Ireland Bound with Cat Storing – Your Questions Answered!

Welcome to Equestrian Journeys. I'm Sandy Colling, your guide to the captivating world of European horse culture, and in each episode, we'll talk about century-old traditions, rich history, and the vibrant modern horse scene. You'll hear great stories, get insider tips, and meet wonderful guests who share our passion. So whether you're planning your next adventure or exploring from home, Equestrian Journeys offers a unique perspective on travel, and equestrian, as well as non-equestrian culture all around Europe. So join me each week as we uncover hidden gems and stories from Europe's magnificent equestrian heritage. And today I have the pleasure of having Kat Storm with me. So Kat was curious about the Irish trip that is planned for June 2025. So welcome, Kat. So happy to have you here.

Oh my God. Hi. Thank you for making the time. I know you're busy, you're planning all these amazing trips, But, you know, I have questions all the time and I figure, hey, let's set up a time so you can answer all of the questions.

All the questions. And that's what I'm here for. So shoot, what's your first one?

Thank you so much. So I always wanted to go to Ireland. I never been like, what's the experience, right? Coming from the United States to Ireland, like what's the adjustment period? How are the people?

So. The Irish love the Americans. And actually, just on a side note, Dublin is one of the few airports, I don't think it's the only airport, but it's the only airport in Europe where you actually clear U.S. customs in Dublin when you leave to come to America. That's how close they are. The Irish love the Americans. They're extremely warm. They're very kind. The Irish love the Americans. They're very warm. They're very hospitable. They're very generous. And they just really make everybody feel at home. And when they hear somebody coming from America, they're super happy. And as you know, there's a lot of Irish that came to America, right? So there's a very mutual understanding. And because we're, you know, you're on the East Coast, the time difference is only 5 hours.

Oh yeah. I was going to ask you that. Okay.

So it's not bad. You know, I, when I was there in October, I arrived pretty early in the morning. I got an early check-in, like I arrived at 5:00 AM. I got to my Airbnb at 6:00 AM. I slept a couple hours, got up, and you know, the day was there. So it's, it's not bad. It's not like you're coming from the West Coast. That's a much bigger adjustment.

Okay. Well, that's that. That, that makes me feel better. What about how, how long is the flight?

The flight, depending on where, but the flight from JFK is around 6 hours. So it's not long. It's not long at all. Yeah.

That's like, that's, that's like going to the West Coast.

You're absolutely right. It is. You're absolutely right. It's not far.

Oh my God. That's so good. Okay. So you find this trip and I know that it has an equestrian feel. You know that I'm not an equestrian, although I am very horse friendly. So I'm excited about that, but why would I have fun if I come?

Well, Ireland is amazing and you'd have fun because now if you hated horses and I hate to even use that word, then I'd say don't do it. But there's a couple of rides. They're optional. There's a lot to do outside of that. And even going to, like, for example, one of the things we're doing, we're going to the National Stud Farm in Kildare, but there's a gorgeous Japanese gardens.

Mm-hmm.

And it's also part of the history. Horses are a huge part of Irish history.

Okay.

So even if you're not a rider or not so much, you know, into horses, Like me, for example, it would still be really interesting just because history, culture, art, horses are just such a big part of life in Ireland.

Yeah, no, that makes sense. I am just not like a professional rider, but I have been on horses. I love horses. So I was just worried that I will be kind of judged because I'm not like, you know, like you people that know what you're doing.

Well, but here's the thing in Ireland, like The beach that we're gonna do one of the rides on, it's off the beaten track. It's one that most people don't have access to. It is spectacular. I mean, it is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Thing about Ireland, because it's cold, you know, people don't go to the beach and hang out like they would in Hawaii or in Florida or whatever. So the beaches are just magnificent.

Got it.

And we're gonna go on a ride on the beach, but I actually didn't ride in October, but we went for a walk. So there's many options.

Beautiful.

But even for like, if you're, you know, if you've been on a horse and just that exhilarating feeling.

