The last morning and Home Sweet Home - August 19

Our day began with a light mist, a feeling of exhilaration (what a trip), another full Irish breakfast, and a one hour drive to Shannon airport. The trip to the airport was uneventful, unless you count the use of intermittent wipers, and they were infrequent. A moment in the duty free shop for some Tullamore Dew and Celtic Crossing...........and it was time to board the plane.

Easy flight - excellent food (airplane food, come on) - and great traveling companion. We landed in Philly to one of those Hot, Humid, Hazy days......not at all like the cooler, not cold, weather we had in Ireland. A quick drive home and we are now back in full swing.

Thanks for following our journey. We tried to capture some of our experience, but we do encourage you to make this trip yourself. The people are warm and friendly, the green is everywhere in every shade, the history is fascinating, the refreshments are quality, the landscape is variable, and we both have Irish roots! Take care and love to you all!

Cliffs of Moher - August 18

We started our Kenmare morning as we had the previous two......with a fantastic breakfast...including two new entries (banana pancakes....actually it was a crepe with warm bananas slices folded inside) (porridge with whiskey cream.....paddy irish whisky with a splash of cream....great way to start the day!)



The front of the car headed out R569 and then a left on N22 toward Killarney.....up the N22 and N21 through Tralee and then on the R69 to Tarbert. Our plan was to catch the 11 am River Shannon ferry. We were the fifth from the last car on board and went topside to watch the 20 minute crossing. Once the ferry landed in Killmer, we headed out the N67 toward Kikee, then north on the N67 through Doonbeg, Quilty, Spanish Point, Lahinch (a huge surfing community with surf shops and surfing camps all over the place. The water was filled with surfers........like a hugh school of dolphins had invaded the bay.


Six kilometers more and we were at our destination, Liscannor. We unloaded the car and checked into our room..........then headed 5 kilometers north to the Cliffs of Moher. The sky was overcast and by the time we walked from the car park to the entrance it had begun to mist. The fog rolled in just as we started taking our pictures.......not a good sign..........so we headed into the visitor's center to see if the weather would change. Regardless of where you live, you always use the phrase "give it a few minutes and the weather will change".....well it also applies here........about 30 minutes later the skies cleared and the pictures and views improved. We climbed both sides of the observation area and understand why people talk about the majesty of the cliffs. Amazing and powerful.


Next stop, Doolin, 5 klicks up the road. A brief ride around this "holiday" community and then to McGann's Pub. If you remember, one of our first meals was Irish stew...........well, we figured what better way to end this wonderful adventure than with a large bowl of Irish stew and vegetables and a pint of Guinness. Excellent and a great way to remember these past days.


We will write a post script when we arrive home tomorrow afternoon.....it's nice to leave one place at 11:30 am and arrive in another at 1:50 pm - and have crossed the Atlantic Ocean.......great form of transportation.


Until then - love to all.

Kenmare - Ring of Beara - August 17

Another great start to the day. We had juice, porridge, muesli, and a full Irish breakfast (yes, complete with Clonakilty Black & White Pudding). We spent a few hours walking around town, doing some shopping, and visiting one of the stone circles that was located in town. The circle dates from the early bronze age, almost 3000 years ago. It is locally referred to as "the Druid's Circle".

Next, back in the car for another day of "looking around". Today, we explored the Ring of Beara - the peninsula immediately outside Kenmare. The first part of the peninsula is a rich forest including rhododendrons, palms, ferns, large pines, and lush vegitation. It was like driving through a garden. We noticed a sign for another stone formation, stopped, and began to explore. Although we did not find the stones, we did walk in an enchanted forest. The moss, clover, and fallen trees gave it a mystical feeling. Well worth the stop.

The road narrowed and we were on the type of "path" we love. Driving on the left side is fantastic, shifting with your left hand is even better, and meeting another car head to head is not unlike Robin Hood meeting Little John on the log. One of you must "give" or, at least, find a place to full over. Mind you, pull over means onto the grass, into a bush, into a pull out - not move on to the shoulder - they don't have shoulders. The Kenmare River followed us to the west and the Beara peninsula has more fishing villages than the Ring of Kerry or Dingle peninsula. Fishing is big here and we saw fishing boats, fish farms, pleasure boats, and canoes/kayaks.
If you are following a theme in these blogs, you guessed correctly, anything having to do with stones or rocks really appeals to Theresa and this country has a 100+ stone circles or formations. No, we haven't seen them all, but we have wracked up a significant number. So, guess what - we saw another sign of a stone circle and made the turn. Up the hill, through the brush to a small area where you could leave a car or two. We parked and headed out into the cow/sheep field in pursuit of yet another rock pile (woops, stone circle). We had not fully planned for this excursion. We had on kahki pants and shoes (not jeans and sneakers) - and when we started the hike to the formation we soon discovered that we would be traversing a field of mud and wet marshy grass. None-the-less, we forged ahead and climbed over one fence into a second field - through a gate into another field, and to the top of the hill. The circle was reasonably well preserved and the sheep and cows welcomed us to their field.

