O'Connell Bridge DublinView of the O'Connell Bridge over the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland.

I visited Ireland last fall with my family. We began our visit in Dublin, which is split roughly in half by the River Liffey (photos above and below).

Ha'penny BridgeThe Liffey Bridge, also known as the "Ha'penny Bridge", over the Liffey River in Dublin, Ireland.

Dublin is quite a nice city. I love the walk along the river and all the old European architecture and cathedrals (following two photos).

Dame Street DublinDame Street in College Green, Dublin, Ireland.

Dublin Christ Church CathedralChrist Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland.

But Dublin presents quite a contrast with much of the rest of Ireland. We traveled out west into some of the more rural parts of Ireland and we were amazed. We drove along the coast of County Kerry in the southwest and found some gorgeous green countryside.

Green Pastures in IrelandGreen pastures along the southwest coast of County Kerry in Ireland.

We also spent some time in the small villages. The following is a photo of Kenmare, which is a very charming village in Country Kerry.

Kenmare IrelandView of downtown Kenmare in County Kerry, Ireland. Featuring Holy Cross Catholic Church and a hillside covered in forests.

Dublin was a fine city and we certainly enjoyed Dublin, but we preferred the countryside. The west coast had all the charm and beauty we could have asked for. I'm going to share some more photos in future blog posts. Stay tuned!