What's up: While planning my trip to Ireland, I came across a post that described Hawk Walks as…read morebeing one of the most amazing experiences to do. So after a bit of research on the web, I decided on signing up for one at Ireland's School of Falconry. Transit: I travelled here using the bus. I was staying in Galway City and I took the Citylink 430 to Claremorris and transferred over to the TFI Local Link 431 and got off at Cong. From there, it was a short walk (maybe 15-20 mins) to Ashford Castle. After entering the castle gates, it's another 10-15 min walk to the school. If you're arriving by car, the School instructions were to park at the castle visitor car park (near the golf course). Environment: I emailed them months in advance to schedule my Walk. Since I wasn't staying nearby, they asked for payment ahead of time, which was done via credit card. When I arrived at Ashford Castle, I had to inform the staff at the bridge that I was there to go to the Falconry School. He directed me towards the other end of the castle and told me to follow the signs. Along the way, you'll pass by the gardens and fountains of the castle, which made for lovely views. When I arrived at the school, I rang the doorbell and was shown to the office for a short wait. The staff also offered to store my backpack behind the counter so I didn't have to carry it during the Walk. My instructor gave a quick tour of the area and informed me of the proper handling of the hawk. Then I met my feathered buddy for the hour, Andes. As we walked the grounds and surrounding forest, Andes flew along to follow us and when he was signaled, he flew down towards my gloved hand. What was ordered: - 1 hour Hawk Walk (I had so much fun learning about the hawks and walking around the castle grounds and forest surrounding it) Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay! Definitely a Yay! This was such a unique experience and it was amazing to see how well trained the hawks were. Since hawks eat meat, they do warn you that some of their food will resemble animals and may be a bit meaty. Credit cards are accepted.

Incredible experience! Once in a lifetime must do in Ireland. The team and expert falconers are so…read morekind, professional, and funny! They provided such a personalized experience. We walked two beautiful hawks for an entire hour through the woods of Ireland. We also got to fly the resident owl Samradh in the tunnel. I can't even put this experience into words that will do it justice.

We booked a group of 5 of us the day before we wanted to join in and we were all able to get spots…read more We chose the sunset tour as we had a full day planned already. The drive to the beach was on a narrow road but the GPS led us there easily. Our adventure guides were Steve and Tomas and they helped everyone get set up with wetsuits and booties to keep us warm. Ideally we would all have remembered bathing suits, but those who didn't discreetly stripped down to underwear and tugged on the damp wetsuits. There is no private place to change, so if you are modest you may want to try doing it in your car. We had 2 lessons on how to kayak - one on land and another on the water. I was lucky to have my husband in my boat who is an experienced kayaker. But everyone got the hang of it quickly. Once in the water I commented that I was worried about falling in and not being able to get back into my kayak. The guides assured me that if I could not do it, they would ensure that they would take good care of me. That put me at ease and I relaxed and never did fall into the water. We spent close to 2 hours on the water and went into caves and saw sheep grazing on the steep cliffs. The water was clear and beautiful and some in the group saw fish and jellyfish. This was a super fun 3 hour adventure. Both Tomas and Steve were spectacular guides.

It was a fine summer day and we'd driven from Bangor Erris through the most stunning scenery…read moreimaginable on some of the worst narrow roads imaginable. We crossed the Michael Davitt bridge onto Achill island and drove past a mobile Ulster bank van. We had Keel as our destination as we negotiated the narrow roads and meandering sheep who were everywhere and who see tourists as an inconvenience. The entire experience was a tad spooky as despite being a fine day in early summer the entire island was shrouded in mist the whole time we were there and we were there about three hours. We chose Keel as my wife used to holiday here as a child. Her family arrived with a tent to a caravan park and pitched up 15 yards from the wild Atlantic. Travelling west from here the next land is the USA. We got to Keel and the caravan park and we walked along the beach with the mighty blue/green Atlantic Ocean roaring at us as my wife relived fond memories of a stark, haunting very beautiful wilderness. Hard to believe that this stark, rugged island has been continuously inhabited from 4,000 years BC. Wow now that's impressive.

An awesome dive centre at Ireland's only true fjord, killary fjord. Excellent facilities and the…read morebuilding is very impressive. Owner, Cillian is very knowledgeable and friendly. He knows every piece of dive equipment inside and out and all the quirks with them. Letterfrack is 15 mins drive away and there are plenty of places to stay around there.

This is an awesome experience! If you're certified to dive and in Ireland you have to get a dive…read morein. This is one of the most memorable dives I've ever had. Yes it's cold but it's well worth it. Highly recommended!!!

In Mayo it rains..... a lot. So, it's sensible to have options that don't include sunbathing and…read morelong rambling strolls down country lanes.... Mayo Leisure Point has everything from cinemas to bowling and a lot in between, it's all a bit tacky and nasty but will definitely get you through an inclement day,

I decided to check out Killary Cruises after a 10€ LivingSocial for a fjord cruise conveniently…read morepopped up while staying in Galway. Not knowing that Ireland even had a fjord, I was pleasantly surprised by both this knowledge and the cruise itself. The staff are nice and incredibly friendly. The ship is a seaworthy catamaran, and the fjord is breathtaking on a sunny afternoon. The cruise has a decent commentary, and if all the talk of farming mussels and fishing whet your appetite, the food on board is cheap and surprisingly good. A sandwich, a panini and two cokes were less than 13€, and both came with salads. The only negative? Right before departure a tour bus pulled up and deposited 50 or so day-trippers from Galway City. While typically uninterested in the commentary and obnoxious like most tourists who book coach tours in a country as difficult to navigate as a kiddie pool, they were merely an annoyance on board. Pro Tip: Leenane, the town just down the road, looked to have a couple of nice shops and pubs, so if you're looking for a proper meal after the cruise I imagine you'd be able to find something worthwhile there.

Fantastic shop offering any fishing related gear and advice you can think of. They talked me out if…read moregetting the pretty feathers (long line of hooks for fishing) and going for the ones that would actually work... and they did!