Yeah, I know. And on the beach, I have ridden on the beach before and it is, it's beautiful. Yeah. No, it's just, I would, yeah, I just wanted to double check on that. Sounds amazing. The other thing that I was thinking of, cause I'd seen so many videos, movies, and pictures about Ireland. What places are we gonna get to go?

We arrive in Dublin. Now, we're not gonna do a whole big thing in Dublin. What I suggest to people that haven't been to Dublin that wanna do Dublin a little more in depth, cuz there is a lot to do in Dublin, come a few days early and do the whole Dublin thing. But we're gonna go, our professional driver storyteller expert is gonna pick us up on the second day, on the Sunday, and we're gonna drive to Galway. And it's incredibly scenic. We're gonna stop at Sean's Pub, which is one of the oldest in the world. Even if you don't drink, it's still just the Irish atmosphere and a pub and pub grub. Honestly, the soups and sandwiches are the most amazing. Really? Oh my God. Oh yeah. It's, the soups are so good. Then we're gonna stop in Clonmacnoise, which is a monastic wonder, really, truly. And Athlone Castle. There's so much heritage and history. And you know, when we think about castles, we think of Germany and France. Trust me, Ireland has, I don't know, and I don't wanna tell a lie cuz I had just looked it up and now I, I drew a blank at the number, but thousands of castles.

Okay.

And then the next day we're gonna explore Connemara. We're gonna go actually to a Connemara breeding facility and also learn about the history and culture, which is, you know, really fascinating. They're just incredibly, they have a great brain. They're a wonderful breed. And, um, so we're gonna talk about that. And then talking about movies, we're gonna go to Kong Village. So I know you're much younger, but have you heard of the movie The Quiet Man with John Wayne?

No.

It's a classic. It's a black and white movie, but it's a classic. It was filmed in Kong Village and there's even a statue of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. That's there and it's super, super fun. We're also gonna go to Connemara Abbey, which you've probably seen pictures of. And talking about another movie, have you heard of Marley and Me? The movie?

Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

So there's that scene in Ireland where the sheep block the roads. We're gonna go see a sheep herding demonstration by Joe Joyce, who owns those sheep and the field. And I went and saw it and it is just breathtaking.

Oh, wow.

And then we're gonna see the Cliffs of Moher, but we're gonna go on boat. And so we're gonna see it from boat, not from the top. So there's many different ways, that's weather permitting. We're gonna go to an area called the Burren, which literally looks like a moonscape. And also on a side note, a lot of people, including me, don't know this, that in the Burren in the spring, 27 different varieties of orchids, girl.

Wow.

In Ireland, plus thousands of flowers. So all these little tidbits and the expert driver and tour guide who's taking us, he's gonna share stories with us and tell us, you know, and, and really go into those off the beaten track places. And then we're gonna go to the beach that I was telling you about. We're gonna see the Gap of Dunloe that you can't drive that. So we'll have the option of either walking it or taking a horse and carriage. You know, it's individual. We're gonna go to Killarney. We're gonna go to the Ring of Kerry, Mull's Gap, Ross Castle. I mean, all of these different things.

Wow.

And some of them people have heard of, like Most people who are interested in Ireland have heard of the Ring of Kerry, but then we're gonna see things that aren't the typical Ring of Kerry things that people do.

Okay.

And one piece of feedback I got from when I went to Germany in July is people wanted not go, go, go, go, go, go, go. So we'll have a good balance of viewing things, walking things, but also downtime to go on your own. We're going to be in a very, it's actually a really nice Sprinter van. Really, really nice, high end. It has TVs, not that we'll want to watch TV because the countryside is more beautiful, but it's really nice and it'll be really intimate. So it's not going to be one of those massive tour buses where just—

Yeah, no, that's so good. Because I was so worried about, because you know how sometimes you go on vacation, you have to go on vacation from your vacation. So thank you for explaining that because I was a little worried. In terms of the weather, I know it's in June, I think in the middle of June, what is the weather going to be like average?

