Ireland June 2013

Ireland. June 28 through July 13, 2013

Friday, June 28th

From Lake Kiowa we drove to DFW for the 12:15 pm flight to Atlanta.  All went well and we had time to enjoy the SKY Lounge at DFW.  There were storms in Atlanta and we were diverted to Birmingham for refueling. Arrived in Atlanta at 6:30 which was when the flight to Dublin was to take off.  Luckily, due to weather it was late as well.  We left Atlanta at 7:15 so not too bad, but things go south quickly.  Due to a hydrolic leak we returned to Atlanta and sat in the terminal for over 3 hours, finally leaving at 12:45 AM.  This was our first time to travel in business class and it was nice, but due to the late departure and eating at the airport, we did not feel we got 100% of the service we paid for, especially with dinner being served at 1:00 AM.  Not the worst thing that could happen, but definitely, off to a slow start.

Saturday, June 29th  Dublin to Enniskerry

We arrived in  Dublin at 1:00 PM instead of 9 AM, so we lost half of our day and planned activities. After collecting our baggage and rental car, an automatic diesel BMW which received awesome gas mileage, we were off to explore Ireland.

We were out of the airport with our GPS guiding us by 2:30 PM.  After some driving around and running into blocked streets due to the Gay Pride Parade, we found the parking garage that we had pre-reserved, but we only had time for one stop. We chose the  Archeological Museum for an overview of Irish history.  After leaving downtown Dublin, we encountered another traffic jam, this one due to the Rod Steward concert at the soccer stadium.  Finally made it to our first B&B which was Brook Cottage in Enniskerry.  Yea, we had successfully navigated our first day in Ireland.  As it turned out, this was the only difficult day we had in terms of getting where we needed to be.  The GPS was a life saver.

The owner of the B&B was very nice (Mary who was from the states) but our room was aged, the toilet took forever to fill and the shower was small.  We went into village for dinner at the Powercourt Bistro.  We both had roasted chicken and French fries which was very good.

After dinner, we walked around the small town

and then headed back to our room and off to bed for much needed sleep.

Sunday, June 30  Enisskerry to Tramare

For our first Irish breakfast, I had poached eggs and Greg had the full Irish breakfast.  We headed first to see the Powercourt Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Ireland.

Glendalough as we drove through the Wickow mountains.

In Glendalough, we walked around the monastery ruins and Upper Lake.

Lunch was at the hotel's Bistro on site where we both had sandwiches.

Then drove to Tramare

and checked into the Beach Haven B&B.  The Beach Haven was very clean, breakfast was served quickly, hosts very nice.  Owner Avery was from Tulsa and grew up in Grapevine.  The shower was tiny with no shelf so no place to put soap or shampoo.  Room was very small with no room for suitcases to be out. We could hardly move around in the room.  Bed was comfortable and we slept well.

 We walked to the beach where there was an amusement park and several arcades,

followed by a drink and dinner at Esquires. 

I had mussels and crab claws and Greg had monk fish. Mussels in Ireland are awesome.  They are huge, moist, and reasonably priced.  We both had their famous potato skins for an appetizer.  We strolled back to the B&B and turned in early.

Monday, July 1  Tramare

Greg had the full Irish breakfast and I had the half Irish breakfast.  We left for a driving tour around 9:00 AM.  The drive was along the coast with many stops to take pictures of cliffs, the sea, and the fields.  Beautiful scenery.

We passed through Dungarven.  Our first stop was at Coppoquin where we toured the gardens at Coppoquin House.  Price was 10 euros each to view the grounds.  Gentleman (owner) met us as we drove in and was very friendly and the gardens were very pretty. We were the only visitors and glad we made the stop.

Lismore was our next stop.  We were able to see the Lismore castle from the distance but it is still used as a residence and not open to the public. Disappointed, but we had good views from the street.

We followed the river from Colloquin through Lismore.  It is supposed to be very good angling waters.  Next stop was Cahir where we toured the castle there.

