Bucket-List Blog #4: Ireland
- Ryan Pigeau
- Apr 4, 2019
- 3 min read
A trip to Ireland has been an item on my bucket-list since I can remember. One half of my family is from this island; my grandfather was born here in Dundalk. Ireland is another vacation spot that might not be top of mind to some but is guaranteed to be an adventure in its own right.
If you’re one for sight-seeing, places like the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim or the Cliffs of Moher in County Claire are must-see spots. More than a million tourists visit the cliffs each year to witness their immense size and shape. On the clearest of days, one can get some beautiful views from the 8-kilometer long cliff-coast. Out in County Kerry there is the Dingle Peninsula as well, once dubbed “the most beautiful place in on Earth” by National Geographic, it’s a postcard setting that frequently sits atop the most beautiful spots in Ireland.
Visiting the original Guinness factory may be one of the first stops on my itinerary here in birthplace of the beverage. The factory is located at St. James Gate in Dublin and is Ireland’s #1 tourist attraction. I will be setting aside an entire day on this trip just for the Guinness tour to take in the historic building and get absolutely smashed. Going pub-hopping of sorts is a must in Ireland as well, and if you do, you can’t miss out on Sean’s Bar.
Sean’s bar is world renowned as history’s oldest bar and because of this, it plays host to visitors from all over the world. Apparently, it was opened more than 1100 years ago. Archaeologists have even determined its walls have existed since 900 AD and somehow, there are records of each and every owner of the bar dating back to its original founding. The bar sits just next to Athlone Castle – a 12the century Norman castle whose residents would have frequented the original establishment. This fact alone will force me to one day see this building for myself. Even as I sit here and type these facts, I still don’t quite understand how this could all be possible. It’s definitely a “you've gotta see it to believe it” type of place. Not surprisingly, Sean’s Bar has made numerous “Top 25/Top 50 Best And Most Unique Bars in the World” lists, and for good reason.
One of the many notable things to see in plenty of different locations in Northern Ireland are the "Peace Walls" or "Peace Lines" which separated Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods dating back to the period when sectarian riots were quite common. They were first built in 1969 after Belfast - a city in Northern Ireland - was hit with a series of riots between Catholics and Protestants. One of the more famous walls in Belfast is one between Loyalist Shankill Road and the Irish Republican Falls Road. This Peace Wall stretches 800 meters where tensions between these streets had actually dated all the way back to the 1800s and is a very unique and interesting spot to see and experience with some historic significance.
Finally, the Northwest 200 Motorcycle race - the biggest and most hyped race in Ireland - would be an awesome event to take part in while on vacation in Ireland. It's the country's biggest annual sporting event and its held along the northern coast every May. The race attracts over 150,000 visitors with a large majority of them coming from all over the world. The incredible part about this race is it features motorcylces reaching speeds over 320km/h.
Although the weather is not tropical and the sun may not always be shining in your face, I still look forward to an Ireland getaway to take in all the post-card scenery and get in touch with my own heritage for once!
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