MIKE AND JESS' TRAVEL DIARY
Ireland Trip
Day 3 - September 18 2018
Before we checked out of the Airbnb in Dublin, Mike and I wanted to get in one more breakfast at Manning’s Cafe.
And now our Great Irish road trip begins! Down to Kinsale we went! On the way, we hit the gorgeous Walsh Distillery for a tour and tasting. The distillery is on a stunning farm with cows and sheep and a small man-made waterfall. The tour was informational and thorough. It is a huge distillery and they did a great job letting us see, and taste, their craft.
Next, we stopped by Kilkenny to explore the castle and get lunch. The city was definitely touristy and it was tough to maneuver through the roads and parking was sparse, but the town was beautiful nonetheless. The castle was kept in great condition and offered tours of the rooms.
We did not tour but instead walked down to Matt the Millers Bar & Restaurant for some grub. Lunch was fantastic and a bit out of the way, which made for a nicer diner experience!
In hind-sight, we would have skipped Kilkenny and moved along. The castle was beautiful, but a bit more museum-y than we typically look for. It’s a beautiful town, but didn’t feel worth the effort for how little time we spent.
The initial plan was to hit Waterford next, but the crystal factory was going to be closed by the time we would have arrived, and since that was the main attraction of Waterford, we detoured to see the Rock of Cashel. The castle was slowly deteriorating with time, set up on a green hill, with a setting sun behind it. Pictures don’t do justice. By hitting it so late in the day, we had the area to ourselves and were able to get stunning photos without anyone in them. Since we arrived in the evening, the castle was closed for exploration, but the walk up and views of the castle were far worth the trek.
Finally, we arrived in Kinsale by dark, checked into our home for the next couple days and drove down to grab some dinner at Dino’s.
