First Time Solo Trip to Dublin, Ireland (Part 3)

For as long as I remember, I’ve always dreamt of visiting Ireland. Having been drawn to its fascinating Celtic mythology, Irish folk music & dancing, and, of course the beauty of the Gaelic language, I was ecstatic when the dream of visiting Ireland finally came true. In Part 3 of the series, I am thrilled to share with you one of the day-trips out of Dublin that I took while traveling solo in Ireland.

By the way, if you missed the previous posts on Ireland, check Part 1, where I cover my favorite destinations in the City, and Part 2 for practicalities — where to stay, eat, and shop in Dublin, Ireland.

The Magic of the Irish Countryside

On this trip to Ireland, I definitely had “The Luck of The Irish” on my side. It was the hottest, sunniest summer on record. All that one could ever imagine the Emerald Isle to be, was right there, in all its glory and splendor. (By the way, the phrase “Luck of the Irish” originally comes from California, not Ireland. During California Gold Rush, a bunch of very successful or “lucky” gold miners happened to have Irish roots, and thought to have the “Luck of The Irish”. 😊)

The Irish countryside is enchanting, and the curious eye will notice the Fairy Trees in the fields. These trees have been deemed to belong to the Fairy Folk. Farmers with these trees on their land protect them with boulders so they aren’t destroyed by animals. If a Fairy Tree gets damaged, a farmer might get 6 months (or 6 years, by some sources) of bad luck.

Kilkenny, Wicklow Mountains, & Glendalough Day Tour From Dublin

I booked this day-trip adventure through Wild Rover Tours. Anthony (the tour guide) was very informative, and Patty (the driver) was skillfully navigating through the sharp windy roads like a champion! This dynamic duo was really fun to interact with, and if you are hoping to visit these areas, I highly recommend Wild Rover Tours.

Town of Kilkenny, Cathedral Church of St. Canice & Round Tower

The first official stop of my tour was the town of Kilkenny. It is 130 kilometers (80 miles) away from Dublin, about the distance between San Francisco and Santa Cruz in California (if you are familiar with that part of the state).

Kilkenny is a phenomenal medieval town. Some sources place the foundation of the town to the 6^th century, or even earlier… Just remember that when you are strolling (or running 😊) through its charming streets. There is a lot you can miss, if you don’t take the time to look around a little.

Kilkenny is very well-known for its multi-championship winning hurling team. Never heard of hurling before visiting Ireland (not to be confused with curling – two different sports). Hurling is deeply-rooted in the Irish tradition, dating back to pre-history. If you can’t attend a live game, YouTube it, it’s absolutely insane to watch!

When the tour bus stopped at Kilkenny, we had two options: to visit Kilkenny Castle or Cathedral Church of St. Canice & Round Tower. Vanessa and I prompted for the Cathedral and Tower. Vanessa was another solo female traveler from the U.S. We started chatting back in Dublin, while waiting for the bus to pick us up, and teamed up for the tour.

Cathedral Church of St. Canice & Round Tower

This was probably my favorite of the churches I visited in Ireland (so far). St. Canice or Kilkenny Cathedral’s was built back in the 13^th century, but the site itself was founded in the 6^th century. It was fascinating to see for many reasons:

The Green Man — this symbol of rebirth from pagan times decorates one of the main pillars of the church. It’s generally a carving or painting of a face sprouting leaves, or in some cases fruit, and the Green Man’s image is found throughout other churches of that period. The famous Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh has over a hundred of his depictions.

The Anchorites — There is an unassuming slab in the church floor picturing a figure with hands raised aloft. Maybe, 3×2 feet at most. The Anchorites (often thought of as hermits) were nuns who vowed to live out their lives in tiny cells along the wall near the altar. By permanently confining or entombing themselves in these cells, they were considered “dead to the world”, or living saints. Once the nun entered her cell, a Bishop would intone the Prayer for the Dead and seal the entrance.

The Leper’s Squint – People of that time were terrified of contracting leprosy, and those affected were forced to live in their own communities away from others. It is believed that the small opening close to floor level was for those affected with leprosy to observe church services. It is now bricked up, but still disturbing to come across.

The Effigy Tombs of the Noblemen — These incredibly detailed tombs are of the famous Butler family. On the photo on the left you’ll see the tomb of Pierce and Margaret Butler in their medieval attire, the knight in his armor and sword, and his lady in a gorgeous headwear piece and fine dress. The photo on the right is of John Butler, 2nd Marquess of Ormonde, who died in a drowning accident in 1854. He wears robes of the Order of St. Patrick.

Wooden Sculptures of the Choir Stalls — intricately carved wooden sculptures shine in the sunlight passing through the stained glass window of the church. These are relatively recent additions, installed in 1901, inspired by the stalls of the Bruges Cathedral in Belgium.

