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The best way to spend a weekend in Waterford

July 25, 2017 by Meg 10 Comments

If you ever get the chance to visit Ireland, I hope you will go and visit the oldest city in Ireland, Waterford. Read this post for things to do, places to stay, and food to eat when visiting Waterford City for the weekend!If you ever get the chance to visit Ireland, I hope you will go and visit the oldest city in Ireland, Waterford. We decided what better place to visit over St Patrick’s Day long weekend than Waterford City. We were warned by locals that it is a lot less of a fuss than the annual parade that Dublin hosts on St Paddy’s but that is kind of what attracted us most to the trip – less crowds and more exploring a place that by all accounts is kind of underrated for some reason.

How to get there (from Dublin):

  • By car; 2 hour drive.
  • By bus; 2 hours 30 minutes and costs 20 euro return
  • By train; 2 hours 20 minutes commute and costs 30 euro return (pro tip: it is cheaper if you book your ticket in advance!)

We decided to take the train, so we took the Luas red line, and got off at Heuston Station which is where the train leaves Dublin to go to Waterford City.

Where we stayed:

We stayed at The Barley Field, which was a short walk from town with very basic facilities but a pretty good breakfast included in the room fee. I think if you were wanting to spend loads of time at the hotel, it might not be great. The room was small, and there wasn’t much in the way of restaurants or places to eat. Depending on the night in the week, the pub gets a bit festive, but it quietens down after midnight. We were very happy to sleep there, get a good breakfast and hit the town to explore.

The Barley Field Bed and Breakfast Waterford City, Ireland

[bctt tweet=”Tips on what to see and do when you visit the oldest city in Ireland, Waterford.” username=”Thisisus_living”]

Where to eat and drink in Waterford:

We didn’t eat out too much in Waterford, just to keep the budget down. But we did find a few spots worth a mention, and definitely recommend you visit them if you are ever in Waterford for the weekend. For a quick pint, and a bit of live music, definitely visit Tully’s Bar. They have a great selection of drinks, and it is a cosy pub with a small outside area in the back too.

Tully's Bar, Waterford in Ireland

There are two meals, Waterford is “known” for, the one dates back to the 17th Century which is the Blaa. It looks like a floured roll but it is a lot more lighter and fluffier. They are best eaten fresh, as they dry out quite quickly. We had them for breakfast at the Barley Field. Not sure if they are worth all the hype but we at least ticked that off the old bucket list!

Try a "Blaa" in Waterford, Ireland

Another food made famous in Waterford is at a place called Burzza. Basically they make really great burgers and pizzas. But if you are feeling adventurous, you should try their signature dish, namely the Burzza which is a burger wrapped in a pizza!

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, then you need to visit Patrick Murphy at Larder. It is this great little coffee bar that sells viking approved coffee, plus great freshly made treats. We stopped in for a cupcake and a coffee. I have to say that Patrick was super friendly, and told us the story behind why his coffee is viking approved: One of the guys who plays in the TV show, Vikings, actually regularly goes in for a cuppa! Regardless of the story, I can honestly say, it was the best cup of coffee we had all weekend!

Larder Coffee Shop, Waterford in Ireland

Then no post about our weekend in Waterford would be complete without me telling the story of our visit to the local pub called Phil Grimes. We stopped in here on the Friday we arrived, as a final pitstop before bed. We walked in and found the pub was seemingly quiet for 9pm on a Friday eve but regardless, we thought we would sit at the bar and have a quick pint before heading back to our room. It wasn’t long before the bartender asked us where we were from, and what we were doing in Waterford. Within a few minutes Tom, the bartender/owner, started listing all the things we needed to see outside of Waterford. What we realised is that there are some really cool spots to see out of town, but all unfortunately most require a car to get to. Especially because on weekends the bus services don’t run regularly to these out-skirting towns. At the end of our drink, Tom offered to take us out to Dunmore East, a seaside town about 20 minutes drive out of town! We stayed for another drink and chatted with the rest of the locals. I have to say that it was the first time since arriving in Ireland that I felt so welcome, and honestly, they were so proud of their home – they were all such great tour guides. We took Tom up on his offer to drive us to Dunmore East and the visit to this local pub even prompted us to visit Dungarvan the next day – but I will have to talk more about these two towns in another post!

Phil Grimes Pub, Waterford, Ireland

If you want to get a sense of a local Irish pub, with real locals that are friendly and welcoming if you sit quietly and are ready to chat – then this pub is a must visit! Tom, we thank you for your kindness and hope one day to go back and visit you at the pub.

