Killarney Bound

The next day it was off to Killarney via train. The train was easily attainable, inexpensive and a great way to get from one place to another without having to rent a car. It was a 3-hour train ride to Marrow and was wonderful to see the scenery and the hundreds of farms go buy. Once in Killarney I went over to the Hotel Europe for lunch and to see their new renovation. The lobby, meeting space and spa facilities are outstanding. The setting is breathtaking and the views from the floor-to-ceiling windows are outstanding which is why I was so shocked at the room product. They are slated to be refurbished in the next year in a half or two but it was like you were in a different hotel when you went from the gorgeous public areas to the very outdated room product. I will be interested in seeing it once it’s done as I am sure it will be as beautiful as the rest of the property but for now be aware there is a huge difference in product throughout the hotel.

From there I traveled to Killarney and stayed at the Killarney Park hotel. I loved it there – it was like walking into your own home – very warm and welcoming. The rooms are very well appointed and modern – gorgeous with a lot of space. I dropped my bags and headed out to do some shopping! Killarney Park is centrally located so you could walk everywhere which was nice. There were plenty of specialty shops to pick up that something special for someone at home and again everyone was so nice and helpful. The only drawback to my shopping excursion was the dollar was so weak to the euro it made shopping expensive in comparison to the states.

After shopping in the rain for several hours I came back and had some hot mulled wine by the fire and warmed my cold feet. After resting I stayed in and had dinner at the hotel and it was delicious! After catching my second wind I was off to see what night life Killarney had to offer. As with any town in Ireland, Killarney has its share of pubs and dance clubs and I guess I was expecting to hear more Euro bands or gigs – but the pubs and clubs were filled with American music and I spent the night dancing away to Bon Jovi, Boston and Johnny Cash!