Jaws is one of my all-time favourite movies, even though the title character, a great white shark, is extremely unrealistic, and it takes place on a made-up, fictional landmass, Amity Island. But despite this creative license, Jaws gets a lot of things about island living right, including the differing perspectives of Chief Brody, a transplanted “off islander” who can’t adjust, and the close-knit locals, who understand what living on an island means.I belong to a golf club in Ireland called Ballyliffin that sits in the northernmost part of the Emerald Isle, on a peninsula in the Republic’s County Donegal that juts up above even Northern Ireland. When you tee it up it is impossible to forget you are on an island, as this rugged coast is exposed to nothing but the fierce North Atlantic, with whipping winds and waves crashing on rocky shores, open ocean for over 900 miles north to the next island—Iceland.When I eat fish and chips in the clubhouse, it’s locally caught cod, the fresh oysters Ireland is famous for come from Galway, and the whisky is almost all made in either the Bushmills or Jameson distilleries, both in port cities, as is <a href="https://butterfield.com/destination/europe/ireland" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ireland’s</a> most famed beverage, Guinness stout.

Likewise, for tourists, Ireland’s most famous landmarks all sit on the coast—The Cliffs of Moher, Giants Causeway, Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, Wild Atlantic Way, Dunluce Castle, Carrickfergus Castle, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the charming towns of Waterford and Kinsale, the Aran Islands, the shipyard museum where the Titanic was built, every famous links golf course, and the biggest cities, Dublin, Belfast, Galway and Cork.But there are also vast swaths of Ireland’s interior where you cannot see the whitecaps or the fishing boats, and for a moment it would seem possible to forget you are even on an island. But then you talk to someone or buy something, or order food, and you're drawn back, because it is not the surfing or fishing or beaches that make an island special, it is the islanders.

I lived in New York City for many years without ever meeting my next-door neighbours, and their apartment doors were literally feet from mine—in a shared hallway.Islands are physically isolated by nature, but that kind of human isolation isn't possible on an island, where communities are more tightly knit, and everyone is interdependent. In a way, island living is a slice of human history frozen in time, from back when everyone lived together in a village for mutual survival. While many islands are paradises, most also have their share of hardships, from potato famines to hurricanes, tsunamis to volcanoes, droughts to floods, and simply obtaining “stuff,” other than fish and tropical fruits, is often tricky and expensive.The power and cable and Wi-Fi go out more, the ferries break down, and things mainlanders take for granted, like getting their car serviced or going to a specialist doctor, can be major endeavours. In places like St. Barts, if you want your kids to be educated beyond grade school, you have to ship them off to another country altogether.

The upside of this is community, and people actually know each other, a trait often lost on city dwellers. In Hawaii, information moves through the islands via word-of-mouth so quickly that they call it the “Coconut wireless.” Once, back before there were cell phones, on a trip to Nassau in the Bahamas, I left my Filofax, which had all my contacts and calendar info, in a taxi. At the airport, I explained my predicament to the woman at the info desk, who asked me to describe my cabbie. When I did, she knew who he was by his signature cap, and assured me she would get my book back by the time I returned to fly out the next day, and she did.Try that at LAX.The challenges create unity among islanders, who work hard because they have to, and then play hard because they want to. In cities like New York and Milan, people famously live to work - and at a frenetic pace—while islanders work to live, and then share more simple pleasures, from a communal fish fry to pig roast.I’ve seen no equivalent on earth of Barbados’ ubiquitous “rum shops,” sort of neighbourhood newsstands cum bodegas across the island where locals stop in to buy a newspaper, sit and play dominoes, sip a rum and catch up on the island news of the day, face to face. It’s a beautiful way to live. In Bermuda residents join together to sail, in the West Indies for cricket, in Ireland they take to the links, in Fiji they dive, in Hawaii they surf, in <a href="https://butterfield.com/destination/europe/spain/mallorca" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mallorca</a>, there is a huge cycling sub-culture, and so on. On many islands, even doing nothing is elevated to an art form, from linen-clad sunset cocktails overlooking the water to an afternoon snooze in a hammock.Islanders take their laid-back lifestyle seriously and have perfected it to such a degree that they have claimed their own calendar, universally known as “island time.” Or as a good friend of mine who is a chef from the Dominican Republic explained, “In the DR manana doesn’t mean tomorrow, it just means not today.”

