Where to stay, eat, & explore in Shannon/Limerick, Ireland with only 24 hours!
Another roughly 24-hour trip to Europe is in the books! This may sound crazy, and well it probably is, but when your husband is a pilot you jump at the fun chances to go on his flights! I was away for a weekend on a bachelorette trip, and the day I got home my husband was working a flight from Newark, New Jersey to Shannon, Ireland and there happened to be seats left on the flight. I got home, repacked my bag in less than an hour, and then we were off to the airport. My mother-in-law also decided to join us and it was an extra special adventure! This trip was not even on my husband’s schedule when I left for the bachelorette trip, so this was a very last minute and spontaneous decision! Ireland was our 11th new country together, and it was oh so special now that I have an Irish last name!
Where to Stay/Transportation
We stayed at Limerick Strand Hotel and it was beautiful! It was walking distance from so much fun shopping and exploring, as well as pubs and restaurants. The only time we needed the rental car was to go to the Cliffs of Moher and to and from the airport. If you don’t want to rent a car you can just Uber to the hotel and there is plenty to walk around and explore from there! The hotel also offers a great deal on a bus tour to go see The Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and much more without having to drive on the other side of the road, haha! There is an incredible sauna, gym, and pool/hot tub area in this hotel as well, but we did not have time to enjoy it this trip, besides a quick peek in to see how cool it all was!
What to Wear
Like I mentioned above, I had less than an hour to pack, so my outfits weren’t very thought out. I think I pulled together a good Ireland outfit all things considered! I threw on a green long sleeve bodysuit with my favorite pair of jeans and a light jacket. I paired it with my all time favorite Europe walking shoes, the Dr. Scholl’s sneakers, and a belt that coordinated to add just a little something to my outfit. On the plane, I just wore a plain grey sweater with jeans and wore this same outfit out for the shopping part of our adventure. I wish I would have packed a little bit heavier of a coat for the evening once the sun had set, but I was comfortable overall.
Plane/First Outfit | Green Bodysuit Outfit
What to do
After landing in Shannon, Ireland, we got a rental car, and yes, Ireland drives on the opposite side of the road from us here in the USA! My husband took a nap as soon as we arrived to the hotel, since he was working the whole flight while myself and his mom napped in our seats, and while he napped we decided we were in a shopping mood. We hit the streets of Limerick full force, going into almost every store we passed. There is something just so neat about seeing the “regular stores” that people go to in other countries. Limerick had such a small town feel and did not feel or seem to be touristy at all, which we loved! The Shannon/Limerick trip has been one of my husband’s favorites since he first went and I totally see why now! We shopped and strolled the adorable local streets for a few hours and then it was time to grab Connor, my husband, to head off to the Cliffs of Moher.
The Cliffs of Moher: The drive from Limerick to the Cliffs of Moher was just over an hour. It was a very scenic and beautiful drive with more cows and lambs than I could ever count just roaming fields everywhere. Ireland really is as green as everyone says it is! You start to see the cliffs a bit before you actually “enter” the official area, but once you arrive at the entrance you purchase your ticket in the parking lot then start the walk up to the top. There are soooo many steps to get to the top, but they also have a ramp and a golf cart for those who cannot do stairs. The views from just about everywhere are breathtaking. Words cannot describe it and pictures cannot capture the true beauty of these cliffs. There are more than 20 species of birds at the Cliffs of Moher and this is also where you can see puffins! Unfortunately, we did not see any puffins, but it is common to see them so keep an eye out if you go! The wind is INSANE at the top and almost blew us over a few times, but again it was worth every second for the view. It was such a miraculous sight to see with my own eyes and I am so blessed that this trip ended up happening.
After seeing the cliffs from the top, you can go inside to an amazing interactive museum-like visitor center. They have a 5-minute show about the history of the cliffs and it tells you more information about them. It is a 4D experience and is very neat! There is also an interactive board to look up your last name and see if it is Irish at all and where in Ireland it originated, population, etc.. This was neat to see since getting an Irish last name back in October!
Now it was time to journey back to Limerick! Connor had a restaurant and a local pub he wanted to show us. Seeing castles along the water while walking to dinner was incredible. We had dinner at The Curragower. I highly suggest making a reservation! It was such a fun spot with a view of King John’s Castle over the water. I got their chicken box and boy oh boy was it delicious!
The Locke Bar: The Locke Bar is a local pub with live Irish music and an Irish dancer multiple times every day. It was full of locals just hanging out and drinking beer. It was a perfect spot to hang out and relax for our last few hours in Ireland.
After a very full day we headed back to the hotel to get some rest before flying home the next morning. It was an absolutely incredible trip and words cannot describe how grateful I am for this life! I did not end up vlogging this trip, which I am so sad about, but I barely even processed that we were going until we were on the plane…it was quite the whirlwind! I have posted a little TikTok of mini clips from our adventure if you want to see more, as well as more on my Instagram. See you next time!
Xoxo,
Anna