Wedding Blog
Happy Monday, everyone! Can you guess by the title of this post where we decided to go on our honeymoon? That’s right - Ireland!
Mr. Quiche had an email alert that direct, round-trip flights on Aer Lingus were around $350! Cheaper than flying to L.A. from Montego Bay! We did some checking around, and similar flights on American were just a little bit more, so we decided to book with them in order to beef up our air miles (score!).
We’re flying in and out of Dublin, but are planning a trip through the countryside after a 2 night stay in Dublin. Mr. Q has a friend who travels to Dublin frequently and recommended The Westbury Hotel.
One of the gorgeous suites
View from the Gallery Lounge
After reading about the Westbury on their website, the hotel seems right up our alley. It features cool, contemporary design right in the heart of Dublin and Grafton St. shopping and restaurants.
We have a rental car reserved to pick up after our stay in Dublin, and we will then take off (on the left side of the road - always interesting!) across the countryside. Due to time constraints, we are traveling around the southern part of Ireland. We want to start off in Galway, then head down the west coast towards Doolin, the Dingle Peninsula and Kinsale. We really wanted to stay in a castle one night, and night #3 will be spent Ashford Castle (Click on that link. Aeriously. It’s incredible.), just outside of Galway. There are a lot of activities, from golf and tennis, to the more obscure (for me, at least) archery, clay pigeon shooting, and falconry (I’ll stay FAR, far away from this one, due to my intense fear of birds).
Usually, Mr. Quiche and I are avid vacation researchers and would have many things planned out - where to stay, what to do, the hot restaurants, etc… but planning a honeymoon while planning a wedding has left our plans to what you’ve read above. Flights, a hotel in Dublin, and a castle. Eeep! We need to get planning! Luckily, Mama Quiche and Step Dad Quiche did a similar trip a couple of years ago. Mama Q is incredibly organized and efficient, weighing us down with her folders of locations, Michelin maps, driving directions, B&B suggestions (and phone numbers!), sights, etc. Plus, she’s given us 2 photo albums full of pictures with a running commentary of who, what, where, and when. Score! Mama Q to the rescue! 
So hive, I turn to you. With limited days in Dublin, Galway, Doolin, Dingle and Kinsale - what should we do? We’d love any suggestions!
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Oh, Mr. Bruschetta’s going to be jealous — he’d love to go to Ireland…and we definitely will eventually, but your pictures are just so absolutely enticingly gorgeous!
Dayam! That looks awesome! Although we are planning a insanely busy backpack trip full of hostels the thought of splurging for a one or two night stay in a nice hotel is awfully enticing (esp that castle!!!)! We will have to see! Can’t wait to see pics from your HM!
Mr. Taffy will be jealous as well! I don’t have any suggestions, but the accommodations you are looking at look really amazing!
you should DEFINITELY go to the aran islands. google them. they are right near where you will be going as well. also, i suggest going to the cliffs of moher which is also close to where you will be traveling.
Oh, that looks so awesome! Ireland was one of our top picks for a honeymoon!
So. So. Jealous. We wanted to go to Ireland but Mr. Spin will be starting a new job right after the wedding, so it ended up being too much all at once. 
Go check out some stone circles and medieval churches! They’re scattered everywhere and you can do a hillwalk!
Ooh wow Ireland is amazing, I have been many many times as I have a lot of family there. FI and I are actually going in July and are super excited. I am not sure what route you are taking but definitely take the slea head drive all the way when your in Dingle. Are you planning to do the ring of Kerry? That is quite beautiful, but I also highly highly recommend the ring of Beara http://www.ringofbeara.com/ which is less known and really truely stunning. If you need a b&b recommendation in Dingle or along the ring of kerry/beara PM me and I would be happy to give you a couple. Enjoy is soo amazing there
LOVE Ireland. I’d really recommend hitting up Northern Ireland for a day or two–it is awesome. The Giant’s Causeway, in particular, is absolutely amazing!
I also loved loved loved Cork.
For fab B&Bs, look at the ‘Ireland’ section of http://www.specialplacestostay.com. It’s an amazing site, and not just for Ireland!
Do not miss the Cliffs of Moher. They are breathtaking.
Looks gorgeous! Make sure you take plenty of pictures so we can all live vicariously!
