One of the places that the Lucky Bugs had always wanted to visit was Ireland and no we’re not big U2 fans – I just couldn’t resist the title since Ireland is the popular band’s homeland. You might remember how much we love to watch movies (especially chick flicks) and isn’t funny that when you have a place in mind, it sometimes seems as though you are suddenly surrounded by subliminal messages telling you to go. Just for an example, in a really short period of time it seemed like every movie we watched had Ireland’s gorgeous scenery in it, like Leap Year and P.S. I Love You, and even The Titanic has Irish ties – and not going to lie – the idea of romantic “run ins” with Gerard Butler, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew Goode never hurt the vision either.
Blarney
The town of Blarney is located right near the city of Cork (approx. 5 miles), and after doing a bit of exploring in the city we were off to “kiss the stone.” Blarney Castle, the Blarney Stone and Blarney House are all situated in a beautiful park like setting of gardens, perfect for wandering around on a nice day.
Probably the most famous thing that Blarney is known for is kissing the Blarney Stone. After standing in line up a very narrow corridor of stairs to the top of the castle, you are welcome to lean backwards and kiss the stone (note: there are attendants there to help you if you’re worried about “kissing the ground” or getting back up out of that position.)
Here you will see Baby Bug kissing the Blarney Stone. It is said that if you kiss the Blarney stone you will be blessed with the “gift of gab” and/or great eloquence, however we believe that Baby Bug was blessed with these gifts previous to kissing the stone – still a lot of fun though!
Kinsale
This charming little fishing village is located about 40 minutes from Cork and is well worth a visit to explore the shops, or get something to eat (and drink) at one of the many local pubs.
Dublin
Great city, but because of a lost camera card and also because of all day heavy rain – we have no pictures of Dublin. We did choose to do the hop on/off bus (which is usually a good choice because it gives you a great overview of the city and it also keeps you dry in the pouring rain.) Another really popular option may be to do a Guinness Storehouse Experience.
When in Ireland, a drive in the countryside is a must. The scenery is so pretty and everything is so green.
almost doesn’t look real…
little dots of sheep
the path in the distance on the right will lead you to Giant’s Causeway
This UNESCO World Heritage site is located on the north coast of Northern Island and is made up of approx. 40,000 columns that form different heights/levels of stepping stones. 
Though the formation is due to volcanic activity and is more than 60 million years old, and also because there is a very similar formation 150 km across the Atlantic, a popular myth came to be. It is said that a giant built the causeway as a footpath across the ocean to confront a rival giant because there was not a large enough boat to carry him, and the footpath allowed him to cross without getting his feet wet.
G.G.Bug and Baby Bug make it to the top!
Belfast
Again, I apologize for a lack of pictures of this city. We just had time to do a city tour on our visit, and if I had it to do over again I think I would have chosen a visit to the Titanic museum instead. I wanted to like Belfast and I believe that I went there with an open mind however I just didn’t get a good vibe on our visit. Our guide kept stressing how far the city had come from it’s days of conflict and war, and how safe it was but though we were happy to have visited, it is a place that is not a priority to get back to for us.
Many may not know that The Titanic was built in a shipyard in Belfast. A Titanic museum was built on the shipyard site and opened in 2012. This massive exhibition houses enough artifacts and exhibits to make a full day of it – and looks very interesting!
In short, Ireland checks off all of our boxes (requirements) when looking for a travel destination because of it’s gorgeous scenery, historic landmarks, great food and friendly people. The Lucky Bugs hope you get a chance to experience it for yourself!
