July 15th - Ireland Part 6 - Wrapping Up

Hi, welcome back!

Today was my last day in the beautiful country of Ireland.

It started with me waking up and quickly packing my bags before heading downstairs to turn in my room key and hop on the bus. But Paul wasn’t about to let us leave without seeing a few more incredible places first!

Our first stop was Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara. Built in 1520 by the O’Hynes clan along the edge of Galway Bay, it’s a striking sight. Nearby, we could even see the original base where the castle was first constructed before it was destroyed; they later rebuilt it in its current location.

Original site

Next, we visited the Hazel Mountain Chocolate Factory. We took a short tour (and of course explored the gift shop) and sampled both their milk and dark chocolate. Interestingly, they told us that their milk and dark varieties actually contain the same amount of sugar; the difference comes from the type of cocoa bean used. Both were delicious, high-quality chocolates. Afterwards, we stopped in the café, where I ordered a dark hot chocolate, which was rich, creamy, and intensely chocolatey.

From there, we traveled to Muckinish Castle, a partially collapsed tower house built by the O’Loughlin family around 1450. Half the tower has fallen, possibly due to shifting ground or long-term erosion. We actually climbed up inside the ruins, which gave us amazing views of Galway Bay from the top.

View from the top

By lunchtime, we found ourselves in Ballyvaughan. I picked up a sausage roll with fresh strawberries on the side, plus some flame-grilled steak crisps generously shared by Connor. Lovely!

It felt poetic that we started this Ireland trip by climbing up a mountain after lunch, and we finished it by climbing down Aillwee Mountain (also after lunch). The views from the top were spectacular. When we reached the bottom, there was a cheese shop waiting for us, where I got to sample a wide variety of cheeses (the award-winning Gouda was probably my favorite) and even tried some mead. Paul also treated us to some fudge, which was fantastic.

Next, we visited Cahermore Ringfort, a small fortified settlement that’s at least 1,000 years old. It was cool to learn that Paul himself helped restore the fort, and that it’s officially recognized by Ireland as a National Monument.

Then we made our way to Poulnabrone Dolmen. A dolmen is essentially two upright stones with a flat capstone laid across the top, traditionally used as burial markers. This particular one was built by farmers around 3500 BC, making it over 5,500 years old. Wow! We also took some time to explore the cliffs nearby.

The dolmen itself

Our final stop in Ireland was the town of Lahinch, where we grabbed dinner. I joined a group at one of the cafés and ordered a four cheese pizza — not bad at all! Afterwards, we strolled along the beach, soaking in the coastal views and the charm of the town.

Finally, we drove back to the airport, singing plenty of karaoke on the bus along the way, and made our way back to Oxford.

This entire Ireland trip was incredible. I want to take a moment to especially thank our guide, Paul, and Galway Tour Company. Paul was with us every step of the way. His deep knowledge of the region, great humor, and instinct for finding the best places to visit made this journey truly unforgettable. We couldn’t have done it without them. If you ever find yourself in Galway and want to explore some of the best sights in Connacht, go with Galway Tour Company. You won’t regret it!

Thank you, Paul!