Of course, I’m generalizing, and every island is different, especially where size and climate are concerned. All of the five thousand odd people who live in the town of Sao Vicente on Madeira know each other through one or two degrees of separation, while the population of Honolulu does not. But the sense of community among island dwellers is very real, and it translates into a warmth and welcome that extends to visitors.When you travel to a big city, you're passing through, but when you visit many islands, you become a temporary resident.There's a reason that “Irish hospitality” is world famous, and it’s not just because the locals are Irish, it’s because they are islanders. I have been made to feel the same way in Mallorca, Fiji, Nevis, Abaco and many other places where both locals and visitors are thrust together and linked by the waters surrounding them in every direction.That is something worth travelling for, and circling back to Jaws, as the mayor proudly noted of his island, “Amity, as you know, means friendship.”

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<h4>St Ives, Cornwall</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-40517 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/st-ives-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/st-ives-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/st-ives-960px-250x156.jpg 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/st-ives-960px-480x300.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/st-ives-960px-768x480.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
Give St Ives an ‘A’ for art and culture: this picturesque harbour town has it all. Named after the Irish saint Ia of Cornwall, this former fishing town boasts a branch of the Tate Modern, along with a glut of galleries, exhibitions, and local artisans working in ceramics (Leach Pottery, the ‘father of British studio pottery’) and practically everything else.
The nearby Barbara Hepworth Museum and sculpture garden is another notable museum. But the simplest delights are the white-sand beaches, azure seas, narrow cobbled streets, and traditional pubs. (Look out for seals popping up in the harbour, too.)

<h2>Coastal Towns</h2>
<h4>Burgh Island, Devon</h4>
This teensy-weensy tidal island was once a significant port for tin trading, and if the tides are low enough, you can walk across from Bigbury-on-Sea on the mainland to the island itself. It’s believed a monastery once stood here, as there are remains of a little chapel that was subsequently occupied by pilchard (sardine) fishermen. During the Second World War, due to fears of Germans landing and creating a beachhead, a pillbox and defensive fortifications were built. Today, though, it’s the site of the Art Deco-style Burgh Island Hotel. The island was also the inspiration for some of Agatha Christie&#8217;s settings; the author herself was from Devon.
<h4><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-40528 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ilfracombe-caroljd123-400px.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="504" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ilfracombe-caroljd123-400px.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ilfracombe-caroljd123-400px-238x300.jpg 238w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" />Ilfracombe, Devon</h4>
Situated on the North Devon coast, the small fishing town of Ilfracombe is known for its picturesque working harbour, graced by some modern accoutrements: the twinned conical chimneys of the award-winning Landmark Theatre, and Verity, a 66-foot-tall bronze sculpture by bad-boy artist Damien Hirst (who lives in nearby Combe Martin). From Victorian and Regency architecture, everywhere there’s a pretty view, a cozy pub and the chapel of St. Nicholas on the hill, where you’ll find the oldest working lighthouse in England.
<h4>Plymouth, Devon</h4>
The largest city on England’s south coast, Plymouth is filled with maritime history. One of the world’s natural harbours, you’ll see a number of yachts, kayaks, sailing ships, fishing and naval vessels in the waters. Sir Francis Drake sailed from Plymouth to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, and the pilgrims left Plymouth in 1620 on the Mayflower to start one of the first colonies in America. (Once a thriving wool port, Plymouth was also where Sir John Hawkins and other maritime traders led England into the Atlantic slave trade). Visit the public park of Plymouth Hoe to see the statue of Sir Francis Drake, or pop into the Barbican district, with the largest concentration of cobbled streets in the country, see the Mayflower Steps, or visit the National Marine Aquarium, the largest in Britain and the deepest in Europe.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-40512 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/plymouth-960.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="611" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/plymouth-960.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/plymouth-960-471x300.jpg 471w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/plymouth-960-768x489.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/plymouth-960-943x600.jpg 943w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h4>Exeter, Devon</h4>
The last place where the Romans settled in southwestern England, Exeter is a cathedral city with a rich history. A religious centre during the Middle Ages through Tudor times, its cathedral was built in 1050, along with St Nicholas Priory (1087), a monastery, and one of Britain’s oldest synagogues, it is set upon the River Exe with many other secular buildings of historical note such as Rougemont Castle (also known as Exeter Castle). From its lively Quayside to its Underground Passages, the remains of the city’s medieval-era aqueducts, and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum detailing the history of the city, it’s also family-friendly.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-40513 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/exeter-960.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/exeter-960.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/exeter-960-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/exeter-960-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/exeter-960-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h4>Land’s End, Cornwall</h4>
Welcome to the most southwesterly point of mainland Britain, one of the country’s landmarks. Dramatic, 200-foot-high granite cliffs rise sheer out of the Atlantic Ocean, and you’ll be able to see the nearby Isles of Scilly, the Longships lighthouse, and (maybe if you can squint hard enough), North America. The region has been a popular tourist spot for over 300 years. It&#8217;s also one of the famous starting (or end) points for an ‘end-to-end’ journey with John o’Groats in Scotland, the far northeastern tip of the British mainland, a 1410-kilometre (876-mile) route is popular with bikers and travellers.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-40514 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lands-end-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lands-end-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lands-end-960px-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lands-end-960px-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lands-end-960px-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h4>Looe, Cornwall</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-40530 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Looe-400.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="503" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Looe-400.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Looe-400-239x300.jpg 239w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" />Still a working fishing port, Looe features family-friendly beaches and tidal pools teeming with aquatic wildlife. It’s also connected to the South West Coast Path and near the countryside for excellent walking. A popular day trip to Looe Island Nature Reserve gives you the opportunity to spot the resident grey seals, a large nesting gull population, along with wildflower meadows and sheep.
<h4>Mevagissey, Cornwall</h4>
Known as Lannvorek in Cornish, this gorgeous city by the sea is built on the site of a medieval quay. Named after a Welsh male saint (St. Mevan) and an Irish female saint (St. Issey), it’s a scenic tourist town that was once known for its fishing industry (mackerel, herring, and sardines) and was a notorious port for smuggling. Nearby, you’ll find one of the U.K.’s most popular botanical gardens, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, recently restored in the 1990s after being abandoned during the Great War, located on the estate grounds of Heligan House.
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In Deep: Devon & Cornwall

