September 9, 2015 - Killarney to Cork

Dia dhaoibh,

We were up and off early as we headed to Cork. Before starting our drive we wanted to visit Muckross House which is a 15 minute drive from the flat, just inside Killarney National Park. Touring the House is only by guided tour. Our timing was perfect as there was a tour commencing within a couple of minutes of our arrival. Sadly picture taking was not allowed. The picture above left is the view from one of the second floor windows of the house. The house, set on 11,000 acres, is a mansion with 65 rooms in the Tudor style designed by the Scottish architect William Burn. It was built in 1843 for Henry Herbert and his wife Mary. The house underwent extensive renovations in the 1850's in preparation for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1861. It is said that these preparations bankrupted the Herbert's and led to the sale of the estate. The estate changed owners a couple of more times before the last family the Bournes and their son- in-law gifted the estate to the Irish people. It became the first national park in the Republic of Ireland and it formed the basis of Killarney National Park as we know it today. After touring the house we walked around the gardens before heading of to our next destination Blarney Castle.

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney dating back to the 10th century. It is the third structure on this site built by Cormac McCarthy in 1446, and is a tower house or fortress residence. The famed Blarney Stone is located at the top of the fortress. The story behind the stone to this day creates debate. Some say it was Jacob's pillow, brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. Here it became the The Lia Fail or Fatal stone, used as a oracular throne of Irish Kings. Legend says it was then removed to Scotland , where it served as  the prophetic power of royal succession, the Stone of Destiny. When Cormac MacCarthy, King of Munster sent men to support Robert the Bruce in 1314, the stone was split in half and sent to Blarney. The stone is said to have powers to make one eloquent. We climbed to the top to see what the mystery was all about. The picture below left is of the stone. We did not kiss the stone as I had a vertigo incident when we got to the top and laying on our backs, hanging upside down to kiss a germ ridden rock did not appeal to us at all. Plus nothing in this world could improve my speech or make me an eloquent speaker.

Once down from the top of the castle we walked around the gardens and parkland that were part of the castle grounds. There were woodlands, a poison garden, arboretums, fern gardens as well as a Rock Close and Water Gardens. We only did a short walk along the trail before leaving and heading off to Cork our destination for the evening.

Our home for the night was Lancaster Lodge which is located right in the city centre so very convenient for exploring. We checked in and headed off to explore. Our initial plan was to set out for St Anne's Church. However, we came across St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, pictured on the right. The patron saint of Cork, St Fin Barre, gave his name to this cathedral where he founded a monastery. He is regarded as the first Bishop of Cork, his name "Fionnbarr" means fair headed in Irish. As a place of worship the site dates back to the 7th century were the first a monastery was built. Further church buildings were built on the site until in 1864 then the small cathedral was demolished and the current structure was built. It was designed by William Burges in the French Gothic design. He designed every part of the building including the stained glass windows and 1260 pieces of sculpture.

We spent a good hour walking around the cathedral and taking pictures. The interior is as impressive as the exterior. The picture on the left is of the Sanctuary Ceiling. This is a relatively new aspect of the cathedral as the elaborate and colourful painting was carried out between 1933 and 1935, to the designs of William Burges. We were also in luck as there was a recital of baroque music later that night and the musicians are rehearsing. I was able to get a video of some of the practice which I've posted on my Facebook wall.

From the cathedral we headed into the city centre and stopped for some refreshment. Fred enjoyed a pint of Franciscan Well, an IPA and I had a rum and coke as the only cider they had was Bulmers which to me is as bad as Strongbow. I have become a bit of a snob when it comes to cider, being spoiled by the quality craft ciders in the UK. The pub is a supporter of the Munster Rugby Club with banners, signs and emblems everywhere. The picture above right while not very clear has a banner I particularly liked, "To the Brave & Faithful Nothing is Impossible". The pub also sold a moonshine 3 bottles for 12 Euro, pictured below left. All you do is add ice and drink.

Refreshed we wandered around a bit more then head back to the hotel to download pictures relax a bit before heading off to find a place for supper.

