It’s that time of year when the Luck of the Irish is in the air.
We know all the SHOLDIT LifeSTYLERS love to travel. To celebrate St. Paddy’s Day we’re packing our Pocketed Nursing Scarf, Clutch Wrap Purse and HydroSport for a little running time and heading to Ireland.
Here’s what you should know about traveling to Ireland.
1. Check out “the Trad.”
The slang word many Irish use for “traditional music” that fills every Irish pub with a pint of Guinness by its side. As Lonely Planet writer Catherine Le Nevez puts it, skip the tour buses and kissing the Blarney Stone (which people more people have been around the block on the God knows who) and get the real Ireland. Travel + Leisure’s Andrew McCarthy recommends stopping by the “rustic charmer” of Johnnie Fox’s Pub.
Want more? Here’s the Top 5 List from The Travel Channel.
2. Go to the World Heritage Site of Brú Na Bóinne.
This “palace” or “mansion of the Boyne and refers to the wide bend near the River Boyne. The prehistoric landscape is older than the Egyptian pyramids and was built around science and astronomy. Located about 40 kilometers north of Dublin, this complex includes chamber tombs, standing stones, Neolithic mounds and passage graves made of stones an burial chambers.
3. Check out the Cliffs of Moher.
This tops the Huffington Post’s list of “10 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Ireland.” When you see photographs of the emerald green grass and lots of cliffs falling into the Atlantic Ocean, this is it. On a clear day you can see the Twelve Pins and the Maum Turk mountains in Connemara, Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as the Twelve Pins and the Maum Turk mountains in Connemara, Loop Head to the south and the Dingle Peninsula and Blasket Islands in Kerry.
4. See the Ring of Kerry by horseback. Forget sightseeing by car or foot. The best way to visit the Ring of Kerry is by horseback. Besides the old cottages, you’ll see dramatic mountain cliffs and beaches. CNN recommends the O’Sullivans Killarney Riding Stables.
5. Explore the Muckross House and Gardens in Killarney National Park.
This former mansion and its gardens personifies the meaning of grandeur. Yes, it is so beautiful that even Queen Victoria visited here.
6. Visit the Dingle Peninsula.
There’s a reason Rick Steves calls this “Pure Ireland.” This lush spot is on the western edge of Ireland known for its isolated beauty. It’s a great place to cycle and catch up on your Gaelic which the locals will proudly showcase in their signage and songs.
7. See the castles.
In the southeast there’s the Rock of Cashel and to the south Blarney Castle in Cork with its infamous stone—that you need not kiss to gain the gift of gab. The stunning Rock of Cashel consists of a Gothic cathedral, a Romanesque chapel and abbey that are considering one of the best architectural sites in all of Ireland.
Even if you can’t go to Ireland, bust out your green SHOLDIT scarf that’s a purse and party on.