After a thorough investigation of the site, we headed back to the car trying to follow our initial path. Well, as you know, in a muddy, wet field, the original path does not always look as good or even the same - so you forge ahead and make a new path. Steve was out ahead when he heard Theresa shout, "oh sh#$", he turned to see if she was alright only to be told that she had seen what looked like a large stone, but when she stepped on it - she realized that it was a large cow pie............guess the "oh sh#$" was an accurate description!

We continued up the long and windy road through rocks, heather, fields, and an occasional house. As we arrive at the highest point, we are welcomed by a heard of cows crossing the road, sitting idly beside it, or simply take up a spot it in the road. Some were sleeping, others acknowledging us, and two were nuzzling and passing the time. As with the other "rings", the views are incredible, the air fresh, and the landscape captivating. This IS a trip you should make.

We continued down to Castletownbere and around the eastern side and headed back toward Kenmare. We did see a sign for Seal Harbor and decided to explore. We did not see any, but the rocks and water were a wonderful time to sit in the sun and listen to the water. There are plenty of places in this beautiful country to grab a moment of solitude and take that time to reflect and be thankful. So, back to Virginia's we went and prepared for dinner.

Dinner tonight had been reserved downstairs at Mulcahys Restaurant. Neil and Noreen, our hosts, own this building - it was Neil's childhood home. Up until seven years ago, they ran a restaurant on the first floor and did not use the upper two floors. Seven years ago, they opened Virginia's Guesthouse and decided to lease the first floor to an up and coming Irish chef. Bruce Mulcahy is now one of the top 10 chefs in Ireland and our meal tonight confirmed his stature.

Theresa

• Prawn and Scallop Terrine, Mussell Vinaigrette, Curry Foam


• Fillets of Lemon Sole, Baby Spinach, Confit Tomato, Brown Butter Foam


• Lemon Tart, Roll of Cream, and a Glass Sugar slice


• Bailey Coffee
  

Steve

• Warm Goats Cheese with a Nut Crust, Baby Salad, Roast Red Peppers & Caramelised Walnuts Nuts, Balsamic Dressing


• Beef Wellington, White Onion Puree, Confit Shallot and Red Wine Jus


• Lemon Tart, Roll of Cream, and a Glass Sugar slice


• Irish Coffee

We are off to the Cliffs of Moher tomorrow - sleep well - see you then.

Kenmare - Dingle Peninsula - August 16

Sunday morning found us enjoying one of the best breakfasts ever. Noreen is the cook and Neil is the server. Our meal started with some "zingy" juice (freshly squeezed orange juice, cranberry with a hint of fresh ginger). Theresa then had Creamy Organic Porridge and Steve had Noreen's homemade "Bircher Muesli" (topped with prune & apricot compote and a blob of natural organic yogurt). The main course for Theresa was Eggs with Smoked Salmon (Kenmare salmon) and Steve had Noreen's Blue Cheese, Pears & Bacon (slice sweet pear on toasted home-made yeast bread, smothered with melting Cashel blue cheese, served with streaky bacon & home-made tomato & apple chutney). We were completely fueled for the day. Delicious.

Our destination today was the Dingle Peninsula. We headed out the R569 to the N22 (around Killarney) out the R563, up the N70 and then a left turn toward Inch. The road near Inch brought us along Dingle Bay. The N86 takes you to Dingle and the southwestern end of the peninsula. We drove through Dingle, a small fishing port, and on to the Dunbeg Fort. This fort has been here since 500 B.C. and is another example of remarkable construction. The surrounding earth mounds provided initial protection and the stone walls and living space are ingeniously constructed. Just up the road were a series of Beehive Huts which housed families and livestock. These structures are as old as the fort.



The Dingle Peninsula has an amazing landscape - rugged - similar in some respects to the coasts of Maine or Nova Scotia - but with greater heights. The views, the sounds of the wind and water, the colors, and the narrow roads all contribute to a powerful drive.




