Saturday April 28th marked the half-way point in our vacation in Ireland. It would be the day that we transition from County Kerry (Tralee) to County Galway (Recess). The AA Ireland route planner had the direct route mapped at roughly 160 miles and…Read More

Saturday April 28th marked the half-way point in our vacation in Ireland. It would be the day that we transition from County Kerry (Tralee) to County Galway (Recess). The AA Ireland route planner had the direct route mapped at roughly 160 miles and just under 4 hours. This would be the day that would make the most sense, taking the detour to self-drive the Dingle Peninsula and perhaps part of the Slea Head if the weather looked decent. With the absence of significant cloud cover and rain, we did take advantage of our location and added the extra miles (approximately 75 miles) and time (2 hours) so that we could see what many say is the best driving tour in all of Ireland.

Jutting 30 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, the Dingle Peninsula is known not only for the rich farmland and vast ocean-side views, but also for the number of archeological and historical sites dating back to the Mesolithic Period (8000-4000 BC). There have been excavation digs that have uncovered evidence of man's life here as farmers living off the land. The earliest remains of cows have been found here and dated to more than 5,700 years ago . . . the earliest found anywhere in Ireland.

Read more about Dingle Peninsula's 6,000 years of history here: http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/history.html .

This is one area of Ireland that to really do it justice you need at least a couple of days to get out and actually explore. Many will stay in Dingle for several days in order to see as much as possible. Doing it as we did, a driving day tour essentially from one place to the next only provides the scratch of the surface, namely the beautiful views that surround you. To learn about the rich history here, more effort is required. For us, it was about the views on that day and of course getting to our timeshare cottage at a decent time before nightfall.

The harbor town of Dingle was hustling with the weekend traffic of locals and tourists. It is also a place where people visiting Ireland often spend a full day enjoying all that is to be found there. Her history goes back to the 12th century, with Dingle becoming a main shipping port of Ireland by the 1500's with a number of goods being shipped to Europe while importing a significant amount of wine coming in from there.

We cruised on through Dingle and headed on towards the Slea Head, a drive that has been reported as being the most harrowing in all of Ireland. After roughly ten miles, we surely knew why!

The views along the Slea Head often included the Basket Islands, a popular destination that is accessible by boat. Today uninhabited by humans in the 1950's, the islands have remained the inspiration for writers and artists from around the world.

Once we reached the the Slea Head Cafe, we stopped for a bathroom break, beverages and some window shopping. It was a challenge to convince Ellie to not make an Aran Sweater purchase there as they were about half the price of what she saw earlier in our trip . . . but still more expensive than I expected them to be when we visited Inis Mor a few days later. (Her trust and patience paid off as she got two beautiful Aran sweaters in Inis Mor for little more than what one would have cost her at Slea Head.)

Heading back down the ocean-side mountain road, we stopped so that I could take some photos of an interesting creek that came down from high above, crossed the roadway and continued down to the Atlantic Ocean. Thankfully there was a convenient turnout for David to pull the car into. Five minutes later, however, a large motor coach bus came up the hill and needed the turnout to navigate the near hair-pin turn. Also about that time arrived a cyclist who just wheeling through with no concerns. WHEW . . . I was nervous for him!

After completely the drive back down to Dingle, we headed up the other side of the peninsula crossing over Conor Pass. We stopped at the summit for photos; David and Ellie stayed in the car. It was amazing that the air temperatures had dropped nearly by more than ten degrees Celsius from the bottom (Dingle) and the top (Conor Pass). On the Dingle side of the parking lot, the winds were relatively calm but just a few yards to the right at the Tralee side, they literally took my breath away. On this now overcast late morning, the views were marginal but still awe inspiring.

We headed down from Conor Pass back towards Tralee. It was through this area that we had to navigate narrow roads (mostly two unmarked lanes) that often included sheep. At one point we came around the bend in the road to see a ewe with two young lambs. She stopped so as to protect them on the shoulder, only to have one come back up into the road to nurse. Definitely an "AWWWW" moment.

Beyond that our next stop along our ride was at shoreline of Brandon Bay were we ventured down a non-exist road and even baja'ed on the sandy beach. I wonder what Thrifty Car Rental will think about that?

