Our Ireland trip, Part 3 (read Part 1 and Part 2 here). Don’t worry, this is the last post about our October trip to Ireland. One, I’m sure you’re sick of it now, and two, it’s almost Christmas and why the heck am I still posting about October things? On another note: where has the time gone?!
Mount Juliet
For the last leg of our trip, we travelled East from Kerry to County Kilkenny, where we stayed at the absolutely gorgeous Mount Juliet. This place is actually an enormous estate, complete with horses, a winding river, blooming gardens and grounds galore to explore. Stag and I spent an entire morning just walking around the estate paths, enjoying the fresh air that we sorely lack living in the Dirty Big Smoke (aka, East London).
The hotel itself is probably one of the fanciest — and most expensive — hotels we’ve stayed during our travels. However, for the grounds alone it was worth it, and the beds are so incredibly comfortable that you can quite happily make Mount Juliet your Irish staycation. Stag and I spent my birthday night ordering room service and watching films snuggled up in bed, and I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday.
What I’m Wearing
|Sweater: H&M | Shirt: H&M | Jeans: Lucky Brand | Boots: M&S | Camera Bag: Accessorize |
This verge-of-preppy outfit is a bit out of my usual style. The sweater is pink, first of all, which I am pretty sure is the second pink item in my wardrobe (seriously). I forgave it because, as we all know, blush is definitely the prettiest colour of all the pinks. Also — and this is not a drill — this sweater is only £7.99 from H&M. You heard me right: £7.99. NOT EVEN EIGHT POUNDS. I paired it with my favourite white button shirt from H&M. To help make this look not teeter too much into prepster territory, I’ve toughened it up with leopard print and black leather boots.
Kilkenny Castle & Jerpoint Abbey
In the heart of Kilkenny is the aptly-named Kilkenny Castle. Now this may be blasphemous to most Americans, but after living in the UK for so long (and visiting Ireland/France a number of times), castles start to look all the same. However, Kilkenny Castle is a huge exception; the exterior contains elements from four different centuries, giving it a really eclectic and unique look. I would absolutely recommend visiting this beautiful place if you ever travel to Ireland.
A short drive from Kilkenny (and only 5 minutes from Mount Juliet), we discovered Jerpoint Abbey, a ruined Cistercian abbey nestled between beautiful rolling hills and a quaint village. We arrived nearly as it was closing, but the incredibly nice woman allowed us to go in for 10 minutes free of charge and look around. The Irish are — above all else — incredibly warm, kind and friendly.
And that concludes images from our Ireland trip! If anyone has any questions about what to do, where to stay or where to eat in Ireland, absolutely email me. After the sheet amount of research I did before our trip, I’ve become a bit of an expert — and I love giving suggestions.