<h3>A World of Whiskey </h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-37668 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/WhiskeyIrish-350px-compressed.jpg" alt="irish whiskey" width="350" height="233" />Step back in time at a cozy pub for an impromptu Irish whiskey tasting at tiny O’Loclainn’s Pub in Ballyvaughan. Choose from more than 300 bottles of Irish and Scottish whiskies, including some from distilleries that are no longer around. (The word &#8220;whiskey&#8221; itself comes from the Gaelic term uisce beatha, &#8220;water of life&#8221;—derived from the Latin aqua vitae, used in the Middle Ages to refer to distilled spirits). If you’re lucky, some lively traditional music may accompany your sipping!
<h3>Cycling the Sky (Road)</h3>
Feel one with the landscape as you cycle along the Atlantic coast on Connemara’s jaw-droppingly beautiful Sky Road. At times, you’ll be close to sea level, where you can smell the salt air and hear the rush of the waves. As you rise through the undulating hills, you’ll soar higher, giving yourself a panoramic view of farms, peninsulas, and the ever-present sea and sky.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-37669 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed.jpg" alt="ireland" width="960" height="667" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed-432x300.jpg 432w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed-768x534.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed-864x600.jpg 864w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Not Your Grandmother’s Wool Sweater (Not That There’s Anything Wrong with That)</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-37672 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Inis-Meain-Sweater-Man-Cropped-Styled-Editorial.jpg" alt="ireland fashion" width="350" height="245" />The traditional handknit wool sweater is one of the Aran Islands&#8217; most beloved exports, and a souvenir you&#8217;ll want to stock up on in its place of origin. Exemplifying the rugged, solitary nature of the islands and the locals’ independence and resourcefulness, the humble fisherman’s sweater is an icon that was first popularized in 1940s England. A true find, the <a href="https://inismeain.ie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inis Meain Knitting Co.</a> reinterprets and updates traditional styles for both men and women, so you won&#8217;t look out of place in the country or the city.
Feeling inspired to experience Ireland&#8217;s West Coast for yourself? <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/start-planning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get in touch</a> with Dane Tredway to see how he can start planning your next trip here.

