![Cliffs of Moher](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21559090412_1153aef61d_z.jpg?w=640&h=427)
Cliffs of Moher
So we recently took a road trip around Ireland. Let me set the scene for you all:
Four middle-aged Canadians, one young(ish) couple and a crazy two year old started off here at the farm in Tipperary. Early the prior day, we realized we were supposed to collect the last Canadian couple from the airport THAT MORNING and not the following morning as we had previously thought. We had less than two hours before they were due to land when we made the realization, and luckily we’re only 1.5 hours from Dublin airport (Tipp is just so darn central!), so it was a very unplanned but ultimately successful trip to the airport and back with said Canadians.
The next day, we loaded up into two cars and headed to Belfast (via Dublin airport to get a larger rental car for the Canadians). Belfast is about as far from Tipperary as Cape Breton is from Halifax (in Canada). That is to say, four hours. Luckily, the kid slept after Dublin airport (YOOK AT DEE AIYOPWANES MUMMY!) and awoke just as we were entering Belfast.
![Maeve & Grandpa on the Belfast City Tour](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21383877069_45abd939f0_z.jpg?w=427&h=640)
Maeve & Grandpa on the Belfast City Tour
![Maeve & Nana at The Crown Pub](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21382782150_d04d894df9_z.jpg?w=427&h=640)
Maeve & Nana at The Crown Pub
After lunch at the Crown Pub (when you’re visiting for the first time, you gotta!) the group split into two – one group did the city bus tour with the kid while the others visited the Titanic Museum. We were only staying one night, so tough decisions had to be made. We got to see a lot of Belfast in a very short amount of time and we had a beautiful day for it.
![Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21559460432_067a27f920_z.jpg?w=640&h=427)
Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim
![My Dad on the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21382841378_0d6ca9fc80_z.jpg?w=427&h=640)
My Dad on the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
The next day we got up bright and early and did the Causeway Coastal Route to the Giant’s Causeway. This is one of Pat’s and my favourite drives in all of Ireland. I know it’s technically not the Wild Atlantic Way, but it’s beautiful – running through quaint seaside villages with both mountain scenery and stunning ocean views. Of course we took the Canadians to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge before reaching the causeway.
After a quick lunch stop in Portrush we made our way to Sligo.
![Strandhill, Co. Sligo](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20949399533_1817ed8c3a_z.jpg?w=640&h=479)
Strandhill, Co. Sligo
![Shell's Cafe, Strandhill](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21579400801_2b8cb8633a_z.jpg?w=640&h=427)
Shell’s Cafe, Strandhill
Yup. All. The. Way. To. Sligo. In one afternoon. You see, the Canadians only had ten days and this was the best way to cram everything in.
So we made it to Sligo and spent the night at the Clarion (great hotel – it’s in a really old building that I heard was possibly once an insane asylum!). After letting Maeve swim in the bathtub for awhile, we met Pat’s brother and his wife for dinner. The next day, we had brunch at Shell’s Cafe in Strandhill. It’s a quirky little seaside cafe that serves delicious food. Strandhill is just outside Sligo, on the coast.
After Strandhill we made our way to Lisdoonvarna, Clare. Yes, you read that right. All. The. Way. To. Clare.We were tapped for time! I don’t think my Dad has forgiven me for vetoing his idea to drive through Connemara on the way – it just would have taken way too long.
![Burren Smokehouse](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20947708004_548c5c7158_z.jpg?w=640&h=427)
Burren Smokehouse
![The fish platter at The Burren Smokehouse Pub](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21382561718_21c909323e_z.jpg?w=640&h=427)
The fish platter at The Burren Smokehouse Pub
So we got to Lisdoonvarna (through The Burren! It was beautiful!) and the first thing I wanted to do was eat. We found the Burren Smokehouse, which is famous for it’s delicious smoked salmon. The smokehouse also runs a small pub down the way, so we went there for lunch. I had a hot-smoked baked salmon fillet with spinach, potato and mustard cream sauce. Just lovely. This is actually the best smoked salmon I have ever had (and I have a brother who smokes his own salmon – sorry Matt!).
Maeve and I found a playground (EHGROUND MUMMY? ME GO EHGROUND?) while the others blew a tire on their way to the Cliffs of Moher. At least it was a nice day. I hear it was the fastest tire change anyone had ever seen. They made it to the Cliffs and back, and we all piled back into the car and made our way to Listowel in County Kerry.
Yup.
All. The. Way. To. Listowel.
From Sligo.
I will probably never do a roadtrip like this with a toddler ever again. We went through a lot of chocolate to keep her happy. And the Frozen soundtrack on repeat.
Once we got to Listowel, though, it was smoother sailing. We stayed with Pat’s Auntie Bridget who has a beautiful farm house in the middle of the countryside. She fed us and gave us comfortable lodgings, and we all had a good night’s sleep.
![Overlooking the Conor Pass, Co. Kerry](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21383420229_7a85b754c4_z.jpg?w=640&h=401)
Overlooking the Conor Pass, Co. Kerry
The next day we went to Dingle. We went by the Conor Pass. I didn’t know what to expect, but I’ve heard enough folk snicker about it being a scary road so I was a teensy bit prepared (way more than the Canadians in the car behind us, anyway). When the road started getting higher into the mountains I thought, “Yeah, ok, I can handle this.”
Then the road got a bit smaller. By a bit, I mean from two lanes to one. With no guard rail. On the edge of a rocky cliff. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION?
![Hot Langoustine Roll heaven](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21383395599_edda8bb4a4_z.jpg?w=640&h=427)
Hot Langoustine Roll heaven
![Murphy's Ice Cream!](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20949144203_0f0c19d47e_z.jpg?w=640&h=427)
Murphy’s Ice Cream!
It was an amazing drive, though, and one I’ll take visitors on again. We made it to Dingle in one piece and had an awesome seafood lunch at Danno’s Pub (hot langoustine roll, anyone?) followed by a *very large* ice cream from Murphy’s (their Irish Sea Salt ice cream is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, and I’m not exaggerating).
![Innisfallen Island, Killarney, Co. Kerry](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20947459484_dc74992a90_z.jpg?w=427&h=640)
Innisfallen Island, Killarney, Co. Kerry
We relaxed back in Listowel and stayed another night, driving to Killarney the following morning for a little tour of the lakes. Our boat dude took us over to Innisfallen Island where we disembarked and wandered through the ruins of a 7th century monastery before surprising a large herd of deer – the island’s only current inhabitants. Maeve and I threw some stones in the lake before we headed back to Ross Castle and back to the car.
![Deer on Innisfallen Island](https://cookingwithcraic.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/21382401448_afdae99a23_z.jpg?w=640&h=427)
Deer on Innisfallen Island
From there, we had some lunch and went home. Yup. Back. To. Tipperary.
I told you we were pressed for time!
Truthfully, we could have stayed longer. There’s so much to do and see. But Pat and I were really looking forward to our camping weekend at Electric Picnic, and we had to be home by Friday. The Canadians just left the other day, spending their remaining time in and around Tipperary and Kilkenny (because why wouldn’t you? Everyone loves Kilkenny.).
So, that was our trip, sorta kinda going around the Wild Atlantic Way. Do not attempt to do this kind of roadtrip with a toddler, that is my best piece of advice (or, at least, have a running list of playground locations for each pit-stop).