Experience some of our

Favorites!

While it's hard to narrow down the beauty of our trips to just a few things, here are some of our most highly reviewed stops along the way.

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Dromoland Castle Hotel: New Market-on-Fergus, Country Clare

We have to confess that one of our favorite experiences in Ireland is being served a hot supper on a small antique table in front of a roaring fire in the Gallery at Dromoland Castle. Also, the paneled bar next door with it’s collection of Staffordshire dogs and beautiful river views is one of our favorite rooms anywhere on earth.

Cashel House: Cashel, Connemara

Everytime we bring people to the Cashel House sooner or later someone will remark that they want their ashes scattered here when they die. The Cashel House is one of Ireland’s finest examples of what a mid 19th century country house should be: open fireplaces, antique furnishing, original paintings and interesting prints, chintz fabrics and fine china.

Lough Inagh Lodge: Recess, Connemara

This 1880’s lodge is sited at the base of a mountain and across the road from one of Connemara’s most beautiful lakes. It has a definite Old World quality and yet affords all the modern conveniences you might require.

Favorite Pubs

Although the original Irish style pubs are disappearing with the advent of the big screen TV, you will definitely find plenty of 200 year old pubs along the way. We have found that Dingle Town has consistently the best music on The Erin Way. Some of the pubs listed below do not typically have music but are well worth the stop.

O’Flaherty’s: Dingle Town

Check out the interior of this place. It is fascinating and reminds us of 19th century Scandinavian design which is not so shocking when you consider that the Vikings founded a lot of the seaports in Ireland. Every time we go in there we pray they haven’t changed the tin ceiling or repainted the gingerbread trim or taken down the plethora of memorabilia on the walls. This pub has the best music on the Erin Way and also has one of the best snugs. O’Flahertys is well known for its traditional Irish music and the variety of music you hear is outstanding. It was here that we first heard bag pipes played in Ireland. Be prepared for standing room only on weekends.

Hamiltons and Gaynors: Leenane

These two pubs are side by side in this wee village located on the beautiful Killary Fjord and appear to have not changed in 100 years. Hamiltons serves a great lunch. Gaynors is charming and full of character as well as characters and is the pub seen in the movie the “The Field”. Both pubs have peat fires going most days and once you have had an hour or two by a warm peat fire on a damp Irish day you will become addicted to the sweet fragrance that fills the air and will think of it often in the Fall after you return home.

Dick Mack’s Pub: Dingle Town

One of the most famous pubs in all of Ireland. Dick Mack’s is an old shoe shore with store counters, shelves and shoes boxes with old shoes on one side and a long bar and two snugs on the other. On the wall of the first snug on the right note the painting which is a painting of the snug and contains another painting of the snug within the original. There are rumored to be about 50 pubs out on the Dingle. This one is something you have to see to believe.

Matt Malloy’s: Westport

Owned by one of the Chieftans. This place jumps at night. We saw a battle of the tin whistles here where musicians on one side of the room played a tune and then musicians on the other side tried to copy the original rendition and make it better. In this case, one side was of elderly gentleman clearly in their 80’s and the other side consisted of young lads not old enough to be out at night by themselves. The fiddlers at Matt Malloys play the fiddle like they are going off to war in the morning.