Once we arrived and settled into our hotel, Earl’s Court, in Killarney, we began our trip to the Dingle Peninsula. Our first stop was at a beach, a surfing beach, for a short rest and to enjoy the surrounding views. We followed the Slea Head, a spectacular driving route that weaves and twists around the coast from Dingle.
We stopped to have lunch and explore Dingle Town after a lecture from the local expert. Dingle Town was filled with interesting, colorful shops to explore. Clare and I ventured off and found a restaurant in the town named “Healthy” where we had a chicken salad sandwich with cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, and onion. We were amused to buy canned water, really, canned water. Before leaving Dingle Town, one of the must-stops has to be Murphy’s locally made ice cream. Our coach driver was very pleased to have his picture taken in front of his motorcoach.
Afterwards, we walked over to the Chapel of the Sacred Heart which is a Neo-gothic chapel in Dingle Town. The cemetery was unique with the white crosses for the nuns that had died while at the adjoining convent.
After exploring Dingle Town, we examined a Beehive hut known as clochán, a medieval stone house. These cone-shaped structures can be seen along the Slea Head Drive. We made some stops along the way and met some interesting Irish folk, one who played a flute, another with a Guinness T-shirt and some young ladies playing flutes outside of the Gallarus Oratory. We saw the Gallarus Oratory which is a chapel made of stacked stone.
That evening, we went to Kayne’s Bar and Bistro for dinner and were able to get good seating in the very crowded restaurant to watch the Irish Gaelic Football semi-final game between Armagh and Kerry with Armagh winning the match. We tried some Irish local beer while eating and enjoying the game.
Our trip continued with a motorcoach trip around the Ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry had some spectacular coastal and mountain views and we ventured through the towns of Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Waterville, and Sneem. The motorcoach stopped at Rossbeigh after passing the town of Glenbeigh to view he sandy beach area that is designated as a natural heritage area for conservation. The last shot is of Jack Redmond who was our guide along this journey through Ireland.
Cahersiveen’s most famous historic figure is Daniel O’Connell, born on 6 August 1775. His birthplace, Carahan, can be found just outside Cahersiveen. In the center of Cahersiveen you will find the Daniel O’Connel memorial church. There was also the St. Brendan the Navigator Monument on the other side of the road from Daniel O’Connel’s birthplace. We had lunch at Quinlan’s Seafood Bar in Cahersiveen comprising a delicious potato leek soup and salmon mousse with the slogan “from our boats to your plate”. Built between 1888 – 1902 this church is the town’s most dominant feature/landmark. It is one of the few catholic churches in the world dedicated to a layperson. It is constructed of Northern Irish granite and built in a combination of Gothic revivalist and medieval style architecture. The laying of a marble slab which serves as the cornerstone took place in 1888. This marble block is special as it was a gift from Pope Leo XIII sourced from the catacombs in Rome.
Monsignor O’Flaherty (1898 – 1963) is also remembered as a Cahersiveen native who was a Vatican diplomat during the Second World War. During his time in the Vatican O’Flaherty organized the concealment and escape of more than 5,000 people including Jews and prisoners of war from the German occupying forces without the knowledge or approval of his superiors.
The Irish village of Waterville was a favorite holiday destination for the beloved silent film comedian Charlie Chaplin who has a statue right in the middle of town, just for vacationing there.
We continued on our journey around the Ring of Kerry stopping at a couple of scenic viewing areas and at the town of Sneem where we enjoyed some delicious ice cream and meeting some of the local inhabitants.
The following day, we visited the Killarney National Park which has a significant stand of native oak woods and one of the oldest yew woods in Europe. Just before entering the park, there are some interesting statues, one of Monsignor O’Flaherty and the other to commemorate the World Ploughing Championship. We were able to catch sight of the native Irish red deer as we walked through the park. That afternoon we went to Kenmore Place and were able to take the famed Killarney jaunting car trip through the town and National Park with a very talkative jarvey who pointed out local landmarks and shared his knowledge on the history and culture of the area.
We transferred to Galway by way of the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren which forms a UNESCO Global Geopark. The Cliffs of Moher are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare. They run for about 9 miles. At their southern end, they rise 120 meters above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag’s Head, and, 8 kilometers to the north, they reach their maximum height of 214 meters just north of O’Brien’s Tower, a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs, built-in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O’Brien, then continue at lower heights. From the cliffs and atop the tower, visitors can see the Aran Islands, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountain ranges to the north in County Galway, and Loop Head to the south.
