RACHEL GAFFNEY'S REAL IRELAND

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RACHEL GAFFNEY'S REAL IRELAND An Irish Lifestyle Company, bringing the 'Real Ireland to Life'. Columnist & Bespoke Irish Travel.
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11/07/2025

Rachel Gaffney is a travel planner who books and curates trips for several hundred US visitors in Ireland a year.

Born in Cork, living in Dallas, Texas, she spends months travelling around this island every year, and also has years of experience working in hotels.

Back home after her latest trip, I asked her for five thoughts on Irish tourism.

“People in Ireland have the ability to make you feel really good. It’s like a magical power,” Rachel says.

Examples range from the sense of family at Ashford Castle to a server remembering she took oatmilk with her tea, and couldn’t eat gluten, at Connemara Sands Hotel.

“I never forgot how that made me feel...�you can have chandeliers, Egyptian cotton sheets and the best toiletries, but none of that matters if you don’t feel welcome or wanted.”

Click the link in bio for more.

At Rachel Gaffney’s Real Ireland, luxury travel means authenticity & connection.Every year, I spend months traveling sol...
03/07/2025

At Rachel Gaffney’s Real Ireland, luxury travel means authenticity & connection.
Every year, I spend months traveling solo throughout Ireland, exploring hidden islands, historic linen mills and cozy bookstores. I even went scuba diving in Kenmare Bay, so I can personally vet every route, stay and experience I recommend.
I was asked yesterday, “What sets you apart from other Travel planners/Advisors?”
My answer is;
I RELY SOLELY ON FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE TO CRAFT YOUR UNIQUE IRISH JOURNEY

By moving somewhere different every night, you don’t get to truly experience the real Ireland. I have been asking and ur...
25/06/2025

By moving somewhere different every night, you don’t get to truly experience the real Ireland.
I have been asking and urging people to stop speed dating with Ireland for over 15 years now. It’s not a marketing ploy or tag line. It’s what I believe. It’s what I have always believed. It’s what I advise my clients to do. Don’t worry about trying to see the entire country in a week. Slow down, take your time and let Ireland unfold before you.

THE OLD HEAD OF KINSALE GOLF LINKSOverlooking the Atlantic and framed by the iconic Old Head Lighthouse, the 18th green ...
11/06/2025

THE OLD HEAD OF KINSALE GOLF LINKS

Overlooking the Atlantic and framed by the iconic Old Head Lighthouse, the 18th green at Kinsale is a stunning yet challenging finale. Perched on the cliffs, the small, undulating green demands precision, while the wind and nearby bunkers heighten the difficulty. With the lighthouse standing as a beacon in the background, I know my clients will find this a breathtaking finish, later this month, to one of golf’s most unforgettable courses. I was asked to design a trip for 4 couples coming from Colorado, Mexico and Dallas. Crafting and curating itineraries is what I do on a daily basis. But really, I consider myself to be a matchmaker. Matching you with the right property and place.

I’m not a diver, as is evident from this photo, so please ignore my form !While staying at in Ardfert, County Kerry, I ...
10/06/2025

I’m not a diver, as is evident from this photo, so please ignore my form !
While staying at in Ardfert, County Kerry, I had time to enjoy the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s a wonderful place to stay for the traveler who likes to take their time, to explore the area and is not constantly haring around the country, staying somewhere different every night.
Stop Speed Dating with Ireland and dive in !

I took this photograph a few weeks ago, while taking an early morning walk. The only sounds were those of the birds, the...
30/05/2025

I took this photograph a few weeks ago, while taking an early morning walk. The only sounds were those of the birds, the gentle lapping of the water against the boat and the twigs crunching beneath my feet.
Ballynahinch Castle in Connemara is set on a 700 acre estate, which includes, woodlands, walking trails, lakes and a river. I was only staying for one night before heading south. I hated having to leave. I could only take a short walk as I was working and was on a tight schedule.
But this is what I am talking about when I advise people to slow down and take their time. To Stop Speed Dating With Ireland.
Wherever you go, you will find plenty to do, see, feel and experience so trust me when I suggest you spend a few days in each place or simply stay in one region. You will not be disappointed. is one such property that needs ‘time’ to truly enjoy.

TEA TIMETea time On Inisheer
26/05/2025

TEA TIME
Tea time On Inisheer

“An armchair is where stories unfold, whether in the pages of a book or in the quiet spaces between thoughts.”I visited ...
23/05/2025

“An armchair is where stories unfold, whether in the pages of a book or in the quiet spaces between thoughts.”
I visited in Connemara a few weeks ago, looking at the various cottages on offer for my clients. A beautifully & carefully renovated collection of period houses in the village of Roundstone, County Galway.

31 DAY’S IN IRELANDAs I sit here waiting for my flight to depart from Dublin to Dallas Fort Worth, I am scrolling throug...
21/05/2025

31 DAY’S IN IRELAND

As I sit here waiting for my flight to depart from Dublin to Dallas Fort Worth, I am scrolling through the reams of photographs I took as I made my way around the country, again !
Memories that make me smile and reminders of the countless number of people I met over a month.
Travel really is a cure for what ails us.
The kindness I experienced from Irish people is why people love Ireland. We are known for our warmth and hospitality . Equally, my American clients and friends are culturally curious,also very hospitable and when they are heading to Ireland, they are so excited to be going.
IRELAND, you are a beautiful country, but in the sunshine you are utterly breathtaking.
Slán agus Go Raibh Mile Maith Agat (Goodbye & Thank You Very Much)

GALWAY GIRLWell, I’m a Cork girl really, living in Dallas, visiting Galway. Driving from Renvyle to Clifden via The Sky ...
19/05/2025

GALWAY GIRL

Well, I’m a Cork girl really, living in Dallas, visiting Galway.
Driving from Renvyle to Clifden via The Sky Road, allowing time to stop, meant we were treated to sweeping views of The Atlantic Ocean. The beauty of Connemara.

A question I hear frequently from clients going to Ireland. “What is there To Do there”My Answer is often, it’s really n...
11/05/2025

A question I hear frequently from clients going to Ireland.
“What is there To Do there”
My Answer is often, it’s really not about ‘Doing, but rather Being’

I took this photo the other day on Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands.
RELAX. BE.

27/03/2025

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
I created this video a couple of years ago. The content was based on the most frequently asked questions. Hope this helps.

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