So it does rain a lot in Ireland. June is a beautiful month to go. It may sprinkle. Absolutely. Although even when I was in Ireland in October, it only rained on the last day. June is usually a really nice month to go. Low 70s, sunshine, maybe a little bit of sprinkles. I always tell people pack in layers. But it's a good time of year to go for sure.

Oh, good. Low 70s is really good. Yeah. And then I love that you said that it rains. So probably bring, bring rain boots then.

Bring a rain jacket. I would bring waterproof shoes. It's not like you need Wellingtons, but you know, the Wellies. But I would bring a light rain jacket that you can just take with you. And then some waterproof shoes, but just in case.

That's good to know. So I know you've been there before and you're connected, obviously. What's your favorite thing about Ireland? I know, I know that that's a tough question.

That's a tough question. I would say one of my favorite things about Ireland is the warmth of the people, the hospitality. People are just very friendly and hospitable. And the countryside, you know, there's that 50 Shades of Grey. Well, there's 500 Shades of Grey. I mean, it's so green. Because of the rain. And it's literally postcard after postcard after postcard and all the animals. But honestly, one of my favorite things is just the warmth and the hospita— hospitability. It's a tough word. Of the people.

Yeah. And I know I, I always been fascinated by the music too, right? Are we gonna be able to like enjoy some music? Absolutely.

So when you go to Ireland, you go to a pub, and even if you're not a drinker, the pub, like I said, the atmosphere. And a lot of times they'll have live music and it's just fabulous. But they'll also have the Irish dance. And when we were in, in Dingle, the 5-time world champion Kevin something was dancing and it was spectacular. We also, and it's optional when we're in Killarney, there's a show called Celtic Steps and where you'd see the Irish dance, very similar to Riverdance. So we'll have the option to see that as well. And it's just magical. Absolutely.

Oh my God. It sounds like you thought, I love that you've been there before. You have done these trips before. The beauty of this for me is I don't like to plan to go to all these places. It just, all those, all those little like details and itineraries, I just cannot do it. So it sounds like you have local connections, which is awesome. And, and I also love that you did not book those big buses.

Not that it is anything wrong with it, but. If you're going to be with people, I get overwhelmed.

Like if I'm like with a huge group of people. So it sounds like you're going to keep it on an intimate size.

Absolutely. We're 10 people in a Sprinter van, the driver, myself, 10 people. It's going to be just us in the group. And like I said, there'll be plenty of time to also do your own thing. When I went over in October, we drove all over. I mean, we drove all over in 3 days. It was crazy. And we really curated the highlights off the beaten track and some more well-known that you kind of have to see when you're there, just because it's, you know, such a highlight.

Yeah.

We've really curated a very magical, very off the beaten track, beautiful trip. And everything is thought through. Your breakfast is included. All your entry fees are included. The transfer is included except for your airfare and your other meals. Souvenirs, and then the airport transfer because everybody's arriving at a different time. Yeah. Other than that, you know, we've got you covered and, um, we're also open to requests. You know, we have enough in there. If you've heard of something and it's on the way, we can totally like adjust it because we're a small enough group to be able to.

Yeah, that's so good. The other thing that I know personally that you're really good at is with the travel arrangements. Is that something that we can upgrade to if you wanted to, if you, if you want to help with the, with the flights and stuff?

Absolutely. I'll be more than happy to help with flights. And also we always suggest getting travel insurance. I'm absolutely more than happy to help you with that. And, um, as well as the, as well as the insurance, if you're looking into that.

Yeah, no, I, I think it's so good that even for people that don't call themselves the questions, because I think they're going to learn so much. Right. Especially if they already like horses, I think it's seeing horses from a different perspective, which I think it's gonna, it's gonna open up some doors.

And so horse lovers, it's for horse lovers, not necessarily just a question. It's for anybody who loves horses and just even driving in the countryside, you'll see them on the field and they're just magical animals. They're beautiful.

I love it. So what are the dates again?

It's June. 14th through the 21st.

