Adventurer and travel guru Richard Bangs hits the road in picturesque Ireland as part of the Orbitz Originals series, taking to the Wild Atlantic Way and Causeway Coastal Route. Discover castles, wild landscapes and more along Ireland’s vibrant coasts.
Related: Check out Ireland’s top pubs for the perfect pour.
Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
Introducing the world’s longest designated touring route, which slices through beautiful coves, cliffs, and vibrant green landscapes.
The Most Luxurious Castle in the World
Step inside Ashford Castle with Richard Bangs to discover true old-world elegance and luxury.
Top Five Game of Thrones Locations
Ned Stark was here—as were several other notable Westeros citizens. See some of Belfast’s most famous mythical filming locations.
“When You are Old,” by W.B. Yeats
Enjoy glimpses of Ireland’s beautiful landscapes and people while exploring the depths of Irish literature.
Inside the Irish Pub
What makes Ireland’s pubs so legendary? Pull up a chair, grab a pint, and find out for yourself.
Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
Sli an Altantaigh Fhiáin
Wild Atlantic Way
Richard Bangs: There is a road on the edge of the earth, trusty, dusky, vivid, and true. Like a ribbon it twists and twines around bights and coves, lochs and bays. It is the Wild Atlantic Way.
Richard Bangs
Ireland – The Wild Atlantic Way
Wonder at EveryTurn
Richard Bangs: No other root broils as the light and wonder, bathes the traveler in so many colors, the yellow gorse, purple heather, the sapphire sea, and 50 shades of green.
It is meant to be seen. To drive this line is to unlock a vault of heaven. The fields furl with clouds of sheep. The sea shatters into stars. The cliffs gash the sky.
It is a poet’s land, with dark rock, deep horizons, great sweeps of sand, and mystic moods. Its acreage is ancient, stitched with stories and legends of pirates and heroes, of kingdoms fought and won, and lost and won again.
It is a boundary between continents, a frame of the frontier, a border that tries to contain huge passions and fails. It is a course of rings and ruins of castles, caves, and manors alive and open armed today.
It is the road of adventure, discovery, of fine food and wine, of hiking, biking, surfing, and fishing, of romance, magic and awe.
It is the path to which you set your own compass and course. In the end, the Wild Atlantic way will take you wherever you want to go.
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Why Ireland?
The Most Luxurious Castle in the World
Richard Bangs: There is no wealth but life, and life blooms when there is luxury. There’s so many castles, so many luxury accommodations around the globe, but there is only one Ashford Castle, the most luxurious castle in the world.
Richard Bangs: Ireland – The Wild Atlantic Way
The Most Luxurious Castle in the World
Niall Rochford General Manager, Ashford Castle
Niall Rochford: We’re located on probably what is the most wonderful part of Ireland. We’re right on the edge of Connemara, which is the most unique landscape, in my opinion, in Ireland. The French call it the sauvage, savage beauty. I think when you go to Connemara, you see that in the color of the sky and also the color of the landscape.
You can see in every single detail luxury from the chandeliers to the linens to the carpets.
Richard Bangs: Luxury here is the ripest fruit of all. It is the perfect bliss and the soul of felicity. It is the sweet fruition of all that is an earthly crown.
Niall Rochford: We say Ashford is full of character and characters. Be genuine and generous with your guests and with your staff. Then I think that creates the ability to deliver luxury at its very, very finest.
Richard Bangs: Give us the luxuries of life and we will dispense of its necessities.
Niall Rochford: We’re located on Lough Corrib, which is Ireland’s second largest lake and its renowned trout fishing, and we also have Lough Cong, which is the river that flows through the estate, and that is synonymous for its salmon fishing. Our guests many, many of them just go off property and get lost in the savage beauty that is Connemara.
Richard Bangs: The beauty of Ashford lies in its divine [play], architecture, art, and environs beyond proportion and harmony. Its design and service flare with graceful wings and voluptuousness. But with all the stone and heritage it possesses something of a lightness and great refinements. This is a place of unbounded time, a place for measureless dreaming. In this world where nothing is perfect, here is found the most exquisite form of happiness. Once you have been to Ashford Castle, there is nowhere else to go.
Top Five Game of Thrones Locations in Northern Ireland
Richard’s Gold List
Richard Bangs:
Northern Ireland
Richard Bangs’ Quests
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Transcript #2: “When You are Old”
Richard Bangs:
“When You are Old”
“When You are Old” -W.B. Yeats
<divdata-canvas-width=”675.5182646078433″>Woman 1: When you are old and grey and full of sleep and no
Inside the Irish Pub
Richard: When you’re in an Irish pub, you realize that the only thing that needs to be finished by next Friday is next Thursday.
Richard Bangs: Ireland – The Wild Atlantic Way
Inside the Irish Pub
Richard: There are only two times when I drink in an Irish pub, when I’m alone and when I’m with friends.
Woman: Sláinte.
Richard: Sláinte.
Man: Cheers.
Richard: The Irish pub is the place where truth can never get in the way of a good story. It is the great equalizer, where station holds no sway, where differences are bridged, inhibitions dissolved, tongues loosened, schemes hatched, songs sung, and the meaning of life is solved.
Conversation is on tap here. Once the spigot is turned, talk can go anywhere, but the Irish do not suffer gladly common sense.
The Irish pub is the place to practice moderation, but only in moderation. Beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder.
May you live all the days of your life.
Richard Bangs’ Quests
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Why Ireland? Learn More
Continue the Quest … Go
Another mini-series from… Richard Bangs’ Quests
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