Andrea Heagney, Direct Travel

05/13/2026

Day 9 Waterford to Wexford and goodbye

It was tough to leave Dunbrody House but we still had only 1 day+ to explore the south and east coast.

We wanted to see Duncannon and its Fort. We actually drove our car right onto Duncannon Beach! On the way we stumbled upon the Ballyhack Castle (free entry) right in the middle of the fishing village where there is also a ferry.

We encountered Highland cows grazing in fields and giant gentle donkeys nearby to the fort.

We drove down to Hook Head to see the active lighthouse and on the way passed the famously haunted house, Loftus Hall. We hear from the locals they can’t get a construction crew to stay onsite and finalize the renovations 👻

We made our move north along the east coast stopping at Britta Beach, Arklow for lunch (Wicklow was much prettier) and ending our drive in Malahide north of Dublin. This was an easy drive considering what we had accomplished before.

We took a waterfront walk steps away from our central hotel, The Grand Hotel, and into town. This property is a full service hotel with multiple restaurants, water views, expansive lobby and social areas etc. We ate a light bite at their bar and the next day enjoyed their breakfast buffet at Coast restaurant. It’s always nice to have a good breakfast on travel day as it maybe be your only real meal. I really liked the hotel’s decor and it served us well for our last night in Ireland before we flew home.

Those 10 days flew by. We loved our time on the Emerald Isle for many reasons and I know we will return. Ireland has so much to offer: history, culture, adventure, beautiful meals and especially beautiful people. It was lovely to engage with locals and chat about their property or pub or farm. We won’t forget the details of this trip and how this island made us feel.

05/13/2026

Day 8 Co. Cork to Wexford - South Coast

I’m afraid we’ll need to return to Kinsale. OK twist my arm. We had an appointment later in the day and so we had to keep moving after our stay at Kinsale Hotel.

This only left us with time in the morning to walk around Charles Fort (circa 1680), watch some kite surfers, photograph the beautiful bay views and walk the town a bit. Next time we’ll add more exploration and dining.

We drove 3hrs across the south coast to Kilmore Quay for a special experience. We had a ‘sea safari’ booked in the hopes of seeing puffins and maybe the elusive baskin sharks near the Saltee Islands. We were 1 for 2 in the end and had a great time with Saltee Sea Safari. We saw seals, a LOT of birds including puffins and had a fun zodiac ride. Highly recommend!

After the 90 minute ride we warmed up with a hot drink and hit the road toward our favourite stay of the entire trip at Dunbrody House. This privately owned country home has everything you’ll ever want: gorgeous grounds and buildings, kind and helpful staff, relaxing rooms and views, award winning dining, 3 dining venues - I could go on and on…

I’d highly recommend this accommodation for solo travellers wanting peace, couples seeking romance or anyone celebrating. We felt very special and taken care of (thanks Tommy and team!) and although we spent less than 1 day there we were rested and made some fun memories.

I’ll post some other content about Dunbrody but please ask me any questions in the comments!

05/11/2026

Day 7 Ring, Killarney to Kinsale

We left Waterville ready to finish driving the Ring of Kerry but first we needed a beach stop. We are loving Irish strands and Derrynane,halfway to Sneem, was amazing. The entry roads were pretty narrow but well worth the drive. This beach will be amazing come summer.

We headed east to complete the Ring making sure to drive thru Moll’s Gap and to see Ladies View. The roads were still curvy but not the worst we’ve driven. The drive to and thru the Killarney National Park was beautiful and surprisingly convenient with rest stops popping up out of nowhere!

Once inside the park we headed straight toward the hike to Torc Waterfall. It was worth the hike and we learned a trick - don’t follow the signs for the blue trail from the parking lot - that’s a steeper direction. Walk the trail starting from across the road - much easier.

Next we walked around Muckross Lake, saw some jaunting cars and headed to Killarney Castle. There are row boats for rent there and boat rides to Innisfallen island within the park but we just got a 99 🍦and enjoyed the lovely outdoor space the Castle Cafe offers.

There was a horse race on in the area so the roads and town were busy but we had a plan for lunch and I’m glad we stuck to it. We visited the famous JM Reidy’s pub. It’s epic and huge and the food was delish!

