Ryan and I initially planned to spend the first half of the day hiking in the Wicklow Mountains, but those plans unfortunately had to be scrapped due to weather. We were so, so bummed but since we have no control over Mother Nature, we rolled with the punches and shifted our loose itinerary around quite a bit.
Rather than setting out on a hike first thing in the morning, we checked out of the hotel right away and drove for a little less than two hours until we reached the adorable city of Kilkenny.
Tons of different shops, cafes and restaurants line the streets of Kilkenny and Ryan and I had no trouble spending several hours walking around and exploring.
Of course we had to pay a visit to Kilkenny Castle, a stunning castle that is more than eight centuries old!
Everyone who told us to visit the castle before we left on our trip encouraged us to talk to the guides in the rooms and ask questions which was great advice. We learned a lot about the Butler family who once owned the castle and had a great time chatting with a few of the guides, especially the man who told us to be sure to let him know when we were ready to move in. Ha!
Unfortunately pictures were not allowed inside the castle, but I made sure to snap some photos of the gorgeous garden (sans roses since we’re obviously not visiting during the right season for beautiful flowers).
Everyone say hi to the lady in the pink jacket!
After our time in the castle, we walked around for a little longer until our stomachs told us to stop for food.
We passed by a small deli called Fresh… Pam’s Deli and the glorious smells from inside beckoned to us and we knew we found our spot.
We both loved everything about this place.
My latte was fabulous and though the woman who made it couldn’t remember the name of the coffee, she said it was made locally and I couldn’t stop raving about it.
A perfect afternoon pick-me-up!
I also ordered a turkey bagel sandwich which immediately intrigued me when I saw that it was made with stuffing! Since stuffing is my all-time favorite Thanksgiving Day food, I couldn’t resist and was very happy with my selection. It was also quite the filling sandwich and kept me full all afternoon.
After lunch and a bit more time in Kilkenny, it was time for another two-hour drive to our second castle of the day.
Recognize this one!?
The famous Blarney Castle is on all of the Ireland “must see” lists and while we had a feeling it would be quite touristy, we still wanted to see it because we heard that it really is pretty spectacular.
The cold, rainy weather worked in our favor because it was practically deserted! We didn’t wait in any lines and only saw a small handful of people.
We climbed to the top of the castle (freaky small staircases!) and were in awe of the beautiful view of the castle grounds. Everything was so green and lush.
Once we reached the top, we saw a guide waiting to help anyone who wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone which, as legend says, is supposed to bring anyone who kisses it the “gift of eloquence.”
Ryan was more than game.
After Ryan kissed it, he turned to me and said, “Your turn!” I laughed and refused and told the guide who helped Ryan kiss the stone that I heard all about what supposedly happens to the Blarney Stone when tourists aren’t there. He told me it wasn’t true and then showed me a bottle of cleaner that is used on the stone. I still wasn’t so sure, but decided to do it anyway… but very lightly and very quickly!
It was pretty darn cool, I must admit.
Now it’s time for me to head to bed. Ryan and I have another big day ahead of us tomorrow. We’re hoping to see the Cliffs of Moher!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!!
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Ah! That looks terrifying! And it sounds like you’re having a wonderful time. Enjoy the rest of your trip! Thanks for sharing everything!
Haha I’ve heard about that stone before but always wondered about the hygiene factor 😀
Glad your second day sounded better than that 4 hours of traffic yesterday.
So awesome I always gave wanted to kiss the rock!! Thanks for sharing!
I’d like to take on one of those castles!
What an amazing vacation! I’ve only been to Dublin, but someday I would love to go back to Ireland and explore all of the little towns and countryside! Just curious, is it hard to adjust to driving on the other side of the road? I would be so scared!
i haven’t tried. 🙂 we rented a manual car and i don’t know how to drive stick, so ryan is doing all of the driving. i am nervous enough as a passenger!!
I was wondering the same thing! Good call getting the manual so he has to drive 😉
Going around the cliffs are scary! I would be too scared to drive :p
I want to live in a castle in Ireland.
What a fun day! Did you have to do a back bend to kiss the stone?!
yes!! i was surprised by that, too!
So glad you are loving Ireland! I am living in Limerick, Ireland at the moment (about 30-40 mins away from Cliffs of Moher) so I’m excited you are here exploring!! Hope you have an amazing time and hope the weather gets better as well 🙂
What an amazing trip! Everything is so green! I would have been apprehensive to kiss it too. Haha So glade you’re enjoying yourself!
What beautiful pictures!!!
Bummer you didn’t get to see Wicklow Woods or the roses at Kilkenny Castle. I went to Ireland a couple of years ago and have some gorgeous photos of them. But you got to kiss the Blarney Stone. Jealous! And isn’t driving in Ireland WILD?! The roads are so narrow.
yes!!! the tiny one-lane roads make me hold my breath!
Looks like y’all are having an amazing time!! Enjoy!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! It looks like you’re having a wonderful time! 🙂
The Cliffs of Moher are stunning! We were in Ireland last week and I am loving reliving the vacation through your blog! 🙂 If you have time, you can tour the Smithwicks brewery in Kilkenny! And even if you don’t care for Guinness, the storehouse in Dublin is worth a visit!
we tried to do the smithwick’s tour but arrived too late to kilkenny and then we wanted to head to blarney before the next one began. i was bummed. loving that beer!
Ahh, I don’t know if I could kiss the stone!On another note, Ireland looks so amazing!
