Exploring Ireland: Preparing for the 2025 Aer Lingus Classic

Members of the Iowa State Athletics Department spent three days in Ireland over the summer, preparing for the 2025 Aer Lingus Football Classic next season. This is the second in a three-part series on things to do in the Dublin area outside of the 2025 Aer Lingus Classic against Kansas State, slated for Aug. 23, 2025. Click here to read the first story in the series. Travel and hospitality packages for the game are available now at Cyclones2Ireland.com.

Howth Harbor and Cliffs: Shane's Howth Adventures

Approximately 40 minutes from downtown Dublin sits Howth. There are plenty of things to do at Howth, with our group doing a Cliff Walking Tour with Shane's Howth Adventures. A native of Ireland, Shane was an amazing tour guide as we navigated the cliff before eventually making our way to see Ireland's Eye (More on the boat trip below). The walking tour of the cliff gives you multiple views into the ocean, watching boats pass and planes fly directly over you heading into Dublin's Airport.

Boat Tour Around Ireland's Eye: Shane's Howth Adventures

Following the hike through the cliffs, Shane took us out on a boat tour of Ireland's Eye and the Coast. Ireland's Eye is a small long-uninhabited island off the coast of County Dublin, Ireland. Situated directly north of Howth village and harbor, the island is easily reached by regular seasonal tourist boats, which both circumnavigate it and drop off day trippers. There is a yacht anchorage to the north of it, and kayakers also land.

The island is formed from quartzite and greywackes, and some sandstone, and has soils based on glacial drift. It is home to nationally significant bird populations, notably of guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and cormorants, as well as gulls, and also including modest numbers of puffins and peregrine falcons. There is a colony of grey seals, and surrounding waters also host harbor seals and harbor porpoise.

Just like most areas of Dublin, street entertainers provided great music on a nice, sunny day in Ireland.

Following the boat tour, we had some great seafood (including excellent fish and chips) at King Sitric Seafood.

Malahide Castle and Grounds

Located about 20 minutes from Dublin City Center is one of Ireland's oldest castles, Malahide. King Henry II gifted Richard Talbot the lands and harbor of Malahide for his services to the crown in 1185. From that point on, the Talbot family became intertwined with Malahide’s history and development. The final Baron de Malahide, Lord Milo Talbot, lived in the castle until his death in 1973. His sister Rose inherited the estate and subsequently sold it to the Irish State in 1975. Since then, Malahide Castle has continued to play an important part in Ireland’s political and social landscape, hosting international leaders and summits, and welcoming thousands of local and international visitors each year.

Did we mention the castle is haunted? Reports of spooky sightings go back as long as the castle’s 800-year history; hardly surprising when you consider the tales of battles, bloodshed and broken-hearts surrounding this medieval building.

Some of these ghosts are connected to real historical figures that lived here while others are of more mysterious origin. One of the most famous ghostly residents is court jester Puck. Unlucky in love, Puck continues to nurse a broken heart in the turret where he used to live. You may also have heard of the lady in white; a female apparition who wanders the rooms and corridors of the castle.

In the pictures above, the eyes of the little girl follow you around the room, so she is always watching you. Freaky!

Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour

Teeling Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery established in Dublin in 2015 by the Teeling Whiskey Company. It is the first new whiskey distillery to have opened in Dublin, once a world whiskey distilling capital, in over 125 years. In fact, with the last of the original Dublin distilleries having closed in 1976, it is the first whiskey distillery to operate in Dublin, once home to at least 37 distilleries, in almost 40 years. Stick around after the tour for a drink in the Bang Bang Bar.

FIRE Steakhouse

The award-winning FIRE Steakhouse & Bar in Dublin City offers the very best in local Irish produce and steak on its menus. For the ultimate steak experience in Dublin, FIRE Steakhouse & Bar has built a strong reputation as purveyors of quality Irish meats, serving famous award-winning Peter Hannan and Irish Hereford Prime beef from butchers to your table. They choose the finest cuts of beef for the steakhouse in Dublin and cook them to perfection. FIRE Steakhouse is a sister restaurant to SOLE Seafood from the first article in the series, as they are located just a couple of blocks away from each other.

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Exploring Ireland: Preparing for the 2025 Aer Lingus Classic

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