We shared a snug with a lovely couple from Wales, had our chowder and a pint. Their beer garden is extensive and quite lively!

We had already done shopping in Di**le (and the shops in Killarney looked very busy) so we moved onto our next stop, The Kinsale Inn. Kinsale is South Ireland in Co. Cork and a beautiful town on the water again. Their 90 acres grounds are extensive with wonderful views of Oysterhaven Bay. They’re only a 5 minute drive from town and I know they have a shuttle to town if you’d like to have a drink or t

It was Saturday night and we were glad to relax in the hotel and listen to their Irish singer. Their warm steak salad was great!l and we recommend the hotel.

05/10/2026

Day 6 Ring of Kerry cont’d

We stayed on a 2nd night in Waterville to see more from land an sea.

First an impromptu boat ride with Captain Rachel to see both Skelligs, Little Skellig and Skellig Michael which are a UNESCO Heritage site. Little Skellig is larger ironically and a birding haven. Gannets are the main residents and we saw Razorbills too.

Skellig Michael was used in two Star Wars films and you can take a land tour as well. The island is a 6th century monastery settlement with stairs to the stop on all sides of the island. Tour guides live on the island 2 weeks on and there are now bathroom facilities and shelter but no fresh water.

We grabbed a coffee at PortMagee’s Skellig Restaurant before driving the bridge to Valencia Island. We had a bit of rain and so exploring the lighthouse was perfect. They offer interactive experiences and have the Lighthouse Keeper’s home set up so it feels authentic.

The rain stopped so we made our way south toward the Kerry Cliffs. Most visit Cliffs of Moher but these cliffs are stunning, cost less and have less visitors. Be prepared for elevated walking for the best views.

We also saw replica Fahan beehive huts. The original huts are found along Di**le peninsula and Ring of Kerry, made by drystone corbelling, from 8th to 12th century and were used as medieval dwellings and for monks to seek a place to contemplate quietly.

We dragged ourselves away from the cliffs and continued to Cahersiveen as we heard there was a cool castle. Ballycarbery Castle was beautiful and it gave us a chance to see the quaint town too. After a stroll we walked into the East End Bar for a pint and had a very authentic experience. Only locals, sparsely decorated but the Landlady Noreen was great to chat with.

Back to Waterville for dinner at The Lobster Bar. Central, delicious fish pie and good service. We strolled the walkway to watch the sunset…and said Hi to Charlie. Chaplin used to vacation in Waterville himself!

05/08/2026

Day 5 - Di**le Peninsula

We left Tralee after a beautiful breakfast from Gertie complete with candlelight and drove the entire Di**le peninsula (and some of the Ring of Kerry) in one day.

Conor Pass was breathtaking as we entered between 2 mountain ranges. The roads got elevated, more narrow and challenging. We passed a lot of farm fields and wildlife along the route.

We casually stopped at the Ceann Sibeal viewpoint for our first taste of Di**le cliffs and continued to our 2 planned stops along the Slea Head Drive: Dunquin Pier and Coomenoole Beach. Both were impressive amd very photogenic and other than traffic/parking at both they were easy to find.

We certainly got our steps in with each walk, especially Dunquin with the elevation and it was great as a no-cost experience. If it was summer we would have swam at Coomenoole too!

We lunched at James Long in Di**le, explore the town (along with all the coach tour guests), shopped and then got back in the car. I didn’t realize until now how few photos of the fishing town we took. We just enjoyed our time there.

We were staying in Waterville that night and had a 2hr drive yet so we got back on the road and finished our night at Doyle’s with the locals watching a match.

Driving tip: Travel roundtrip on the Slea Head Drive from Di**le in the direction the coaches are driving (west along the south loop first) or else you will encounter one and need to reverse to let them pass.

05/07/2026

Day 4 Dromoland, Ballybunion and Tralee

After we left Nenagh we driver thru Co. Tipperary toward Dromoland Castle. We made a few stops along the way but had a midday reservation for high tea we couldn’t miss.

Dromoland was built in 1014 by the O’Brien Clan and despite political controversy and almost losing the property to gambling it was a private home until 1962 when financial struggles forced the last owners to begin accepting paying guests. Sad to read their history and yet I’m glad the property is still so lovingly cared for.

