When I met my husband, Conor, I’d just moved back from 5 years in France. I was unsure I’d even stay in the States, but it turns out that, sometimes, meeting the love of your life can change your so-called “plans.” Furthermore, I was delighted when I learned that he had been traveling to Europe since childhood because his mother was born and raised in Dublin and was a total Francophile. I didn’t know much about Ireland and had never had a reason to go there. To be quite honest, it wasn’t even on my list. But as we grew closer, I got to know his mother first, and then his Irish aunties and cousins and eventually we took our first trip to Dublin a few years ago.

It’s been a true pleasure getting to know such a beautiful country with such rich history, but above all, I’m so glad to know the people who come from this stunning land. Last year, through our lovely publicists over at Foxglove, we had the chance to meet Mark McLaughlin, the Director of Irish Whiskey, and Jack McGarry, the owner, of the acclaimed New York pub, The Dead Rabbit. At first, we weren’t sure what could come of this encounter, and then it clicked - we all wanted to bring people to Ireland! We already had plans for our summer trip underway with chef Trevor Moran, and Mark was determined to bring more people to Ireland to discover the best of the best - the whiskeys he knows so intimately, his favorite hotels and castle stays, and of course - some the most incredible restaurants in the country (sales pitch!). You can learn more about this very special trip on the Tours of Ireland website. If you’ve not had the opportunity to visit the Emerald Isle before, I can tell you that this is the way to do it!

I went over to Ireland with my little family a couple of weeks back. We had high hopes of really getting a taste of the West Coast. Conor hadn’t been to the West since childhood, and it’s a place I’ve been curious to discover since my dad brought a t-shirt back from a geological research trip (is that what it was, Dad?). But alas, some sort of gremlin flu took over our trip and had us glued to our beds for the majority of our time there.

We managed to get out for a couple of hours at a time and take in the beauty, and Conor captured some beautiful images. We saw a rainbow actually touch the ground. We walked the mystical property surrounding our rental at Lisdonagh House. We said hello to the sheep every chance we got. And we gasped at the breathtaking sunsets. It’s hard to describe the timeless beauty that is Ireland’s West Coast, but it was everything I hoped for.

Despite our illness, we had a chance to get to know the generosity of the Irish land and of its people. Our hosts at Lisdonagh House, where we’ll be staying during our week with Trevor, brought us loads of extra blankets and made sure we were cozy and comfortable. We made our way down to the magical Linnane’s Lobster Bar for a pint of Guinness and some fish and chips, and then stopped off at Flaggy Shore to pick apart the stacks of seaweed and to let my three-year-old son throw some rocks into the water.

We stopped in Galway a few times to get to know the living streets and listen to some buskers making their break. And before we headed home, we made a stop at the famous Cliffs of Moher, where the wind sent us quickly back to our car because of illness, but where we could have otherwise spent the day basking in their elegance and power.

I can’t wait to be back here in June and again in October. It’s hard to believe that it’s real! We lost my mother-in-law a few years back, and we miss her every day. I know she’d be so happy to see me discovering her homeland and inviting other to join me. We’ll be drinking some pints to you, Ailish! Guarantee it! Sláinte!

Why you should go to ireland soon…with us, if you like!

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