The town had a nice river running through the center. We ate lunch across the street and bought our magnet.

Rock of Cashel.  The castle was used from 300 AD by the ancient kings of Muster and it is here that St Patrick baptized King Aengus around 450 AD.  We took the guided tour through the castle.  It was a very good tour with great information.

Bought magnets, a t-shirt for Parker, and Greg bought a new hat at the souvenir shop. We drove next to Clonmel where we parked and walked around the town center.  We saw the river and arched entrance to town.

Last town was Carrick-on-Suir.  We drove through the town center and then headed back to Tramore.  Rested for a bit and went to dinner at the Victoria House.  I had seafood chowder (awesome) and seafood pie.  Greg had mussels for an appetizer and ribeye steak.  Both were very good.  We went downstairs to the pub and Greg had another beer.

Tuesday, July 2 Tramare to Kenmare

We both had half Irish breakfast which is 1 egg, 2 sausages (link) and 1 bacon for breakfast.  We packed up and headed for Waterford, the oldest town in Ireland, encountering our first drizzly, cold day.  The GPS and guidebook were both outdated and took us to the old Waterford factory.   Fortunately, Rick Steves saved the day and had the address of the new factory which is located downtown. The new location is more of a showroom and less of a factory.  But, special pieces such as trophies for golf and tennis tournaments are made here.  We went through the factory with a guide.

Reginald's tower was named after the first Norwegian Viking leader of Waterford. The wooden tower was replaced by the stone tower that is standing today in the 1100's.

After the tower we headed to Middleton to tour the Jameson distillery.  Very interesting tour.  Greg couldn't leave without making some purchases!

Next we headed to Kenmare where we stayed for 3 nights at the Sea Shore Farm Guesthouse.  Great big room with views of the sea, huge bathroom with a towel warmer.  Owners are Owen and Sharon, an older couple that first seemed a a little befuddled,  but we quickly found them to be delightful. They both worked so hard to make sure that you had everything you needed.

We walked around the quaint downtown area that was very busy all three days that we were here.

Our first dinner in Kenmare was at Coachman's Bar and Restaurant.  I had Irish lamb stew and Greg had beef Guinness casserole.  For a while there was entertainment which we enjoyed. Back to our room, answered emails, posted pictures on Facebook and off to bed.



Wednesday, July 3rd  Kenmare

Greg and I both had the full Irish breakfast and visited with a family from North Carolina during breakfast.  Today started nice but turned to drizzle and fog quickly.  We toured the Beara Peninsula, starting in Kenmare and heading to Glengariff, enjoying the landscape.

In Glengariff,  we took the ferry to Garnish Island and toured the large gardens.

The trip took us about 1.5 hours total for the ride over, walking around, and the ride back.  We saw tons of seals on the short ride back and forth.

After leaving the ferry, we walked around  Glengariff and visited a few stores then headed to Adrigole, followed by Castletown and Allhies, enjoying more fantastic scenery.

We had lunch  at Breen's Lobster Bar where I had fresh prawns and Greg had the smoked salmon salad.

Next was Eyeries and Ardgroom.  On the way back we took a detour looking for a waterfall at the end of Lough Inchiquin.  Long, long, narrow road that ended on private property.

Before we could get turned around the owner (a woman) came running out, demanding that we take out our SD card, yelling no pictures allowed without paying the entrance fee.  Geeez.  Luckily, this was our only negative experience in Ireland. When we relayed the adventure to our hosts, they kept apologizing. They wanted to make sure that we knew this woman did not represent all Irish!

Dinner was in Kenmare at Foley's Pub.  I had crab claws and Greg had roast lamb.  We then stopped at Crowley's for another drink before heading back to our room.

Thursday, July 4th  Ring of Kerry

This morning, we both had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.  Today's venture was the Ring of Kerry or Iveragh Peninsula which is the most traveled peninsula in Ireland. It is known for its breath taking mountainous scenery and contains the highest peak in Ireland.  On the advice of the tour books, we did the ring in the opposite order of the tour busses and missed the congestion. Great Suggestion! Our first town was Sneem followed by the beach at Carroll's Cove (supposed to have the warmest water in Ireland and has a beach bar).