Shortly thereafter we were take in Tralee and officially off the Dingle Peninsula. It was a nice drive to see a part of Ireland that looked very different that the other places we had been or had yet to see. I'm very glad we took the extra time to take a look even if we didn't get to learn more about the area during our visit.Close

Talk to any tourist anticipating a vacation in Ireland and you're sure to hear about their hopes to see sites of history and folklore. Throughout the country, regardless of where you go there is a good chance you will stumble upon unnamed ruins mostly…Read More

Talk to any tourist anticipating a vacation in Ireland and you're sure to hear about their hopes to see sites of history and folklore. Throughout the country, regardless of where you go there is a good chance you will stumble upon unnamed ruins mostly of old stone houses or perhaps a castle or church. We had seen several during our first week of driving, but many who travel to Ireland do not rent a car and leave the driving to a tour company such as Galway Tour Company (GTC).

Worked into their "Cliffs of Moher and The Burren" day tour, GTC includes some sights that visitors might not otherwise see. Counties Galway and Clare are rich with historic sights and incorporating them into this trip works out very well, providing passengers with a brief leg stretching opportunity.

The first stop after leaving Galway CIty was the Dunguaire Castle, a 16th century "tower house" and is considered to be one of the finest restorations in Ireland. Today a medieval dining experience is offered to visitors featuring Irish music and poetry reading. A quick search on the internet produces a website with more info, including pricing (a whopping €51 for adults). For us, the stop provided essentially a photo op as we didn't have time to enter the castle Visitors who are traveling independently and have the time and inclination to stop for a more involved visit, be advised there is an admission fee of €6.00 for adults (discounts apply for seniors and children). NOTE: This site is not managed by OPW and therefore is not included in the Heritage Card.

Next we paid a visit to the abandoned ruins of the Corcomroe Abbey which are located within the first miles of the Burren. Built around 1205, this Cistercian Abbey is in remarkable condition given that it stands in the relative middle of nowhere and is not part of any formal historical or preservation group. During our stop here, we were left somewhat to our own devices in looking around here. Now that I'm home and researching a bit more of some of these ruins, this is one I wish I had a bit more time to explore and photograph. That said, we had about 10 minutes and off we were to the next stop.

Fairy forts were next on the itinerary as we stopped at the Ballyalban Fairy Fort. We learned about the beliefs regarding the "little people with orange beards and green hats" who live beneath the earth's surface in a tunnel system. The best way to describe the "fort" itself is that is is a circular area of raised ground (perhaps as much as two feet) that creates a "bowl" like center. On the outside of the ring of raised dirt is an outer ring of trees, thought to have been planted by the inhabitants to create seclusion and protection from outsiders. There is an actual entrance down into the inside of the subterranean surface, but today most of these have been filled to keep people (especially children) from entering and having the ground above them collapse.

The actual purpose of the thousands of ringed structures that exist throughout Ireland are not actually known. They have been dated back to pre-Celtic. Rich in mystery and folklore, today many Irish still believe in the fairies and the superstitions surrounding them. During our time spent at such a circular ring fort, we learned how the arrival of Christianity clashed with these beliefs regarding the fairies. Still today, it is against the law to damage a fairy fort as they are protected under the "National Monuments Act" and this particular location had a prominent sign declaring as much.

As an aside, Leprechauns are thought to be a unique type of fairy known for their shoe cobbling abilities and according to folklore, the keeper of the mythical pot of gold.

Kilfenora was our last stop prior to lunch and the Cliffs of Moher to see the high crosses at the Lady Chapel at the Cathedral. They were under the shelter of a greenhouse like glass roof so as to protect the limestone from erosion due to rain. The most well known and now restored is the Doorty Cross which depicts "a bishop in high relief carrying a volute crozier representing the Roman Church. Beneath this are two more bishops thrusting their croziers into a winged creature below. One is tau shaped representing the Coptic Church and the other signifies the Celtic Church." (Cited reference: http://www.megalithicireland.com/High%20Cross%20Kilfenora.htm .) There are also a couple of other high crosses located here that are protected under the glass roof.

Kilfenora is another place that I wished I had more time to explore and learn about. Having returned home and done further research, I learned that there is another high cross that had fallen and was imbedded in the yard.

All of that said, I'm glad that we had what time we did to learn visit each of these four areas with Galway Tour Company as otherwise, they were far enough off our scheduled path that we would have missed them altogether.