Dromoland is a gorgeous property offering exceptional service and we were warmly welcomed. The tea, food and service were amazing and we enjoyed walking the grounds and watching the golfers. I especially loved their Grannie’s Garden tea and we had a very unique goat cheese + peanut butter sandwich with cucumber and red onion. It was delicious!

Just imagine the wood burning fireplace smells and crackles as you walk thru their elegant rooms. Their bar was impressive as well! I’d definitely return to stay! We took our leftovers and hit the road again west.

Before arriving to our next b+b we wanted a walk so we headed to Ballybunion and found the Bromore Cliffs. We were the only ones there late afternoon, paid our 💶 fiver to the local farmer who owns the land and set off to explore each viewpoint. He’s done a great job with safety fencing, signage to explain the cliffs and the local history and we had a good chat with him as we were leaving. He was so friendly and helpful as most Irish we’ve come across are ☺️

We were so happy to see this beautiful area we also stopped at Nuns Beach nearby for a beach walk. Again easy to find and a natural wonder.

We ended our day at an even better b+b with Gertie as our host. Walkable to restaurants and town and all the amenities you hope for. Unfortunately her dining recommendation didn’t live up to it’s reviews but we you win some and lose some.

Off to drive the Di**le Peninsula tomorrow…

05/06/2026

Kilkenny and Nenagh Day 3

Have wheels - Will travel! We grabbed our rental car in Dublin and headed west. PS we’re both doing well with opposite side of car and street so far 👍🏻

We chose Kilkenny for a midday stop and it offered everything. A castle, quaint town, great pub lunch and a lovely walkabout.

We also visited St Candice’s church in town and paid a couple 💶 to climb their 9th century round tower. It’s 30m high and an at your own risk experience. The views of Kilkenny were great from above!

On our drive to our Nenagh b+b we stopped by an Abbey and once in town we walked a bit to see their castle and church grounds and head over to Andy’s Gastropub.

I had already scouted meal options along our route but when our Host Siobhan recommended it as well I knew it would be good. Wonderful service and delicious food!

We enjoyed driving thru Co Tipperary today and onto Co Limerick tomorrow.

05/05/2026

Dublin Day 2

We started our day with a gorgeous breakfast spread at our hotel and then a walk to Merrion Park to see the Oscar Wilde Memorial.

The park was cute and the memorial is facing his childhood home which is open to the public. I wanted to also check out The Merrion Hotel, another Virtuoso property, and it’s charming exterior did not disappoint.

We walked thru St Stephen’s Green where lots of locals were enjoying themselves on a Bank Holiday. We found our DODublin double-decker bus stop right outside the park and joined some fellow Canadians for a ride to the Guinness Storehouse.

The Guinness experience was really fun and you could probably spend an entire day there. We self-guided, chose the Academy to learn how to properly pull a Guinness pint and then finished with a beverage in their 7th floor Gravity bar. The bar offers great city views and beyond with labels on each window of what you’re looking at and how it’s important to Guinness eg. Wicklow Mtn as a water source..

I’ll say Guinness is a well-oiled machine, super educational, clean and a great time for all. We topped off the day with drinks + dinner with family friends. Such a lovely meal and wonderful conversation at Ryan’s of Parkgate St. we don’t have a single photo. Trust me the steaks were excellent!

05/03/2026

04/24/2026

LOVE💕 client feedback including gorgeous photos. These clients really enjoyed their stay in a Waterfront room this winter and their photos tell that story.

I miss Antigua but I’m always glad when my clients can enjoy it as much as I have.

These photos are from a January trip to Pineapple Beach Club with one photo of the Shirley Heights view at the end.

I also booked Royalton Antigua in a Diamond Club swim-up today for some ladies AND I have clients enjoying Galley Bay Antigua right now too. They chose a Premium Beachfront Suite and I know their balcony view sunrise and sunset will be spectacular.

This gorgeous island always gets my support and is still my favourite 🇦🇬

Don’t forget about Sandals Grande, Jumby Bay and many other properties that make this island and Barbuda special. There is always something for everyone!