Next stop was Derrynane House but it was not opened yet so headed to Waterville after going through the Coomakesta Pass.

Here we turned on the Skellig Ring loop heading to Portmagee, stopping at a B&B that had the best view in County Kerry.  We paid 4 euros each and walked to the top which gave us some fantastic views of the cliffs below.

After getting to Portmagee, we took the bridge over to Valentia Island, went through the visitor center and the exhibits,  and watched a movie on the Skellig Islands. Skellig Islands are two gigantic slate and sandstone rocks.  The large island was inhabited by 6th century Christian monks, seeking purity of isolation to get closer to God.  We spent most the afternoon on Valentia Island, had lunch, saw the lighthouse, grotto where they mine slate, and walked to the top for some  great views.

Greg walked down to the sightings for tetrapods which are the most extensive of the four Devonian trackways in the world and date back between 350 to 370 million years ago.

At Cahersiveen we detoured to the Ring Forts, built sometime between 500 BC and 300 AD.  It is believed that the forts were built as a retreat from tribal warfare to protect their herds and were more defensive instead of ceremonial.

Ballycarbery Castle , a 16th century castle, once home of the McCarthy clan.

The drive took us next to Killarney and then a stop at Torc Waterfall.  It was a short walk to the top.

We then headed back to Kenmare through Molls Gap where we saw some great views.

Dinner tonight was in Kenmare at the Lime Tree. 

Greg had smoked salmon as a starter and his entree was the lamb duo.  I had salmon with seafood chowder as my appetizer.    Last night in this B & B, which we will definitely miss.  By far the best B&B of the whole trip.

Friday, July 5th  Kenmare to Castlemaine

For breakfast we both had  2 eggs with bacon.  Sadly, we said our goodbyes to Owen and Mary Pat and headed to Killarney, where we met the tour guide Gerard at Ross Castle.  From here we picked up a taxi with another family and headed to the start of the Gap of Dunloe. We shared a jounting car with another lady from Germany.

She was with a hiking group from Germany and had hurt her ankle earlier in the week and was unable to make the hike. Our guide was John and our horse was Richard.

The ride took about 2 hours and was through beautiful country with absolutely beautiful weather. Enjoyed the sunshine!

After arriving at Brandon's cottage we had lunch.

I had vegetable soup and Greg had a smoked salmon salad. It was just okay.  There were many tour groups, mostly students arriving and eating.  It was very congested with not a lot of information about when or how we were leaving.  We had a lot of  time to explore the area.

At 2:00 we boarded our boats.

This was a process of utter confusion but we managed to get Brandon for our driver and his dog Charlie, an Irish Cocker Spaniel.

Brandon was entertaining as we went through the 3 interlocking lakes.  These were the lakes that we stopped to see the day before from the Ladies View.  Again, the scenery was spectacular.

The boat ride ended back at Ross castle.  We walked around for a bit at the castle which was built in the 15th century

and then headed to Castlemaine and the Seaview B & B which was really nice but had no signage and directions were not accurate.  After phone calling twice we finally located the B & B.

It was a large room with huge bathroom, including a tub.  Maureen is a pastry chef and an enjoyable lady to visit with. I think the B&B was a way to make ends meet until her pastry business took off. The website for the B&B is no longer an active site, however the bakery seems to be going strong!

She suggested Sammy's on Inch beach about 15 min up the road.  It was a nice beach restaurant.

We shared mussels for an appetizer and both had seafood pasta for entree.  Upon returning home we sampled pistachio and lemon macaroons from Maureen's kitchen along with her caramel fudge. 