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We had one day planned to drive what some refer to as the Connemara Loop. Cong is on that route and would be our first destination after leaving the cottage in Recess.Cong is actually in County Mayo, just over the county line from County…Read More

We had one day planned to drive what some refer to as the Connemara Loop. Cong is on that route and would be our first destination after leaving the cottage in Recess.

Cong is actually in County Mayo, just over the county line from County Galway. Perhaps it's greatest claim to fame is that the John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara film classic "The Quiet Man" was largely filmed here. Today there is a replica of the cottage used in the filming, which serves as a museum for visitors to see a part of movie history. There are also several "Quiet Man" tours available that include not only this cottage/museum, but also visits to other local points of interest used in the filming of the movie. Since none of us were big enthusiasts, we took a pass on the tour(s) and headed on.

The reason for our trip to Cong was to visit the Cong Abbey. The original abbey built on this site in the 7th century was destroyed in the 12th century, resulting in a new structure being built in 1135. Unfortunately this abbey sustained significant damage when the Normans attacked Cong in the early 13th century and yet another rebuilding ensued. Much of what is seen on the site today are the remains of that third abbey.

I had wanted to pay a visit to the Ashford Castle which is now a hotel, but unfortunately the gated entrance that we came to was closed to the public and we didn't try to find an alternate way in.

As we left Cong for the Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, the Garmin took us along a very scenic and seemingly out of the way route down a narrow dirt road that was as much grass as dirt. We did cross paths with another car, but fortunately it was at the driveway of a home, so they were able to turn out and let us pass.

Cong was interesting but really just a stop along our day trip. I don't know that I would suggest it being a special destination unless you are really a big fan of "The Quiet Man" as there isn't much else in this little town.Close

For David and me, the flight was uneventful although sleep was not an option for David. Typically I'm able to sleep for the better part of the overnight flight, but I wasn't able to get more than perhaps an hour at a time.…Read More

For David and me, the flight was uneventful although sleep was not an option for David. Typically I'm able to sleep for the better part of the overnight flight, but I wasn't able to get more than perhaps an hour at a time. David got no sleep so he was beat when we did arrive at 8am on Saturday.

As for American Airlines, this was my first trip of any distance with them. We flew from Milwaukee to Chicago's O'Hare Airport and then directly into Dublin. They served a free dinner which wasn't too bad, which also came with complimentary wine. David enjoyed both of our bottles. The dinner options were chicken with rice or a pasta dish, along with salad, cheese & crackers and a brownie for dessert.

About 90 minutes before arrival, they also served a continental breakfast which consisted of a croissant, strawberry yogurt and OJ.

Unfortunately, David's mother (Ellie) was unable to make the connection in Chicago due to mechanical issues with the plane so we had to return Sunday at 8am to pick her up. With a 2.5 hour drive, we were up before the chickens (literally).

Thanks to the recommendations for some folks on the Trip Advisor Ireland Forum, I was aware of a nice cafe at the Avoca in County Wexford. This was just about a perfect location as we had plans to stop nearby at the Glendalough Heritage Site. David was too tired to really get out and about so I enjoyed the 17 minute film in the visitor center, explaining the historical significance of this 6th century monastic city of St Kevin.

After the short hour visit at Glendalough, we made our way to our cottage via mainly narrow two lane roads. The two hour drive was nerve wracking for both David (who had to deal with driving on the opposite side of the road) and me (who had to keep from white knuckling as he navigated at the direction of our Garmin).

Speaking of the Garmin, we did get the Ireland maps for it, but for some reason, she had a mind of her own relative to how we should plan our route from the airport to Glendalough and on to the cottage. It took us right through Dublin City, which was not the plan especially given that David wanted to ease into his driving duties!

Once at the cottage we met our host Richard, who is a very interesting man. He and he wife run the farm where these cottages are, making it very convenient to us should we have any questions or needs. We received an outstanding dinner recommendation from him at a local pub in a neighboring village.

David was in bed and fast asleep by 7:30p and I was about an hour behind him. With the alarm clock set for 5:30am, I felt surely we'd both be awake and ready to tackle the new day by 4am. Nope . . . we both slept through the night until the alarm went off. With quick showers, we were out of the house by 6:10a catching a rather cloudy but beautiful sunrise.