We elected to go North American for supper tonight. Wild West Wings run by an American, Nolan Kision. We had a lovely chat with him as we exchanged stories as how we came to be in the UK and he in Ireland. He certainly is far from home being from Arizona and has had quite the adjustment, weather wise. We have not had decent wings since leaving Canada except for the ones I have made at home and we hoped these would hit the spot. Fred opts for suicide while I order barbequed. There were a group of young men who had tried a special hot sauce and encouraged Fred to try it as Nolan had warned that the suicide was rather hot. Fred found them to be not too spicy but then, he does have a cast iron stomach. The portions were huge and I ended up giving Fred some of my wings as I struggled to finish them. If you are ever in Cork and have a craving for wings I recommend a visit. Stuffed we headed back to the hotel to relax and get a good nights sleep before our drive to Dublin tomorrow.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 8, 2015- Ring of Kerry

Dia dhaoibh,

Today we toured the Iveragh Peninsula better known as the Ring of Kerry. We headed out early as we hoped to avoid some of the tour bus traffic. The views were again spectacular as we wended our way around the ring. Unfortunately, the tour buses were already out and about. After driving through the pretty villages of Killorglin and Glenbeigh we had a brief stop in the town of Caherciveen to stretch our legs. Continuing our drive we came off the main road, taking a slight detour to drive the Skellig Ring stopping off at Portmagee to take in the views of Valentia Island. After leaving Portage the road climbs to our next stop, The Kerry Cliffs where we were able to take in some great views of the Atlantic out to the Skelling and Puffin islands.

The picture above left is of a 6th century corralled beehive cell the remain on this site. You may notice the birds on the first structure. These are not real but the wind was blowing so hard that the black bird was moving and from a distance I thought it was real. I told Fred "Look at that, that bird is real" It was not until we got closer did I realise that they were props. The walk to the summit was steep and it was very windy but well worth the climb. The views were amazing. The picture above right does not really do the cliffs justice. Rugged and wild and I think as impressive as the Cliffs of Moher.

After completing the Skelling ring, we rejoined the Ring of Kerry route stopping for photos along the way. The one one the right is of Mary we think as there was no sign posted as to what the significance of it was. It must be of some importance as the tour buses stopped here and there were a number of vendors selling their local wares. We have seen a number of such religious statues along the roads as we made our way along giving testament to the importance religion has played in the lives of the people of Ireland.

To get to our next stop we drove along some extremely narrow one track roads and we hoped that the drive was worth it. The fort at the end of the trek, Staigue Fort is an Iron Age dry-stone fort (caber) and one of the best preserved in Ireland. The picture to the right
is the entrance to the fort. Small and narrow that even Fred and I had to duck a little to pass through. The fort was built sometime between 300 - 400 AD as a defensive stronghold for some king or local lord. It is a marvel of engineering as it was built without mortar using undressed stones. Inside we could still see stairs and upper levels in the ruins.

The last part of our travels today took us through Killarney National Park. The Park is 10,289 hectares of mountains, woodlands and lakes. In 1982 the Park was declared a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme.

The picture to the left of Upper Lake was taken from Ladies View in Killarney National Park. From here we now headed back to the flat to relax a bit and pack before heading out for supper at a local pub.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 7, 2015 - Dingle Peninsula

Dia dhaoibh,

We were to a relatively early start as the tourist book recommended at least a half day of driving which does not take into account realistic stop times or time that we would take when we explore sites. Fred has, however, taken this all into account with his planning. The picture on the left above is of the sea view we had as we started our drive along the peninsula.

Our first stop was Kilmalkedar (Cill Maolche'adair) which was once a pagan centre of worship. The picture on the right is of a pillar inside the ruins of the Romanesque church that was built in the 12th century. The pillar has ancient carvings still visible on all the sides of it. The graveyard also has a stone cross and other pagan stones.  Our next stop on our drive took us on a single track road that ran between farmer's fields, finally arriving at the Gallarus Oratory. This tiny dry-stone church is a relic of early Irish Christianity and is about 1300 years old, it is pictured on the left below. It is shaped like an upturned boat and is one of the best preserved early Christian church's in Ireland. The building is rectangular and is approximately 8m long by 5m high. The roof is formed by the gradual rise of the side walls from the base upwards. The most amazing thing about the Oratory is that after all this time with the buffeting by Atlantic gales (the building overlooks Smerwick harbour) the building is still waterproof.

