Outspoken Traveler

More trips below! Have at it.

About Outspoken Traveler

Travel should be about embracing every moment — from the magic of the mundane to the awe-inspiring of nature, cities, the beauty that lingers in small places, and even an amazing meal.

My passion is to seek the magic lurking in every moment you travel to a new place; then let good planning and a dose of serendipity shape as many of the travel moments as possible. And finally, share it with you with a tongue-in-cheek honesty, authentic to my faults, stumbles along the way, and joys.

Thank you for particpating!

Alfred O’Neill

(Author pen name: A.E.S. O’Neill)

—OutspokenTraveler

https://www.facebook.com/outspokentraveler/

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Donald’s buggy ride & stories make any day perfect at the Gap of Dunloe. (County Kerry)

A magic buggy ride in the Gap of Dunloe, county Kerry, Ireland. Humor, wild tales, wild wind. Truly by the roadside.
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A great chowder and a smile to remember. The Bervie BnB, Achill Island, County Mayo

The Bervy, BnB.
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Mulcahy’s: Best Diner in Munster, Ireland? No kidding.

And the winners of: Irish Restaurant Awards Munster Regional Final 2025. Mulcahy’s of Kenmare, Ireland is a very good restaurant. The BEST pate I have ever had. And it was chicken, which I normally avoid. I favor duck. From plate one I was grabbed. The chicken chasseur was exquisite…delicate pieces in a creamy sauce baked inside a
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Visiting the Mighty Connemara, Ireland: video that speaks to the awe you will feel.

There are a thousand reasons why the Connemara National Park and region are so legendary. The haunting views. The boggy-laden ground that goes on forever. The lonely hikes and walks in the shadow ominous, bulging mountains. The contrast of greens, browns and the blue of the sky as it battles for dominance wit the constant
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Visiting N. Ireland and you missed the Shepherd’s Hut of the Sperrin Mtns?

Justine says it best: “At the Shepherds Hut, you just feel like you’re part of nature. There’s almost a mystical feeling about it to me. And that’s what’s so hard to convey in social media, is that it’s not just the views. It’s not just the hot tub. There’s an actual mystical beauty to it
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The Tuareg: Regal Blue Man tribe of the Sahara

The blue man, a Tuareg tribesman, was incredibly tall. Because of his draping blue robes, his long legs seemed like he was gliding across the sand. It was a slow walk past mud buildings to a mosque that was a thousand years old. As he spoke of the mosque’s royal history, gently animated, he held
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Now why would Nat’l Geographic call the Sperrin’s one of the most beautiful mountain ranges on Earth?

When you see a place so stunning, yet simple in its beauty, you never forget it. So, Instead of me writing about the Sperrin Mountains of Northern Ireland, U.K., let me show you what I saw. National Geographic, as always, was so damned right.
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Seeking Balance? Lagom (Balance) of Kenmare creates a new standard for Irish B&B’s.

Aren’t we all seeking “balance” in a crazy world? Are our vacations a mix of dreams of both relaxation and fun discovery? Lagom in Kenmare, County Kerry, is a great place to find both. Lagom is a special, unique place of food and rest. Stay here. Eat here. Be sure to say hello to Liz
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Five Days on Henrietta Street, London.

London had changed. As it always does. London has the best and widest variety of boutique hotels. The Henrietta, by the Experimental Group, was a delightful surprise. I took a chance, especially since my significant other had never been to London and a good hotel room is crucial. I had not been since 2019. The
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Touring Beara for 8 Days. And I am sure I saw hardly any of it!

…and behind me the jagged schist mountains.
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A glorious pastoral hideaway: An Doras Bui shepherds’ hut in the Sperrin Mountains

Walking the lane near An Doras Bui can be beautiful — and with the tight curves and no dies, a bit…challenging.
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Escape the cacophony of Rome for Ostia Antica: Once Rome’s mighty port, open, preserved and off the beaten track.

Ostia Antica. Rome is overwhelming in its magnificence but let’s admit it, it is just as overwhelming a city because of the tourist hordes. Everyone wants a piece of the magnificent beauty and history. Is there even an off-season? But imagine a place of intact frescoes, ornate mosaics, tall marble columns, buildings and avenues free
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Madrid is about the art. The art of urban living.

Never having been to Madrid, we did some planning but decided to approach the city the big euro city like an empty canvas we would paint exp[eeiences on. But quickly, and mostly due to the not-too-central fabulous AirBnB we stayed at, the city took on the proper mix of off-season tourism and exploring our neighborhood
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Burger as art form to the palate. Welcome to Flipside, Sligo.

Winner of the Best Burger in Ireland, 2021 is a high honor, especially when Flipside Burger Bar is competing with every pub in the land, plus many finer restaurants, and has only been open since 2018! While food awards are great for business and righteous recognition of hard work and passion, Flipside is almost like
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The Village of the Dead is all about the living. Slievemore, Achill Island.

Achill Island, Ireland. Such a stunningly beautiful place to experience such profound sadness.Of all the fraught tales of Ireland, none gets near the collective pain of the Potato Famine, the Great Hunger, several names for one massive tragedy: one million people died, one million left for the US. Done by 1851 for the most part,
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Achill Island, Ireland: Croghaun mountain and the (very) Wild Atlantic Way.

For a wanderer, everything begins and ends with the humans you meet. This tale begins with Jon Brannen, of the same named pub and BnB in Newport, county Mayo, Ireland. He was a hiker, a gruff and burly man who wore his kindness in his words. I was staying at his place and with a
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Stories of being lost can often be about being found.

Stories of being lost can often be about being found. I got lost in the Sperrin Mountains of N Ireland and yet found a tale of kindness and mirth with one Thomas McClary. Plan was to go to the O’Neill family farm for lunch with Annie and Niall (ny-ale); I had last been in 2010.
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Beara Peninsula, Ireland

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Images of Achill Island, Ireland

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