In 2016, we traveled as a family of four to the country of Ireland to explore the rich heritage, visit historic castles, and to spend time together discovering the beautiful hillsides. We had a great time trying new foods as well as finding places to visit once again in the future. Come along as we show you highlights from our Irish adventure!

One of our first stops on our week long trip was the original factory and guided tour of Guinness, located in Dublin, Ireland. We absolutely loved hearing about the historic aspects of the company as well as the impact it has had on not just Dublin, but Ireland as a country. At the end of the tour, Laura, Pat, and Tanner enjoyed free pints of Guinness atop the rooftop bar (Jordan enjoyed a nice cocktail being 15 at the time but enjoyed every second looking out onto the entire city!) We would definitely recommend going on this tour if you're ever in Dublin!

During our stay in Ireland, we also toured the Waterford factory and got to see first-hand at the incredible and intricate designs by the master artists. Their work was so impressive and we enjoyed every moment of seeing the multiple steps and details it took to create even the smallest crystal vase. The master artists had achieved such a high-level of artistry that you're only able to be one of the few hired at Waterford if you have at least 20+ years of hand crafted experience! We were amazed! They had an incredible array of gifts and trinkets at the end, but seeing first hand at the overall process of creating these crystal pieces was our favorite part!

After the factory tour, we headed out to Ashford Castle which was one of our favorite stops during the trip! It has a private golf course, an exquisite hotel lobby, falconry, and incredible gardens. We enjoyed high tea in one of the private dining rooms and then explored the hotel grounds. If we ever come back to Ireland we would definitely stay here!

We stayed at Adare Manor for the duration of our trip and Ireland is so drivable that we would take day trips every day! We were able to venture to Cork and Killarney and be back for dinner in our village. Adare Manor was fantastic and there was so much greenery to enjoy outside. In the town, we had great food at the local pubs and our favorite meal was the Shepard's Pie in the village! It was a great feeling walking in the village after dinner, hearing people singing from the restaurant windows, and embracing the Irish culture.

Before we headed back for home, we stopped into various stores to find great gifts for friends and family. We loved the thick wool sweaters as well as blankets and the quality was fantastic that we still have them today in our home! No matter where we went, everyone couldn't have been nicer and they made our time in Ireland that much more enjoyable. We spent the last few days of the trip exploring various stone castles, seeing the coastline, and eating lots and lots of great food!

If you find yourself headed to Ireland, be sure to hit these highlighted spots...you won't want to miss them!

Thanks for stopping by & be sure to check out more of My Favorite Things.