We continued with our drive on the peninsula which took us through some small picturesque villages. We were stopped at one point as some calves had escaped from their pasture and they were being herded back by two farmers. So much for their great escape.


Our drive took us on roads that climbed gradually, were winding and in some places had barely enough room for a single car let alone the tourist buses which seemed to travel in flocks. We missed out on visiting a couple of sites along the way as there was no where to stop and park as the buses had taken up all available space. We did get to stop Dunmore Head, Ireland's most westerly point to take in the views of Blasket Sound and the Blasket Islands. More photos of the Dingle Peninsula can be seen on my face book page and of course Fred's Flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/fredparkins).

We stopped in Dingle for a late lunch and to stretch our legs. After a short walk through the town to see what was on offer at the pubs and restaurants, which were overrun because of the tourist buses, we opted for a little café near the parking. There were only two ladies working in the café and they were doing an amazing job providing service to all that enter. The food was good and reasonably priced.

From Dingle we headed to our last stop Ardfert Cathedral, Ardfert, County Kerry which is a short drive from Tralee. The cathedral is now a ruin, and was the seat of the Diocese of Ardfert in 1117. The site has 3 medieval church ruins, the main one being the cathedral which dates back to the 12th century. Within the graveyard are two other churches. A Romanesque nave-and-chancel church and a late Gothic Chapel dating from the 12th and 15th centuries. The cathedral was destroyed in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. We were informed by the gentleman on duty at the cathedral that there were the ruins of a 13th century Franciscan Friary nearby, picture below left. We made the ½ mile drive to the parking lot and then made the short walk to the friary. While the friary was was founded in 1253, the south chapel dates from the 15th century. After spending some time here we headed back to Killarney our home away from home.

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Sia'ngo fo'ill

Sandy & Fred

September 6, 2015 - Sightseeing on the way to Killarney

Dia dhaiobh,

Another delicious breakfast this time with fresh warm scones, from our hostess Bernadette, provided us with a great start to the day. I got the recipe for her brown bread and we said our goodbyes with hugs all around. I felt as though we had left a good friend, she had made us so welcome in her home. We were now on our way to Killarney stopping on our way to visit more of the natural wonders and historic sites in the Republic of Ireland. Our first stop was Dunguaire Castle. Built in 1520 it is not a castle in the strict military sense, but is a typical example of a 16th century 'Tower House'. Tower houses were fortified residences of the wealthy farmers or gentlemen. The castle has a chequered history, originally it was home to the O'Hynes clan and took its name from a nearby ancient fort of Guaire, King of Connaught who died in 662 A.D. In 1924 the castle was bought and repaired by Oliver St John Gogarty, the famous surgeon and literary figure. It became a venue for meetings of literary revivalists such as W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw to name a few. In 1954 Lady Christobel Ampthill completed the restoration and lived there until her death. The castle now gives some insight to the lifestyle of the people who lived there from the 1520's to modern times. The castle still holds special evenings of entertainment, with medieval feasts and plays. Exploration of the castle done we drove through an area known as The Burren, pictured below left.
                                                     

The word Burren is derived from bioreann, which means rocky land in Gaelic and as you can see it certainly is that. It is also a unique botanical environment in which Mediterranean and alpine plants rare to Ireland grow side by side. From May to August the area is very colourful with an array of flowers. The limestone landscape gives way to black shale and sandstone and form the Cliffs of Moher which was our next stop. It is here that we get our first experience with midges.