Top 5 Things To Do On Ireland's West Coast

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<h3>The Other Side of Paradise</h3>
With the riches of wine country prosperity came the sophisticated side of Napa and Sonoma. The area&#8217;s best new restaurants and most luxurious hotels are a far cry from the rough-and-tumble prospectors of yesteryear’s frontier&#8230;and a reminder of how this rural community has &#8216;struck gold&#8217; in a very different way. 
<h4>Single Thread </h4>
One of the most-buzzed-about restaurants to open in the last year,  Healdsburg’s Single Thread restaurant more than earns its two Michelin stars. The restaurant (and inn) is owned by a husband-wife team (Kyle Connaughton cooks, Katina Connaughton manages the restaurant’s farm located along the Russian River) who are inspired by Japanese-style hospitality which highlights the spirit of ‘omotenashi’: warmly anticipating a guest’s needs in advance. 
The only option when dining here is a showstopper of an 11-course feast, which sings a song of the seasons; the whole experience is totally immersive, and every single detail is obsessed over from the dining room to the custom dishes. 
It’s well worth the visit to experience such a high level of craftsmanship, artistry, and care from start to finish. Oh, and the name? That ‘single thread’ refers to the humble onion, which is the only thing on the farm that grows year-round. 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37285 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/SingleThread-732px.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="530" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/SingleThread-732px.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/SingleThread-732px-414x300.jpg 414w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<h4>Vallette</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37292 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Vallette-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="275" />A restaurant run by two brothers with deep roots in the region (their great-grandfather owned a bakery in Healdsburg), Vallette highlights the exceptional produce that grows here, with international flavours to surprise the palate, no doubt influenced by chef Justin Vallette’s stints in Hawaii, New York, Las Vegas, and beyond. (Foie gras chorizo and cocoa-nib-crusted duck breast, anyone)? 
The front-of-house brother, Aaron Garzini, looks after the wine list, which leans heavily on wines from Sonoma County, but also from France, New Zealand and further abroad. 
<h3>Where to Stay in Napa and Sonoma 
</h3>
Hotel Healdsburg
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37293 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HotelHealdsburg-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="349" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HotelHealdsburg-350px.jpg 350w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HotelHealdsburg-350px-301x300.jpg 301w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HotelHealdsburg-350px-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />A breath of fresh air, the contemporary Californian vibe of the Hotel Healdsburg allows you to experience the charms of the town, without sacrificing your own seclusion. 
Relax at the outdoor pool overlooking the grounds, head to the spa post-ride, or indulge at chef Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen restaurant, featuring the best of the region, including an impressive wine list of over 500 wines from Sonoma County alone. 
Service hotel-wide is refined without being overly formal—the Healdsburg gets it just right. Located right on the lovely tree-lined main plaza of Healdsburg, you can sit and watch the locals, or join right in—the main square hosts a weekly farmer’s market. 
Auberge du Soleil, Napa
A wine country experience for the ages, a stay at the Auberge du Soleil may spoil you for all future hotel stays. 
This stunning property is set amongst the hills and a sprawling 33-acre olive grove. It more than earns its stripes with a Michelin-starred dining room and a Relais &amp; Chateaux designation, and the wonderful staff anticipate your every need, down to the smallest detail. 
From bespoke breakfast service to a guests-only spa, a meditative sculpture garden perfect for post-prandial strolls, a huge spa complex with a hot-and-cold plunge pool circuit, tennis courts and complimentary fitness classes means you’ll hardly want to leave this sanctuary. 
Major upgrades will be unveiled this year, including a re-imagining of the grounds, incorporating more drought-hardy grasses and plants native to the region.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37294 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AubergeSoleil-Pool2-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="499" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AubergeSoleil-Pool2-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AubergeSoleil-Pool2-960px-480x250.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AubergeSoleil-Pool2-960px-768x399.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

The Rustic and Resplendent Charm of Napa and Sonoma

Best Hotels in Ireland

<h4><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-31900 size-large" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-banner4-960x600.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-banner4-960x600.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-banner4-250x156.jpg 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-banner4-480x300.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-banner4-768x480.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></h4>
<h3><a href="http://www.ardnasidhe.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ard na Sidhe, Co. Kerry</a></h3>
<h4>Best for Escapists</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-31864 size-medium alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-Ardnasidhe-480x255.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="255" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-Ardnasidhe-480x255.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-Ardnasidhe.jpg 752w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" />Built in 1913 by Lady Gordon, a noted gardener, traveller and writer, this under-the-radar 18-room Victorian country manor house is Kerry’s best-kept secret.
Idyllically situated on 32 lakefront acres at the foot of Ireland’s highest mountains, the McGillicuddy Reeks, Ard na Sidhe has the epic beauty and seclusion that dreamers crave, with a central location that makes it ideal for excursions to the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry.
After a day out on the bike or trails, you can look forward to relaxing with a pint by the crackling fire, or high tea in the tranquil gardens overlooking Lough Caragh.
<h3><a href="http://www.lismorecastle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford</a></h3>
<h4>Best for Private Hire</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-31866 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-Lismore.jpg" alt="best-hotels-ireland-lismore" width="752" height="450" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-Lismore.jpg 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Best-Hotels-Ireland-Lismore-480x287.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
Grand facade? Elegant fire-lit drawing-room? Medieval dining hall? Personal butler? Check! Check! Check! Check!
Lismore Castle ticks all of the boxes when it comes to private castle experiences in Ireland. The 800-year old property has been owned by the Duke of Devonshire since 1773 and has a history and surroundings that will transport you.
Ideal for families or private groups, Lismore can accommodate up to 30 people yet feels intimate with a group of 10 or 12.
For more details about the itineraries we can offer using Lismore (or another fine castle for hire) as a home base, just ask your trip designer!