Everything went perfectly in getting Ellie at the airport in Dublin. We went back to Avoca and enjoyed another nice breakfast. We also picked up a couple of scones for later in the day.. Before returning to our cottage we shopped for groceries for the next few days. With that chore completed, we returned to the cottage to relax after a couple of hectic travel days.
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This was our first real day of touring, and it was really great. We started out with a plan to try to get to three historical sites within about an hour of our cottage. What we realized was just as people had forewarned,…Read More

This was our first real day of touring, and it was really great. We started out with a plan to try to get to three historical sites within about an hour of our cottage. What we realized was just as people had forewarned, regardless of "your plan" you will not get to it all as planned. Part of that was due to my wanting to stop along the way at several unscheduled sites and views. It was really quite spectacular.

Shortly after leaving the cottage, we stumbled upon a Roman Catholic Church built in 1700. It was very small, tucked in a little valley in a pretty sharp curve in the road (R700). There was a convenient parking lot just beyond and above the church, so David was able to pull over at my cry of "STOP".

We were able to walk around the grounds alongside a running brook, complete with waterfalls. There was a bell tower adjacent to the church complete with an old copper bell and rope. Inside, the church was beautifully maintained. I even found the service hymn flier from yesterday's mass.

Upon return to our cottage, I was able to research the church. I learned that it is the second oldest active church in all of Ireland. It survived the attacks by British soldiers due to its hidden location. In fact, there is a small cave in the area where the priests once hid to avoid Cornwall's men.

From there we continued on our way, next stopping in the village of Inistioge, where the River Nore creates a lovely backdrop for yet another photo op stop! We enjoyed pulling into the parking lot along the riverside park where several folks had their dogs out romping.

Our next unplanned stop was marked as a "view" so we pulled into the off road area, not sure what we might view. Out in the pasture probably 300 yards or so were the remains of the Grennan Castle (c 1210). It seemed so out of place and yet so perfect sitting out in the green field not too far from the river.

We arrived at our first planned destination of Jerpoint Abbey near Thomastown shortly before noon, and spent a leisurely hour walking the grounds of this 13th century ruin that is currently undergoing restoration. The ornate carvings in limestone were beautiful. I especially enjoyed one of the outer walls which still have several of the original pillars intact.

Jerpoint Abbey was built in the late 12th century. It is a Cistercian abbey, most notably known for the beautiful limestone carvings, most created between the 12th and 16th centuries. This abbey flourished until King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. The last abbot surrendered to the king.

From Thomastown we headed on to the medieval Irish capital of Kilkenny. As much as we wanted to spend more time here, it was a very busy city with a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. We opted to visit the Kilkenny Castle as planned and then head on back to the cottage. The Kilkenny Castle is in the middle of a continued renovation effort dating back to the 1960's.

Kilkenny Castle was built in 1195 and is considered to be a symbol of Norman occupation in Ireland. It was strategically placed so as to protect the town from invasion. The Butler Dynasty lived in the house and did several additions and renovations from 1391 to 1935. The last Butler family heir sold the castle and surrounding land to the Castle Restoration Committee who set about a full restoration, which is still in progress today. (Much of the large manor house was not available for tour.) The price . . . £50.
Much of the interior was off limits to visitors, with photography prohibited throughout the interior.

As with many of the historical sites throughout Ireland that are operated by the OPW (Office of Public Works), there are admission fees charged. The OPW Heritage Pass is just €21 per person (€16 for seniors), and well worth the purchase. In just three days we've visited six OPW Heritage sites which would have cost €24 per person. So clearly, the pass is a good investment for anyone planning extensive touring of some of Ireland's most notable historical sites.

For those of you looking for more info on these and upcoming OPW Heritage sites, you can check out the OPW website or do a GOOGLE search. Wikipedia has some detailed info on many of the sites we've visited or plan to visit during our two weeks here.

We decided to head back to the cottage through New Ross so that we could shop for a couple of small items at the local Tesco; think Super Walmart or Target, but on a much smaller scale. They sold everything from fresh produce and meats to kitchen utensils and cooking implements. I got caught up in trying to decide what type of potatoes to buy for dinner. I think I counted around eight different varieties of potatoes, excluding sweet potatoes (and their variations).