Saturday, July 6th. Castlemaine to Adare

Breakfast was served by Maureen's neighbor Doreen who was delightful to visit with.  She was very worried about doing a good job.  Maureen had left early that morning to take her macaroon's to a department store in Cork.  We had the full Irish breakfast.  Loaded up the car and headed out for the Dingle Peninsula.  The peninsula is 10 miles wide and 40 miles long with the second tallest mountain in Ireland, Mount Brandon.  The peninsula contains only a few small villages and is home to over 500,000 sheep.   First stop was the aquarium in Dingle.

Second stop was Dunbeg Fort with many scenic stops before the fort.  Road traffic was heavy with lots of tour busses.  The heavy traffic may have been due to the Ring of Kerry being closed for a cycle race today.

Dunbeg  Fort was from the Iron Age, 500 BC - 500 AD.

Down the road we stopped at some beehive huts which look like stone igloos clustered together within a circular wall.

The landscape is very bleak, mostly rocky fields.  The movie Far and Away filmed the scene where Lord Ventry torched peasants from their cottages in this area. It is very bleak looking, with fences made of the many stones.  Sand and seaweed was placed in the fields and in time it was good for grasses, growing potatoes, and grazing sheep. 

We stopped at the Great Blasket Centre.  The Blasket Islands are a group of six islands at the tip of the peninsula that was once home to around 160 people.  The last residents were moved to the mainland in 1953.  They lived without phones, electricity, cars, doctors, or a pub!  Life was based on the sea.  Each family had a cow, some sheep, grew potatoes, harvested from the sea and survived the famine unscathed. We ate lunch at the Centre.  I had a baked potato with smoked salmon and cream cheese and Greg had seafood chowder and ham sandwich.  After lunch we toured the centre.  

Next stop was Gallatus Oratory with several scenic views first.  

After watching a movie about the stone building we walked up and toured the facility.  The Gallarus Oratory is one of Ireland's best preserved early Christian church and was built over 1300 years ago.

Our drive to Adare took about two hours.  Scenery continues to amaze us.  We saw a beach with a caravan (trailer) park. 

The room at Adare Country House is large with a tub.  

Again our hosts were a very nice couple- Denis and Eileen Moroney.  We had dinner at the Blue Door- small restaurant with a thatched roof.  I had lamb cutlets and Greg had scallops.  We didn't stay long due to the fact they had no Irish beer available.  Waitress tried to convince us that Heineken beer is a local beer.

After dinner, we walked  a 20 minute loop along the river Mague where we took pictures of the castle. 

Ended the walk at Pat Collins Bar, but was disappointed.  Alas, it was Saturday night and no music. 

The town of Adare had an abundance of buildings with thatched roofs.  Very quaint little town.

Sunday, July 7th  Adare

We got to sleep in this morning and had breakfast at 9:30.  I had French toast and bacon while Greg had eggs and bacon.  Our fishing guide, Paddy, picked us up at 11:00 and we fished below the bridge and castle where we had walked last night.  The water was very low and the guide's expectation for catching fish was pretty low.  I caught 3 and Greg caught 1.  The fish were German browns and very small. We had fun.

After fishing, we returned to room and showered to get ready for the medieval dinner at Bunratty Castle.  We arrived early and walked the grounds.  We were the only people touring the grounds so it was a nice walk around the ground.

We really enjoyed the medieval dinner.   It started with mead (honey) wine in the great hall with harp music being played.  Dinner was below the great hall in the guards bunkhouse with entertainment throughout the dinner.  First course was parsnip soup, then ribs, followed by chicken, vegetables and potatoes, finishing with dessert.  After dinner was over, there was more entertaining.  The waiters were also the singers and dancers.

We returned to B & B around midnight.

Monday, July 8th Adare to Doolin

We switched at breakfast this morning,  with Greg ordering french toast and I had eggs and bacon.  Said our goodbyes and headed to the Burren.  Stopped first at the visitors center where we watched a video and went through exhibits.  The Burren, or rocky place, is a 10 square mile plateau.  The Centre described the geology and botany of the area as well as the prehistoric and early Christian sites found in the Burren.

