Top O' the Morning

Ireland is a place I've always wanted to go and due to my wonderful husband, I recently was able to do just that.  Brandon helps to coordinate the Agriculture Study Abroad trip at Murray State.  This year was a trip to Ireland and I was able to tag along.  We were there for seven full days which to me was not quite enough.  The trip was booked through a great travel company, Discover Ireland.  At first I was a little leary of traveling with a guide but I would not do it any other way!  Our guide, Liam, was full of Irish history and charm.  Brandon and I discussed how much we would have missed out on had we not been with Liam.

Of course the trip was built around an agriculture emphasis which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I did grow up with an agriculture background.  However, I think anyone would enjoy the agriculture aspect of Ireland because so much of the country is rural and centered around agriculture.  The tour group did a great job of providing opportunities to see highlighted historical and tourist spots too. 

My top 5 favorite things about the trip

1.  Blarney Stone - If kissed you are to have the gift of speaking eloquence. 

2.  Muckross House - This property contains breathtaking view and historical love story.

3.  Springview House B & B - Mrs. Eileen was a precious Irish host!

4.  Random Castles/Ruins - You can be driving along a tiny country road off the beaten path and see the ruins of a castle.  Can you imagine?

5.  Irish villages - So many Irish villages that each have their own claim to fame along with a local butcher. 

I kept my notebook handy the entire time to take notes of what we did but also notes for a future trip (Hint Hint Brandon).  If you have the chance you definitely need to go.  And guess what, the flight is only 6 hours.  It takes that long to fly across the United States.