The Burren National Park covers a small part of the Burren (meaning “rocky place”) and is the smallest of the eight National Parks in Ireland. Glaciers formed the Burren during the last Ice Age, which covered Ireland. Our local guide discussed the rare vegetation in the area and gave a brief history of how the Burren was formed. The Burren is the largest karst limestone landscape in Europe.
In Galway, we had a couple of local experts who provided interesting activities that they were involved in to preserve their region’s culture and heritage. We visited the Galway Hooker Crew workshop where they restored old, dilapidated Hookers to working order. A Galway hooker is a traditional fishing boat used in Galway Bay. Its sail plan consists of a single mast with a main sail and two foresails. Traditionally, the boat is black (being coated in pitch) and the sails are a dark red-brown. From there, we walked to the Spanish Arch, part of the original city wall. The Spanish Arch was built in 1584 but is an extension of the 12th century Norman-built town wall, which stretched from Martin’s Tower to the riverbank. The Spanish Arch name was believed to be named by the ruling class of Dublin who said that “Galway is more Spanish than Irish” as numerous Spaniards lived in the city in the Middle Ages. We also visited the Galway City Museum which is next to the Spanish Arch and worth a visit.
Our next Galway guide took us through the Claddagh enclave. Claddagh, a fishing village on the outskirts of Galway, was a thriving and vibrant community in the 19th century. The untouched, traditional community was a world apart from nearby Galway city – but has left us with one of the most iconic symbols of Ireland in the Claddagh Ring which features two clasped hands holding a heart symbolizing loyalty, love, and friendship. As we explored Galway, our guide took us to the Nora Barnacle house who was the muse and wife of Irish author James Joyce.
That evening, we had dinner at Glenlo Abbey, although it was never consecrated. Constructed in 1790s as a private church adjoining a grand house built by the Ffrenches in 1740. Originally known as Kentfield House, it was the ancestral home of one of the fourteen merchant families that made up the famous Tribes of Galway. The Ffrenches were a distinguished Anglo-Norman family who were said to have descended from Sir Maximilian Ffrench, whose descendants fought at the Battle of Hastings.
The following day, we took the motorcoach along the Connemara coast to the village of Rossaveel. From there, we took a ferry ride to Inis Mor, the largest of the Islands of Aran. Most of the group headed to Dun Aonghasa. Located on the edge of a 300ft cliff, on the south side of Inis mór, Dun Aonghasa is a semi-circular stone fort overlooking the Atlantic with dramatic views. Excavations undertaken in the 1990s indicated that people had lived on the hilltop from 1500 BC with the first walls and dwelling houses being erected in 1100 BC. A remarkable network of defensive stones known as a Chevaux de Frise surrounds the whole structure.
On our way back, we stopped at the Seven Churches or Dísert Bhreacáin. Teampall Bhreacáin (St Brecan’s Church) is a large multi-period church 8th-13th century. It contains fine massive masonry with an impressive arch, nave, and chancel. An inscribed stone in the west gable reads ‘OR AR 11 CANOIN’ ‘Pray for the Two Canons’. Our trip to the islands of Aran ended back at the port on Inis Mor waiting for the ferry on our return trip.
On the motorcoach the next day, we headed to County Donegal. Along the way, we stopped briefly at Sligo and were able to take some time to explore the town. Further along, we stopped at Drumcliffe church, the final resting place of Irish poet W.B. Yeats, an important cultural leader, playwright, and one of the century’s greatest poets. Yeat’s gravestone epitaph is well known: “Cast a cold eye / On life / On death / Horseman, pass by!” At the foot of the mountain near Drumcliffe Church, the Battle of Drumcliff took place in 561 AD. This battle is also known as the “Battle of Cúl Dreimhne” or the “Battle of the Books.” It is famous because it involved a dispute over the copying of a religious manuscript, which led to a conflict between the followers of St. Columba and those of King Diarmait mac Cerbaill.
We also stopped at a “fairy tree” where there were ancient ruins. From that point, there was a view of Lord Mountbatten’s home in Sligo, Ireland (last photo). On August 27, 1979, Mountbatten was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was killed when a bomb planted by the IRA exploded on his boat in County Sligo, Ireland. This event highlighted the ongoing tensions in Northern Ireland at the time and marked a significant event in the history of the Troubles.