Seeing honeymoon plans like this makes me wish FI and I didn’t abhor flying…
There’s a fantastic silver smith/jewelry maker in Doolin. If you just walk a few doors up the hill from the city’s main pub, you’ll find the store. If you have time, go to the Ayran islands for a day and rent bikes. It’s like going back in time. While in Galway, if the weather’s nice, go to Silver Strand Beach, ask any local and they’ll tell you how to get there. Also you can’t beat watching a game of hurling so much fun. Geez can you tell I really want to go back to Ireland?
cliffs of moher
Wow, that castle is gorgeous. You guys are going to have so much fun! Take lots of pictures so we can live vicariously through you
if you end up in Galway on a Saturday morning, you’d be doing yourself a HUGE and tasty favor. It is located between Shop & Market streets and is a huge open-air market with some of the yummiest crepes, a curry man and hand-rolled sushi rolls. There is a man and his family (son and daughter) who bake homemade doughnuts right in front of you. Delicious! (http://www.galway.net/galwayguide/todo/sights/market/) Every Tuesday night at Monroe’s Pub in Galway they have live traditional Irish music and the best pizza in Ireland next door. It’s a great way to top off a day of sight-seeing.
Also, Cliffs of Moher are a quick jaunt south of Galway on the road to County Kerry/Cork. Drive the Ring of Kerry if you can. It’s beautiful. Feel free to stay in Bed and Breakfasts because they usually cost less than hotels but have serious Irish Charm and you get a breakfast that is home cooked.
Kinsale in County Cork is gorgeous with tons of colors.
There is so much more I could suggest (I studied abroad in Galway) - feel free to email me if you’d like more ideas!
We’re going to Ireland too! Did you know you can swim with dolphins off the Dingle Penninsula? We’ll be there for Halloween so we’re definatly doing the Bram Stoker Dracula tour and seeing the naturally mumified remains at St. Patricks Cathedral. Also, the Book of Kells is on display. We’re doing a self-driven tour (we’re a road-trip taking couple) with stays in B&B’s and a night at a castle. I can’t wait to hear all about it, maybe you’ll tell us about something we just have to do!
You are going to have so much fun!!! Those pictures look amazing!
So jealous! Ireland is my favorite place in the world! Make sure you make time to hang with the locals. I’ve had the BEST experiences with the Irish–friendly, fun, generous. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, make sure you make time to go to The Queen of Tarts for breakfast or lunch while you’re in Dublin. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it! Mmmmmm…
yay! Ireland is amazing–I lived there for a year and can’t wait to go back. Dublin–hit up Leo Burdock’s for the best fish and chips ever. Porterhouse is a great microbrew with awesome live music. You can’t go wrong with Dingle–it’s stunning. Just take time to enjoy the scenery and chat with locals. You’ll have the best time!
I did a tour with my family a few years ago:
http://www.cietours.com/affiliate/cietours/summary.rvlx?tourID=1064
everything we saw was amazing! I definitely agree that you should definitely see the cliffs of mohr & the ring of kerry. i also really liked kinsale.
its such a beautiful country! you’ll love going there for your honeymoon!
You are going to love it! My husband and I went on our honeymoon there last October, and it was amazing. We spent 13 amazing days there traveling the whole southern coast. Amazing!!! Kinsale was definitely one of my favorite spots. Cliffs of Moher, Jerpoint Abbey, Charles Fort, so many amazing places. Also when you are in Dublin, we stayed at a fantastic place called The Clarence Hotel. It is right in the middle of Temple Bar and overlooks the River Liffey. Their bar also has some of the best drinks I have ever had.
Also, it is an ultimate touristy place, but the Guinness factory tour is pretty amazing, they have a bar at the top where you get your free pint and it overlooks all of Dublin!
Enjoy every minute of it when you are there, it is really life changing!
Wow. Luuuuucky! I’m way jealous! I’m sure it’ll be amazing!
Oh god. I am lusting over these pictures. We may copy you exactly. I’m jelly!
Yeay!
The first thing you should do is go to the nearest bookstore and get the Ireland guide from Rick Steves.
I would recommend Dublin, Galway and the Dingle. On the way to the Dingle from Galway you can stop by the Cliffs of Moher and stay overnight in Tralee.
Kinsale is a cute town but the others I mentioned above are way better.
Galway has great pubs and excellent trad sessions.
The book from Rick Steves will tell you how to drive through the Dingle kilometer by kilometer so that you don’t miss anything.
Have fun and enjoy the Guinness. It’s soooo much better over there.
Yippee! We’re going to Ireland too! We also need to get planning on our itinerary.
In Kinsale, make sure you visit Charlesfort. It’s unbelievably gorgeous. And the Ring of Kerry is well worth the drive. We did it on an ugly rainy day in February but the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. If you do hit Killarney at all when you’re on the Ring of Kerry, check out Killarney National Park and Ross Castle. Beautiful. Oh, now I want to go back By the way, B&Bs are cheap and so unique and adorable. Much different than what I was expecting.
I went fro a week with my mom and we did bead and breakfasts. No need to make reservations, if they don’t have any vacancy they’ll call the network and find somewhere for you! We loved this because we could travel at our own pace (including getting lost in Dingle…all the signs are in Galick). Plus, they had good Irish breakfasts every morning!
We also did a castle dinner show, which your castle might have. But that was a lot of fun!
