Irish Finale

After a few days exploring the east (Dublin) and west (Cliffs of Moher) coasts of Ireland- we ventured to the center of the country.

We saw a lot of beautiful places, but these few days in landlocked Ireland ended up being my favorite of the trip.

One major reason for that was the impressive Rock of Cashel. I could already tell it was going to be good from the parking lot.

The buildings that are still standing today (a church, chapel, and tower) are from the 12th-13th centuries. The Kings of Munster used to rule from this location, and legend says that St. Patrick himself once came to this rock to convert the king to Christianity. 

It's easy to see why it's one of Ireland's most visited tourist sites! The views of the surrounding town and green countryside would probably be worth the little hike up the hill even without the lovely medieval architecture. 

My girls enjoyed playing with the rocks, and drinking milk in ancient buildings, respectively.

One of my favorite things about Ireland were the random ruins that were absolutely everywhere. As we drove away from Cashel we stopped quickly to peek at (the unfortunately named) Hore Abbey.

And this old church was right next door to our Airbnb. Maybe crumbling piles of stone surrounded by green countryside is not everyone's thing.. but it is definitely my thing. 

Our last Irish sightseeing of the trip took place in the medieval city of Kilkenny. We got there too late for the walking tour I had planned, so we had to DIY it.

First on the agenda was to feed the hangry toddler. We had lunch at Kyteler's Inn- yet another 13th century building.. and former home of the accused witch Alice Kyteler. She was married 4 times to men who all mysteriously died, and eventually fled Ireland to avoid a trial and being burned at the stake. Some fun history to contemplate while eating.

With a placated 2 year old thanks to good old Irish potatoes (i.e. her favorite food- fries), we headed over to St. Canice's Cathedral. It's always good for my soul to visit European cathedrals. 

This type of round tower (similar to the one in Cashel) are apparently unique to Ireland. I believe they were originally bell towers but were sometimes used for other purposes. This one was built in the 9th century and is 100ft tall. And David and his mom climbed to the top!

Kudos to them, because I would not be caught dead doing that. Besides my fear of heights, David said the stairs were more of a steep ladder. 

Kilkenny Castle was our last stop. We hung out in the sunny gardens for a while, and Magnolia found a little friend. They didn't speak the same language but were extremely cute playing together!

With two exhausted kids in tow, we drove the last leg of our journey and made it back to Dublin for our flight home the next morning. 

This trip was amazing but definitely not easy. A lot of things didn't go according to plan, and Maggie struggled more than expected with the jet lag. Despite having 3 out of 4 grandparents with us to help... it was definitely parenting on hard mode. However, we can't complain about the chance to see some of this beautiful country!

We've made a vow to go back someday with older kids. :) 

And even though the toddler was grumpy for much of the trip, she asks all the time to go back to Ireland and see more castles.