At the end of May, I joined friends from the States on a six day road trip around Ireland.

Whilst planning the trip, we chose places to spend each evening in with a few day stops peppered in between. On our drive from Kinsale to Doolin, we’d planned on stopping at the University of Limerick to visit the campus for one of my friends who went there on a study abroad years ago.

Known as one of Ireland’s most charming towns, when I first heard of Adare and realised it would only be a 15-20 minute detour from UL, I hoped we’d be able to fit it into our trip.

Sure enough, the morning we left Kinsale, we woke early enough to stop over in Adare.

The pretty village of Adare is located in County Limerick. It’s a designated heritage town, famous for its thatched cottages.

On our way into town, we stopped at the Augustinian Friary. Repaired in the early part of the 19th century, the building exemplifies a medieval Irish church. Prior, it was home to the Augustinian Order until they were driven out during the 15th century.

Heading into town (after saying hello to some cows grazing in a nearby field), we parked in the back lot of the visitor’s centre. First stop: The Good Room Bistro.

Beautiful and delicious homemade baked goods, plus wonderful teas. This is a must visit.

Of course, no trip to Adare is complete without seeing the thatched cottages. The cottages have survived for hundreds of years. Today, some of them are restaurants or shops, but some are still privately owned.

Next to the cottages, near the Visitor Centre, there’s a small, beautiful park. We sat here with our teas and coffees, soaking in the sunshine before hopping back in the car and continuing to Limerick.

Adare, a small village and the perfect place to stretch your legs if you’re road tripping around Ireland.

Have you ever driven around Ireland? Which town or village was your favourite?

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