Tiny little biting buggers that get in your hair and seem to chew away. If we had had a sea breeze they would not have been an issue but the air was still until we got higher up to get good views of the cliffs. They rise 702 ft out of the sea and extend for 5 miles. The cliffs provide shelter for a number of sea birds and have been featured in many movies and TV shows, Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince being one. There are trails that you can walk along but we have our photo opportunity and left before being eaten alive. I think the midges were worse than mosquitos as the bites were quite itchy almost immediately and made you feel quite grubby.

Our last stop before our destination of Killarney was Adare. We parked and set about for a walk in the village which is billed as Ireland's prettiest. Colourful thatched cottages and stores line the main street. The village was restored to its current appearance in the 1820's and 1830's by the Earl of Dunraven. We enjoyed an ice-cream, took our photo's of which the one on the right gave us a good chuckle.

We headed off to what will be our home away from home for the next 3 days, Killarney. Fred had booked us a serviced flat and it turned out to be a two bedroom/2 bathroom unit. When he booked he asked for a 1 bedroom but took what ever was available. This gave us a break from eating large breakfasts, eating restaurant food and allowed me to do laundry so we did not need to lug about a large suitcase with clothes for the full 11 days. Car unloaded we did a quick food shop and had a light meal of cheese, crackers and fruit before settling in for the night.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred

September 5, 2015 - Exploring Connemara

Dia dhaoibh,

A delicious breakfast was offered by our hostess Bernadette that included fresh homemade brown bread, bacon, eggs, sausage, grilled tomato, and if adventuresome, black and white pudding. There was also fresh fruit, cereal and yoghurt on offer. We then set off to explore the Connemara region and headed to Clifden, about an hour and 20 minute drive. After passing through the town we picked up the Sky Road which is appropriately named as the road seems to take you to up to the sky. A narrow (single track) winding road that climbs up to a summit with the most spectacular views of the west of The Republic of Ireland. The picture upper left is of waves breaking on the distant shore. The picture on the right is of the heather and other wildflowers in bloom at the summit. The drive around the loop took about half an hour, though as a passenger it seemed longer.

Our next stop of exploration was Kylemore Abbey. The abbey was first a home and castle built in 1867 by Mitchell Henry as a home for the love of his life Margaret. Originally it was a hunting lodge that Henry and Margaret visited while on their honeymoon. Margaret was so enchanted with the area that Henry purchased the 15,000 acre estate as a gift for her and created one of Ireland's most iconic castles. Sadly, Margaret died in 1874 while holidaying in Egypt and did not get to enjoy her home for long. Henry brought many benefits to Connemara and left a lasting impression on the landscape and the people.

He created the first model farm in the west of Ireland and cultivated the largest Victorian Walled Garden with 21 glasshouses heated with a network of water pipes.  All manner of fruits and plants were cultivated in them. In 1893 he harnessed the water pressure from Lough Touther on top of the mountain overlooking Kylemore to produce electricity for the estate. He also provided health care, schooling and reduced rates to his tenants during hard times. The castle also had its own fire brigade, staffed by volunteers and trained by Mitchell's son Alexander, who had trained with the London Fire Brigade. The Neo-Gothic Church (a cathedral in miniature) below on the right was built as memorial chapel to his wife Margaret. The most notable visitors to Kylemore were King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria in 1903. The estate was purchased by the Duke and Duchess of Manchester in September in 1903 for £63,000. They were friends with the Henry's and had previously visited the estate. The Duchess of Manchester wished to
modernise the castle and ripped out many of the Gothic features and replaced them with the Jacobean features we see today.  Kylemore changed hands again in 1914. The new owner, a banker and property speculator from London visited only once. The Castle and estate was left in the hands of caretakers until a new buyer could be found.  In 1920 the property became an Abbey, a monastic home to the Benedictine Nuns. They arrived after fleeing their monastery at Ypres, Flanders, during WWI. In 1923 the nuns opened an international  boarding school which operated until 2010. The walled gardens which had fell into disrepair have recently been renovated by the nuns. They are a peaceful and beautiful location.

From the Abbey we headed off towards Leenaun to get some pictures of the Killary Fjord. We stopped here for a drink at the Leenane Hotel, enjoying the sunshine and the great views of the Killary Harbour. The picture below on the left is of the fjord.  Refreshed we headed back to the B & B to and relax a bit before having supper.

