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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

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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 pastry cup. Perusing the menu, it was one of those moments when you look up from your menu at the other table: “What are…

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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 shifting clouds. Then the sun breaks through and you catch your breath. Connemara National Park: try and go off-season; the bumper months are best…

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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 that you have to experience.” Justine is from the U.S., but married a local Irishman, so she has a true perspective on the beauty.…

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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 himself in a constant pose of majesty as if he were the entire tribe, and all their ancient collective pride resided in him.  The…

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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 and Brendan, the owners and a wonderful team. First, the restaurant then the rooms. When asked about the name, Lagom, Liz said when they…

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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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  • 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 toilet was broken upon our arrival, but the staff stepped in, specifically Christina, and proved that good hotels, especially boutiques, are not just about…

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  • Funeral Of Lies: Nothing stays buried in Philadelphia.

    Besides loving this travel blog, I am a novelist. The reviews for my new psychological thriller are excellent! Now available on Amazon (4.8 Stars.) “…Get it! Tension builds throughout the story by pairing psychological unease with the grind of local politics, and it shows how grief, racism, and ambition collide in a troubled city…the narrative’s psychological edge is engagingly sharp, as is Evan’s corrosive narration. “…A dark, jagged, and compulsively readable story that digs deep into grief, politics, and…

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  • Best of Ireland: Achill Island.

    Achill Island; despite having visited Ireland so many times, for some reason, no one ever mentioned going to Achill Island. I suspect it is an Irish secret so they can have some fun without the tourists. Yet, the cliffs are higher than Moher, the Keel and Keem strand are stunning beaches, it is far less touristy, and whether you stay or eat the the great Bervie, drive the island, see the Village of the Dead, and you will never…

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  • Beauty of Gliding Above Mayo, Ireland

    This is a video story. Even better, few if any words. let’s start with the former castle home of Lord Mountbatten…near Sligo town. Then the flying beauty above R366 of the Connemara’s. Finally, the White Cliffs of Ashleam. Thanks to the amazing, graceful and beautiful footage shot by Doug Zajaczkowski. I hope this was fun! How could it not? Ireland! #ireland #irishtourism #irelandbytheroadside #iloveireland #countymayo @ DougZajaczkowski #travel #wanderlust #travelgram #instatravel #explore #adventure #vacation #travelblogger #travelphotography #traveltheworld #traveltips, #travelvideo, #travelvlog, #traveldiaries, #travelphoto

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  • Top Attractions in Nice: Food, Art, and Culture

    This city bubbles over with a sprit of fun. I fell in love with Nice, and didn’t mean to. After a week in Provence, the last thing I was in the mood for was a city. But it was so relaxing, delightful, colorful, friendly, complex, cultured, relaxing, busy, that I extended a three day visit to eight. And I want to go back — tomorrow. Here are some great things to do to get the range and depth of…

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  • Best of Ireland: Beara.

    The Irish will praise Beara, most of which lies in County Cork on the southwestern tip of the island, as one of the most beautiful places on the Island. Given the expanse of Nature’s beauty here, that is both a great compliment and insight to the Irish tastes. Ireland is a cascade of nature’s beauty, in so many forms. Beara is stark and raw. Another amazing detail of Ireland and one on a grand scale; it is not all…

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  • Best of Drives in Ireland: Slea Head, Dingle.

    Slea Head drive is truly spectacular; it has that magic of a winding Irish coastal road, where each turn opens an new vista, or site… https://www.thewildatlanticway.com/stage/dingle-peninsula/

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  • Discover An Doras Bui: Northern Ireland’s Hidden Gem

    The most beautiful place you’ve never heard of: An Doras Bui, a shepherd’s hut in the Sperrin Mountains of Northern Ireland. More and more people are exploring the gifts of N Ireland, but it seems like it’s Belfast, the Giant Steps, Jameson, the usual suspects…they are missing out on one of the great natural beauties of Ireland and a haven to savor it: the Sperrin Mountains and An Doras Bui, the shepherds hut. The owner, or rather, the keeper…

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  • Magpie’s song and the roar of the Twincam race.

    The An Duras Bui, the shepherd’s hut, was deep in the countryside of the Sperrin Mountains. The roads were more like narrow car paths, so tight the bushes whipped your windows as you passed. How anyone could take the challenge of these tiny lanes with a roaring engine was astonishing. How was I to know the Irish have this wild summer tradition of this souped-up Twincam cars racing these crazy tiny, windy roads? It started with a magpie. I…

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  • The Best of Sligo, Ireland: the Land of Legends, as told by Sean Cunningham.

    Ireland is a Land of Legends. The modern and the Neolithic live in close proximity. The tales of giants and warriors, lovers and spirits fluidly intertwine. In so many ways, the vibrant history of the Irish (pre-British colonization) is core to their character and a vital part of their present. Few places hold more of this than Sligo. Recently, on a visit to Sligo, along the Ireland’s Northwest Wild Atlantic Way, the leader of a unique and very helpful…

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  • Connemara, Achill, Sligo, Ireland. A video wrap-up. (And the amazing Sean Cunningham.)

    In the past few years, I have spent months driving around Ireland. Nearly all of it. With few exceptions, it has been a series of visual and personal and altogether very Human revelations — which, when Fate tips it’s hat, travelling can gift you. But it does not always happen. With Ireland it happens again and again. What I have documented on the Outspoken Traveler goes way beyond a friendly Guiness in a pub, or any the other easily…

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