THE steam curls upward from a ceramic cup of herbal tea, the scent of lemongrass and eucalyptus mingling with the whisper of spa music in the Velvære Spa lounge. I sink deeper into a cocoon of warm towels, shoulders loosened, eyes half-lidded.
Already, Dublin is casting its spell, one of quiet luxury and urban poise. The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel rises like a modern fortress of calm just steps from the city’s pulse, and inside, everything moves with the practised grace of hospitality done right.
The Radisson Red Galway Hotel
Outside, the cobbled streets of the capital unfurl like scenes from a stage set. There’s a rhythm to it, the jostle of foot traffic, the occasional violinist tucked into an alley archway, the faint lilt of conversation that sounds more like poetry than small talk. Over lunch at the Old Town Wine Bar, I’m immersed in a future-forward performance of sorts, an AR experience that fuses storytelling with bites of local fare, served with wine that tastes of ripe stone fruit and soft spice. Every element feels choreographed, but never staged.
The evening begins with a clink of glasses in the Castle Suite, champagne against cut crystal, a shimmer of anticipation in the air. Then, we’re whisked off through the streets, past doors painted in moody jewel tones, to The Irish House Party, where dinner becomes a rousing performance. Fiddles soar. Feet tap. Laughter swells. The line between guest and performer blurs in a way only the Irish seem to manage, charming, unscripted, utterly joyful.
The road west the next morning rolls out like a ribbon, winding through a land that grows greener, wilder, softer. By midday, we’re at Sean’s Bar in Athlone, supposedly the oldest pub in Europe, though its heart feels timeless. I’m handed a pint glass and shown the sacred dance of pouring the perfect Guinness. There’s something reverent in the hush as the stout settles, dark liquid crowned by cream, like a slow exhale. At Athlone Castle, stone walls rise against the sky, echoing with tales of rebellion, romance, and rainstorms.
The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel
And then, at last: Galway.
A city that feels like it was dreamt into being by a playwright with a fondness for salt air and stories. The Radisson RED Galway is a punchy, modern perch above this city of edge and art. I wander through streets that feel alive with performance, shopfronts spilling over with watercolours and poetry, pub windows fogged with music, corners that could’ve come straight out of a Yeats sonnet. The wind carries the tang of the sea and the briny hush of ancient magic.
Dinner on Lena’s Rooftop tastes of the Atlantic, succulent shellfish, just-caught white fish with a glint of lemon butter, and the sunset turns the bay into molten rose gold. From here, the town glimmers like a constellation pinned to the western edge of Ireland.
The Radisson Red Galway Hotel
The final morning is a stroll through Galway proper, with a guide whose voice is threaded with reverence. He speaks of playwrights and protestors, of stone archways that once welcomed kings, of theatres now hidden in plain sight. The air smells like morning tide and oven-fresh soda bread.
Galway feels like a love affair between art and artist, performer and performance, viewer and message, soul and landscape. It hums with the quiet electricity of connection. The air itself carries the memory of stories once told and still unfolding. And in that symphony of wind, sea, stone, and spirit, I hear it clearly. This is what Ireland is meant to sound like. To feel like. To reverberate as. A living poem, always just about to begin again.
by Adina Ilie
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Dublin can be found at Golden Ln, Dublin 8, D08 VRR7, Ireland. Set in the city centre, this upscale modern hotel is a 6-minute walk from St Patrick’s Cathedral and a 7-minute walk from Dublin Castle. Rooms are available from £140.00
Radisson RED Galway can be found at Crown Square, Joyce’s Road, Galway, H91 H5PX, Ireland. Located just minutes away from the city centre, rooms are available from £118.00