Next to the Centre was a church which contained a couple of 12th century crosses.  Mass is still held in the church.

Passed by the Leamaneh Castle which was not open to the public.  It is a 15th century fortified tower that evolved into a manor house.

Next stop was the Dolman which looks like a stone table but is a portal tomb.  5000 years ago, it was a grave chamber in a cairn of stacked stones.

Finished the loop at Ballyvaughn and went to see the Dungunaire Castle. We took pictures but did not tour.

We went back to Ballyvaughn

and ate lunch at Logues Lodge where we both had sandwiches.

After lunch we headed to Doolin where we checked into the Sea View B&B,

sitting on a hill overlooking town and the ocean was off to the left. The B&B had a nice patio area where Darra served us lemonade.  It was in the mid 80's and everyone was complaining about the heat.  We walked to the shops below and the asphalt was melting! Bought a couple of tshirts to wear due to the unexpected warm weather.  I had not packed light weight t-shirts.

Darra made reservations for us on the 5:15 boat to see the cliffs of Moher.  We walked the 30 min down to the pier and watched the kids swimming and enjoying the warm weather.

The boat trip to the Cliffs of  Moher was awesome and we were so glad that we saw the cliffs this way.  The sun low in the sky made the lighting beautiful.  The cliffs are 5 miles long and rise as high as 650 feet.

Back to our room for a few minutes and then to Gus O'Connors where we had supper (hamburger for me and steak for Greg) and then the Irish music started at 9:30.  A local, Tad, entertained with story songs and three musicians played.  Crowd was very loud and talked over the music which was disappointing as the music was very good. Doolin is known for its traditional Irish music.

Tuesday, July 9th Doolin to Clifden

For breakfast, we both had scrambled eggs, mine with smoked salmon and Greg with bacon.  Said our goodbyes to our hosts and headed for Galway and the Connemara Loop. Drove through Spiddal, Rossaveel, Screeb, Carna, and Roundstone, traveling through the mountains to the Kylemore Abbey.  The scenery was unexpected with beautiful lakes and rivers.

We spent a lot of time at the Abbey walking through the gardens, the Abbey, and church.
Kylemore Abbey was built in the 1860's by an English man for his wife after they had honeymooned in the area. During WWI, Benedictine nuns from Belgium used the Abbey for an exclusive girls' school.  The school closed in 2010 but the nuns still live upstairs.  The downstairs is open to the public as well as the beautiful grounds.

The temperature today was in the low 80's, a very warm day for Ireland.  Headed to our next B&B, Dolphin Beach House.

It overlooked the ocean with a walkway down to the ocean. Each room had a sitting area with sliding glass doors to the outside.  To bad we were only staying one night here.  The setting was very nice and the room was lovely.

After walking down to the bay we went into town (Clifden) for dinner.  Everyone wanted to eat outside due to the heat and the restaurants were packed.  We ate at J Conneely's inside and were seated quickly.  We both had pork cutlets and I had a chocolate chip bread pudding.

We then went to Lowry's for a drink before heading back to the B & B.

After returning to the B&B, we sat outside for a bit and then went upstairs to check emails.

Wednesday, July 10th.  Clifden to Coleraine

Up a bit earlier to load the car before breakfast.  I had a pancake which was interesting and Greg had scrambled eggs with bacon.  We headed out to Leenane where we stopped for pictures of the Aasleagh Falls.

Next stop was for a marker for the famine march through the Doo Lough valley.

The county of Mayo depended solely on the potato crop and was hardest hit during the famine.  In the winter of 1849, 600 starving Irish walked 12 miles from Louisburgh to Dephi Lodge, hoping to get food from their landlord. They were turned away and almost 200 Irishmen died on the walk back. There is an annual walk to commemorate the tragedy.

We stopped at a bronze sculpture of a coffin ship.  The memorial is to the sick and starving who tried to escape the famine by going across the ocean in hopes of a new life.

Across the street from the coffin ship was Croagh Patrick, the small mountain where St Patrick is believed to have driven the snakes from Ireland.

