An Irish Family Vacay
By Emma Freer
When my parents announced that our family was going on a vacation to Ireland this summer, I was half totally excited and half totally dreading it. I obviously have a weird complex when it comes to family vacations. It probably stems from many summers of driving the thirteen hours from my hometown of Cleveland to a small island off the coast of South Carolina – and back. When my parents asked me in advance of this most recent trip where I’d like to go, I told them – in a particularly bratty moment – that I didn’t care as long as it required a plane ticket to get there.
But my parents were decided, and they made good on my plane ticket demand, so at the beginning of August, the five of us – my parents, plus my brother, sister, and I – boarded the first of two planes to get from Cleveland to Shannon.
I had never traveled abroad with my entire family before. I’m pretty nonchalant about making transatlantic flights since I fly back and forth each semester. But I didn’t expect to feel so much more comfortable aboard with my entire family in tow. Despite my mom’s overwhelming plane-related anxiety, it was nice to have basically an entire row to spread out in since I didn’t have to respect my siblings’ personal space nearly as much I would have had to a stranger’s.
When we landed in Shannon, we were all exhausted and just sinking into our jet lag. After we found our rental car and my dad took photos of it from every possible angle to safeguard him against any damage charges upon its return, we were (finally) off. Our first stop was Bandon, a small town in Co. Cork. My dad’s family is Irish, and we have distant relatives who still live in Bandon, so we planned on meeting them for dinner one of the nights we were there. Instead, Brendan and Eibhlin graciously met us at our B&B and proceeded to spend the next three days as our guides and hosts.
I would recommend wholeheartedly finding some local Irish couple to tour you around. We were so lucky to have them share their Ireland with us. Without them, we never would have made it to Inchydoney Beach – a beautiful vacation spot on the coast, full of surfers and rental condos and the most expansive views – or known to make a day out of shopping on St. Patrick’s Street in West Cork.
Ireland, of course, is made out to be perfectly quaint and friendly. In Bandon, at least, this was certainly the sense we got. The proprietor of the B&B we stayed at, a charming older man named Noel, happened to be Brendan’s best friend. They golf together every day at Bandon Golf Club. Noel introduced us all to soda bread, which we consumed at every meal for the rest of the trip. He also gave us the best trip advice we received: take the scenic route.
From Bandon, we headed off to Dingle in Co. Kerry. Per Noel’s suggestion, we drove from one county to the next, stopping in each town he recommended along the way. In one, we had the most delicious lunch at a crowded café.
While we were still in Bandon, Brendan had played the role of chauffer as my dad was still adjusting to driving on the opposite side of the road. Irish crooner Johnny McEvoy was constantly on the stereo in his car, and my sister fell in love with his music. On the way to Dingle, we stopped in a music store, where my sister requested the CD. The man behind the counter was absolutely flabbergasted that a young girl was interested in McEvoy, who apparently is very popular with the elderly, but hardly even in stock these days. Thankfully, he had a copy in the shop, and we spent the rest of the trip driving around with the perfect Irish soundtrack playing in the background.
Along the way to Dingle, we stopped countless times to take in the view. Southwestern Ireland, where we spent the entire trip, is without a doubt the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. From rolling green hills to expansive coastal plateaus to breathtaking glimpses of the Atlantic, this place is not to be underestimated as a vacation destination.
Though none of us had ever heard of Dingle prior to our trip, many family friends had recommended that we stop there. It was definitely worth the detour. Though far more touristy than Bandon, Dingle had the added advantage of being directly on the coast, with more shops and restaurants than Bandon had to offer. It also is known for its traditional music scene, and each of the three nights we stayed there, we all went to pubs to hear the local fare. My younger sister even had her first (and second and a few more after that) beer in this adorable town.
After Dingle, we headed off to our final destination: Doolin. Farther north on the western coast, it was noticeably cooler, darker, and broodier than our previous stops. But Doolin was full of charm, and it provided the added benefit of providing easy access to the major sites: the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher.
After a whole week together, any family starts to lose its patience with each other. Thankfully, Doolin provided a change of scenery. It’s hard to be totally ticked off at your brother, as it were, when you’re standing on top of the Cliffs of Moher. In fact, Doolin might have been my favorite leg of the whole trip because it was both the least touristy town with the most sites to see.
When the trip came to its end, I was sad to see my family head home while I flew to London on my way to St. Andrews. In fact, I’m already looking forward to our next family vacation. For someone who was so resistant to the idea to begin with, I was absolutely set in my place by Ireland – and I loved every minute of it. Slàinte!