Check out the attached photos of the river (one of my "drive-by" photographs taken as we crossed this old stone bridge near New Ross) and the Celtic cross that was right in the middle of the town of New Ross.

We arrived home just before 5:00pm, so it was a very full day.
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On Tuesday (24 April) our initial plan was to head northwest to Rock of Cashel and then on to Cahir Castle and the Swiss Cottage. Perhaps needless to say, we once again had a number of diversions . . . mostly good! Shortly after…Read More

On Tuesday (24 April) our initial plan was to head northwest to Rock of Cashel and then on to Cahir Castle and the Swiss Cottage. Perhaps needless to say, we once again had a number of diversions . . . mostly good!

Shortly after we hit the road, we ventured by the medieval walled town of Fethard which today is largely in ruins. Truth is, we could have probably spent the entire morning exploring the buildings of this Norman era village, built in the 13th century and with fortification of the outer walls in later years. We did spend some time snapping some photos and reading about the town’s history. There is a great online article which tells the story of Fethard in greater detail http://fethard.com/histor/history.html .

Rock of Cashel was very impressive, as viewed from the other end of the city. Unfortunately, this OPW historical site is undergoing a major renovation, which not only affected the photogenic features of this site, but it also limited access to the interiors of several buildings including the cathedral and the chapel.

The view from atop the hill was beautiful. We were lucky to have decent weather providing for a view of great distances. One could imagine why kings inhabited this location for several centuries before turning it over to the church.

The Rock of Cashel is also known as "Cashel of Kings" or "St. Patrick’s Rock". The round tower was built c 1100 and the chapel around 1130. This was the site of a significant loss of life during the massacre by British Troops in 1647 during the Irish Confederate Wars.

It was especially interesting to walk around the grounds that contained several grave sites and memorials. Unfortunately the older ones were not legible but many from the 19th century were. I was amazed to see a couple of recent grave markers dating the 21st century.

Next on our tour was the Cahir Castle (pronounced like "care") which was built in 1142. This is another site with historical significance dating back to the Irish Confederate Wars. Besieged in 1647 and 1650, the castle was surrendered without bloodshed to Cromwell’s Army.

Later the Butler family resumed occupancy of the castle and began an enlargement and remodeling effort that spanned three centuries (15th to the 17th). The buildings fell into disrepair in the 18th century with the Butler heirs partially restoring the buildings in 1840.

The last Lord Cahir died in 1961 at which time the property reverted to State ownership.

This castle or "manor home" as they were also frequently known, is one of the best preserved Irish estates from this era that is open to the public. It was interesting to see the various features built into the house and surrounding walls to provide protection from attack on all sides.

Further down the river that runs adjacent to Cahir Castle is the Swiss Cottage. Built in 1810 by the Butlers, this "cottage ornee" was used largely to entertain guests. The two story thatch roof house only contained four rooms and was never actually lived in.
The ground level had the tearoom and music room. Unfortunately the house had been abandoned and left to the shenanigans of hoodlums, so much of the glass and rooms on this level were destroyed. There was some of the original wall covering panels remaining in the tearoom, so archeologists were able to research and find replica printings to complete the restoration in the late 1980’s. This piece of painted glass was saved by a local resident and returned when the restoration began.

While photos were not permitted inside the various rooms, I was able to snap this one from the outside through a window. In the far right corner you can see a 19th century harpsichord much like what I’ve seen in the restored areas of Colonial Williamsburg (Virginia).

The upstairs rooms were set up for resting and perhaps overnight stays; one for the Butlers and the other for their visiting guests. Furnishings in all four rooms were either original pieces on loan from the Historical Society or period reproductions by local artisans.

This yew tree is estimated to be over 1,000 years old. The poor quality of the photo is thanks to the heavy rains we experienced as we were leaving the grounds.
Earlier in the day, during our drive to Cashel, we went by Waterford City. Since the Waterford Crystal Factory was on our list of places to visit, but scheduled for the following day, I thought it might be just as convenient to go ahead and make this short detour. Not being prepared with my paperwork and maps, we were dependent on the Garmin for routing which resulted in getting lost in this very busy city. We stopped at a local mall in order to try to get our bearings and hopefully some instructions to the Waterford Crystal visitor center.

While I dealt with the Garmin and the big OSI Ireland Atlas, David and his mom went into the mall to see if they could find a sweater or something for her. She had been cold since arriving in Ireland and our previous attempts at finding something for her came up empty-handed.

