If you’re feeling the call to escape the Texas heat, Ireland certainly has a much cooler summer climate than the Lone Star State. 

Of course if you’re willing to brave the nine hour flight, you’re going to want to see everything and anything you can on the island in a single trip. Here are some recommendations for places to see based on my family’s own jam-packed visit.

Barack Obama Plaza

Alright this first one is a bit odd, but also hilarious. During our travels some flight delays led to rearranging plans and flying into Dublin instead of Shannon. While making the four hour car drive to our actual destination, our driver stopped at a rather peculiar gas station to refill.

Near the town of Moneygall, right on the border of county Offaly, a two-story gas station with a statue of Barack and Michelle Obama outside welcomes any visitors looking to fill up their gas tanks, bellies, and even their brains. The entire second floor of the gas station is a small museum highlighting presidents of the United States and other prominent figures with Irish heritage.

If you are traveling by car across the country, I highly recommend giving this random stop a chance and witnessing the hospitality of the Irish right off the bat!

The Europe Hotel & Resort

The Europe Hotel and Resort is one of six five-star hotels in Killarney. Video Julia Helsel

Located in Killarney on the breathtaking Lough Leane, the biggest of the city’s three lakes, The Europe Hotel & Resort offers a cloud-kissed lakeside and mountain view paired with top-notch service and a wide variety of amenities.

Immediately upon entering, the lobby and main courtyard offers picturesque scenery with a well-manicured garden, a dock to the lake and sprawling green mountains in the background. They have a gazebo designed to host weddings, an outdoor and indoor heated pool, a spa, gym, a sports court and a lovely walking trail where some wildlife may cross your path.

The Europe has three restaurants, and though I only dined at one of them, I can happily report that the quality and authenticity of the food was unmatched. Every morning and most evenings during my stay I dined at The Panorama, The Europe’s signature restaurant. Guests can choose from a variety of food choices of both familiar and local cuisine, with a particular highlight being the fresh lake-caught salmon.

If you’re looking for something fun to do right on-site, towards the entrance of The Europe are stables which house multiple Austrian Haflinger Ponies. At no extra cost, children and novice riders can have a 15-minute guided horseback ride around the grounds of the hotel. This service is on a casual walk-in basis, but if you want something planned out and more adventurous, The Europe is also partnered with Killarney Riding Stables which offer more experienced riders the opportunity to explore Killarney National Park.

As a final footnote, when staying in Ireland, not all hotels come equipped with air conditioning units. This won’t be a problem most of the time, but if you plan for a summer visit, it’s highly recommended to find a place to stay with air conditioning. Thankfully, The Europe provides it as long as there is a key card in the room to activate it. This amenity is a huge relief after a long day of hiking, horseback riding or walking about the city.

Killarney National Park – Killarney Jaunting Cars

Killarney National Park is a 26,000-acre area that encompasses the three lakes of Killarney, Lough Leane, Muckross Lake (The Lower Lake) and the Upper Lake. The area is full of historical and natural wonders, but there is a catch –- not a single vehicle is allowed in the park. So, for tourists who’d prefer to skip a hike or bike ride but still experience Killarney’s natural beauty, there’s a fun alternative: A jaunting car.

Killarney Jaunting Cars (Horse-drawn carriages), offers multiple different tours through Killarney National Park where one can experience some old-fashioned transportation, a personal tour on behalf of the jarvey (driver), and see historic sites like Ross Castle and Muckross Abbey. My group took one of the shorter tours, lasting just under an hour, which starts at one of the park entrances and drops off right by the lakeside Ross Castle, the ancestral home of the O’Donoghue clan.

The castle’s lakeside location makes it perfectly picturesque, with many ducks, geese and swans gathered nearby its grounds. The castle itself is the preserved ruins of what remains after the siege of the English general Oliver Cromwell. It doesn’t take too long to walk the grounds and take a look inside the main structure. If that leaves you wanting more, there is the option to add on a lake cruise that departs from the castle and takes an hour-long trip around some of Lough Leane.

I loved being able to learn so much history and see even a fraction of what Killarney National Park had to offer, but what made it even sweeter was knowing that I’d soon be returning to a different section of the park to experience even more.

Killarney National Park – Muckross Traditional Farms and Schoolhouse

After a very short bus ride, we arrived at Muckross Traditional Farms and Schoolhouse, a full re-creation of a traditional rural Irish farm as it would have operated in the 1930s. At the entrance we were greeted by two hulking, yet friendly, Irish Wolfhounds, a flock of roaming chickens and even given the chance to try some home-cooked snacks.

Following the warm country-style welcome, guests are free to explore the farm as they like. I immediately flocked to the stables where a variety of animals were housed, before sauntering over to the live blacksmith demonstration where a full forge allowed guests to get all the facts about old-fashioned metalworking.

Muckross Traditional Farm pairs farmhouse antiquity with engaging live demonstrations
and Irish hospitality. Video Julia Helsel

Inside the house are multiple rooms to explore and workers who do live demonstrations of butter-making and bread-making. For those who may be looking to let out a little extra energy, they also offer brief lessons and demonstrations on hurling, a traditional Irish sport similar to a mix of hockey and lacrosse.