Through the 21st. Okay. Got it. So I'm sure you have a website where we can go and check out all the details. And I know that there's some deadlines, right? Coming up.

So I have a 10% discount if you book within 2024. And summer in Ireland is very popular. I know slots are going to fill up quickly. So if you are interested, book before the end of the year.

So those, so deadlines, so book by, by the end of 2024.

Oh, so it's Equestrian Journeys. And then on the homepage, you'll see the trip to Ireland, or you can just put in forward slash Ireland 2025, but it's equestrianjourneys.com and then forward slash Ireland 2025, or just go to the website and check it out.

And then one thing, because you know, I'm all about the clothes, to be practical, it's only a week. There is layers. So how much stuff did you bring when you were, when you went over last time? Like one suitcase? Like how many outfits?

So I'm a super light.

Okay.

Because I always leave room for sort of buying things. Yeah.

Yeah.

Now, what I usually do is I usually also have like one of those wrap-up fold-up little bags that I can take as an extra check-in in the suitcase. But you know, don't bog yourself down. I usually say wear your heaviest pair of shoes, pack one other pair, a couple pair of pants. It's, it's. A comfortable jacket. I mean, you know, have colors that you can interchange. You know, you can have 3 different things and you can have 10 outfits out of it because you mix and match. I like to always bring a little scarf because it adds a little pop. And, but that's just me. I, I like to travel light and it's not a very formal, like, it's not like there's going to be a 3-star Michelin dinner that we're going to go to. So you don't need anything formal, not formal, but super fancy. Yeah.

Super dressy. What about the accommodations? Are we, uh, is it Airbnbs?

They're hotels. They're nice hotels. In fact, one of the hotels in Trelawny is also going to have a spa in it. So we did that by design because it's in the midway and you can just, you know, chill and go to the spa, go to the pool, just even get a massage if you want to. And so just relax because we will be moving around. There will be walking. It won't be like a ton of walk, but you know, there will be walking, there will be movement.

And so it'll be nice if anybody wants to in Trelawny just Yeah, I just, I, uh, in talking to you and listening to you, sounds like you have thought of everything, which is the stuff that I don't want to do. And I'm sure there's people like me that just want to show up. Even on my cold day, I just want to show up. Here's my credit card.

I just want to show up and have a good time. Yep.

So Ireland, it's such a beautiful country and I love that horses are included and that you thought of everything. So I'm sure if I have any questions, I'll go to the website and check it out. And then I'll reach out to you and see if there's something there that I think of that is not there. I'll reach out.

Perfect. So there is on the website, you'll see the buttons and you can also click on that and it brings you as well to a Zoom link if you have questions. And for pricing and for everything, scroll all the way down and it says your questions answered. And it talks about the refund, what to expect, dietary restrictions. People have asked me if they need a visa. You will not need a visa for this, the Republic of Ireland, but you do need a passport, obviously, but the passport, and this is always for Europe, it needs to be valid 6 months after the return date.

Okay.

So that's one thing to look at, and there's still plenty of time if you do need to apply for a passport or renew your passport, but Scroll down to your questions answered all the way at the bottom and all the details are in there as well.

Beautiful. Oh my God. I'm so excited. Thank you so much for sharing. I can see the passion comes through you. You have done your homework. I know that you've been there and connected so, so well. So thank you for putting this together. And I know that anybody watching, if they have any questions, they'll be able to reach out and get connected and book quickly because it's very, very few spots available. Thank you so much.

Thank you for asking all the great questions.

Of course.

Thank you. Take care. Bye.

Take care. Bye.

And this wraps up another episode of Equestrian Journeys. Thank you for joining me today. And if you enjoyed our journey, why not share it with a friend who loves travel and/or horses? Don't forget to subscribe to Equestrian Journeys on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. For more content, travel tips, and beautiful images from our equestrian adventures, Visit our website linked in the show notes. And if you have questions or suggestions for future episodes, reach out to us on social media. Until next time, keep your passion for horses and travel alive.