The next morning, we were off again to ride to Killybegs. Killybegs is a natural deepwater harbor with a depth of 12 meters at low water spring tide. The harbor is home to the largest Irish midwater pelagic trawlers and a modest whitefish fleet. A local guide provided his first-hand knowledge of the town’s history during the walking tour.
Later in the day, we rode to Glencolmeille where we explored the area. We visited St. Columba church and enjoyed a brief walk to one of the 15 Pilgrimage Stones as well as viewing the magnificent scenery of the area. You may notice that some of the pictures look very different. Unfortunately, I accidentally turned on a special effects feature on my camera and didn’t notice for about 15 shots.
We stayed at the Kee’s Hotel in Donegal. Before transferring to Dublin, we stopped at the Ulster American Folk Park, an outdoor museum that tells the poignant story of emigration from Ulster to America in the 18th and 19th centuries.
We strolled throught parts of Dublin before arriving at the Museum of Literature Ireland the following day. A docent gave us a tour of MOLI and explained Ireland’s rich literary heritage from past to present in the historic UCD Newman House on St Stephen’s Green in the heart of Dublin. Afterward, we went to Brewley’s Oriental Café for a delicious lunch. Later in the afternoon, we met up with the group at Cassidy’s Pub that was very close to Camden Court Hotel.
The following morning, we set off to Kilmainham Gaol which changed from a prison to a museum. The history of Kilmainham Gaol begins with its opening in 1796 as the new County Gaol for Dublin. While most of the prisoners were common criminals, it also held political prisoners involved in Ireland’s struggle for independence. Included those held here were Robert Emmet, Anne Devlin, the Fenians, Charles Stewart Parnell, Countess Markievicz and the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, 14 of whom were executed by firing squad in the Stonebreaker’s yard. The Gaol was closed in 1924 but was preserved as a national monument in the 1960s and restored by the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Committee. There are lists of people imprisoned during the Great Hunger. One of the prisoners, Bridget Heffernan, had the same name as one of Clare’s nieces.
After visiting Kilmainham Gaol, we took the motorcoach to EPIC, the Irish Immigration Museum. About 70 million people all around the world claim Irish heritage or ancestry, which is pretty impressive for an island of under 6 million people. Given the vast numbers of Irish people who have left the country and built new lives for themselves, there was a strong need for a cultural institution that recognized the role migration plays in informing how the Irish define who themselves and the importance of the Irish diaspora in the cultural, political and economic development of both Ireland and the communities they settled in.
Dennis, Susan, Clare and I went to the Whiskey Museum that afternoon. We were entertained by an expert tour guide who, not only gave a brief history of Irish Whiskey development but ad-libbed several amusing antidotes into the history of whiskey. One of the more interesting stories was how Irish Whiskey lost out to Scotland’s Scotch Whiskey. The reasons for the decline of the Irish whiskey industry were many and varied. The Scots proved to be brilliant marketers, creating powerful international brands. By eventually vertically integrating the entire production process, from distillation to bottling and distribution, they also were able to maintain tight control over product quality. Until the 1970s, Irish distillers continued to ship in bulk to independent bottlers, a practice that often led to dilution or substitution and poor quality control. Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel but stopped at Devitts Bar for dinner.
On our free day in Dublin, Clare and I ventured out and took the tram to the O’Connell stop. We walked along the River Liffey to see some renowned bridges. The Samuel Beckett Bridge built in 2009 is in the shape of a harp lying on its edge and is worth the walk to see. We past the Ha’penny Bridge which was built in 1816 and crossed over the river at the Millennium Bridge. Once across, we went into the Temple Bar and were amazed by the vast number of bottles of whisky on display. A short distance from the Temple Bar was the Rock and Roll Museum on Temple Lane. We continued along to Dame Street to walk up to Dublin City Hall built in 1779. After a brief visit, we walked to the Dublin Castle that was erected in 1204, and to the Chester Beatty Library Galleries. Everyone talks about seeing the Book of Kells, however, if are short of time and want to see many ancient manuscripts from Asia and Europe, including a Torah and papyrus manuscripts, your time is better spent at the Beatty Library than waiting in line at Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. We did walk over to Trinity College and walk around the campus before returning to the hotel in preparation for leaving the following day.
That evening, we had our farewell dinner and said our farewells. It was a wonderful trip. We learned a great deal about Ireland and met many new friends.
Marc's Travels 