So you’ve decided to make the trip to Doolin, Ireland! That’s awesome, we know you won’t regret it! Rachel and I, first off want to say thank you! We very well know that traveling is not cheap, and taking time off from work and life’s many responsibilities, is no easy task. So while our hope is you’ll really enjoy our wedding festivities and it’ll be worth the flight across the pond, we also hope you’ll use our nuptials as an excuse to kickstart that long awaited Euro trip!

When deciding on a location to get “hitched,” it was not an easy one with so many possibilities and things to consider such as costs and flight times. After countless hours of spinning the globe, while trying to think how many hours Paul Sr. could stomach in an airplane, we landed on the small village of Doolin, situated on the stunning west coast of Ireland.

Doolin is a short one hour drive from Shannon Airport in County Clare. Flights into Shannon might be a bit more expensive than flying into Dublin, but it is closer. From Dublin, Doolin is just over a three hour drive through the heart of the country. For those not wanting to test their driving skills on the left side of the tight winding roads of Ireland, there are shuttles and buses that can be easily booked into the small town of Doolin.

Eighteen years ago, I was lucky enough to travel to Ireland on a solo trip abroad. I remember getting on a bus to Galway after arriving at the Shannon airport, and one of our first stops was the Cliffs of Moher, just down the road from the village of Doolin. Seeing the cliffs for the first time, is an amazing experience, one that you will surely never forget. For me, it was an incredible start to what turned out to be a life changing trip in this country filled with beautiful scenery and welcoming people. Not to mention how much better the Guiness tastes at the many local pubs I toured in Ireland!

While Rachel has not yet made the journey over to Ireland, she is very excited, and we can’t wait to celebrate our marriage with our family and friends, in such an awesome place! I wanted to offer up some of the highlights from my trip to Ireland way back in 2006. So here they are! Feel free to contact Rachel if you have any questions, or need help in booking! (Haha)

As previously stated, I flew into Shannon and one of the first stops was the Cliffs of Moher! You will be right down the road from them in Doolin. A must see to be sure! From there, I went to Galway, a musical city full of very lively pubs. A really fun town! West of Galway is Connemara, where I did some hiking in the beautiful hills alongside the ocean.

If flying into Dublin and spending some time there, the two tours that were memorable for me, were the Guinness Factory, and Kilmainham Gaol. I would highly recommend both. I stayed in the Temple bar area when I was there, and I remember Trinity University being a cool place to check out as well. I didn't make it to the Wicklow Mountains, but I hear it’s a worthwhile trip south of the city.

From Dublin, I went southwest to Kilkenny via train. Kilkenny is a fun town and they have a cool castle (Kilkenny Castle), but so doesn't every other town in Ireland. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't in my top five. I also stopped in Cork, which is a fun town that kind of reminded me of Worcester. Has a lot of local character, and some grit to it. The infamous Blarney Stone is nearby Cork, which I missed, instead opting to check out the Fota Wildlife Park east of town. From there, I traveled to the Titanic Museum in Cobh, which is just south of the wildlife park. Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic, before departing for New York. Really nice town and interesting museum. Not in my top five of the trip, but a cool experience.

My favorite part of Ireland that I had the opportunity to experience was Killarney and the surrounding area. I'm a bit biased though, as this was the place where I had the opportunity to meet some extended family (my late grandfather Maurice Brosnihan’s cousin, Batt Brosnan, was 93 at the time!). The Killarney area also has the highest peak in Ireland, called Mt. Carrauntoohil. A really great hike if you have time to do it. Killarney National Park is a must see, and a great place to explore. The Ring of Kerry is just west of Killarney. Instead of doing the bus tour, I rented a mountain bike, and rode through the heart of it, which is called the Gap of Dunloe. Highly recommend!

Here are my top five recommendations from my trip to Ireland…

-Cliffs of Moher

-Gap of Dunoe

-Killarney

-Mt. Carrauntoohil Hike

-Galway

Places that I didn't make it too, that I've heard some awesome things about are Donegal (northwest coast), Dingle Peninsula (close to Killarney), and the Aran Islands (off the west coast). The Aran Islands are a short boat ride from Doolin!

Whatever you decide to do, you are going to have a blast! It's a strikingly beautiful country with the friendliest people, who are always down for some "craic" over a few pints of Guinness at the lively, local pubs!

Hope this write up helps with your own travel plans to the Emerald Isle!

Slainte!

~Paul and Rachel

Registry

In lieu of a registry we have created a Honey Fund to fuel our endless adventures. https://www.honeyfund.com/site/noontime-06-23-2025