We continued around the end of the peninsula and climbed Clogher Head. From this height of land, you can see Dingle Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The walk/climb, the rocks, the heather, and the wind - all made this a great stop. Clogher Head is also the place that we found our "own" Blarney Stone. No we didn't stop at Blarney Castle, but we did kiss a rock on Clogher Head. Enjoy the photos.



We headed up the west coast of the peninsula and stopped to watch two rams butt heads (ouch), then up and over and past Brandon's Point/Bay, which is a world famous surfing site, up and across the Slieve Mish Mountains, through Killarney, up through Moll's Gap and back to Kenmare. It was time for dinner and we decided to have the local catch and a large helping of Fish and Chips. Fresh, Delicious, and Filling.

Back to our room - blog time - off to sleep - see you tomorrow.

Kenmare - Ring of Kerry - August 15

We had a full Irish breakfast at the Ashmore House in Cashel. Laura served us juice, eggs, bacon, sausage, black and white pudding, toast and tomatoes. The coffee was hot and the conversation, I mean craic, was going strong. We met a couple from South Tampa and had a great conversation about Ireland and Rome. It was time to head south, so we pointed the car toward Cork and our minds on Kenmare. Our goal was to arrive in Kenmare as early as possible because they were having their annual fair. We traveled in a mixture of sun and rain - and saw our first Irish rainbow - we followed it to its end, but did not find a pot of gold.

We arrived in Kenmare to find, as our B&B hosts - Noreen and Neil, had warned us, cars parked a mile out of town. We got in the slow moving line and worked our way through town parking 3/4 mile on the other side. As we walked back into town, we were struck by the breadth of the fair...everything from crafts, trinkets, and farm animals to food, clothes, and tools. The atmosphere was festive and the distance flew by without effort.


As we turned onto Henry Street, we saw Virginia's Guesthouse, which is located about Mulcahy's Restaurant. Heading upstairs, we were greeted by Noreen and Neil and shown to our room. We had left our suitcases in the car to bring in later. The place was fabulous - just the local flavor we like and our hosts were incredible - true Irish and full of energy. After checking in and discussing the best way to see the Ring of Kerry, we walked to a local restaurant and had a delicious chicken pie, vegetables and a huge (no we mean huge) piece of lemon merange pie. The walk back to the car took us back through the fair and when we arrived at the car, it was time to began our tour.

Our path took us through Moll's Gap, Sneem, Castlecove - well it's easier to say we were driving the ring in a clockwise manner. To our left was the Kenmare River and on our right was Mac Gillycuddy's Reeks, water to the left and mountains and valleys to our right. The views were astonishing. You drive near the river at times and you climb into the highlands and mountains at other times. The contrast is fantastic and the views and narrow roads take your breath away. Personally, we love the narrow roads, which at times are no wider than a small european car. When you have the pleasure of meeting an oncoming car, one of you moves to the edge (or into one of the cutout areas) until the other car passes.

The skies were sunny, cloudy, and simply overcast - creating interesting shadow patterns on the land and water. Every turn triggered a new emotion and it was one great high after another.


As we completed the southwesternmost portion of the Ring, we entered Cahersiveen, the birthplace of Steve's relative, Daniel O'Connell. As you can see, the sign posts are written in Irish and English. We know you are as glad as we were that the translation is offered - otherswise, don't you know we would have been totally lost - or we would have purchased an Irish-English dictionary.

We left Cahersiveen and headed up.....this is a route less traveled (buses can't make it and faint of heart should not try). We kept climbing and went through the Ballagshisheen Pass and contined on the narrow, narrow road and went through the Ballagh Beama Pass. The views were unbelievable - the wild goat we saw at about 200 yards was a true surprise.

The sheep are everywhere (it really feels like New Zealand) - and I mean everywhere. When you go through these passes, the sheep are in fields, but many have found their way to the grass that is greener on the other side and you find them by the edge of the road staring at you with big inquiring eyes.

Our winding road trip brought us back to Kenmare for a quiet dinner and a restful sleep.

Back in the Republic of Ireland - Kilkenny and Cashel - August 14

We departed Armagh after another delicious Irish breakfast. We said goodbye to Alice, she of the B&B, and headed south on the A29. Joined the M1 in Dundalk and headed around Dublin and our first stop, Kilkenny.


Kilkenny was having an arts festival and we roamed the city and the arts center to see some amazing displays. The display of flowers are actually mounted on miniature rifles (the symbolic violence from the "civil war" is still very much in evidence). To our surprise, a pleasant one, we found some Stephen Pearce (Simon's brother - glass) at the arts center. It was the same pattern we have at home. We asked if they had any more and they said this was all and that he had shut down his Irish operations.