After working up an appetite, there is an option for groups to have an authentic, home-cooked Irish meal while dining inside the schoolhouse, which is just a short hike from the farms. The schoolhouse is completely frozen in time, with old chalkboards and desks set up like children had just been in class the previous day. Groups line up and are served cafeteria style with choices of beef and veggie stew, leek and potato soup (a staple Irish dish), salmon, and if you leave room for dessert, bread and butter pudding.

Muckross Traditional Farms and Schoolhouse was a huge highlight of Killarney due to the sheer amount of offerings it had and how personalized the experience was. Every worker went above and beyond to be friendly and informative. The whole experience gave me unexpected surprises as I explored as much as I could.

Killarney Town Center

Now it was time for the main attraction – Killarney itself! The “downtown” shopping area offers rows and rows of options for shopping, drinking and dining, all in a highly walkable layout. Music can be heard pouring out of pubs and iconic Irish brands have storefronts positioned at this prime tourist location.

Killarney’s town center is best explored at your own pace and to your own tastes –- it’s got something for everyone. During our travels we started at Aran Sweater Market, a brand which fashions a variety of wool clothing items and accessories from the fleece of sheep raised in Ireland’s Aran islands. Afterwards we walked around and stopped in various music, art and souvenir shops before getting some pastries and ice cream.

After a brief break at The Europe, we ventured back into town to celebrate my dads 50th birthday the Irish way – with fish and chips, a pint of Guinness, live music and a World Cup match playing in the pub. We had a reservation at Cronin’s Restaurant, a locally owned and operated two-story restaurant located right in the heart of Killarney. I enjoyed some magically delicious calamari, my brother chowed down on a classic beef burger and my parents enjoyed the classic fish and chips.

For drinks, we all made a quick walk down the street to Dunloe Lodge, a bustling pub with live music every night. There weren’t many spots left in the crowded pub as people piled in to hear the music, enjoy a pint and watch the world cup. I enjoyed a glass of Bulmers Hard Cider, which quickly became my go-to drink during my stay, while my parents enjoyed some beer, and it all added up for a memorable, and authentically Irish way to end the night.

Gap of Dunloe

The next day we were up bright and early for another horse-drawn adventure, and although this one would be a bit more bumpy, it was worth it for the scenery. My family piled into a horse and cart provided by Gap of Dunloe Tours, which meant we were travelling in a much smaller, uncovered, two-wheeled cart instead of a large carriage like the day before. They only fit four passengers and the jarvey, and even then it’s tight quarters, but all of that was completely irrelevant when passing through the breathtaking Gap of Dunloe.

The Gap of Dunloe is a mountain pass separating the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and the Purple Mountain ranges, caused by a huge glacier that cut through the land and helped form the lakes thousands of years ago. While travelling through the pass you’ll be able to see tons of sheep, some horses, and even some mountain goats off in the fertile green fields. The tour allows for a perfect view of the valley, the lakes, and even Carrauntoohil, the largest mountain in Ireland. There are a few sections where walking may be required to give the horse a chance to make it up some inclines, but it is for no longer than 12-15 minutes and is moderately strenuous.

After reaching the end of the trail, groups are dropped off at a small snack and sandwich shack before being escorted down to the bank of the Upper Lake. There, around 15 passengers pile into long motorized boats which take guests on an hour-long journey throughout the Middle Lake of Killarney and Lough Leane, which connect through thin passages.

The scenery remains as gorgeous as ever and the lake’s waters are crystal clear. We went in the midst of a particularly dry season for Ireland so there was only one spot where we had to exit the boat so it wouldn’t get stuck on rocks, but this isn’t a common occurrence. Ireland is famous for its rainfall, but during our entire stay in the country we didn’t encounter a single drop – just because we got lucky doesn’t mean you should count on it. Pack some rain gear to be safe rather than sorry. After a look from afar at an old monastery and travelling under some old rock bridges, a familiar sight came into view. The tour ends exactly where our previous day began, at Ross Castle.

The Laurel’s Pub and Restaurant

After our day of adventuring we were brought one last time to central Killarney to enjoy a special “Hooley Night”, a celebration with music, river dancing, and good food and drink. After stepping off of the bus, our group was treated to a ceremonious drumming entourage as we walked to our final stop for the night – The Laurel’s Pub and Restaurant.

The venue is locally owned and operated, and offers one of the most extensive menu options of any restaurant we dined at during our visit. We were treated to a three course meal that included leek and potato soup again, salad, the choice of hake or lamb, topped off with pie for dessert. While we dined, we were entertained by world-class Riverdancers and even treated to traditional Irish mouth-music in addition to the typical bar-ballads.

Our experience wasn’t what you’ll find on a normal day of operation, as the space was rented out for our travel group, but I still highly recommend stopping by just on the quality of their dining options.

While this venture ended our three-day escapade in Killarney, there’s still plenty more of this lush island to explore and a royal welcome awaiting us just around the corner.

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Cover photo Julia Helsel

Julia Helsel is an editorial intern for Texas Lifestyle Magazine, a recent graduate of Texas A&M University and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. When she’s not traveling, she can be found reading, writing, or playing guitar.