Top 10 Best Places to Visit in Ireland

The Blarney Stone is a bit touristy, but the castle and area itself are beautiful, with lots of flower gardens and a lot of history. Blarney Castle is about 600 years old and made famous by the above-mentioned Blarney Stone.

One of the most iconic images of Ireland is the Cliffs of Moher. Sheer cliffs give a stunning view of the ocean. You can see goats and puffins climbing the cliffs, and you can see everything even better once you climb O'Brien's Tower.

Adorable hobbit-hole-type shops dot the hillside on your way into the visitor center, and shopping in them is a fun experience.

Located in Dublin, the Guinness Storehouse is a place you just can't miss if you've made it all the way to the Emerald Isle. You get to see how and where Guinness is made, which is an incredible experience. After the tour, you are taken to the top of the storehouse, where a lovely view of all Dublin is laid out before you. You also get a pint of Guinness, poured from the source, included in the tour. Even if you don't think you're a Guinness fan, take the pint. You won't regret it.

But here's the best part of the Storehouse: the restaurant. Oh my goodness, the food we had at the restaurant there is some of the best I've ever had. Delicious, dark Guinness bread is served to your table, and we ate every crumb. I had the bacon and mash with cabbage, and it was to die for. A more traditional Irish meal done to perfection. We also got the dessert sampler, which was fabulous. That meal ended up being the best meal I had in Ireland, which is saying something.

Trinity College is an awesome place in Dublin to visit. It's a beautiful campus, and you get to see the Trinity College Library, which is super famous and gorgeous. It is used in many references and movies. You also get to see the Harp of Ireland, and it is where they keep The Book of Kells.

Now, if you don't know what The Book of Kells is, I'll tell you. It's an incredibly old, intricately illustrated Latin version of the first four gospels of the New Testament, as well as some other texts. It's been beautifully preserved and displayed, and it's definitely an incredible thing to see.

The Aran Islands are charming, green, beautiful, and full of friendly people. The Aran Islands are a group of three islands: Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer. Inishmore is the biggest and my favorite. The people speak Gaelic, but most are fluent in English. It's got a very throwback feel and is very much like what comes to mind when you think of Ireland.

There are great wool shops there, and if you're looking to get a fabulous handmade sweater, look no further. Hit one of the shops up near Dun Aengus for a better price and experience.

Dun Aengus is a prehistoric fort on Inishmore, the biggest of the Aran Islands, and is set atop a magnificent cliff. A pony-drawn cart ride is a fabulous way to get there. I recommend Michael and Prince. You can also rent bicycles, walk, or take a van there, and then it's a pretty short walk from the visitors center to the fort. The fort dates back to 1100 BC. Make sure to visit the shops up there, and if you want a great wool sweater, that's the place to buy it! The locals make the sweaters from wool from their very own sheep, and the shop owners are sweet, friendly people.

Galway is a colorful, fun town with plenty of great places to eat, sleep, and shop. It's a great starting point for many other places. It's a two-hour ride from Galway's bus station to Dublin, and the public transportation system there is excellent.

Galway has some of the best fish and chips around, and the food in that city is fantastic. They have everything from traditional Irish food to seafood, great pasta and risottos, and even great pizza. It's an easy-to-navigate city, and lots of it is walkable, but there are plenty of taxis if you don't feel like walking.

A beautiful place full of history, some of it dating back as far as 1100 AD, and heavy with St. Patrick history. It has a beautiful cathedral and chapel and is reportedly the place where St. Patrick converted the King of Munster in the 5th century.