Ireland – Day 5 – Travels with Carolyne

Limerick/Killarney – Day 5 of a 9-Day Trip in Ireland

It was time to say goodbye to Galway and head further south. I planned to stay at Killarney for the next two nights. Killarney is a good base to visit the Killarney National Park, Dingle, and the Ring of Kerry. Although possible to get around by bus (what I did), it is much easier to visit all the outdoor attractions if you have a car in Killarney. There is no direct bus from Galway to Killarney and you will have to transfer at Limerick. Make sure to check bus times carefully as buses between the three cities only come every few hours.

Day 5
Limerick/Killarney

I had a quick bite at the Airbnb, then packed up my bags and checked out of my Airbnb. I ran into the owner on the way out and we chatted. I learned that his daughter lives in Vancouver – small world! The bus station was only a 5 minute walk from my Airbnb. As there was no direct route from Galway to Killarney, I purchased two separate tickets – one for Galway to Limerick through Citylink, and another one from Limerick to Killarney through Dublin Coach. I made sure to give myself a few hours in Limerick to explore when booking my tickets. Note I pre-purchased my tickets online, so all I had to do was show my ticket at boarding. The bus ride to Limerick is just over 2 hours. Arriving at Limerick, I tried to find somewhere to drop off my luggage, but unfortunately there are none in Limerick. That meant I had to carry my bag everywhere I went! That definitely impacted my exploring stamina in Limerick.

Anyways, it was about time for lunch after arriving at Limerick so I headed to Sodalicious. Sodalicious, a cafe across from where the bus drop off is, baked fresh soda bread and scones daily. Soda bread is an Irish classic bread consisting of flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. I ordered a tuna melt sandwich for lunch. It was not my favourite – the wetness of the tuna melt made the soda bread very mushy.

After lunch, I walked to Saint Mary’s Cathedral. There is an admission fee, so I decided to wander the cathedral grounds instead. The cathedral was founded in the early 1100s and is currently the oldest building in Limerick. The cathedral grounds has a graveyard as well.

Next, I walked to King John’s Castle. On the way, I snapped photos of the River Shannon that flows through Limerick. On the left of the photo is King John’s Castle. Limerick is a hotspot for sports – in particular rugby. It is quiet and felt less touristy compared to the other locations I had been to in Ireland.

Embarrassingly, I had trouble finding the entrance to King John’s Castle. However, my bag was getting heavy and I did not want to pay the admission fee just so I could miserably explore the castle with my backpack. So, I gave up (lol!) and headed back to the bus stop. I was way too early for my bus, but there is a big plaza area, where I people watched for the next hour. The bus to Killarney arrived a couple minutes after 2pm, then it was an hour and a half bus ride to Killarney. The bus ride to Killarney is lovely and passes traditional homes, ruins, and the Irish countryside. Here are some photos during the bus ride:

Once at Killarney, I headed to the Airbnb and dropped my bags off. The Airbnb was central and only about a 5 minute walk from the main strip in Killarney. I then walked to the St. Mary’s Cathedral (different than the one in Limerick!). This one is free. The cathedral is serene and the organ was playing during my visit.

Next, I walked to the Killarney National Park. The Killarney National Park is vast – about 103 square kilometers in area! I walked along the route to the Killarney House and Gardens. Both the House and Gardens are free to visit. I explored the Gardens, but the House was closed at that time.

About a 10 minute walk from Killarney House and Gardens is Killarney Brewing Taproom, a craft brewery. I stopped for a beer before heading to dinner at the Bricin Restaurant and Boxty House.

Boxty is a savoury Irish potato pancake. Bricin Restaurant and Boxty House is known for its boxty and that’s exactly what I had for dinner. I ordered the two course meal – a delicious carrot soup and a curry beef boxty with salad. Definitely make a reservation as the restaurant can get busy!

After dinner, I wandered Killarney and had dessert at Murphy’s Ice Cream. I got a one scoop/two flavour cup of the Dingle Sea Salt and the Honeycomb Caramel (with actual honeycomb bits!). They were both really good!

Complete Day 5 Itinerary

*Travel times may vary. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.

9:00am: Breakfast in Galway.

10:00am: Take the bus to Limerick (2 hour 5 minute bus ride from Galway Station). Make sure to check the bus timetable!

12:00pm: Lunch at Sodalicious (2 minute walk from bus stop in Limerick – Henry Street).

1:00pm: Wander Limerick. Visit the Saint Mary’s Cathedral (10 minute walk from Sodalicious) and King John’s Castle (3 minute walk from Saint Mary’s Cathedral).

2:00pm: Take the bus to Killarney (1 hour and 35 minute bus ride from Limerick – Arthur’s Quay). Check the bus timetable!

4:00pm: Visit St. Mary’s Cathedral (10 minute walk Killarney Bus Stop).

5:00pm: Wander Killarney House and Gardens (11 minute walk from St. Mary’s Cathedral). Take the route that goes through the Killarney National Park.

6:00pm: Have beer at the Killarney Brewing Taproom (5 minute walk from Killarney House and Gardens).

7:00pm: Have dinner at Bricin Restaurant and Boxty House (11 minute walk from Killarney Brewing Taproom).

8:00pm: Have ice cream at Murphy’s (2 minute walk from Bricin Restaurant and Boxty House).