What to see in Waterford City:

Admittedly we were on a bit of a tight budget so we skipped out on going inside a lot of the museums and tours Waterford had to offer. However, Waterford is fairly easy to walk around and really, walking gives you a better feel for the place versus zipping through in a car. We found a lot of street art on the walls, as well as walking through parts of town where the medieval defensive towers and walls are still in tact. These walls once divided the town up between vikings and anglo-normans. The history of the town dates back to when vikings first founded the town in 914 A.D.

medieval walls in waterford city, Ireland

The one place we knew we needed to visit was Waterford Crystal Factory. It was quite a pricey entrance fee of EUR13.50 each but I have to say, the tour through the factory and watching how crystal is made and crafted definitely makes up for it.

Waterford Crystal Factory, Ireland

I took a million video clips and pictures throughout the tour, and I have to say, I would probably be happy to go back there again. I know Rob’s mum is really keen to visit, so we would love to take them down there!

Visit \waterford \crystal Factory in Waterford City, IrelandRob of course had no issue picking up pieces of crystal in the showroom – I on the other hand was freaking out that he would drop something and we would be liable to pay for it!

Waterford Crystal Showroom, Ireland

The Waterford Treasures are three museums in the Viking Triangle, namely: Bishop’s Palace, Medieval Museum and Reginald’s Tower. You can visit all three for a combo price deal.

Reginald’s Tower is the oldest urban civic building in Ireland. It also has an replica viking long boat outside of the tower.

Reginald's Tower & viking long boat, Waterford, Ireland

The Medieval Museum is said to be the only medieval museum in Ireland, this is according to all the online research we did leading up to this visit. But I would argue that that is not really true since we visited Dublinia in Dublin and the Athlone Castle – both of which are medieval museums as well?! Perhaps I am missing something here?

Bishop’s Palace is a Georgian mansion which covers Waterford’s history from 1700 to 1970. It also has the world’s oldest surviving piece of Waterford crystal, a decanter dating from 1789. We walked around the grounds, but decided not to pay for the tour inside.

Bishop's Palace, Waterford, Ireland

In hindsight, had we had more time, I think the combo for all three spots would have been 13 euro, so actually not too bad in price.

Christ Church Cathedral is free to visit. I am not sure what it is about churches that has me so captivated. We are not particularly religious, I think it is the fact that there is so much history within the walls that makes them so intriguing to me. The detail on the ceiling was so dainty and beautiful.

Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford, Ireland

I also have to say that I may start a collage of street art at the end of every post because this is by far my fave thing to find in every city we visit. It is such a great reason to walk through your own city too, you can find street art almost every corner you turn. Plus it is totally free to look at and admire!

Street art in \waterford, read the post for more things to see and do in Waterford City, Ireland

We did all of this exploring of Waterford City on Friday and some of Saturday. After lunch on Saturday we took a bus out to Dungarvan for the rest of the day, and for the whole of Sunday we explored Dunmore East.

If that is one thing I have to say, it is that if you plan on staying a while  in Waterford, then you definitely need to rent a car because there is so much more to see in the whole county of Waterford. But if you plan to break it up into shorter visits, then Waterford city itself is perfect to explore over a weekend.

HAVE YOU VISITED WATERFORD? WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THIS CITY?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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If you ever get the chance to visit Ireland, I hope you will go and visit the oldest city in Ireland, Waterford. Read this post for things to do, places to stay, and food to eat when visiting Waterford City for a weekend!

Filed Under: Travels Tagged With: discover ireland, expat life, Happiness, irish travel, irishlife, travel, travel tips, travelling, travels, vacation ideas

7 walks to do around Dublin

April 14, 2017 by Meg 19 Comments

7 walks to do around Dublin7 walks to do around Dublin. Along the river, or the canal. All walks are easy to moderate7 walks to do around Dublin; and all free to do, all year round!7 walks to do around Dublin - plus you can get to them using public transport!

Dublin walks/trails to do this weekend!

Since arriving in Dublin we have made it our mission to do all the Dublin walks/trails we can get our hands on! We both come from families who love to hike and walk in forests. Since we are trying to conserve our money, while I wait for a job! Getting out and going for a walk doesn’t cost a damn thing! Plus, we love to pack a picnic and it is a great way to really see the city from all angles.