We had a lovely chat with our hostess Bernadette. She gave us quite an insight into the B & B business. It takes a very special personality to run one successfully. At one time I had thought I would have loved to have a B & B when we were first thinking of retirement but I know for certain now that I am far too outspoken to have been successful at it and I don't think I would have wanted all the hard work that would have been required if I was retired. We also learnt that Bernadette is a painter and a very good one from the pictures we have seen hanging in her home. She was quite excited that her son had chosen one of her works for his new home. As her new guest's were starting to arrive we headed off for our supper. Tonight we dined at Donnelly's of Barna a seafood restaurant and bar. We had a great dinner and relaxing evening. The service was wonderful and the food portions were huge. Full we strolled back to the B & B and relaxed for the evening.

Sia'ngo fo'ill

Sandy & Fred

September 4, 2015 - Londonderry (Derry) to Galway

Dia dhaoibh,

We were up early, well rested after a very early night. Breakfast was a full Irish, where I ate white blood pudding for the first time. It was grainy but not that bad at all. After breakfast we headed out to explore the city for a couple of hours. From the B & B it was a short walk to the old city which lies on the west bank of the River Foyle. We started by walking along the top of the wall. Derry is the anglicisation of the Irish name Daire or Doire meaning "oak grove". In 1613 the city was granted a Royal Charter by King James I and gained the London prefix to reflect the funding of the city's construction by the guilds. The picture upper left is of one of the many cannons we saw as we walked along the wall. Our first stop was to visit St. Columb's Cathedral, Church of Ireland, built between 1628 - 1633 by The Honourable The Irish Society.

The picture on the right is of the Cathedral and it is one of the oldest buildings in Londonderry. The church is built of stone from local quarries and skilled stone cutters and masons where procured to do the work. The arches and stone work is a testament to the craftsmanship of those workers, as seen in the picture below.

Our next stop was the Guild Hall. This building was first built in the 17th century and has been rebuilt a number of times due its destruction by fire and political unrest. The last major renovation was completed in 2010. To see further pictures check out my Facebook page and Fred's Flickr page (www.flickr.com/photos/fredparkins). After ambling up and down streets for a couple of hours we headed back to the B & B to check out, then headed off to our next stop Galway, a 4 hour drive away. The scenery continued to be spectacular as we drove along. We were now on a route called The Wild Atlantic Way. The drive to Galway took less time than we had expected as we basically had the road all to ourselves until we neared the city. The picture below to the right is one of the views we saw as we drove along.

Galway is a university city and as it was late Friday afternoon the traffic was crazy. We found a parking lot beside the Cathedral and as Fred went to pay for parking a gentleman leaving gave him his ticket which was good to 6:00 pm. We walked around the Cathedral first; it's a new build being officially opened on August 15, 1965 and had just celebrated its 50th anniversary. After walking around the Cathedral we then made the short walk into the city centre.

It was very busy with white and burgundy checkered banners every where. We did not know it at the time but where informed later by our hostess Bernadette at Abbeyville B & B that the flags represented the colours of the Galway Hurley team. Hurley, an Irish game appears to me to be a cross between field hockey and lacrosse. The picture on the left is of one of the many buskers in the city centre. After a quick walk about we now headed to our B & B for the next two nights. It is located in Freeport Barna, a small village just outside Galway City. Our hostess Bernadette Ryan made us very welcome and provided us with a number of places that we could have supper at, all within walking distance. We chose Mulberrys and were early enough to enjoy their early bird special.

A bit about Abbeyville Bed & Breakfast. Bernadette has been in the business for 38 years and has a fantastic place. We had a room on the  ground floor with an ensuite. There is also a living room for guests to use which we took full advantage of. It was so nice to be able to sit in comfort while catching up on our laptops and iPads. A hot breakfast was made to order, with cereals, yogurts, fresh fruit, tea, coffee and juice also being available. Bernadette also made fresh brown bread daily. She was a great source of information of what to see and do in the area. We had, however, stolen a bit of her thunder as Fred had a well laid out plan for our exploration of the Connemara area that we were staying in. If you were to be in the Galway area we highly recommend a stay at Abbeyville B & B (www.abbeyvillebarna.com).