Hi Julie!
Your post and photos are amazing! I’m so jealous! Just out of curiosity, did your passport get accepted with the smiling photos you posted last year. I actually am waiting mine and I’m hoping I don’t have any issues since I smiled.
Thanks!
yes! thank goodness. i cannot do the serious face. 🙂
You should definitely visit the Aran Islands if the weather is good tomorrow!
And order banoffee for dessert.
What’s your favorite part about Ireland so far?
the people! we have loved spending time in pubs each night because we’ve enjoyed meeting the people so much. they’re incredibly friendly and always have great recommendations and stories. the seafood is also so fresh and delicious. and, of course, you can’t beat the GREEN scenery! we finally had a bit of sun yesterday and it was stunning.
AHH i would have freaked if you refused to kiss it!! So funny that he showed you the cleaner:)
I am LOVING reading your updates! Thanks for taking the time out of your vacation to share!
I am enjoying reading your posts…and it’s very cool to “see” Kilkenny Castle and the Blarney Stone again…two places I visited on my one and only trip to Ireland! Funny, that I didn’t worry much about kissing the stone back then (when I was in college)….but I lived to tell about it so it can’t be that germy 🙂 You will love the Cliffs of Moher….stunning! Looking forward to more posts about your trip….have fun! BTW- the Ritz looks like an amazing hotel…wow!!
Another fantastic day! The green looks so vibrant.
I just found your blog and I love it!!! My parents are from Ireland, the rest of my family is still there. Anytime we go back it’s family time so I ‘be never got to do all of those fun touristy things. The Blarney Stone pics are amazing!!!! Have a great time, can’t wait to hear about the rest of your trip.
ahh I am sooo jealous of you right now! Glad you’re having fun!
I’ve heard that, too – but I think it’s one of those things that you just have to do anyway (and I’m a germaphobe!) You can’t go home saying you didn’t do it!!
Oooh, I’ve actually been to Kilkenny castle years ago, too.
I hope you’ll keep having lots more of fun on your trip – and not get your plans crossed by the weather again ;).
Your trip sounds amazing! It’s crazy how old some of the things in Europe are! It really transports you to the past seeing them.
I’m just dumbfounded that I never knew you had to kiss it upside down! I’ve never heard that before.
What a fantastic day! I seem to remember some pretty cool gardens surrounding Blarney Castle, including a staircase that (for some legendary reason) you had to walk up backwards. Did you do any backwards stair walking?
Sounds like such a fun trip already! Looking forward to more updates!
Beware of the drive to the cliffs of moher, its a very very small country road and buses will not yield to you! I’m very jealous, I wish i was traveling! Sounds like you are having a blast
It looks so pretty there despite the bad weather! I am so jealous 🙂 Have fun on the rest of your trip!
How amazing to get to see such beautiful places in person!
I loved this post because it brought me back to the time I spent in Ireland with my sister. We also kissed the Barney stone and were a little intimidated hanging upside down. I hadn’t heard any stories about the stone at that point so I didn’t hesitate! Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Love Kilkenny- that’s where the Smithwick’s Brewery is. Hope you can make it to the Cliffs of Moher- they are stunning.
You are so lucky! Ireland is top on my list of countries that I want to visit whenever I travel abroad. Kissing the Blarney Stone is awesome.
Fun! The café is literally ADORABLE. Haha, oh my gosh, I’d love to try kissing the stone. Looks fun!
Looks like you both are having an amazing trip so far. How is Ryan handling driving on the other side of the road?
he’s doing really well! i’m impressed. the small one-lane roads freak both of us out though!
I love your outfit! adorable!
If I ever go to Ireland, I know where I’m going! Too cool! I’m definitely living through you right now 😉
Hey Julie!
Looks like y’all are having tons of fun in Ireland! I went to Northern Ireland a while back and loved it! Are y’all planning on going to Giant’s Causeway while you’re there? Beautiful.
I also had one other question…I love the boots you wore today. Where are they from?
-Abby
todentalschoolandbeyond.blogspot.com
thanks abby! they’re colin stuart from Victoria’s Secret.
Kilkenny is SO cute! I would love to go there one day! I am pretty germaphobic but I think I would have to get past that to kiss the Blarney Stone… I mean, it’s a big deal!! I am glad you went through with it. 🙂
The Cliffs of Moher are amazing! I can’t believe how spectacular they were in person. And the puffins!! So adorable. You will love it.
Oh my goodness, that sandwich looks delicious! I haven’t heard about what happens to the Blarney Stone, but I will be sure to look it up. Glad day two went off with less of a hitch than dy one.
haha. You know I’m a coffee fanatic when I gravitated straight to the picture of your latte! I bet it was amazing! It’s so fun to see all of your adventures! Thanks for posting them! 🙂
Amanda
I swear Europe has the tiniest staircases! Haha I love all the photos! Hope you guys have a great trip!!
One of my friend’s family is from Ireland and his dad claimed they used to pee on the stone too…didn’t stop me though haha, I felt like it is one of those things you have to do 🙂 You’ll love the Cliffs of Moher, they are fabulous.
Your headband/ear warmer is adorable! I love it!!
thank you! my friend merri’s mom actually made it for me. 🙂
Wow what a blast! Good for you guys!
Looks like you’re having great fun – but get used to the dreary weather, its permanent in Britain!
Irland looks great from your pictures. It actually makes me thinking about going there one day. I love travelling. Post more about different places you visit.