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Greece

<figure id="attachment_28534" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28534" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-28534" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Uwe2-225x300.jpg" alt="&quot;A trip to Greece had been on our wishlist for years...&quot;" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Uwe2-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Uwe2-450x600.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Uwe2.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-28534" class="wp-caption-text">&#8220;A trip to Greece had been on our wishlist for years&#8230;&#8221;</figcaption></figure>
&#8220;A trip to Greece had been on our wish list for years,&#8221; Uwe says. After reviewing the <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Butterfield &amp; Robinson</a> website, he was convinced that this opportunity was worth the effort. He printed the incentive with his targets and tacked it to his wall at work. “This was different,” he notes, “Money is hardly motivating because it&#8217;s so fleeting. But a trip to Greece had been on our wish list for years, and created memories that will last a lifetime. Getting a luxurious travel experience with my loved one, with nothing to worry about, was truly special. It’s an experience no one can take away from me.”
For Uwe, the experience delivered beyond his expectations, providing what he called a trip of a lifetime. One of his most memorable moments was a surprise lunch on Santorini. After debating whether to have lunch at all (there were so many things they wanted to see and do), they reluctantly joined their guide.
A breathtaking drive to the other side of the island brought them to a tranquil port-side hamlet perched on a cliff, overlooking the ocean. “Words cannot express the incredible experience we had. We were treated to succulent fresh fish, idyllic views and unbelievable beauty. We were treated with extraordinary attention. It was truly magical.”
It has been a month since he returned home from Greece and the rote structure of life has returned. He recounts the details of the trip, clearly impressed with the smooth organization, punctuality and professionalism of all the members of the B&amp;R team.
As we end our call he delivers a big sigh, a smile radiating over the phone. “I feel like I’ve just returned to Greece” he says, the memories having flooded back. “I will never forget the white buildings, blue sky and emerald green waters,” he says. “The pictures in magazines are not fake – they are real!”
And for the last 50 years B&amp;R has been delivering just that – very unique, very exclusive, and very real trips of a lifetime that <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/corporate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reward and inspire world-class talent</a>.

Greece with B&R: A Mythological Level of Motivation

about.travel

Iceland

Top New Tours for Family Travel

Need to Know

St. Patrick

<h5>Croagh Patrick</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28587" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Croagh-Patrick.jpg" alt="Croagh Patrick " width="752" height="500" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Croagh-Patrick.jpg 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Croagh-Patrick-451x300.jpg 451w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
Pictured above, <a title="Croagh Patrick " href="http://www.croagh-patrick.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Croagh Patrick</a> is known locally and fondly as “The Reek” (a sort of haystack) and towering 764 metres (2,507 feet) over Clew Bay. It has been an important pilgrimage site since even before Saint Patrick fasted atop it for 40 days back in the year 441.
On “Reek Sunday,” the last Sunday in July, (a holiday spawned from the Celtic festival Lughnasadh, which pre-dated both Patrick and the island&#8217;s turn toward Christianity), thousands climb for exercise, faith or penitence—some traversing the loose rocks and muddy terrain barefoot, as Patrick is said to have done. Atop sits a chapel built in 1905, where pilgrims commune with Patrick&#8217;s spirit before making the trek back down.
If you made the trek on Reek Sunday a few years back, you may have encountered our old friend Michael Gibbons atop the hill, shoes optional. I made the trek with Michael a few years back—a perfect introduction to the country and its culture.
<figure id="attachment_22466" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-22466" style="width: 190px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-22466" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/County_Mayo_coat_of_arms-219x320.png" alt="The County Mayo coat of arms. " width="190" height="277" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/County_Mayo_coat_of_arms-219x320.png 219w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/County_Mayo_coat_of_arms.png 411w" sizes="(max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-22466" class="wp-caption-text">The County Mayo coat of arms.</figcaption></figure>
<h5>County Mayo</h5>
From Croagh Patrick and megalithic tombs to early Christian monasteries, famine roads to Grace O’Malley’s castles, traces of the past are everywhere in this wild green landscape.
County Mayo, derived from the Gaelic words Maigh Eo, or the Plain of the Yew Trees, was also home to a certain Captain Charles Boycott, whose ill-treatment of his workers led everyone to shun and avoid doing business with him, giving us a new word and concept. Still fairly rural today, County Mayo has some of Ireland’s richest salmon runs and is a popular holiday area for Dubliners.