Sia'ngo fo'ill

Sandy & Fred

September 2 - 3, 2015 - Liverpool to Belfast to Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland

Dia dhaoibh,

On September 2 we headed off for an 11 day break to Ireland. We left from Birkenhead taking the ferry to Belfast. The picture on the left is of The Isle of Man. The ferry ride was 8 hours and non eventful with calm waters. We did not explore Belfast at all, just used it as a stop for the night before heading off to start our exploration of Ireland. September 3 we started our Coastal Causeway drive towards Londonderry (Derry) our next stop.

Our first stop of the day was Carrickfergus Castle. The picture on the right is of King William III. Born William Henry of Orange in Hague, Netherlands Nov 4, 1650 where he immediately became king as his father had died of small pox 8 days before his birth. William personally intervened at the Battle of the Boyne July1,1690 in the struggle between the Irish Protestant and Catholic interests. Today the Order of The Orange, a Protestant Celebration, holds a parade each year on the 12th of July. The statue is a commemoration to the Battle of the Boyne.

The picture on the left is of Carrickfergus Castle, which is a 800 years old Norman castle built were King William first set foot in Ireland. The castle was besieged by the Scottish, Irish, English and French and is the best preserved medieval structure in Northern Ireland. We spent about a hour here before heading off to our next stop.


We took a slight detour off the coastal route to visit The Dark Hedges (pictured to the right), a beautiful avenue of Beech trees that were planted in the 18th century and provided a haunting backdrop for Ayra Stark's escape in the Game of Thrones (Season 2, episode 1). Photo op completed we next headed to Larrybane Bay and Carrick-A-Rede, which means rock in the road. The road being the sea route for Atlantic salmon on their westward journey past Carrick Island. The scenery was spectacular and rugged. It was very windy and the trek to the rope bridge was 1 km, winding and up and down. For over 350 years fisherman have strung a rope bridge 30 metres above the sea to allow them to access the best places to catch migrating salmon. The rope bridge they used in the past was nowhere as sturdy as the one we crossed.  The wind was very strong and whips the bridge as you cross. I must say this was the most exciting thing I did while in Ireland. It certainly got my heart racing.

Our last stop before heading to Londonderry was the Giant's Causeway. A geological wonder with over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. The causeway is a result of intense volcanic and geological activity. It provides us with a glimpse into the earth's ancient past. A 60 million year-old legacy to the cooling and shrinking of successive lava flows. I was rather disappointed here. While impressive, for me it just did not provide the "Wow" factor I was expecting.

This may be due to the fact that you did not get a view from above the stones or all the hype that the site has received. The site is also steeped in myth and legend about the mighty giant Finn McCool, who left behind a home full of folklore and of features left by the ravages of the sea and wind.

Our accommodation for the first night was the Abbey B&B. Seamus our host was quite the character with a hilarious sense of humour. On arrival we were offered tea, coffee and biscuits and we were told what was going on in Londonderry. As well, we were given recommendations in the area for places to go for supper. While we were enjoying our tea/coffee a group of men come in looking for a place to stay. As he was fully booked, he offered them complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits while he made a few calls to locate a B&B for them for the night. Not only did he get them a place to stay, but also arranged for the owner to come and guide the group to his B&B. Great customer service for the industry. After settling in we set off to explore a bit and then had supper. We ate at The Exchange Restaurant one the recommendations given by our host and it was a great choice. After dinner we walked about a bit more and stopping in Peadar O'Donnell's pub for a drink before heading back to our room.

I had an Irish whiskey, my first and last as it did not hold a snifter to Scotch whiskey. Fred had a Guiness which he said was quite different from what you get in the UK, a much smoother stout. It was a full day of exploration and we crashed for the night.

Sia'ngo fo'ill,

Sandy & Fred