Wandering Off the Beaten Path in Ireland | Cozy Towns, Hidden Pubs, and Autumn Irish Adventures
There’s a certain kind of magic that comes with traveling through Ireland in the fall; the roads are quiet, the air smells like rain with a mix of sunshine, and the rolling hills glow in deep shades of gold, red, and green. It’s not the tourist-packed, solely green version of Ireland you see in summer. It’s something softer, moodier, and much less chaotic (so I hear since I haven’t been in summer season).
When I visited with my husband mid September, we decided to go to the Cliffs of Moher but then right after take the unbeaten path, wandering away from the big cities and famous routes to find the small towns that make Ireland feel like home. My favorite stop of all? Doolin - tiny village on the west coast with warmth, true Irish charm, and a little gem of a pub called McDermott’s.
Finding the Heart of Ireland in Small Towns
There’s nothing quite like walking into a pub on a slightly sunny, but with a chill in the air, Irish evening and feeling instantly welcome. McDermott’s Pub in Doolin was that place for me: locals chatting at the bar, pints of Guinness flowing, and people swapping stories like old friends. A special touch was all the police first responders patches and stickers on the wall above the bar that people from far and wide bring to leave their (welcomed) mark on the pub.
If you’re visiting Ireland, don’t skip the small towns. That’s where the real connection happens; in cozy pubs, tiny bakeries, and along quiet lanes lined with stone walls. Now, neither my husband nor I are big city people, so take these comments remembering that, but I genuinely am a firm believer after traveling both Ireland AND Scotland (more blogs to come on Scotland), that the BEST way to get to know a country is the small random towns that Instagram influencers do not talk about. Don’t get me wrong: the Cliffs of Moher were absolutely beautiful, and I am going to share a couple notes and some photos on that a little further down. But where I felt like I actually experienced Irish culture was not with all the other tourists walking through the gift shop line after the Cliffs of Moher, or trying to get the perfect angle of the cave featured in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was at McDermott’s Pub in little Doolin.
A Note About Getting Around
To really explore tucked-away corners of Ireland, renting a car is almost essential, and also just easier for you to control your calendar and stopping points. If you see a beautiful sunset or tucked away cow on the side of the road, you can’t stop if you are on a tour bus or country bus. You CAN stop if you have your own car. However, make sure to budget for extra car insurance, which can be surprisingly expensive for international travelers. Some credit cards offer coverage, but not all are valid overseas, so double-check before you go. My husband and I did not do this, and reaped the repercussions of the shocking price point of international car insurance.
And if you’re not used to driving on the left side of the road, take it slow and enjoy the view. Just be ready to pull over for the Irish local that actually knows what they are doing on the tiny roads. Ireland’s narrow countryside roads are as scenic as they are winding, and sometimes the drive itself becomes one of the most memorable parts of the trip. I am very glad to say my husband did all the driving, as I think I would have been a bit too overwhelmed driving to enjoy the views.
Why Autumn Is the Best Time to Visit the Cliffs of Moher
A couple notes on the Cliffs of Moher if you are planning to go:
Be prepared to actually RESERVE a time. Technically it can book up ahead of time, especially if you go during tourist season in summer, so you might be stuck waiting until there is availability. It is also cheaper if you book a time slot ahead of time, so I highly recommend that. You can do that here: https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/
I highly recommend visiting in autumn. The cliffs are breathtaking year-round, but in fall, the crowds thin out, the air feels crisp, and the light has this golden, cinematic quality that makes everything feel a little more magical. You might catch some rain and wind, Cliffs of Moher is absolutely notorious for that, but if you go early September fall time, my experience personally was amazing. Later in the month there were actually huge storms and it was even closed for I think several days. Bring a raincoat and umbrella so you can stick out the (oftentimes short) fall showers and still soak up the views while there are less tourists.
3. Some walking paths might be closed. My husband and I did not plan on taking a walking path to the Cliffs, we had planned the whole time to use the parking lot, but if you are planning on doing a longer walk or hike to the cliffs, make sure to check online ahead of time that those are open. As my husband and I drove to the Cliffs, we noticed signs that one of the common walking paths from a town over was actually closed (not sure if weather or reconstruction related).
4. Don’t put your children over the edge that is there to protect visitors!! This sounds insane and I shouldn’t have to say it, but I was absolutely shocked to see a father put his daughter over the edge of the retaining wall to sit her on a teeny patch of grass to get a photo of her with the cliffs in the background. I was shocked. I had zero words. I wanted to yell to grab her but also didn’t want to startle her or the father. He took his hands off her while she (probably like 2 years old) sat on the edge. So watch your loved ones carefully and keep good care of your kiddos.
