By Eddie Young
Former Sports Editor
Eddie Young, The Signal’s former sports editor, is studying abroad in the United Kingdom this semester and will chronicle his travels each print edition.
Killarney and Cardiff will not be the first two cities that people think of when they think of great European cities. Most Americans have probably never heard of Killarney, and while Cardiff is the capital of Wales, it can be overshadowed by other cities in the United Kingdom. However, while both cities may be on the smaller end, they are both definitely worth visiting at least once in your lifetime.
Killarney National Park is filled with green hills and light blue lakes (Photo by Eddie Young).
Killarney is a small town of only 14,000 people on the western coast of Ireland in County Kerry. It lies along the beautiful Ring of Kerry and is a vacation destination for many Irish citizens wanting to stay in the country. Many foreigners do not vacation here, but I had in the past during a tour of Ireland, and it was such a wonderful place that I had to make a trip back.
The town is known for its gorgeous landscape, as it sits right next to Killarney National Park, which is filled with green hills and light blue lakes. A hike through the park will lead you to understand why Ireland gets called “The Emerald Isle,” as there will be stretches where the only color you can see is green. The sights in this national park alone make Killarney worth visiting.
In the city itself, the majority of the action is packed into a couple of blocks. One of these roads is filled with colorful, Amalfi Coast-esque buildings that are a stark contrast from buildings you would see on a main road in the United States. I stayed at a hotel right next to this street, and the vibrant buildings took my breath away every time I went past them.
The pubs serve nice traditional Irish food, like shepherd’s pie, which I chowed down on in my one night there. They also have a lively Irish nightlife, as every pub seems to have a live musician and is packed with locals and tourists who seem to have no interest in leaving until it is time for the bar to close. Staying out late is not just for the youth in this country; if you are there for a good time, no matter your age, you will be welcomed all night long.
Now, even with all of the beauty, Killarney is small and can be entirely traveled in a day or two. I would not advise planning a week or so in the city by itself unless you were planning on traveling to other places in Ireland. I only stayed here for one night and felt as though I saw everything the town had to offer. However, it would be the perfect base for a trip where you explore the Ring of Kerry or other parts of the country’s west coast.
Unlike Killarney, Cardiff is quite a large city, with a population pushing 400,000. It has two main sections to see: the city centre and Cardiff Bay.
The city centre contains the majority of the fun in Cardiff. It has a few walking streets filled with shops and restaurants where you can get all kinds of food, like a turkey roast, which was my personal lunch of choice on my day in the city.
If you decide to plan your visit to the city on the day of its annual half marathon (like me) it is okay, since even though seemingly all of the streets are closed off, you can walk pretty much anywhere (I logged 23,000 steps one day). The city centre will be filled with people all trying to have a good time.
Right at the edge of the city centre is the city’s centerpiece, Cardiff Castle. Cardiff was built around this castle, and it is quite the place to visit. It is a site that dates back to Roman times, and is filled with history from throughout the British Empire. It rains constantly in the United Kingdom, and it was pouring during my tour of the castle, but it was still the highlight of my trip even with the bad weather.
Cardiff Castle is located at the edge of the city centre (Photo by Eddie Young).
Right behind Cardiff Castle is Bute Park, which is a wonderful park to go to for a nice jog or walk. It is 130 acres, so while it may not compare to the size of Central Park or other well known parks, it still has a lot of ground to traverse and is worth a visit.
Cardiff is a city on a bay, so while most of the city is situated in the city centre, there is a lot to see along Cardiff Bay. The Wales Millennium Centre is here, hosting all different types of plays and concerts for people in Cardiff to enjoy. Also, Mermaid Quay is right on the bay, filled with restaurants and bars, all with a nice view of the water. At night, this section comes alive and is filled with Welsh locals looking for a good night. This section was my go-to dinner spot, and in my two nights there, it did not disappoint.
Like Killarney, you can see everything you want to see in Cardiff in a day or two. You do not have to stay here long, but you will have a good time during your stay. I pretty much only did a daytrip of the city, but I do not feel like I missed out on anything. Killarney and Cardiff both had their own life to them, though, as they felt very Irish and Welsh, respectively. These two cities were a very nice change of pace from the big and bustling city of London, and it is definitely worth it to make trips there if you are close enough to go.
