The Irish Bucket List
Pretty much everybody on the planet is familiar with the concept of a ‘bucket list’ by now, thanks largely to the movie of the same name. And for those folks with enough in the bank, it is possible to make some of those travel dreams and ‘life experiences’ come true. However, popular bucket list options like visiting the pyramids in Egypt, walking along the Great Wall of China and riding elephants in Thailand don’t come cheap. To avoid those air miles stacking up, we have created a bucket list which takes place all in one country: the Emerald Isle of Ireland.
Machu Picchu in Peru is top of a lot of people’s travel bucket lists, but Ireland can lay claim to an ancient and mysterious history to rival that of the Incas. Check out the beautifully preserved 5,000+ year old tombs in Newgrange, County Meath for a window into ancient Celtic life. And instead of mortgaging your house to be hauled up Everest by a patient Sherpa guide, why not take a guided tour up Ireland’s highest mountain – Carrauntoohill – where you can learn about local myths and legends and enjoy some spectacular views.
Riding elephants in Thailand certainly sounds romantic, although the treatment meted out to those elephants in the first so is often considerably less pleasant. In Ireland you can go horse riding amid spectacular scenery just about everywhere, although we recommend the Dingle area of Kerry; it’s one of the most beautiful spots in the whole country. While you’re there, you can take a boat trip out to meet Fungie the famous Dingle dolphin, rather than queuing up to get your photo taken in a noisy aquatic center with a tame dolphin.
The Northern Lights is a fixture on most bucket lists, but did you know that on a clear night they can be seen from Glengesh Pass in Donegal? Now we are not going to suggest that you can find pyramids and a sphinx in Ireland, but what you can find is the incredible Hill of Tara, the mythical centre of Ireland. This was the site where the ancient Celtic kings were crowned, and this stone age burial site provides stunning views of the Irish countryside today.
For a final destination on your bucket list tour of Ireland, you have got to make a stop in the nation’s capital for a drop of the black stuff. The Guinness Storehouse tour is, the most popular tourist destination in Ireland for good reason allowing you to sample the beer and also get the best view out over the city of Dublin. After you’ve got the taste for a glass of stout, you may just feel like going into one or two of the city’s estimated 750 pubs to sample a few more!
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