From St. Patrick to Charles Boycott: The Famous Names of County Mayo

Profiles

Italy

Favourite hotel in the world? 
<a title="Six Sense Ninh Van Bay " href="http://www.sixsenses.com/resorts/ninh-van-bay/destination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Six Sense Ninh Van Bay</a> in Vietnam is a fun one. I love the isolation, using a bike to get around on the property, the personal pools for each bungalow, the personal butlers and the beautiful scenery.
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-18692 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Christina_1.jpg" alt="Christina Cain" width="320" height="212" />
Favourite restaurant in the world? 
I’m a big fan of the simple, local food spots. One that comes to mind is in Nha Trang, Vietnam. They literally pull up plastic seats and a grill on the sidewalk and cook up the freshest catch right in front of you. It’s the simplest thing sitting on the sidewalk watching the world go by like the locals do, but it’s meals like this that stay in my memory.
Favourite bar/wine bar/watering hole in the world? 
I love little old enotecas (wine bars). One of my favourites is in Le Marche and is run by the local Sommelier association. It’s like stepping into a library of wine from the region. I also love the small old-style ones you find in the south of Italy where you can sit outside on the piazza and enjoy a glass of wine and people-watch.
Favourite bottle of wine? 
Depends on the season. When it’s cold outside, I love a good <a title="Vines 101: Piemonte Wine " href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/03/25/vines-101-piemonte-wine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbaresco from Piemonte </a>. In the summer, I love a crisp white from the Südtirol and Alto Adige region in northern Italy, or a Rosato from the Salento in Puglia.
Do you have a favourite travel quote, mantra or words to live by? 
&#8220;Go with the flow&#8221; is the first. Be open, invite conversation, notice things.
Someone has just landed in a country they’ve never been to, where they don’t speak the language. What’s your number one piece of advice for them? 
Enjoy, turn off your cell phone, live in the moment.
And finally, what’s the craziest thing you’ve seen or done while on a trip? 
Ah man, you can’t ask that! You know the golden rule: what happens on a trip stays on trip. (Ed. Note: <a title="Tom Abraham" href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/09/26/experts-insiders-tom-abraham/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I get that a lot</a>, but I keep asking. Tough crowd, these guides turned Trip Designers.)

Experts + Insiders: Christina Cain

Trip Tales

<h2>Lough Inagh Lodge</h2>
<figure id="attachment_18071" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-18071" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-18071" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/LoughInagh2-320x320.jpg" alt="The view from Lough Inagh, my home away from home. " width="320" height="320" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/LoughInagh2-320x320.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/LoughInagh2.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-18071" class="wp-caption-text">The view from Lough Inagh, my home away from home.</figcaption></figure>
My true home away from home when in Connemara is the <a title="Lough Inagh Lodge " href="http://www.loughinaghlodgehotel.ie/en/" target="_blank">Lough Inagh Lodge</a>. It&#8217;s s simple place that needs some work done to it, but this gives it its charm, making it feel like home in a true sense, not just a hotel trying to mimic that feeling. Lough Inagh is run by a brother and sister duo who have generously had B&amp;R guides live with them in the past. Dominic and Maire are the heart of the matter; they embody the Irish spirit that I miss when away. I love to see Ballyfin and the island&#8217;s other spectacular properties, and I love to stay there as well, but I miss Lough Inagh in the same way I miss my old summer camp—my connection to it feels visceral and real, a sense that few properties in the world could truly evoke.
And that really sums up Ireland for me. It is a place constantly struggling to balance hope and despair in the best sort of way, resulting in countless Irish writers who excel at writing about life&#8217;s darker moments in a lighter a tone, a constant joke about the tragedy. Built into the culture is a mischief, an adorable and intoxicating mischief that needs to be felt and seen. It is the reason there is music in the pubs in Ireland, and poetry, and hope.

On the Emerald Isle, An Awakening Tiger

France

Experts + Insiders: Jérôme Boré

Cities

Insider's Guide to Dublin

<a title="The Sussex" href="http://thesussex.ie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a>
&nbsp;