I like your decision, congrats!
Guinness factory! I spent a day in Ireland (I was studying abroad in London), and that’s what it consisted of.
Have a wonderful time!!!
Yay! Thats so exciting Miss Quiche! I’ve always wanted to go! I have famiyl who has goen and loved it. If you are beer lovers make sure to go to the guiness factory, I heard its a big tourist spot.
My husband and I went to Ireland for our second anniversary.
Here’s our round up about Southern and Western Ireland:
http://theworldasmeditation.wordpress.com/2008/09/13/terrible-beauty-southern-and-western-ireland/
And here’s Dublin:
http://theworldasmeditation.wordpress.com/2008/11/10/terrible-beauty-dublin/
I knew it! Oh, that’s going to be fantastic! And it’s a great balance to your tropical beachy wedding. How can you get more romantic than castles?! I love your hotel choice!!! Very excited for you!!!
Thanks for all of the tips, ladies! You have NO IDEA how much this helps us. I have all of these links saved - yeah!!
wowwwww!!! enjoy yourselves!
oh, and i’m TERRIFIED of birds too. walking through the open squares of Europe were quite a challenge, no thanks to the armies of PIGEONS everywhere. eeeeeeek
You are going to have SUCH an amazing time! I’m so jealous. I studied abroad in Ireland in undergrad and fell head over heels in love with the country. I still get homesick for it! Dublin is one of my favorite cities ever. Galway is a great college town. A lot of people loved Cork, but I wasn’t wowed. The Aran Islands are amazing - rent bikes! Killarney, the Cliffs of Moher and Dingle Penninsula are all must-see. I can’t wait to see your photos!
When we went we only reserved a hotel for Dublin. The rest of the time we just drove around to whatever looked interesting and took recommendations from locals. It was great.
I absolutely LOVE your post! My dream honeymoon is to go to Ireland but I told my fiance that I want to be surprised…I am like 80% sure this is where we are going. Ashford Castle is absolutely stunning. Have a great time! I hope you post pictures so we can see what a great time you have!
Hi Miss Quiche - just wanted to say that although I’m from Connecticut I live in Ireland now and my office is right next door to the Westbury! I hope you’ll have great weather when you’re here. There are some very cool places to check out in Dublin and around Ireland. Definitely go to Galway and if you can manage a day trip or two from there go to the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands. On the largest of the Aran Islands (Inis Mor) there is an ancient fort that sits on cliffs which I think are even more amazing than the Cliffs of Moher! Galway is a great little city full of cool shops, pubs and restaurants. Many of the pubs have traditional music every night so make sure you find one when you’re there! In Dublin I highly recommend The Winding Stair for delicious Irish food and since you love France you should check out LaCave (about 2 minutes from the Westbury) where you can get a taste of France including a fabulous wine list - everything there is delicious.
The classic pubs around Dublin you should try are Nearys (about 2 minutes from the Westbury) and the Old Stand (about 5 mins!) St. Stephen’s Green is a beautiful park in the middle of the city and a nice spot for some peace and quiet or people/duck watching :0)
I hope you have a great trip over here and I hope you bring some of the good weather with you! Just remember - layers of clothing and good walking shoes! Everything else is a bonus!
p.s. My grandmother was from Cong, the village where Ashford Castle is - Cong is a beautiful spot so be sure to venture off the castle grounds to have a look around!
I just read this post–I’m a bit late because I was in Ireland! And we also stayed in Dublin, Ashford Castle, & Doolin! It was amazing! If you’re not already there and want any info from me, let me know! Have an great trip!
I was so lookig forward to my ireland honeymoon but it was nothing like what i expected. The people were unfriendly, we got our rental car broken into, we went to a couple of pubs that said they had traditional irish music only to have them playing songs from the 80’s, and couldn’t find reasonably priced traditional irish food(anything in our guide or that we saw was like 20-40 euros for a meal…OUCH!)… I was dissapointed and don’t plan on ever going back. The one good thing that happened was seeing the countryside and driving the Ring of Kerry…thats ABOUT it. bleh!
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Mrs. Quiche, Chicago/Montego Bay
Age and Occupation: 28, Interior Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 42, Telecom Guru
Engagement Date: July 2, 2008
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Venue: Coyaba Resort, Montego Bay
About Me: I love Chicago and can’t imagine living anywhere else (Well, except Paris. Or anywhere in France, for that matter!). I’m a full-time worker, part-time student, soon-to-be-step-mom, indie music lovin’, architecture and design fanatic, macaroni and cheese addict, vegetarian, Francophile, Ohio State football obsessed, wedding planning girl. Mr. Quiche and I are “Partners-in-Crime” and cannot wait to celebrate our marriage surrounded by our family and closest friends. I plan on DIYing my little heart out (or as much as a suitcase to Jamaica will hold).
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