Did you know that Ireland has vineyards?

The Emerald Isle has always been famous for its stunning scenery which matches the calm of the lush countryside with the dramatic coastal sea cliffs; but did you know that Ireland also has its fair share of tasty vineyards? Being a lover of both wine and Ireland, I could not resist the urge to get back on the open Irish roads on search of new experiences.

My journey started by collecting a car hire in Dublin Airport and heading for a small village called Lusk. I found a lovely vineyard here that not only had some fabulous red wines, they also produced their own; cider, fruit juice, jams and ice-cream! Now who doesn't like ice-cream? After filling our bellies we stayed the night in a traditional guesthouse where the owners really did give you that famous Irish welcome. The following morning we were up at sun-rise and on our way to the south country; arriving in Cork some 3 hours later.

Our reason for visiting Cork was simply because we love it! We could not find any vineyards here but that did not falter our plans. After a tour of Blarney Castle and a quick kiss on the Stone of Eloquence we decided to head towards Shannon to see what we could find there.

Close to Shannon is a little village called Bunratty. One of the world's oldest wines comes from here, it's called; Bunratty Mead and it is dubbed the 'honeymoon' drink. Needless to say we purchased a few bottles here!

Now we all know that Ireland's most famous drink is the black stuff; Guinness and they also do a mean Whisky, but now we can add great tasting wine to the list. This country just keeps on getting better and it's a place I will always return to. A car hire in Ireland combined with cheap flights, well it's just a winning combination!