They came back with a beautiful €28 sweater that was on close-out for just €8. After an hour of not really even knowing what we were looking for (we passed the Waterford Crystal visitor center TWICE!) we gave up. The mantra for the rest of the day regarding Waterford City would be "but we found a sweater".

While in Waterford City we did drive by Reginald's Tower, which was built on the riverfront for defenses against attacks in the 13th century. It later served as the mint, prison and military store. Today it has been fully restored and houses exhibitions open to the public. I had hoped to get back to Waterford, but unfortunately the weather was crummy the next day and we were off for another area of Ireland the day after that.
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I cannot say enough for our first accommodations in Ireland. Ballagh Court is comprised of five cottages, including three that were part of the original farm built in approximately 1800. Richard & Salvia (our hosts) purchased this farm from his family back in…Read More

I cannot say enough for our first accommodations in Ireland. Ballagh Court is comprised of five cottages, including three that were part of the original farm built in approximately 1800. Richard & Salvia (our hosts) purchased this farm from his family back in 1999 to avoid having the buildings raised. He has since fully restored the old stone farm buildings into very nice self-catering units. He has also built two separate stand-alone bungalow dormer-style houses.

We were in cottage #1, which was a spacious two bedroom, two bath accommodation that also featured a large country kitchen and a wonderful living room complete with wood burning stove. Our evening fires became a highlight of our time when we returned home each night.

As a working farm, Richard's grandson collects and sells eggs from their hens. We kept our breakfasts light with cereal and toast, so we did not partake in Callum's Free Range Eggs.

I booked this accommodation last fall through Imagine Ireland, a UK company that handles bookings throughout Ireland. If you are looking for a nice place to stay at a very reasonable price, I encourage you to look them up. Of course, you can also book directly with Richard at Ballagh Court if you would like. I think the pricing is comparable whether you book with the hosts or through a booking agent such as Imagine Ireland.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Maggie, their farm dog! She was quite friendly, whenever we saw her. It was nice to see her when we came home each night. While not a replacement for our Miss Heidi, I did enjoy having a dog around.

Self-catering for our first five nights in Ireland worked out very well. With Ellie's late arrival over the weekend, David and I did dine out our first night. After that, we bought groceries at what was about the same as a general store in the next town over from the cottage. For roughly €60, we were able to buy food for dinner for four nights, along with the necessary items for breakfast (cereal, milk, bread, etc.) David always travels with his own "home blend of coffee so we didn't have to pay the high prices that are commonplace throughout Ireland.

This was a was rather miserable day in terms of the weather. It rained heavily throughout the night and much of the day. When it was not raining hard, we did have on and off showers. Add to that the cold damp wind, and we decided to stay with the plan of taking an easy day today, especially since tomorrow through Saturday will be rather active with quite a bit of driving.

Richard paid us a visit, wishing us well on our continued journey throughout Ireland. I cannot say enough for how friendly he and Salvia were during our stay. He also provided us with a couple of suggestions for our time in County Galway where he knows several people including a pub or two where we can expect to find traditional Irish music and dance.

That evening was spent packing up our stuff and getting ready for an early (7:30a) departure for Cobh. Back during the time of Titanic, Cobh was known as Queenstown which was the last port of call of the White Star Line's ill-fated luxury liner.
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We had a very full day today, spent mostly in Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown at the time of the sailing of Titanic 100 years ago. After our two and a half hour drive from the cottage, we arrived in Cobh at around 10:00am…Read More

We had a very full day today, spent mostly in Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown at the time of the sailing of Titanic 100 years ago. After our two and a half hour drive from the cottage, we arrived in Cobh at around 10:00am . . . plenty of time to get a lay of the land and find parking.

Our only scheduled activity was an 11:00am with Titanic researcher and author Dr. Michael Martin. He is the creator of the "Titanic Trail" tour and several others focusing on the history of this emigration port so prominent to so many Irish and Irish-American families.

We learned not only about Titanic but also about the role Queenstown played in the 19th and early 20th centuries. We walked along the waterfront much the same as the 123 Titanic passengers who boarded here. Dr. Martin explained that the buildings facing the harbor appear just as they did back in 1912. It was a very surreal experience to walk in their footsteps today.