Insider's Guide: 8 of My Favourite Dublin Restaurants

Insider's Guides

Where to Stay

Insider's Guide: Our Top 3 Dublin Hotels

<figure id="attachment_16040" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-16040" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-16040 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/press_image_large_12-320x240.jpg" alt="Things to Do in Dublin " width="320" height="240" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/press_image_large_12-320x240.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/press_image_large_12.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-16040" class="wp-caption-text">The Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse provides one of the best views in the city.</figcaption></figure>
If you have more time (or another day) to spend in Dublin, we recommend visiting the <a href="http://www.imma.ie/en/index.htm">Irish Museum of Modern Art</a> to explore the gallery. Afterwards, head toward the city centre.
You will, inevitably, pass by the <a title="Guinness Storehouse" href="http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guinness Storehouse</a>, so a stop in the hops store for a pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar is a must.
This is one of the highest viewing points in Dublin and a perfect place to get both your bearings and a bird’s-eye view of the city.
Continuing on, you will pass by Christchurch Cathedral. This is the oldest part of the city, dating back to the time of the Vikings.
Take a quick detour down to see its neighbour, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on the street of the same name.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-43968 size-full" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/12885255315_67322750d5_o.jpg" alt="" width="752" height="533" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/12885255315_67322750d5_o.jpg 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/12885255315_67322750d5_o-423x300.jpg 423w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
If your feet are still up to it, walk down Lord Edward Street and into Dame Street, passing by a few boutique shops selling handmade handbags and Celtic jewellery along the way. Midway down Dame Street you will come across Cork Hill, with City Hall in front of you.
Have a peek in to see the impressive Corinthian portico with six columns, statues of notable Irish citizens and the magnificent dome. The building was originally The Royal Exchange (1769) and later became the property of the Dublin Corporation, which still owns it.
<figure id="attachment_16041" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-16041" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/11/08/things-to-do-in-dublin/bedford-tower/" rel="attachment wp-att-16041"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-16041 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Bedford-Tower.jpg" alt="Things to Do in Dublin " width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Bedford-Tower.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Bedford-Tower-124x82.jpg 124w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-16041" class="wp-caption-text">Dublin Castle&#8217;s Bedford Tower</figcaption></figure>
Continue on through the main gates of Dublin Castle to explore it in full. By now you may be in the mood for a nice cup of tea and a break, so you can head to the Chester Beatty Library, located to the rear of Dublin Castle (in the Clock Tower on Ship Street).
The restaurant also does a great lunch with lots of good, homemade dishes to choose from.
You may then explore the museum, with its fantastic collection of over 20,000 manuscripts, rare books, miniature paintings, clay tablets, costumes and other objects, mainly from the Middle East and Asia.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-36061 size-full" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ireland-dublin-riverliffey-freestock-732px-compressed.png" alt="" width="752" height="500" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ireland-dublin-riverliffey-freestock-732px-compressed.png 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ireland-dublin-riverliffey-freestock-732px-compressed-451x300.png 451w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
After all this, you may just feel like relaxing and listening to some good live jazz music, and if it is a Sunday you’re in luck; the George (89 South Great George’s St.), just around the corner from Dublin Castle, hosts jazz sessions every Sunday afternoon.
Alternatively, you may like to wander around the main shopping street on the south side of the River Liffey, Grafton Street. Be sure to check out the high-end <a href="https://www.brownthomas.com/">Brown Thomas</a> department store, located at the end of Grafton Street and The Royal Hibernian Way (King Street South), which has a cluster of little boutiques and a great Italian shoe and handbag shop.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-36065 size-full" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/temple-bar-freestock-960px-cmopressed.png" alt="" width="752" height="533" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/temple-bar-freestock-960px-cmopressed.png 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/temple-bar-freestock-960px-cmopressed-423x300.png 423w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
To finish off your Dublin journey, stroll through <a title="The Temple Bar pub " href="http://www.thetemplebarpub.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Temple Bar</a> and stop for a pint at its namesake pub before returning to your hotel to relax and freshen up for the evening. Dublin has a lively theatre scene, and most of the theatres are scattered around the city centre.
Each theatre tends to focus on specific types of works (for instance: classic Irish plays, modern Irish, or international), so have a look around to see what is currently showing. Visit <a href="http://www.timeout.com/dublin/">TimeOut Dublin</a> online for the latest listings.

