Welcome to the September 2026 edition of the Ultimate Coffee Date—a blogger link up Deborah and I host the first Friday of every month so we can catch up on all the things as if we were having coffee. I’m back home now, and excited to tell you about the coffee and scones I enjoyed in Ireland.
You know how this works—grab the badge, link your post, and comment on the other blogs in the link-up.
Coffee And Scones In Ireland
If we were having coffee, I would want to tell you about the cute places we stayed for our hiking tour. They ranged from a family-run inn to a fancy hotel, and they all served amazing breakfasts.
The first place we stayed was the Rosleague Manor Hotel in Letterfrack.
It had ivy-covered buildings, huge bedrooms, cozy sitting rooms with fireplaces that we enjoyed after our rainy hike, and a spectacular view when the sun came out later!
The breakfast buffet included fruit, scones, cereals, and yogurt—and eggs from their chickens you could have cooked to order.
We went from country comfort to historic luxury at the Great Southern in Killarney. We were greeted by doormen and valets who took our luggage through the marbled and chandeliered lobby to our rooms.
I was glad we didn’t have muddy boots here!
The Great Southern was built in the 1850s and hosted Queen Victoria when she visited Ireland in 1861. The Silver Bell displayed in the lobby was put in place in case of fire when she visited—and luckily not needed!
If you’ve watched Victoria you’ll remember her visit to Ireland!
If we were having coffee, I would tell you the breakfast buffet at this hotel had everything, but I liked the pancakes more than the scones.
The coffee was meh, but I enjoyed their cappucinos.
The final stop of the hiking tour was at BrookLodge in Wicklow County. It was a huge property with a spa, several restaurants, a wedding chapel and golf course.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that BrookLodge had the best scones—I really wished I could stuff down more!
I enjoyed having a selection of fruit and grains to choose from!
If we were having coffee, I know you would be asking if I found any Starbucks??? You will be relieved to hear that I found Starbucks in Galway (which had two) and Dublin (which had many).
In Dublin, there was a Starbucks in a complex right next to our hotel, but it didn’t open until 10 am on weekends! Luckily the Starbucks app showed me a cafe at a train station not too far away.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you how much we enjoyed meeting Susanne and her husband in Dublin. We did not meet for coffee, but we had a lovely lunch at O’Donoghue’s.
I really appreciate that they made the trip to Dublin and glad that Susanne found new runnings shoes and a guitar to make the journey worthwhile!
One more thing I would share if we were having coffee is the book I enjoyed reading. I was going to read Project Hail Mary, but watched the movie on the plane instead. 🤷♀️
The story follows what happens after a journalist (Lizzie) is invited by her estranged college roommate-turned tradwife influencer (Becs/Rebbecca) to attend an “influencer” event where she plans to make a big announcement. Lizzie uses her investigation skills to unravel two mysteries—why did Becs ghost Lizzie so many years ago? and who killed Becs’s husband the night before she was supposed to make her big announcement? Even if you didn’t like Yesteryear, you might enjoy Everyone is Lying To You, which is more about friendship than tradwifery.
What’s your favorite restaurant breakfast?
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Your trip really sounds so fun! Thanks for sharing the details of you various lodging experiences. And, Susanne! That was a nice treat, I bet!