Skip Dublin. There, I said it.
Don’t get me wrong: The Irish capital is thriving, fun and a literary hotbed, with a backdrop of grit. At Trinity College, we took in the immersive, touristy Book of Kells Experience celebrating the ornate ninth-century manuscript. We strolled the scenic St. Stephen’s Square and the St. Patrick’s Cathedral grounds, usually looking for quaint playground breaks for Petra.
But Dublin is just too expensive right now, with modest rooms in popular areas starting around $400. We found a relative deal at Keavan’s Port Hotel at $330 a night. (Reportedly part of the reason for the hotel shortage is an influx of Ukrainian refugees.)
(Simon Peter Groebner/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Worse, Sabrina and I hit the much-photographed Temple Bar nightlife district only to hear a stream of mediocre acoustic cover acts (think U2, Cranberries, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift). Unacceptable! Overall, I’ve had better recent city experiences with a similar vibe in Edinburgh or Copenhagen.
With limited time, most Irish explorers will prefer to go west. Better yet, skip the cross-country drive altogether and fly into Shannon, with a layover in New York. Shannon sits at the center of the 1,500-mile Wild Atlantic Way tourism trail, and within two or three hours of the famous Cliffs of Moher, Dingle Peninsula, Ring of Kerry and great secondary cities such as Galway, Cork and Limerick.
Searching for vacation homes in greater Ireland, I found amazing-looking properties from County Kerry to County Donegal, often lower than $200 a night. I settled on a gem: a modern three-bedroom, split-level cottage near the tip of the storied Dingle Peninsula, with panoramic views of the Atlantic and the historic Blasket Islands.
