the global economy in the modern era.
And finally... a special shoutout to the Wright brothers, my employer, and my parents for making this trip possible for a wee Korean girl with an active quarter life crisis. Thank you.
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