After being mesmerized by the interior of St. Canice Cathedral, we realized that our generous 2-hour time frame in Kilkenny was flying by much faster than expected. So, Vanessa and I made a mad dash to the Round Tower outside. This is one of the highest round towers in Ireland (100 feet), built in the 9th century. Out of about 120 round towers in existence (most of them in ruins), Kilkenny’s round tower is climbable. The only other round tower in Ireland that allows that is in Kildare.

No one really knows what purpose the towers served, and their construction raises more questions than answers. There are theories of lookouts or maybe bell towers, but nothing proven.

Naturally, one would expect a spiral staircase coiling up through the tower. Nope, not here! It is a series of wooden ladders with 121 steps that takes you to the rooftop. It was a little awkward climbing my way up, but once there… wow… what a spectacular view of Kilkenny from above.

Going back down was much easier than going up — stepping, skipping, and sliding all the way down the ladders. Don’t try it at home, kids! 😊 The combo admission ticket to the St. Candice Cathedral and Round Tower is €7.00 euros.

Vanessa and I thought we only had 30 minutes left before our bus departed. So… we ran throughout Kilkenny, stopping for directions, and picking up sandwiches for the road. Two delicious chicken salad sandwiches, water bottles refilled — we were very thankful to the cafe that helped us out. I wish I wrote down the name of the place!

Ironically, we messed up our departure schedule and arrived 20 minutes earlier than we needed to catch our bus. This gave me a chance to check out the outside views of Kilkenny Castle and its gardens. Kilkenny Castle ( Caisleán Chill Chainnigh ) was built in 1195, and had been the home to the aforementioned Butler family throughout the ages! We’ll definitely have to do the tour next time!

Actually, there are quite a few other intriguing places to explore in Kilkenny that I didn’t get to see. If I get the chance to visit this town again, I would love to spend much more time there to explore.

Heading back we enjoyed the spectacular drive through the County Wicklow, stopping at the Wicklow Gap, and continuing to Glendalough Abbey. The Wicklow Gap was a beautiful stop for taking a break, enjoying the surrounding beauty, and learning about the nearby village of Hollywood (with the sign on the hill!) that might have given its name to the famous Hollywood in California! For you, movie buffs, there are plenty of movies and TV shows filmed in County Wicklow. From Excalibur, to Braveheart, to The Tudors & Vikings, Ella Enchanted and P.S. I Love You to name a few.

We also drove by some morbid ruins of the past — working places during The Great Hunger in 1845-1849.

The Lakes and Glendalough Abbey

Embarrassingly, Vanessa and I were so hungry at this point, that we skipped a guided tour of Glendalough provided by Wild Rover Tours. Instead, we ate our sandwiches while leaning against the ancient stone walls, then explored the Lakes, and spent some time at Glendalough Abbey on our way back to the bus. By the way, if you book this day-trip, keep in mind – you’ll have much less time in this area than in Kilkenny, so make good use of the time given and don’t diddle-daddle. 😊

The Lakes

We fast-walked along the hiking trail, shaded by majestic trees, fern groves growing on the side of the hills in abundance, passing by the Lower Lake and then hitting the jaw-dropping Upper Lake. Glendalough means the “valley of two lakes”, by the way.

What a picture-perfect area to spend an afternoon picnicking, hiking, and even a bit of swimming.

Hint: Find the wooden stairs to the left side of the main trail to the Upper Lake, there is a hidden waterfall! Unfortunately, due to the shortage of time we didn’t make it all the way there. But check out this fairy-tale creek that is fed by the water from the waterfall!

Glendalough Abbey

The ruins of this once majestic Monastic City withstood the test of time. Founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, it thrived for centuries, in spite of Viking attacks. However, there are some signs that this location was used for spiritual purposes, pre-Christian times.

Glendalough has its own round tower (not climbable) that was built over 1,000 years ago. The only new addition from 19th century is the conical roof — the original one was struck and destroyed by lightning.

Sheep Farm Experience

Since I didn’t read the full description of the tour offered by the Wild Rover tours, the sheep farm experience was a welcome surprise to me! 😊

I really loved the fact that tour companies in Ireland partner with local farmers to bring awareness to the farming and sheep herding industry to the tourists. The dogs and the sheep were simply adorable! Unfortunately, you can’t bring them home with you.

After the bus brought us back to Dublin, I finished the day with a gnocchi bowl at Oscars Cafe Bar, and then slept like a baby.

Hope you enjoyed traveling along with me on this day-adventure outside of Dublin. In the upcoming and final Part 4, we’ll talk about the mystery-shrouded Hill of Tara and Newgrange! And if you missed Part 1 and Part 2 of this series on my first time traveling solo in Ireland, click the links for further reading!

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