Ireland Reviews
Restaurants, lodging, local experiences, and memorable stops from our two-week road trip around Ireland. Every review is based on our own firsthand experience.
A note about these reviews: We visited Ireland in 2022. Businesses, ownership, menus, prices, accommodations, and experiences may have changed since our visit. These reviews reflect what we personally experienced at the time, so we recommend checking current information before making your own travel plans.
Looking for trip planning advice instead? Visit our Destination Ireland page for road-trip guides, practical tips, and stories from our travels around the country.
🍽 Dining
One of our memorable dining experiences from the Ireland trip, with the setting itself becoming part of the meal. Dining aboard restored railway carriages gave Pullman a sense of occasion that made it much more than simply another dinner during the road trip.
A travel book put The Fish Box on our radar. Great reviews kept it there. Then a local bartender told us it was worth a visit. He was right. Family-caught seafood, crisp fish that wasn't the least bit greasy, and a 20-minute wait we'd happily make again. Even the condiment became part of the memory.
🎟 Experiences
We researched several falconry experiences before choosing Mayfield for its private, hands-on encounter. It fit our route, had plenty of owls for Gina, and gave us far more than we expected. From tiny owls to enormous ones, and a hawk walk with Mikey flying directly to the glove, Mayfield exceeded our wildest expectations.
🟢 Kilbeggan Distillery | County Westmeath
We skipped the famous whiskey names and found something that fit our route instead. Kilbeggan gave us centuries of distilling history, a wonderfully atmospheric tour, and the chance to choose a 14-year-old cask and fill a numbered bottle straight from the barrel.
One of those stops that proved why we map first and book second.
🏡 Lodging
One of the standout lodging experiences of our Ireland road trip. Lawcus Farm gave us more than somewhere to sleep. Its location, character and hospitality made it a memorable part of the trip itself, and our three-night stay gave us time to settle in and explore rather than simply pass through.
We didn't just visit an Irish castle. We slept in one. Candlelight, winding stone stairs, centuries-old walls, a wonderfully comfortable bed, and hosts who made the experience unforgettable. Black Castle wasn't about conventional luxury. It was about authenticity, and it became one of the highlights of our two-week Ireland road trip.
We deliberately booked an upscale hotel for one night as a mid-trip change of pace. The Savoy was comfortable, the staff were pleasant, and dinner was excellent. But on a road trip filled with distinctive stays and personal hospitality, it was simply a nice hotel room at a premium price. Nothing went wrong, but sometimes the more expensive option isn't the upgrade.
⭐ Also Worth a Stop
🟢 Friars Glen Country House
Our stay near Killarney offered the kind of quieter, more personal lodging experience we hoped to find on an Ireland road trip. It provided a comfortable base for exploring the area while still feeling distinctly different from a conventional hotel stay.
🟢 Knightsbrook B&B | Trim
Our final two nights in Ireland were at Knightsbrook B&B in Trim. We remember the stay particularly for the personal hospitality. When our host Mary learned we'd found an Irish cheese we loved, she went out and found us a wedge to take home. It's the kind of small gesture that can make a B&B stay more memorable than the room itself.
🟢 Dunmore Cave
An interesting stop that added something completely different to the road trip. Dunmore Cave gave us a chance to step away from Ireland's castles, coastlines and scenic drives and explore a very different piece of the country's landscape and history.
🟢 Skelligs Chocolate
Chocolate would have been reason enough to stop. Instead, Skelligs Chocolate became one of those small road-trip experiences that helped make the journey memorable. It's exactly the sort of place we like finding between the larger destinations on an itinerary.