Southern Rocker Tour

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This weekend, I spent an amazing weekend in Ireland! I decided to do a tour through Shamrocker Adventures called the Southern Rocker tour - it was a three day bus tour that allowed us to see more of the countryside. I flew in Thursday evening in order to make it on time. When I arrived at the tour office the next morning, we boarded the bus and got ready to head out. Our first stop was a castle, The Rock of Cashel, which was not quite as brilliant as it usually is. It is currently under construction, because a mosaic was found which is quite unique in Ireland; they are currently restoring it. We got were still able to walk around the grounds, but we chose not to go in since a large portion of it was closed. Our next stop was the Blarney Castle, where we got to walk around the stunning grounds and then each had our chance to kiss the Blarney stone, which is believed to bring you the gift of gab. When attempting to kiss the stone, you have to lay down on your back, and arch yourself down so that you are facing it backwards. There is a guide there to hold you so you don't fall through the opening in the castle. When we arrived in the area where we were spending the night, Killarney, we got settled in, and then a few of us decided to check out the National Park, despite the fact that it was rapidly approaching darkness and we really couldn't see a lot. It was still quite a nice walk, and we could see the outlines and shadows of a myriad of deer. We then grabbed dinner before heading out with our guide to a local pub to have a pint and listen to some local music.

The next morning, we got packed up and on the road, and made our way to the Dingle Peninsula. The sights were absolutely beautiful. We had the opportunity to view everything on the peninsula in a circular drive around the area, and then returned to the town to grab lunch. The seafood was amazing, due to the fact that it is a fishing town and all of the fish were fresh. We also made a point to stop at Murphy's Ice Cream, which our guide said was his favorite ice cream in Ireland. It did not disappoint; they had many unique flavors such as Guinness and sea salt. I had the sea salt with a cookies and cream flavor which was a very good combination. After lunch, we then went to one of the more beautiful beaches in Ireland, and some people chose to get in the water since the Gulf stream (apparently) keeps the water warm. I wasn't convinced, however, and decided to stay on the sand instead. Next, we made our way to Ennis, where we would be staying for this evening. There was a large music festival going on, so we were able to see that in many of the local pubs. It was an interesting performance style; instead of being on a stage, they all sat around in a circle and the music was much more inclusive. It was very cool to watch, and our guide explained that this is where a lot of people learn to play the traditional music - it is both performed and learned together.

Our final morning, we packed up and loaded back on the bus, ready to head to our first stop, the Cliffs of Moher. On the way, we stopped at St. Bridget's Well, and we were able to make a wish after dipping a piece of fabric into the water. We then arrived at the cliffs, which were absolutely stunning. It was so amazing to see the natural landscape that had carved out such beautiful cliffs. We walked towards a small castle that had been built by the first person to show the cliffs, and then walked in the other direction further out onto the cliffs, being careful to avoid the edge since it was quite windy that day. We also got to see the infamous Cliffs of Insanity as featured in The Princess Bride as well as the cave that was used to film Harry Potter along with the rock that Dumbledore and Harry apparate onto. We then got back onto the bus and headed to our last stop, which was Galway. This town is best known for their claddagh rings. There were numerous jewelers up and down the streets, each claiming to be the originator of the ring. We grabbed a nice lunch in one of the pubs, and then got on the bus to head back to Dublin. Once in Dublin, a few of us hung around a bit and got a drink together in one of the pubs near the tour office. I then went back to the hostel I was staying at and got an early night's rest before my early flight the next morning to head back to Glasgow.

All in all, it was an amazing weekend filled with beautiful sights, awesome new friends and the lovely Irish countryside. It really made me want to come back to Ireland again in the future.

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