After a great time in Kilkenny, it was time to make our trek back to Dublin, with a few stops in between. We took the scenic route through the Wicklow mountains. It was beautiful going along the windy roads with no other cars in site. We even passed by a small town called Hollywood and they had their own “Hollywood” sign (can you see it?)!
I was also really excited that I finally got to see sheep! I kept hearing about the sheep everywhere before we went on the trip and I had yet to see any…until this point. Then they were everywhere!
We made our way through the valleys and stopped at the small town of Glendalough.
You drive down a small narrow road to the bottom of a valley to get to Glendalough. There was an old tower where monks use to take shelter when vikings would invade. Surrounding the tower was an old cemetery. Some of the stones are so old the engravings have faded.
There was a small B&B there which I’m sure makes for a peaceful, relaxing getaway for visitors.
After this stopover, we made it back to Dublin. This would be our last night in Ireland. So we visited the Book of Kells (no photography allowed, sorry), bought last-minute souvenirs, and went out for a couple pints of beer as we reflected on our whirlwind tour of Ireland.
We had an amazing time and I would definitely recommend renting a car and staying at B&Bs. One of the best experiences of the trip was just wandering on our own time, finding small towns and places, and enjoying great Irish hospitality every place we stayed. And sure…splurge on a castle one night 🙂