5. Leave it better than you found it. Little known fact about me is although I do photography now, I studied environmental conservation in college and am a firm believer that you need to leave a place better than you found it. Don’t leave trash places. Don’t damage the teeny lighthouse sitting at the top of the cliffs. If you see trash that is not yours, even though it might feel gross, just pick it up and put it in a trash can near the visitor’s center. It is so windy that any trash up there will easily be swept into the ocean, and the ocean does not need more trash.
The Journey Back: From The Cliffs to Doolin to Dublin
After our visit to the Cliffs of Moher, my husband and I actually went the opposite direction we came so that we could go to McDermott’s Pub in Doolin. Special shoutout to one of my friends for the recommendation of the pub, because we wouldn’t have known about it without her! She said they had the best toastie (aka like panini or grilled cheese to us Americans) she had ever had.
My husband and I got there at the perfect time, around 4:30, for an early dinner, and I am glad we did because we made it just before the dinner rush around 5:30/6pm. When we left, there were 7 plus people lined in the tiny doorway waiting for a seat. That’s how good this place was. Amidst our waiter’s very thick Irish accent, I ordered an Irish beef stew and my husband got a burger. When I tell you this was the best beef stew I have ever had, I am not exaggerating. As a self-proclaimed foodie, this place should have awards for their beef stew. The meat perfectly fell apart in my mouth, the potatoes were soft, and the taste of the broth mixture was to die for. Don’t judge me for the bad quality photo I took of our food because I was so excited to eat it that I didn’t spend time setting up a good shot haha.
My husband also proceeded to get a Guinness (when in Ireland you have to right??) and I got a really good cider that doesn’t exist in the states. I am allergic to beer (it’s the gluten), so my husband was enjoying the Guinness for me haha.
After our insanely amazing dinner, my husband and I snuck behind the parking lot of the pub and put our drone up (we call him Brick) to get shots of the stunning sunset right on the coast and countryside. There was a river right next to the pub that snuck through the countryside on its way to the ocean, and taking the 45 minutes to an hour to just enjoy the beautiful sights of the countryside was something I will never forget. You can check out that drone footage on my Instagram here!
Irish Countryside
Once we packed up our drone, Ethan and I hopped back in our rental car and continued along that route to get back to Dublin. It ended up being one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever experienced, definitely one of my favorite parts of my entire two-week trip to both Ireland and Scotland. The route wound through rolling green hills speckled with browns and reds, quiet villages, past cemeteries, and through sweeping stretches of farmland that looked like they belonged in a painting. I kid you not.
Sheep grazed near stone walls, cows were pretty much everywhere, and every turn revealed another postcard-perfect view. It was the kind of drive that makes you want to pull over every few miles just to take it all in; the golden light, the stillness, the sense that Ireland’s beauty is just as much in its quiet moments as its famous landmarks. And my husband and I essentially did that until dark. There was one point where we were at a cross roads of one sort, there was a castle nearby, and my husband took the drone up to get a view of the stretches of land we couldn’t just see by car. Meanwhile, I popped my Fujifilm X-T3 out, my Nikon FE film camera, and my Canon R6 Mark II to get some shots, before hanging outside the car to breathe in the fresh air and stillness.
I say all this to say, if you have the time, skip the fast route. Let the road from the Cliffs of Moher to Doolin to Dublin remind you that sometimes the best parts of travel are the ones between destinations. It’s not always about the Instagram spots. In fact, it should be about so much more than that, even though it is easy to get caught up in assuming the places everyone knows about are the best places to go.
Directions to take the northern route from Cliffs of Moher to Doolin to visit McDermott’s Pub and then drive through the Irish Countryside back to Dublin
Slow Down, Explore, and Let Ireland Surprise You
Traveling the unbeaten path means giving yourself permission to get lost, to take the long way, to stop when you feel inspired, and to linger over a pint when the music starts. Ireland rewards that kind of travel. Every little town holds a story, and every encounter feels like a moment you’ll remember long after you’ve gone home.
So if you’re planning a trip to Ireland, let go of the strict itinerary. Rent the car, chase the countryside, and definitely make your way to McDermott’s Pub in Doolin (you can find them on Instagram here) if you’re going out to the Cliffs of Moher. Order a pint, listen to the thick Irish accents around you, and let Ireland work its quiet magic.
Planning a Romantic Adventure of Your Own?
If you love travel that feels cinematic, authentic, and a little whimsical, I’d love to help you capture it. Whether you’re planning an engagement session in Ireland, a romantic couples shoot along the Cliffs of Moher, or a destination adventure anywhere in the world, let’s create photos that feel like they were pulled straight from your favorite film.
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