Bundoran Ireland Archives - Manipulated Reality

Things To Do In Bundoran, Ireland

I was there to surf, and would be in town for a few days.

I was looking for other things to do in Bundoran, Ireland while I was there. It’s a pretty chill seaside town, and is well known for it’s surfing.

Things to do in Bundoran, Ireland by Julie Miche — Take a walk at Tullan Strand

I surfed at Tullan Strand, but also took a day just to walk the beach and zen out… It’s incredibly gorgeous and peaceful.

Walk the beaches… Experience nature.

Surf, swim, play in the water, Bundoran Ireland by Julie Miche — Surf, swim, play in the water!

Whether you are traveling by yourself or with family and friends, make time to just go play! The beaches are lovely!

Tullan Strand is great for surfing or a stroll on the beach. Things To Do In Bundoran, Ireland by Julie Miche — Take a stroll on the beach.

Go horseback riding. It’s so amazing to see these beautiful creatures galloping along the Atlantic. Check out the local Equestrian Center, and take a ride.

Things to do in Bundoran, Ireland Go horseback riding by Julie Miche — Go horseback riding at Tullan Stand

Check out the coastline along the main part of town. You’ll find lots of families out for a day at the beach. If you’re traveling with kids, it’s a great place to hang out, plus the Bundoran Adventure Park is really close by.

Walk the beach right at the edge of town in Bundoran, Ireland by Julie Miche — Where the ocean meets the town

Be adventurous! Jump off a cliff! I was hanging out, chatting with a family from Northern Ireland. They were in Bundoran for a weekend holiday. A couple of adventure seekers started climbing up onto the cliff near where we were sitting. We all watched and wondered if they would actually jump… They did! I don’t think I could do it, but it was fun to watch!

Cliff jumpers, adventure seekers Things To Do In Bundoran, Ireland by Julie Miche — Just jump!

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Go fishing! Growing up, I did a lot of fresh water fishing with my family in Wisconsin, so when I came across a couple guys fishing on the shore of the Atlantic I was curious. What were they trying to catch, and what were they using for bait?

Shoreline fishing in Bundoran, Ireland by Julie Miche — Fishing the Bundoran Coastline

The bait looked like an earthworm and a centipede mated! They were using ragworms. I’ve never even heard of them.

Using ragworms to catch fish in Bundoran, Ireland by Julie Miche — Creepy crawler… aka Ragworm

Apparently you can catch quite a variety of fish… Pollock, Cod, Wrasse, Conger, and Fluke can be caught from the shore.

Catching fish in Bundoran, Ireland from the shore by Julie Miche — He caught one!

Check out the pubs… Yes, they exist! It’s not just surfing and nature.

I stopped by Brennan’s Criterion Bar late afternoon for a pint. The pub is run by 2 sisters, Nan & Patricia. They look like they could be my Grandma! The sisters were born above the pub, opened by their grandparents, and are the 3rd generation running Brennan’s. The ladies are there 7 days a week serving up drinks, and taking care of business. There are no tv’s or music in the pub, so you have to talk to each other! Stop by if you are ever in Bundoran. The Brennan Sisters are a hoot!

Brennan's Criterion Bar, Nan & Patricia by Julie Miche — Nan & Patricia Brennan

One of my other favorites in Bundoran was Maddens Bridge Bar. It’s great for checking out Trad Sessions, grabbing some really good food, or a pint.

The Chasing Bull is a good place to check out live music later at night. It’s a bigger pub, and draws a pretty lively crowd.

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Ready, Set, Go! Ireland Bound!

By Julie Miche Leave a Comment

Ireland Bound

Ready, Set, Go…. It should have been that easy right?

I knew I was going to return to Ireland before I had even returned from my last trip there. I was in love with the country, and knew I’d be back for more… Love is like that after all. Who doesn’t want more of a good thing?

It was just a matter of figuring out the details… Where would I stay? How would I finance this adventure? How long would I be able to do this for?

This trip was also somewhat of a test for myself. Could I give up having an actual home, and start my dream of living the gypsy life? I’ve been thinking about it for awhile, and was more than ready to go. I had originally planned on throwing some stuff in storage, selling what I no longer needed, and just using airbnb as living quarters along the way. This, however, freaked out some of my friends and family that weren’t quite as enthusiastic about my plan as I was.

They thought I might regret giving up my apartment in Santa Barbara… It is a pretty sweet place, and in the perfect location! I think their actual motives were that, they would have to find a new place to stay while vacationing in Santa Barbara… Kidding aside, I considered other options.

I decided to sublet my place for the next two months. I thought that was the safer option, just in the event my gypsy life didn’t work out. So, I found a 70 year old man that wanted to test the waters of retiring in Santa Barbara, and sublet it to him. He seemed like a safe bet. I put my personal belongings in storage, and crossed my fingers that all was going to work out.

I secured my first six days lodging in Galway, Ireland through airbnb, and booked a few days at a surf lodge in Bundoran, Ireland. I decided to wing the rest of the trip, seeing where the Universe would take me.

I had worked enough the previous months, and was good to go with the financing… Or so I thought!

My car decided it needed some TLC days before I was ready to leave… My travel budget took a $600 hit. Ouch!

Next, there was the call from my bank. My business checking account had been hit with fraudulent charges. Someone in China had managed to make a physical copy of my credit card, and go on a shopping spree. The first charge was for $800 worth of awnings! Really? Wow! Eight more charges followed… How was this not caught immediately?

It was time to sell something that would save the budget. I had a piece of gold jewelry sitting stored in a closet that would do the job… Trip saved!

I’ve been flying standby for the past year, so I’ve got used to getting bumped to the next flight. I’ve spent more time in some airports than I ever thought I would, which can be mentally challenging after awhile. I’ve never flown standby internationally, and was hoping for the best.

The night before I was ready to leave, I had to scramble to rearrange my flights. My original plan was hopeless. All the flights out of Los Angeles were so oversold that I would never make it onto any of them. My only hope was to fly out of Santa Barbara, which added one more flight into the mix. I had no choice… My sub-letter was moving in the next day, and I would be homeless. What’s one more flight anyway?

Shockingly, I made all three of my standby flights! Put this one down the record books! I took it as a good sign that the rest of the trip would go well!

Flying standby to Dublin, Ireland by Julie Miche

Flying to Ireland!

Thank you!