Since we rely on public transport, I thought I would share some of the more obvious Dublin walk options first, the ones that are easy to get to. Then later, I will write a post on the harder to get to walking/hiking trails. If you are keen to get out this weekend, here are some great walks you can do, in and around Dublin this weekend:

  1. Poolbeg Lighthouse (11 km)

We are very fortunate that this is right at our doorstep. I might be a bit trickier to get to for others. It is an 11 km from our door to the lighthouse and back. I suggest you park along the Sandymount beach promenade and start the walk from there. It is such a varied walk, starting along the promenade, then into Sean Moore’s park, bit of a hill through some forest bit, out onto a service road, along the beach and then out onto the pier. There is a guy in a coffee van most weekends which is a great place to stop for a coffee either before or after the walk along the pier. Just a word of warning that at high tide, and bad weather the pier gets beaten with the waves. I tried to run out there on a windy day, and ended up having to turn around. It was a big NOPE! cold, windy, and wet? I did not sign up for that. But on a good day, I imagine the pier may be busy with others taking in the good weather, and the stunning views. It is well worth it.

poolbeg lighthouse

  1. Sandymount Beach Promenade (5km)

If you are not keen on a full-on trek, you could just walk from one end of Sandymount Beach to the other end and back. If you do both ways it is a nice 5km walk, plus it has the most incredible sunset views.

sandymount beach

  1. Ringsend to Ballsbridge Canal Walk (4km)

There are some great walks along parts of the river or canal around Dublin. We are lucky to be very close to Aviva stadium, so we often walk along the river to and from Lansdowne train station. It is also a great to cycle or run, if walking is not your vibe. From Ringsend church, you can follow the river all the way past the stadium, under a bridge and all the way to Ballsbridge. You could even extend this walk and cross over to Herbert Park.

dodder river walk

  1. The Dropping Well to Bushy Park River Walk (5km)

Truthfully, this is a bit further away from us. We took bikes from grand canal docks along the canal/river all the way to the dropping well restaurant before starting this section on foot. The dropping well is in such a cool spot, however, on Sundays it is quite a popular spot for the elderly and families (they do a good roast special!) We grabbed a drink and sat outside on the deck. The great thing is there is a smoking and non-smoking part to the outside deck, so you can still enjoy the views without getting smoked out.

Bushy park dublin

Then if you hop onto a train, you can do anyone of these walks too:

  1. Dun Laoghaire (from 3km)

Take the DART from town to Dun Laoghaire (Mallin) station. There are two piers walks to do in Dun Laoghaire (east and west), but you could also walk along the promenade to forty foot (and go swimming, if you are brave!) Plus, it is an excuse to grab a teddy’s ice cream, which is a great day out in my books! You can read more about Dun Laoghaire here.

  1. Killiney/Dalkey Hill (2km)

Take the DART from town to Dalkey station. As you come out of the station, keep left and follow the signs up to Killiney hill. You could walk up, catch the view, and walk back to Dalkey, or you could walk up from Dalkey and back down to Killiney. There is a DART station in both little towns and the full loop is around 2km, so not too far too walk at all. You can read more about Dalkey here.

  1. Howth (2km – 6km)

Take the DART to Howth. Here you will have plenty of options, including grabbing a mandatory fish and chips. You could walk along the pier, along the short promenade in front of the harbor. Or if you are feeling very active, you could do the cliff walk. Some parts are a bit tough (uphill), but for the most part, the views distract you and it is a great loop. You can walk along the cliffs, and then when you get to the top, reward yourself with a pint at the Summit Hill Inn. The cliff walk is 6km. If you are lazy after the walk (or after too many pints), you can grab a bus which is right outside the pub, alternatively, it is a downhill trek back to Howth station.

howth cliff walk

  1. Bray to Greystones (6km)

Technically not is county Dublin (it’s on the border), but not to be missed. Grab the DART and get off at Bray. You can then walk up Bray’s Head, which is short in distance but all uphill, but the view of Bray is amazing. Then you can come back down and do the bray to Greystones cliff walk. This walk is 6 km (one way), and not at all strenuous. It’s pretty flat. But the views are amazing. You can also watch the train go by, and grab the train from Greystones back home. Just a word of warning, the train doesn’t stop at Greystones very frequently, especially on Sundays, so you may need to wait a bit for the train. You can read more about what we did in Bray here.

Which walk have you done? What have you got planned this weekend? With the long weekend upon us, it is a great opportunity to get out the house and get a bit active! I know my main reason is to try work off all the creme eggs I intend on shoveling in my mouth this weekend!

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

Filed Under: Travels Tagged With: declutter, discover dublin, discover ireland, dublin, Happiness, ireland, irish travel, irishlife, travelling, travels

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About Meg

Hey! My name is Meg. I am an astrologer with a focus on Astrogeography and evolutionary astrology. I am a South African currently living in Ireland, using Astrogeography in my own life has been so helpful that I started doing readings to help others move and travel based on their astrology. Read my story here

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