We Fell in Love With Ireland: Unforgettable Journey

Doolin and Cliffs of Moher Travel: An Unforgettable Adventure

In the final blog of our Ireland Series, we will detail our trip to Doolin, Ireland, and our experience exploring the Cliffs of Moher!

If you haven’t checked out our previous blogs detailing our trip to Ireland. Or, if you are planning a trip to Ireland and looking for inspiration. Be sure to check out our previous Ireland blogs, which will be linked at the end of the article!

Our Journey to Doolin Ireland

I’m not exaggerating when I say Doolin is one of the coolest places I have ever been. While we only had about 16 hours in this small town, it drastically exceeded my expectations.

Josh and I left Cork, Ireland early in the morning, and after a magical stop at Blarney Castle, we had a 2.5-hour drive to Doolin. Doolin lies on the west coast of Ireland and quite literally only has a population of about 500 people. While this town may be tiny, it contains the iconic Cliffs of Moher which millions of visitors a year go to see.

Even though we only had such a short time in this town, I am excited to share the itinerary of worthwhile experiences Josh and I shared here.

Exploring the Cliffs of Moher

So, we pretty much based our whole trip to Ireland off these beautiful cliffs. We knew we had to head into Doolin to get to them. However, once we arrived, we realized that we actually did not know where to go for the cliffs.

With a quick Google search, we headed to the official parking lot of the Cliffs, Apple Maps: R478 Liscannor Co. Clare, Ireland. Or you can just type in “Cliffs of Moher Car Park.”

We had to pay about $10 to get into the parking lot, but this was the easiest and quickest option if you’re in a time crunch.

Cliffs of Moher Hikes

While our itinerary does not include an extensive hike, there are many different hiking choices! A few hikes that we wish we had more time to do include the The Doolin Cliff Walk and Hags Head to Cliffs of Moher Walk.

We have heard great things about both of the hikes and plan to head back to Doolin sometime in the future to check both off our bucket lists!

Exploring the Cliffs of Moher was by far my favorite thing that we did in Ireland. The views of the cliffs are breathtaking, and you can roam around and explore for as long as you would like.

When visiting the Cliffs of Moher, I recommend bringing a raincoat as the weather quickly changes. As we started our hike, the weather was cloudy and windy. About halfway through the hike, the sun came out, and the wind slowed down. On our way back to the visitors center, clouds came back, and we were stuck walking through a windy rainstorm. Luckily, we got to see a rainbow over the cliffs.

While the different weather conditions provided a unique experience, I recommend being prepared for each to make the most out of your time at the Cliffs of Moher!

Doolin: Irelands Greatest Town

Doolin is roughly 5-10 minutes from the Cliffs of Moher and one of the coolest little towns I have ever visited.

We stayed in an Airbnb on a farm just about 2 minutes outside of Doolin, and the town itself has a few shops and four pubs.

Before checking into our AirBnB, we stopped at Gus O’connor’s Pub for a late lunch and happy hour. We were both tired and cold after a long day and were excited to get into a dry and warm pub.

We walked into the bar and found a spot at the bar, not too far from the roaring fireplace. Both of us quickly warmed up and put our orders in. We ordered a couple of pints of Guinness and an order of their Guinness and Beef Stew to share.

The stew was probably the best meal either of us had during our entire time in Ireland, and I would go back to Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin just for their stew. The pub was full of locals, and everyone was so friendly!

We were there for a quick happy hour, so we can not attest to how the pub is during the evening hours. However, this place was truly amazing, and I cannot wait to go back!

Our Irish AirBnb

After a late lunch and happy hour at Gus O’Connor’s Pub, we drove about 2-3 minutes outside of Doolin to our AirBnB. Which was located on a Farm!

Our host was so nice and welcoming, and as soon as we pulled up, we saw two cows standing right next to our house! Our Airbnb was cozy and the perfect size for the two of us. They even left us snacks and other local foods to try.

It was a convenient location and a unique experience to stay on a farm in Ireland. I’ll link the stay below:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/643502027619592024source_impression_id=p3_1706470587_ZDXHdMP6aVoYA4Gf

We decided to keep our happy hour rolling and went to a local convenience store to pick up some wine to drink at the AirBnB before heading back into Doolin to see what the nightlife was like!

Our Night out in Doolin Ireland

During our night out in Doolin, we planned to start our night at McDermotts Pub based on a recommendation from my aunt and sister. However, after a very confusing and unwelcoming experience, we quickly left and went to Fitz’s Pub.

Fitz’s Pub is located in Hotel Doolin and is famous for its traditional Irish music, lively sessions, and thirst-quenching pints. They also have a great selection of Irish Craft beers to choose from.

When we first walked into Fitz’s Pub, we only planned to stay for one or two drinks and a quick meal. However, we ended up having such a good time that rather than going around to the different Pubs, we stayed at Fitz’s for the whole night.

The longer we stayed, the more fun the Pub got. They rotated musicians throughout the night. Each musician was better than the last. Towards the end of the night, a wedding party came in, and everyone took to the dance floor. The band played a mix of songs, including traditional Irish and famous American songs we were familiar with.

We had a phenomenal time at Fitz’s Pub, and it ranked number 1 on our list of pubs that we visited while in Ireland. If you find yourself in Doolin and are looking for a place to go at night, we highly recommend going to Fitz’s.

Our Experience Exploring Ireland

Ireland turned out to be one of our favorite countries that we have ever visited! We went into our trip with little plans and little research. However, when we started exploring the country and meeting the people, we quickly fell in love with it!

We can not wait to plan a trip back to Ireland to explore more of the countryside and wander around Dublin late at night after going to the pub. We highly recommend visiting this amazing country!!

Be sure to check out our other blog posts detailing all of our trip to Ireland! While you’re there check out our photo gallery with all of our unposted shots we have taken on our trips.

Till next time – Mason & Josh 🙂