We then stopped in Cong (Quiet Man was filmed here)

where we toured the Cong Abbey ruinsbuilt in the early 1100's.   The Abbey was free to tour.

The Fishing Hut was built on the bank of the river to catch salmon.  They lowered a net through the floor and attached a bell.  When a fish was netted, the bell would ring.

We then walked to the grounds of the Ashford Castle.  The castle was once owned by the family that started Guinness and was sold in 2013 for 50 million euros. It is now one of the finest hotels in Ireland.  Many scenes from The Quiet Man were filmed on the castle grounds, President Reagan stayed here in 1984 and actor Pierce Brosnan held his wedding reception on the grounds of the castle in 2001.  The public is allowed to walk the grounds.

Lunch was at the Hungry Munk.  I had prawn, avocado and mango salad and Greg had a ham wrap. 

 We then headed for our next stop at Coleraine and the Weefield B&B.  We were the only guests tonight.  The hostess Alison had a small child and they were getting ready to go on holiday.   Our room did not have the bathroom connected to the room and we were next door to the owner's bedroom. Thiswas our only stop where I did not feel comfortable staying in a B&B. It was nice, I just felt like I was intruding.

Alison suggested the restaurant Vines in the small town of Garvagh which also had an ATM.  We e needed the ATM because we were in the UK tonight and needed pounds.  I had a steak and chips and Greg had chicken with banana, pineapple, and potatoes, all of which were fried!

Thursday, July 11th. Coleraine to Dublin

I had fried eggs and bacon for breakfast and Greg had scrambled eggs and bacon.  Our first stop was the Giants Causeway, a 5 mile stretch of coastline famous for its strange basalt columns.  It is believed that the causeway was formed 60 million years ago by volcanic eruptions. We arrived before the tour busses and most tourists.  We walked down, took lots of pictures, Greg climbed on the rocks for a bit longer and then we took the shuttle back to the top.  The geologist enjoyed this stop very much!

Next was Dunluce castle, built on the edge of a rocky headland.  In 1639, half of the kitchen fell into the sea and took the servants with it.  The lady of the castle packed up and moved inland and the castle began to further deteriorate.  At one time it was one of the largest castles in Northern Ireland.

We then headed to Old Bushmill's Distillery for a tour. The Distillery has been making whiskey here since the 13th century. This tour concentrated more on the bottling process and ended with a tasting.

No purchases here so Jameson wins the Irish Whiskey contest.  We took the coastal highway to Lorne.  Very scenic with lots of beaches and photo ops. 

We then headed to Moira where Greg's ancestor's are believed to have lived, then on to Dublin, checking into the Crown Plaza near the airport.

Friday, July 12th  Dublin

After returning the rental car, we grabbed a taxi and headed to Trinity College which was established in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.  We took a guided tour which included the Book of Kells.  The Book of Kells is a 1200 year old version of the gospels of the Bible which were elaborately inked and illustrated by monks and is considered the finest piece of art from the Dark Ages.

Our next stop was Dublin Castle. The castle was the seat of the English rule of Ireland for 700 years. The British handed over rule of Ireland to Michael Collins here in 1922.

The Christ Church of Cathedral is the oldest building in Dublin and has a large underground crypt.

We stopped for  lunch at The Banks where we both had pulled pork sandwiches. 

We then found a taxi and went to the Guinness Storehouse. It was very crowded with lots of tour groups, mostly comprised of teenagers.  The tour was self-paced and hard to hear. Very disappointing tour. The tasting room was at the top of the building with great views of Dublin.

We then took a taxi to the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) which was super interesting filled with history of Ireland, especially the Revolution.  The jail opened in 1796 as Dublin's jail and debtors' prison.  Later it was used by the British as a political prison.  Many who fought for independence were held or executed here.

We took a taxi back to the Temple Bar area and stopped for drinks before going to dinner.  Greg had lamb kabobs and I had chicken pasta.  We went back to the hotel and packed for the flight home.