Hi everyone,

So after Scotland, we hopped on another plane — but this one was almost over before it even started.

The flight from Glasgow to Belfast was only 35 minutes. Honestly, we spent more time boarding the plane and waiting for luggage than we did in the air.

We did have a bit of a first though — the captain came on before take-off and said there was a passenger onboard with a severe peanut allergy, and asked everyone not to eat anything containing peanuts during the flight. Haven’t heard that one before, but it makes sense when you think about it.

Ireland — The “Two for One” Deal

Now here’s something we didn’t fully appreciate until we got here, Ireland is kind of like a two-for-one country.

In Northern Ireland, everything is in miles per hour and you pay in Pounds Sterling. Then you cross what is basically an invisible border into the Republic of Ireland, and suddenly it’s kilometres per hour and Euros. No checkpoints, no big signs — just a subtle shift, a change in your GPS and you’re in a different system.

It gets even more interesting when you hire a car, if you pick up a car in Northern Ireland and return it in the Republic, they can charge an extra £300–£400 for the privilege. Luckily, we picked up a registered Republic of Ireland car in Belfast and were returning it within the Republic — which saved us a lot of money — although we still ended up paying £27 to cross the border.

Confusing? Yes… we thought the same.

Car parking Ireland style, and the roads are just as crazy as Scotland to drive on.

First Day in Belfast

Our first full day was in Belfast, we parked the car in a shopping centre for the day — about £8 — and jumped on a hop-on hop-off bus, which is actually a great way to get your bearings.

First stop was the Titanic Belfast experience. It was really well done — very interactive and informative — but definitely busy, especially early in the day. You can see why it’s such a popular attraction.

From there we went to see the murals and political walls, and then onto the Peace Walls, that part was quite confronting.

Hearing the stories about what the walls represented, and how communities were divided, really made you stop and think. It wasn’t just history — it affected real families. One story that stuck with us was about a couple — she was Catholic, he was Protestant — and they had to leave Northern Ireland just to be together because their families couldn’t accept it. They only came back years later after their parents had passed away.

It really shows how deeply those divisions ran.

Along the Causeway Coast

That night we stayed about half an hour outside Belfast in a coastal town called Carrickfergus, which turned out to be a great base. Lots to look at and a great meal at the pub next door.

From there we headed along the famous Causeway Coastal Route, we stopped at the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge — which is exactly as nerve-wracking as it sounds — and then on to the Giant's Causeway.

The landscape along that coastline is just incredible.

From there we continued on to Londonderry/Derry which is another significant location similar to the turmoil of Belfast, this location saw the “Bloody Sunday Massacre”, where the British Army shot 26 innocent civilians. Today depending on what side of the divide your on people refer to it as Derry (Nationalists) and Londonderry (Unionists). There is still talk today about trying to create a unified Ireland.

Fifty Shades of Green

The next part of the drive took us through the countryside, and honestly, the phrase “50 shades of green” makes perfect sense once you see it. Rolling paddocks, stone fences, old churches, ruins of castles — some still standing strong, others slowly being reclaimed by nature.

It feels like history is everywhere you look.

Beating the Weather (Sometimes)

We did have to work around the weather quite a bit, but here’s where technology helped. We’d arrive somewhere and it would be raining, then check the weather app and it would say “rain stopping in 10 minutes.”

So we’d wait… and sure enough, ten minutes later it would clear. Out we’d jump, grab the photo, and then move on before the next shower rolled in.

It actually worked surprisingly well.

A Surprise in Ardara

At one point we were about to drive into the small village of Ardara, not realising they were just about to start their St Patrick's Day parade. The whole town was out, and they were clearly very proud to be sharing their story.

It felt much more personal and political than what we would see later in Dublin — more about identity and community than just celebration.

Listening to the news, it’s interesting that Ireland discuss the same issues as Australia ie: housing crisis, cost of living, social media on teenagers and weight loss products, so what we think is happening at home is felt worldwide.

A Quick Detour to Westeros

We also made a detour to the Game of Thrones Studio Tour, that was actually fantastic.

They have original sets, costumes and props from the series, and you can really see the level of detail that went into making the show, even if you’re only a casual fan, it’s worth it.

The story books and drawings are amazing.

St Patrick’s Day in Dublin

We eventually made our way into Dublin for the big St Patrick's Day Parade, we got there about an hour and a half early, which turned out to be a good move because we managed to get a front-row spot, however not long after that it was about ten rows deep behind us

The parade itself was great — lots of music, dancing and community spirit. Not as political as the smaller village parade we saw earlier, and interestingly not as many leprechauns and fairies as you might expect. Even though we stayed for the entire parade sometimes the more interesting aspects of the day comes from the crowds.

We both agreed that expats overseas probably celebrate St Patrick’s Day a lot harder than they do here.

And yes… I tried my first Guinness, let’s just say… it’s not for me.

Heading South — Cork, Waterford and Kinsale

From Dublin we headed south toward Cork, with a planned stop at the Waterford Crystal Factory — possibly looking for something special for our 37th wedding anniversary.

We stayed overnight in Kinsale, which is a beautiful little fishing village with colourful shopfronts and a really relaxed feel. Dinner that night felt very appropriate — Irish stew and apple pie.

A Slightly Rushed Finish

This part of the trip was a little more rushed than we would have liked. We had to loop back toward Dublin to make sure we caught the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, which compressed the schedule a bit.

We did manage a quick visit to Blarney Castle, but I have to admit… I wasn’t quite brave enough to kiss the stone.

Also, we were probably about a week early for everything to be in full spring bloom. But there’s a trade-off, come early and you get fewer crowds and easier parking.

Come later and everything is in full colour — but you’re sharing it with a lot more people. We also noticed that along places like the Causeway Coast, many car parks and attractions now ask if you have a booking reference, so if you’re travelling independently it’s definitely worth pre-booking where you can.

On to the Next Chapter

So that wraps up Ireland for us. A mix of history, scenery, stories and a few surprises along the way.

Next stop? Another plane, another country….Greece.

And I have a feeling that’s going to be a completely different experience all over again.

IRELAND 2026

SCOTLAND 2026