Dublin, Galway, Ashford Castle & Bray, Ireland

• More about your oliver guide: Megan Harvey
• Trip type: Family, City
• Activity level: moderate
• Ideal length of trip: One week - Multi Gen Girls Trip - Grandmother, daughters & granddaughter.

to & from

Aer Lingus – non stop from SFO to Dublin

Where to Stay

Dublin we stayed at the Temple Bar Inn. A nice, new, boutique hotel in the center of all the action.

Cong – The Ashford Castle – amazing!

Galway – anything near the Eyre Square

Bray – The Strand Hotel & Bar – former home of Oscar Wilde. Boutique ocean front hotel.

Where to Eat and Drink

Dublin – Winding Staircase for dinner – ask for a table by the window for a great view of the Ha’ Penny bridge. For a pint – The Merchant’s Arch was our favorite

Galway – Cava Bodgea Spanish Tapas

Ashford Castle – George V dining room

What to Do

Dublin – Hop on Hop off bus – a good option for us post red-eye and jet lagged as we were able to take little cat naps while checking out the sights of the city. After a good night’s rest we spent the rest of our days exploring the Dublin Castle, Grafton Street area, Trinity College and the Book of Kells (the oldest book in the world) the Ha’ Penny bridge and the Guinness Museum. Lots of walking and of course hanging out in the Pubs. We loved all of the live music!

Galway – is about a 2 hour drive from Dublin. A small city with cobble stone streets along the coast. We enjoyed walking around, shopping and visiting the Spanish Arch, Eyre Square and the Galway Cathedral.
Spend the night in a REAL castle. We stayed at the Ashford Castle. We loved walking the expansive grounds, learning about the history of the castle including all the the hidden passage ways, relaxing at the modern spa & pool, having tea and listening to Irish music in the saloon.

Bray – We choose Bray as our launching point to spend time with family that live in South Dublin. From this location we explored the Wicklow area and spent the day at the Russborough Castle. It was really fun to spend time in their homes and get a glimpse of their day to day life. My teenager loved hanging out with the other teens and learning about life in Ireland.

inside scoop

On your way back to the States you will clear customs and immigration in Ireland. Make sure to allow extra time for this. I would suggest at least three hours.

What to Pack

A small packable rain coat to fit in your purse. A deck of cards for entertainment at the pubs.