Today was a beautiful sunny day as I drove to Connemera. By noon I arrived at Kylemore Abby, a beautiful gothic style victorian abbey situated by the water. It was built by a man named Mitchell Henry for his wife when they fell in love with the area on their honeymoon. At one point King Edward VII even considered buying it, but reconsidered saying it was too grand for a king! From afar it looks like something out of a fairy tale, with a beautiful love story of its origin to match. Having even just spent the afternoon there I can see the allure. A short drive down the road is Lough Inagh, a stunning body of water surrounded by trees with mountains in the back. As the sun poked through the fluffy clouds I rushed to capture the amazing light and in my haste forget to mind the bog. The next thing I knew I was stuck calf deep in swampy water and it took the next 5mins to pull out my soaked sneaker. Definitely not my best moment, but here's the shot that came out of it. 
The next two days I spent in Clare to see the Cliffs of Moher and was surprised to see a new visitor center recently built. It made access much easier but took away from the thrill of discovering the place. However if you wait and visit after 6pm the crowds have left but you can still park and see the cliffs since that never closes. In fact when I went I had the whole area to myself.
Aside from that, other attractions nearby includes a boat ride to see the cliffs or the nearby Aran islands. I opted for the 1hr cruise around the cliffs which came highly recommended, but turned out to be a waste of time. Not only did the boat literally drive out and back, but there were also no introductions or explanations of what you were looking at, including the famous " Harry Potter Cave". The only interesting thing I saw was a playful dolphin that decided to swim laps under our boat. At least it was sunny, but I don't understand how anyone can recommend this tour and would strongly urge the next person to reconsider. The remainder of the stay was spent soaking up the cultures in pubs, tasting Irish Whiskey and Cider while waiting for the perfect sunset.
From there I made my way to the Ring of Kerry, a scenic 3.5hr loop that typically starts in Killarney. The route is highly popular with tour buses who must drive counterclockwise due to the narrow roads, so it is recommended you drive clockwise to avoid the crowd. Given time constraints I was only able to do part of the loop and had decided on four stops. At noon I arrived at Torc waterfall in Killarney National Park. The small waterfall was easily accessible via a 5min walk from the parking lot and very pretty despite its size.
Another 10min drive down brought me to Ladies View, a lookout point to the whole valley. Once out of the park, the next two stops where little towns called Kenmare and Sneem both of which had little to offer. In fact they were so plain and ordinary that if they weren't conveniently located on this circuit they would never be heard of. 
Prior to Dublin I made a stop to Blarney Castle, home of the Blarney rock. The rock is said to bestow eloquent on those that kissed it. However in order to do so requires you to lay on your back and almost hang off the ledge. Luckily there is someone there to assist. The whole process takes no more than 20sec and is pretty much perfected. Though the experience was gimmicky it was still in a way unique.
My last few days of the trip was spent in Dublin, a city I soon found to be vast and soulless. The city looked rough and beaten up as the streets were dirty and walls were covered with graffiti. Under the grey cloudy sky everything seemed gloomy. As for attractions I decided to start off with the symbol of the city, a tour of the Guinness Storehouse. 
Inside the brewery everything ran like clock work. The self guided tour was a hefty €20 but came with a pint of Guinness at the end which many enjoyed in their gravity bar on the top floor. Personally the whole experience was too commercialized for me and way over priced. It wasn't until after final call at 5pm that the gravity bar started to clear out and you finally had room to move. As for the grand view of the city, it really wasn't much to look at aesthetically. Aside from that other sights in the city includes Kilmainham Gaol, the old prison used in the revolution and the Trinity Library, home of the Books of Kells. The gaol was really interesting as you were given the chance to see the actual cells and told a condensed history of Ireland. 
The Books of Kells were lost on me given its Catholic significance but the Long Room was the real reason I was there and it did not disappoint. The 213 ft room has a barrel-vaulted ceiling that was redesigned in 1860. On both sides were shelves and shelves of the library's oldest books, along with sculptures of various prominent men in history. My final day was spent leisurely around city center, in and out of cafes and shops. I did manage to take a quick stroll to Merrion Square, the heart of Georgian Dublin known for its red brick townhouses with colorful doors. It was there I discovered a different side of the city, quiet and elegant. Though today the area is mostly used for commercial purposes, there still lingers an air of the once aristocratic flair.
Rating:
Atmosphere: In general Ireland is a beautiful place, with the countryside especially appealing. However there are 3 things that really stand out, first is the number of pubs around, not just in Dublin but all over. Second is the amount of people that smoke, I can't recall the last time I've seen so many. Lastly is the number of homeless people in Dublin, I guess given its high cost of living, #6 in Europe, that shouldn't be surprising.
Beauty: The country side was very pretty with its rolling hills, sea cliffs and mountain ranges. In addition because of how condense the country is, you are able to see a lot in a short time. However Dublin was not impressive and definitely not worth a return trip.
Cleanliness: Dublin felt old and dingy. However outside of the city things were much better preserved and maintained.
Food: The best part of Irish food is their breakfast, which consists of sausage, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans. 
On top of all that the Irish butter is so rich and creamy that I can't help but over indulge with my toast. Along the same line, their local ice cream is definitely worth trying. 
In terms of local food I tried a few places including Th Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin, the beef stew was mediocre but the atmosphere was great.
People: Surprisingly friendly, even in the city
Last Comment: Overall I preferred Scotland over Ireland. Edinburgh just had more cultural than Dublin and Skye was just the most beautiful place of this whole trip. However weather was definitely better in Ireland, which allowed me to capture spectacular sunset at both Giants Causeway and Cliffs of Moher. In the end I'm glad to have seen both, though I doubt I'll be back to Ireland again.
Scale: 1-10
Countryside: 7
Dublin: 5
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