We also visited the Kilkenny Castle and walked the huge lawn that lay in front. There were people picnicing, sleeping, and one group of teenagers playing hurling - a greatly popular Irish sport.

After an enjoyable late morning-early afternoon in Kilkenny, we started our farm road drive to Cashel - or should we say - we were headed for County Tipperary. For those of you who have driven on Ireland's farm roads, you will understand - for those who haven't, you must try it. The road is only wide enough for two small cars (American tanks, err, I mean SUVs, would not work very well) and everyone drives like its the autobahn. The scenery is great, the driving exciting, and after one stop to ask directions - we arrived in Cashel. (Yes, we asked directions - the farm roads do not have very good, if any, sign posts - and it is an adventure to keep headed in the right direction.)

We found our B&B, the Ashmore Inn, and checked in. Nice place and right downtown. We loaded the pictures from yesterday and then headed for the Rock of Cashel. Originally. it was a fort with only outer walls, but was expanded to a church with full construction. The pictures do not do it justice. We will give you more details when we talk.

We had dinner at the Ladyswell Restaurant. Bacon, cabbage and potatoes. Yes, bacon as the Irish call it.....ham for us Americans. A cold Guinness and our batteries were recharged.

We had purchased tickets for a performance at the Bru Boru performance center, so we headed back for the 9 pm performance. The performance included irish instruments, irish singing, irish dancing............all were excellent. The show ended at 10:30 and the performers invited the audience to an evening with them. We headed for another room in the complex and proceeded to see another show........well almost. People in the audience sang, danced, and the performance company also performed. We all got up and danced the Seige of Ennis and had a great time. Yes, we did experience craic.......excellent use of time. Also, the evening ended with everyone standing and singing the Irish National Anthem. This bonus event ended at midnight and we walked back to the B&B and we are just now catching up with the blogs.


See you tomorrow.

A Giant's Step - August 13

Good evening - another great day in Northern Ireland. This will be brief tonight - so here are the highlights. [we have added comments throughout the blog and added a video clip]

1. We drove the coastal scenic route from Belfast to Portrush
2. We saw incredible scenery
3. Castles
4. Green and more green, emerald, in fact
5. Giants - or at least their steps
6. and Bronze age stone structures

The pictures will tell the story tonight. We are in Armagh, Northern Ireland. More tomorrow.



The scenery was incredible - every turn seemed better than the one before. It is truly the Emerald Isle.





We stopped at an old and abandoned Coast Guard observation post. It is the closest point to Scotland. The sky was clear and we could see Scotland.


The climb was up a rock and grass covered hill. The sky was blue and the air only slightly crisp.



The views were breathtaking at each stop. We drove the Coastal trail and enjoyed the small farm road atmosphere - no tour buses on the first part of the drive.



The sky was party cloudy-partly sunny. The combination actually made for some great color contrasts.



These pics were taken at one of our first stops. We climbed over the wall and down the rocky slope for an enjoyable morning fitness break.


The road is about 30 feet above us.



Great lighting contrast - from an almost moon-like scene to one with a great mix of green, purple and brown.

The horses, mules, and cows didn't see to appreciate the views - nor did the narrow roads, but we did.

The Giant's Causeway is Ireland's Natural Wonder of the World.

There are two stories associated with this natural rock formation. Notice the similar shape of each rock. Story 1....a Giant lived in Ireland and had a Giant girlfriend in Scotland. He built a bridge from Ireland to Scotland so he could see her - the bridge was made of steps. You now see the steps.

Second story, a Giant built this step bridge so he could go to Scotland to fight the Scottish Giant for supremacy. When the Irish Giant arrived in Scotland and saw how big the Scottish Giant was......he headed home as fast as he could and build a crib. When the Scottish Giant found out that the Irish Giant had been looking for a fight.....he crossed the step bridge to find the Irish Giant. What he found was the Irish Giant asleep in the crib. The Scottish Giant saw how big the "baby" in the crib was and thought about how big the actual Giant would be....so he headed home as fast as he could.

Check out this video

We drove through Bushmills, but did not stop at the brewary...we were headed for Dunluce Castle which is between Bushmills and Portrush

After visiting the castle build over a cave, we headed for the Beaghmore Stone Circles. This portion of our drive took us through many "back" roads, twists and turns, and finally to the Bronze Age stone circles.



We then headed for our B&B, Hillside View, in Armagh. Armagh is unique in that it is the seat of both the Catholic Church in Ireland and the Church of Ireland. Both are housed in a St. Patrick's cathedral/church in the same town. This region is known for St. Patrick.

See tomorrow on our trip to Cashel.