After our orientation with Dr. Martin, we went to the building that formerly housed the White Star Line ticket office. The dock where tenders took passengers to the anchored Titanic out beyond the natural protective barrier island at the opening to the Irish Sea was immediately behind the ticket office. It is here that the "Titanic Experience" occurs. Here guests receive a ticket to Titanic as they assume the identity of one of the 123 Queenstown passengers. Mom received one of the three first class passengers, ironically someone from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dr. Martin had mentioned this family, a doctor along with his wife and sister. The two ladies were saved; the doctor perished.

We took the Titanic Experience tour and found it very interesting. A blend of audio-visual storytelling and recreations of what the cabins were like on Titanic allowed visitors to get a feel for life on the ship. At the end of the main "experience" aspects, the final area provided several photos and story-boards telling about the Titanic, Queenstown and her people.

Our final stop while in Cobh was the Cobh Heritage Center. A modern day blend of history and shopping, we enjoyed the self-guided walk through tour that was largely about life in 18th and 19th century Ireland, especially as her residents faced famine and lack of financial opportunity which resulted in millions of people looking for a better life in North America. Initially Canada was the destination of choice until laws in America became more favorable to emigrants.

From Cobh we backtracked a bit to Midleton, the original location of John Jameson & Son distillery. The old distillery built in 1780 was closed in 1975 in favor of a new more modern facility. As so many buildings in Ireland, the buildings fell into disrepair until such time as money was invested to restore them and create the Jameson Distillery Experience.

I have to say, David and I have done a lot of whiskey distillery tours and this one was probably the best, largely because it was in the original old buildings dating back more than 150 years. The guided tour provides an overview to the distilling process as well as the history of Jameson Whiskey and the Old Distillery in Midleton. At the end is a taste testing for eight lucky tour participants, who get to compare the Jameson product with that from Scotland (Black & White Scotch) and American (Jack Daniels). All guests received a sample drink, either straight or mixed as a cocktail. I thoroughly enjoyed mine with cranberry juice! Their whiskey was very smooth and not nearly as harsh as others that I've sampled.

After the Midleton detour, we head on to our next overnight point, Tralee and the Ballyseede Castle Hotel.
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We had great weather for our Ring of Kerry (RoK) tour with O'Connor Auto Tours out of Killarney. The drive from Tralee to Killarney was not terrible – approximately 30 minutes door to door.The RoK tour started at 10:30a and not only did the…Read More

We had great weather for our Ring of Kerry (RoK) tour with O'Connor Auto Tours out of Killarney. The drive from Tralee to Killarney was not terrible – approximately 30 minutes door to door.

The RoK tour started at 10:30a and not only did the full circuit drive, but also provided stops and side tours at Kells Sheep Centre, where we learned about and observed dogs working with the farmer Brendan Ferris and his sheep. We also visited Kerry Bog Village, a restored "famine village" dating back to the 1840's when so many potato crops were blighted and Irish people perished due to hunger.

The drive itself was spectacular, especially on a clear day. We stopped for lunch at what is billed as "the best view in Ireland" although we were still full from our wonderful breakfast at Ballyseede Castle. We did enjoy a slice of carrot cake and frosted chocolate cake along with hot beverages (tea and cappuccino) while enjoying our view.

The final stop of our tour was Avoca, which I now believe really is a tourist trap of sorts. Billed on the tour as "the shopping stop" I felt badly for the people who did their gift shopping there given the high prices.

We returned to our car in Killarney at 4:30p and still had just enough time to drive a mile or two down Ross Road to the Ross Castle at the end of the road at the lake. Ross Castle is another OPW Heritage site and well worth the visit. I also enjoyed spending some time by the lake watching the kids feed the ducks and swans.

After our full day of touring, we enjoyed a quiet pub-style dinner back at Ballyseede Castle Hotel. I think we were all in bed and fast asleep by 9:30pm.
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Saturdays never seem to be a good day to be driving in the UK or Ireland, largely because of the number of people who come into the city. There are the local residents who come from rural communities to market which brings more auto…Read More

Saturdays never seem to be a good day to be driving in the UK or Ireland, largely because of the number of people who come into the city. There are the local residents who come from rural communities to market which brings more auto and foot traffic to the narrow village streets. Today would be an especially long day of driving, a mix of needing to get to where we’re next staying and taking in some of the sights along the way.

