Ireland: Road trip through the land of myths and legends

City behind your back

The Dublin morning is quiet and relaxed – a city as though it were holding its breath still before waking up. Along the Liffey River you hear the rhythmic strides of joggers, Grafton Street fills with the sound of the first guitars of buskers, and from the docks along Phoenix Park, the cafes, shops and monuments slowly come to life. With a to-go cup of coffee in hand and a map on the passenger seat, you head south where the coastline unravels like an endless ribbon.

Dublin soon fades in the distance as you drive into the undulating greenness of County Wicklow, known colloquially as the Garden of Ireland. Dense oak and pine forests give way to open countryside, waterfalls gush down upon fern-covered lake shores, and the sky is reflected in mirror-smooth water surfaces. In the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, ruins emerge of Glendalough, a former monastery and prison from the 6th century CE. Legend has it that the monks used to hear the singing of angels taken by the wind. As you stand on the shore of the eponymous lake, you may hear them too. Your next leg will continue to rise and fall through the mountains for a while before descending to the shores of the Irish Sea.

In the South

As the kilometers peel away, the fields expand and the saltiness of the air intensifies with every twist in the road. Soon before you appears the River Lee, whose loops slowly wrap around Cork. Ireland's second largest city neither shouts at you nor clamors for your attention. Rather, it will enchant you with colorful façades of the Georgian terraced houses, the views from arched stone bridges, and the laughter echoing from the cafés. The English Market will attract you with the fragrance of fresh-baked bread, fresh oysters or slices of mature cheese. When it’s time to relax, enjoy sitting in a local pub and compare the local stouts – Beamish and Murphy’s. Later, heading west, you will leave behind gently rolling hills and long shores, replaced by rugged cliffs, winding turns and the first real whiff of the ocean.

Ring of Kerry

As Cork shrinks in the rear view mirror, the road dances onward among hills and green fences, meadows and stone dwellings weathered by time. The countryside begins to sprawl out even further and the colors change: nowhere else on earth can such vivid greenery be found. The Ring of Kerry, a tourist circuit of almost 180 km, winds around the coast, headlands and hidden coves. Many claim it offers the most beautiful spectacle in all of Ireland. You can consider Killarney the starting point, and your first stop is in the national park by the same name. At almost every kilometer, you will come across a castle, manor house or ruin, and around every bend you will brake to take out your camera to shoot breathtaking views of the Atlantic - silver and endless, islands, lakes, mountains or countless sheep lazily wandering by. And you’ll have no worries over finding some refreshments: pubs are always found just at the moment you need them. A bowl of hot chowder and a pint of beer taste just like they should after a long day's drive.

Puffins, dolphins and silence

It’s about an hour’s drive from Killarney to the Dingle Peninsula. With every kilometer, you feel like you were moving away from the present, and there seems to be something older in the air... Perhaps magic? In Dingle Harbor, boats bounce along gentle waves, cheery and colorful homes reflect on the water, and the signs in Irish Gaelic are a reminder that here, history is speaking directly to you. The road leads you further west past Irish Celtic round stone houses, resembling wild bee hives, until you reach the village of Dunquin (or Dun Chaoin). It boasts a famous pier high above a stone path sloping steeply down to a diminutive, ancient boat landing somewhere below, where the waves break against the moorings. Across from here in the sea, veiled by the fog, lie the Blasket Islands: the kingdom of puffins and ancient tales. During a sightseeing boat cruise, you probably won't know which way to look first: at the jagged cliffs and mouths of hidden caves, down into the water at seals, dolphins or sharks, or up at the flocks of seabirds, the most striking of which are undoubtedly the adorable puffins that nest on the islands... And if you crave real silence, get dropped off at Great Blasket Island and take a leisurely walk around it. You won't want to go back.

Where the ocean meets land

From the most westerly corner of Ireland, the road winds to the north to perhaps the island’s best known natural wonder: the Cliffs of Moher. Maybe you know them from photographs, but nothing prepares you for the moment when you see them with your own eyes. This wall rises nearly 214 meters above the Atlantic, shaped by the wind, salt and time. Seagulls circle overhead, waves break into sea mist far below, and you feel a strange, new kind of gravity – as if you were standing at the very edge of the world. Legend also has it that beneath the cliffs lies a submerged city, whose bells can be heard in the surf on stormy nights. At that moment, there's nothing to stop you from believing it...

Off to see art and ponies

Next stop: Galway, a city of art, colors and outstanding fish & chips (best at McDonagh’s). The summer streets come to life with a kind of carefree joy, which is certainly enhanced by the Galway International Arts Festival – a celebration of art the likes of which you won’t see anywhere else. Then a bit further up on the map you head to the unbridled region of Connemara. Here they speak Irish Gaelic, toast to your health (Sláinte!) and the smells of earth and smoke waft along the air. At such places, it is easy to understand why so many Celtic stories speak of “thin places” – localities where the boundary between the world of humans and the world of myths is nearly indiscernible. Enjoy breathtaking views of vast wastelands, peat bogs shimmering in the mist, ponds sparkling like coins at the bottom of a fountain, and wild Connemara ponies, their coats shining against the dark green of the landscape.

At a crossroad

The last leg of the journey is at hand. Civilization behind the mirror slowly fades away, the hills around seem ever higher and the colors darker. County Donegal opens up before you as the untamed heart of Ireland: rugged, windswept, stunning. If you weren’t afraid to check out the view from the edge of the Cliffs of Moher, try an even higher level: Slieve League rises an unbelievable 601 meters above the surf. You’ll encounter the odd hiker, but rather you will be kept company by seabirds, and yes, harrowing winds. Despite the physical discomfort, something will compel you to stay a while – maybe it’s the tranquility that remains when the wind chases away all other thoughts from your head.

Now you have to choose. First option: Turn the steering wheel to the southeast, wave bye to the green pastures and dark pints and head back to Dublin Airport. Second option: If you have attained your ETA authorization necessary for entering the United Kingdom, you can cross into Northern Ireland worry free and continue your road trip. This part of the island also undoubtedly has plenty to offer… Either way you choose, when you do eventually leave, with a few pebbles stuck in your shoes, a full photo album and maybe with a heart heavier than you might have expected at first – Ireland will await your next visit with new stories to create.

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Festivals and events / Where to stop along the way

• Galway International Arts Festival, July 14-27, 2025 ● This is among Europe’s most popular festivals of all things art: from theater to music, dance, literature, or creative art and even street performances.
• Puck Fair, 10-12, 2025 ● One of Ireland's oldest and strangest fairs, held at the same time each year in Killorglin. One of its main attractions is the crowing of a goat as King Puck.
• Sounds from a Safe Harbour, September 11-14, 2025 ● Festival of music, dance, creative art, dialog and cooperation taking place every other year in Cork.

Food tips / Taste as you travel

• Fresh oysters and mussels (Cork and Galway): straight from the sea, salty, sweet, unforgettable.
• Brown bread (almost anywhere): dense, nutty fragrance, best when spread with salted Irish butter.
• Irish stew: hearty, hot food full of meat (usually lamb), potato, carrot and onion.
• Boxty: Type of Irish potato pancake, sometimes crispy and pan-fried, other times soft and airy, but always excellent.
• Seafood chowder: creamy, full of fresh fish and seafood, the ultimate comfort food.
• Rhubarb pie: traditional sweet and sour dessert common in Irish homes and cafés, best tasted in the middle of rhubarb season.
• Tea and scones: ritual (morning and afternoon), of great importance (in the best sense of the word).