Insider's Guide: How to Spend a Day in Dublin

Culture &amp; Lifestyle

Reading for the Road

B&amp;R Picks

<h4><a title="Vanishing Ireland" href="http://amzn.to/2FCOKUH" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vanishing Ireland: Recollections of Our Changing Times</a><a href="http://amzn.to/2FCOKUH" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-16602" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/513Hj43UBoL._SX258_BO1204203200_-256x320.jpg" alt="Books About Ireland" width="154" height="192" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/513Hj43UBoL._SX258_BO1204203200_-256x320.jpg 256w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/513Hj43UBoL._SX258_BO1204203200_.jpg 260w" sizes="(max-width: 154px) 100vw, 154px" /></a></h4>
By James Fennell and Turtle Bunbury
An amazing collection of stories and characters from the real Ireland. The book includes chapters about some of the Gilies, a family we know from Delphi Lodge as well as a few farmers we meet on our trips!
<a href="http://amzn.to/2FCOKUH" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon.com &gt;&gt;</a>
<hr />
<h4><a title="The Aran Islands" href="http://amzn.to/2BYdOpc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Aran Islands </a><a href="http://amzn.to/2BYdOpc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-16603" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6a00d83451bcff69e201157213d5c4970b-pi-200x320.jpeg" alt="Books About Ireland" width="120" height="192" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6a00d83451bcff69e201157213d5c4970b-pi-200x320.jpeg 200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6a00d83451bcff69e201157213d5c4970b-pi.jpeg 250w" sizes="(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px" /></a></h4>
By J.M. Synge, Introduction by Tim Robinson
A much loved turn-of-the-century account of the islands (as contrasted with mainland Ireland), drenched in the Celtic soul of the Irish.
<a href="http://amzn.to/2BYdOpc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon.com &gt;&gt;</a>
<hr />
<h4><a title="Angela's Ashes " href="http://amzn.to/2FALWr4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angela’s Ashes</a><a href="http://amzn.to/2FALWr4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-16604" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/angelas-ashes-audio-book-200x320.jpg" alt="Books About Ireland" width="120" height="192" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/angelas-ashes-audio-book-200x320.jpg 200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/angelas-ashes-audio-book.jpg 314w" sizes="(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px" /></a></h4>
By Frank McCourt
The Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir of an Irish childhood spent in abject poverty in the slums of Limerick, told with enormous wit, grace and skill.
<a href="http://amzn.to/2FALWr4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon.com &gt;&gt;</a>

Reading for the Road: Our 5 Favourite Books About Ireland

Wine Regions

Puglia

Yet our experience and history there speak volumes about our trip-planning philosophy. That is, we learned not to assume people will only travel to established destinations, but to take risks on new and often unlikely places. Sometimes we hit a home run, more often it’s an out, but the quest for the Next Great Trip energizes our planners and, we think, our travellers as well. When a resurrected Puglia trip finally took off at the turn of the century, that first failed attempt went from folly to visionary.
And by the way, to call that early foray a failure would be a subjective characterization. During his research, the planner of the trip, an intrepid Canadian named Matthew, met and fell in love with the daughter of the owner of the first trip hotel; to this day he lives there with her and their family.
The way he tells it, that “unsuccessful” trip was anything but, and Puglia was a winner from day one.

Puglia and B&R: From Folly to Visionary

Travel Inspiration

<h4>Fishless during Famine</h4>
On the sides of the hill along Killary Harbour you can still see the old potato beds, which provided the only food available—until they went black with blight. There was no fishing in the fjord during the Famine, not because there were no fish, but because the people had no nets.
The famine didn’t happen once. It happened in waves that lasted decades. And technically it began 200 years before, with the institution of the Penal Laws in 1651. Oliver Cromwell, who chose Connaught over hell itself (a favourite line around these parts), through his conquests, reduced families&#8217; plots of lands to such a size that they could only farm potatoes. Out of a population of eight million people, more than half disappeared, in almost equal parts by death and emigration (or death by emigration).

In Killary Harbour, History and Beauty

Family Travel

So search I did. And let me tell you, it was a heroic task to scour the churches and pubs from Galway to Sligo. After the first few pubs, though, I started to see a trend that would help cut my work in half. If I waited for the correct time of week and day, I could find the church in the pub—a priest with a pint! And in Westport, in County Mayo, I found just that: a friendly priest in a pub told me he knew some farmers with the same name as my travellers, and from the pub phone I called and asked if I could come over the next day to meet!
<figure id="attachment_7906" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-7906" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Westportweb.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-7906 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Westportweb-320x212.jpg" alt="Travel to Westport, Ireland" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Westportweb-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Westportweb-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Westportweb.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-7906" class="wp-caption-text">At a pub in Westport, I found a proverbial pot of gold: a priest helped me find my travellers&#8217; cousins.</figcaption></figure>
I was overjoyed to find the B&amp;R travellers&#8217; long-lost cousin in only a few days, and was able to arrange a special event in which the travellers met their family on the first bike ride of the trip. They even had scones and tea in their cousin’s country home!
My personal family history, however, proved a bit tougher to dig up. After a few more days of asking around in small towns all over western Ireland, I came across the proverbial pot of gold in Cong, a tiny town in County Mayo. It was raining—of course—and nearing the end of the day; I was tired and decided to pop down to the pub, which like many pubs in Ireland rested at the bottom of a hill, to warm up and see what I could find.
I made it into the pub but had taken a spill on the way, so in addition to being soaking wet, I was now covered in mud—quite the sight to see, as you can imagine. Searching for long-lost family at both the bottom of a hill and the bottom of a pint, I asked the bartender if he knew any Dillons in the village.
“Dillons!?” He replied with a scowl, “Sheep thievin’ bastards!” And at that moment, so much of my family history began to make sense.
My search ended, I ordered another pint to wait out the rain.

ireland

Blog posts for 'ireland'