The day I was most excited for was finally here! My parents and I had plans to explore the Cliffs of Moher … but with a twist. We purchased tickets for an all-day excursion where our journey started with boating across the Atlantic Ocean to the smallest of the three Aran Islands, Inisheer. Squished to the back of the boat, we actually had the best view of all.

The day greeted us with clear skies full of sunshine; we couldn’t have asked for a better day. We touched down on Inisheer Island, where we had the option of exploring the land by walking, biking or via horsedrawn carriage ride (is that even a question?).

Hopping aboard the carriage, the coachman insisted my mom and I sit up front with him. (I think he had a crush on my mom, but nonetheless, we had the best seat in the house.)

Sitting next to our new friend, we chatted him up and eventually learned he was one of only 350 people to reside on the island. He taught us about the history and even pointed his home out to the group.

We eventually hopped off the carriage to explore the Plassey shipwreck, a steam freighter that washed ashore on the island’s coast in the 1960s. Of course, I ventured the farthest.

Continuing our ride around the island, there was a view to be seen at every turn. Look how blue the water is!

When we arrived back at the starting point, our group popped into a pub (possibly the only pub on the island) for a beer break. Me? I had my eyes on the white-sand beach ever since I stepped foot on the island. Tempted to dive into the warm and clear waves, I restricted myself, as we still had a day full of adventure ahead of us (and soaking-wet clothes would ruin it).

With a little bit of Irish luck (and a few prayers), I was hoping to see dolphins jumping in the waves as we headed back to the Cliffs of Moher. Sure enough, we did! Out of the corner of my eye, there were four or five dolphins flaunting their flips and tricks for all the passengers. It was so cool!

The captain eventually steered the boat directly under the cliffs, where we had the best view of all. We saw different types of wildlife up close (my favorite was the puffins) and eventually realized how big the cliffs actually are. My favorite part, though, was learning about the various movies filmed here. (Harry Potter? Who knew?!) Truly an unforgettable experience!

The best part of the day, however, was meeting our new friend, Katie. Katie is from the States, as well, but she was traveling through Europe by herself for the summer. We met on the bus ride to the cliffs and became inseparable once we started talking. Both astrology believers, travel enthusiasts and pop culture know-it-alls, we had so much fun realizing how similar we are.

Katie, if you’re reading this: Hey, girl! Miss you!

We continued bonding over an authentic Irish lunch of fish and chips and beef stew and eventually made our way back to the cliffs with the rest of the group. This time we were seeing views from up top, along the walking trail.

With not a gray cloud in the sky, we truly had the luck of the Irish!

Be careful, though; if you get too close to the fence, you will get zapped! Katie and my mom learned the hard way.With 360-degree outstanding views everywhere we looked, I never wanted to say goodbye. Pictures don’t even do it justice!

The bus ride back to Galway included a much-needed nap in order to feel recharged for the rest of the night. Katie recommended a must-try restaurant not far from our hotel, so that was first on our list.

We were ecstatically greeted by the owner of Trieste Café & Wine Bar, as he set up a table for three right inside the window. Quickly known as Barry to us, he wined and dined us (literally), starting with a bottle of Huia Sauvignon Blanc poured for the table and preparing our customized charcuterie board.With so many options to choose from on the menu, we told Barry to give us a little bit of everything, and, boy, he did not disappoint.

Taking our request very seriously, Barry paired the five cheeses we picked out with various fruits, veggie sticks, hummus, and, my favorite, honey and fig.

Each flavor better than the next, we were blown away, bite after bite. Barry could definitely hear our oohs and aahs from the kitchen, so he brought out a mini dessert tray for us to drool over next.

My favorite was the chocolate eclair, but you can never go wrong with a raspberry macaron!

Trying to stall on my last few sips of wine so we didn’t have to say goodbye to Barry, we eventually went on with our night to indulge in some good ol’ traditional pub hopping. According to locals, Galway is home to some of Ireland’s best pubs. Testing this theory, we stumbled into Quays Bar just in time for a father/son band to perform.

One thing about Ireland? Live music everywhere you turn!

After we sang along with the Irish tunes and drank our pints of Guinness, we headed across the street to The King’s Head, where the real show was about to begin.

A five-man band was captivating the crowd with their classic Irish tracks when a young girl (no older than me) jumped on stage and began Irish jigging along with the band. She quickly got the crowd on its feet, and the next thing I knew, I was holding hands with strangers, dancing in one big circle around the pub. Continuing the fun, an elderly woman climbed on top of a wine barrel and performed a traditional Irish dance for the crowd! Legendary!

The video went viral on TikTok; check it out HERE!

The rest of the night continued the same: Irish dancing and singing along to whatever tune the band sang. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!

The next morning was a rough start (mainly because I tried black pudding for the first time; and if you don’t know what it is, spare yourself the Google search). We spent the next day wandering the streets of Galway, popping into corner stores and letting the day take us wherever we wanted. I was on a mission to find myself a Claddagh ring, a traditional Irish ring that symbolizes love, loyalty and friendship. After doing some research, I learned the best place on the island to get one is Galway, and locals recommended Thomas Dillon’s.

After finding my perfect fit, we ventured to the other side of Eyre Square, where Ed Sheeran shot the music video for his song “Galway Girl.” What seemed to be an average pub from the outside had a hidden beer garden in the back of the pub, filled with a photo booth, live band and even a pizza shop!

Finding a table in the shade, we enjoyed a lovely afternoon in our newfound hidden gem.

We found our way back to Trieste Café & Wine Bar because, let’s face it, we all couldn’t stop thinking about last night’s dinner. Barry greeted us at the door with the warmest welcome, “The Philly three are here!” What an arrival!

We dined on the outside patio this time, making TikToks and indulging in new flavors compared to last night’s feast. Each night tended to end in similar ways: pub hopping until the sun went down. In Ireland the sun doesn’t completely set until almost 11 p.m. That was the biggest culture shock of all.

The next morning we said goodbye to Galway and hello again to Dublin. This time we dedicated our last day of sightseeing to anything we felt like we missed on our first go-round in Dublin. This included exploring more of Trinity College (so I could fully embrace my Connell and Marianne moment … if you know, you know) and visiting Love Lane, a street alley decorated with colorful tiles dedicated to showcasing different movie quotes, song lyrics and famous sayings about love.

I found so many quotes I knew and loved, but some of my favorites included song lyrics from Taylor Swift and Fleetwood Mac and a saying from my favorite series set in Ireland, Normal People.

We also left our mark in the pub Hairy Lemon, where it is a tradition to leave a dollar bill on the wall with a saying written on it.

Can you guess which is ours?

We continued our day simply admiring the Irish scene, as we dreaded the flight back to the States the next morning. Our last meal consisted of dinner and a show: Cottage (Shepherd’s) Pie, Guinness and Irish dancing. No better way to wrap up 10 days in Ireland than that!

Thinking we were going to call it an early night (we still had to pack for the airport), we started our trek back to our hotel, but we couldn’t resist the sound of live music filling the streets. We snagged a spot at one of the pub tables that sat along the sidewalk and sang along with the band for the rest of the evening. We weren’t the only ones with the same idea — the street filled up fast with people singing and dancing the night away.

What could be a better way to say goodbye to dear ol’ Ireland? A core memory!

Thank you for following along on my 10-day journey throughout Ireland. Cheers to a trip I will never forget with the ones I love most. I will be back, Ireland; don’t forget me!

— Emily Gladu, administrative & events coordinator