Muckross Farms to Dromoland Castle

On this particular day it was off to Muckross Farms for a tour and look around a few farms still practicing farming in the traditional way before the advent of electricity when all work was done by country people, their animals and very manual farm machinery.

After learning about and making some butter, I headed off to Adare Manor Hotel for lunch and a tour of these spectacular grounds. It was great to hear the history of the Manor home, how it’s managed and run and what it’s like to run a resort like that in the 21st century.

Then it was off to Dromoland Castle for dinner and an overnight stay. This was one of the stops on my trip I was most looking forward to. It’s a Renaissance structure built in the 16th century and was once the royal seat of the O’Brien clan. It sits on 410 acres and has activities ranging from hunting, fishing, horseback riding, championship golf, tennis and spa. I had a wonderful afternoon exploring the grounds and dinner on property. I would highly recommend staying here; it was one of the highlights of my trip. 

The next morning, I was up bright and early for my flight back to the states – it seems as though I had just gotten to Ireland and now it was already time to go … I was sad because I didn’t feel like I had seen or done enough with my short time in Ireland.  On the way to the airport I made a list of what I want to do when I go back and promised myself I would be back within the next five years! This is one destination I am not finished exploring and have not even begun to fill in the box on. Also, because it was winter it wasn’t the most optimal time to do things outside, but it was magnificent to be there during the holidays when it was all dressed up in lights and ready for Christmas – I will go back next time during the summer and take in everything the outdoors have to offer.