Oct28

A walk up Ben Bulben – the main ascent

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Monday, 13-July-2026

The hike up to Ben Bulben itself took place on a perfect day – and the hike itself reflected that perfection beautifully.

Seriously – The landscape! The weather! The views! The sheep!

I mean, okay, the half-dozen “NO DOGS ALLOWED” signs were kind of aggressive. But… I mean, there’s sheep grazing, so I guess it makes sense? I mean, it’s a good reminder – this beautiful massif isn’t public land. We’re in Ireland, don’t forget, which means pretty much everything is privately owned… and this beauty is no exception. It’s split among a whole pile of private farmers and “landed families”, to the best of my understanding, so I guess we should just be thankful that we’re allowed to hike it at all.

Okay, okay. Rant over.

Now? Now, we talk beauty and enjoyment.

The trail itself was lovely – there was some minor routefinding, but overall it was smooth walking. Some steep sections flew by, and the views from the top were… well, they were views of farmland. Perfectly bucolic, with just the hint of sea in the distance.

Freaking. Awesome.

Oct27

A walk near Ben Bulben – the AirBnB, and the sunset

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A walk near Ben Bulben – the AirBnB, and the sunset

Sunday, 12-July-2026

After the hike, our AirBnB turned out to be even nicer than we could have hoped: The place itself was lovely, calm, and picturesque… but the nearby seaside was the real highlight. We took a walk down just at sunset, and were treated to a singularly stunning lightshow as the sun dipped below the horizon. Beautiful low-tide, with none of the traditionally accompanying smells, and a whole TON of really cool fossils kept us curious as the evening cooled off.

I mean, seriously. The light! The coast!

It was nearly too much, but thankfully we survived and took these photos to bring back to you:

Oct26

A walk up Ben Bulben – the forest walk

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A walk up Ben Bulben – the forest walk

Sunday, 12-July-2026


It’s my birthday, and we’re going on an adventure!

Ben Bulben is one of those really pretty spots in Ireland that I’ve heard about a dozen times, but never felt particularly drawn to actually visiting. I mean, it’s been on the list, but… yeah. Other places have taken priority, other trips, or just the chaotically overwhelming nature of life in Ireland has stayed my hand.

Until today!

The plan was simple – Andrea and I had a car rented, an AirBnB booked, and our gear packed. Hiking boots had been bought and tested, gear checked, and routes selected. We’d drive out, do a quick walk around the base of the massif, and then have a nice restful evening before starting into the main hike up the next day. The weather looked good, if a bit sunny, and we were excited for the excursion.

Then, when the rubber actually hit the road?

It went beautifully. Simply beautifully.

And as an added bonus? We were the last ones in the parking lot!