Ireland's gems: Emerald Isle boasts ruins, castles, lush landscape and more

It was late, but my husband and I were on the hunt for a taste of traditional Ireland.

We had heard there was a band playing in one of the pubs down the road and wanted to peek inside. The town we were staying in, Dingle, is well known as a haven for singers of Irish traditional music.

As we neared the pub, the words of "The Wild Rover" wafted outside: "I've been a wild rover for many a year and I spent all my money on whiskey and beer, and now I'm returning with gold in great store, and I will never play the wild rover no more."

Then the chorus, which the pub crowd joined in on, beers in hand: "And it's no, nay, never, no, nay, never no more…"

We smiled.

When my husband and I told people we were traveling to Ireland this summer, it seemed we were met with a lot of skepticism. Ireland, I guess, isn't a top choice for many when traveling to Europe.

But when we arrived, we quickly learned the appeal of this "emerald" island.

Ireland is a country of immense natural beauty. Its history runs deep, with countless castles and prehistoric ruins. The people are also wonderfully friendly and proud of their culture.

Let me walk you through some of the highlights of our nine-day trip, which encompassed much of southern Ireland.

Countryside

There is a reason Ireland is called the Emerald Isle. It rains a lot, and as such, the countryside is an incredible mixture of vibrant greens. Flowers in hues of pink, yellow and blue also line the sides of the road.

We had our first encounter with the Irish countryside just outside of Dublin. Our plan was to visit two sites in the Wicklow Mountains: a monastic ruin in Glendalough and the Powerscourt Estate.

Powerscourt is considered Ireland's finest landscaped garden and was used in the 2002 film, "The Count of Monte Cristo." The gardens were created in the 1800s and stretch for acres across the lush Irish countryside.

The prominent feature of this estate is a massive concrete staircase with a lake at the base. A statue of the Greek god, Triton, has been placed in the center of the lake.

While walking through the gardens, you can catch glimpses through the trees of rolling green hills, marked by stone hedges to indicate property lines. Sheep and cows graze on this land.