Adare Manor

This place is a total, "Wow". Little did we know at the time, this was going to be the BEST bed of the entire trip. This resort was a manor house that has recently been immaculately renovated, with castle-like qualities and a beautiful golf course. 

Classic stop near Shannon are the Cliffs of Moher. These cliffs reach upward from the Atlantic Ocean over 700 feet and they extend for 14 kilometers. Recognized by UNESCO, this is a major tourist attraction in this part of Ireland and the views are stunning. 

The Irish have a well-deserved reputation for good whiskey so, naturally, we did some sampling. This Redbreast is our new favorite. Amazing stuff. 

This medieval castle is living history. We were fascinated by how cleverly it was designed to be protected. Narrow vertical windows allowed for safely firing arrows. If you got past that, watch out for boiling tar, the "murder hole", and winding staircases designed to make it hard to swing your sword. 

Adare Manor has a falconry program where we are able to get up close and personal with several of their amazing birds of prey. We learned how they are trained and cared for. This was an unusual but incredibly fun outing one morning during our time in Ireland.