Dingle Peninsula and the Slea Head Drive are said to be some of the most scenic in all of Ireland. We did not have the extra three and a half hours to do the full Slea Head Drive, but we did drive as far as the point to get a bit of the flavor for the area.

Dingle Peninsula starts just outside of Tralee so it was very convenient as we started our morning. Tralee was already bustling with people at 10am, but once to the other side of the city, we had a leisurely drive without much in the way of other cars until we arrive to the town of Dingle about an hour later.

The drive was through mostly sheep and cattle farms on expansive stone walled pastures. As much as I wanted to stop for photos of the sheep with their spring lambs, it was really a challenge. It wasn’t until later in the day that I would really have an opportunity to get out and snap some shots.

Dingle is a town right on the waterfront and seemingly caters largely to tourists. I’m sure the folks living in this area also come into town for their weekly shopping needs but as we drove through, I couldn’t help but to feel most of the people were not from the area. (Their driving is one good clue about this!)

Leaving Dingle, we headed northwest to the Slea Head Drive. It was amazing to me how the land changed from largely grassy fields to that of stone and craggy rocks seemingly unfit for any living creature! There were numerous turnout points, as much for the views as to allow for vehicles to pass one another on the often narrow one lane road.
At one point, we pulled over so that I could take some photos of this lovely stream that ran right over the roadway. Within minutes, a huge motor coach tour bus came lumbering up the hill to this hairpin curve. David had our rental car tucked in the corner of the curve, which apparently was the bus’ swing point necessary to make the sharp left turn. Within minutes it became malfunction-junction with us, the bus, a small 12 passenger van filled with tourists and a cyclist! As the bus drive maneuvered his turn, the cyclist popped through heading downhill as the bus went up.

I think we passed 20 to 25 cyclists during the Dingle Peninsula & Slea Head part of our drive. I couldn’t help but to think that these brave souls were really taking their own lives into their hands with the narrow roads and tourists driving on the opposite side of the road.

After the Slea Drive, we continued along the northern and more scenic route on the Dingle Peninsula heading over the mountains there was a nice vista with parking lot that allowed for viewing on either side of the mountain; Dingle Harbor to the left and Tralee off in the distance to the right. On the Dingle side of the parking lot it was chilly and breezy . . . the Tralee side colder gale force winds made it next to impossible to hold the camera still enough to get a decent photo! It was amazing just how just 20 or 30 meters made such a difference.

Continuing along back towards Tralee, I was lamenting about not getting many decent photo opportunities with sheep and was hoping for an experience like we had in Scotland a few years back when we turned a curve and there were sheep all over, in the road. Not two minutes later, there was a ewe and her two lambs walking in the middle of the narrow two lane road. As we approached she led them over to the side of the road. David was able to pull the car over into a driveway to allow me to get out and snap a few photos including this with one of the young nursing.

Not too much longer we came upon signage for the Kilcummin Strand, so we took the side trip down a narrow road. It didn’t stay "road" long as soon we were traversing a very rough and rocky path that brought us right to the shore. There we watched the waves of Brandon Bay splash on the sandy beach. We even baja’ed with the rental car!
When we left there, we were back on our way to County Galway and our next lodging destination in Recess. This is probably as good a point as any to discuss the use of our Garmin GPS. In anticipation of this trip last fall, we went ahead and bit the bullet and bought a Garmin Nuvi 1450LTM from Amazon.com for around $160. Given that renting a unit through Thrifty Car Rental would be roughly $200 for our 15 days, a purchased unit was in our best interest.

So far on this trip, having the Garmin has been about 80% useful and we’ve been glad to have it. The other 20% however, has presented some challenges including our arrival day when it apparently avoided the M50 toll road in favor of taking us through Dublin City. We have now given "her" a name . . . TOOTS. After all, with David’s mom in the car with us, we can’t really call her what we’d like too when she’s really taken us a drift from our intended route or destination.

During our drive on Saturday from County Kerry to County Galway, I had frankly expected Toots to route us through Limerick as all of the maps indicate that being the most direct routing from Tralee. Imagine our surprise when Toots blurts out "Continue 1.5 kilometers and board ferry."

We immediately had to stop and look at our OSI Ireland Atlas just to see where Toots had brought us. The ferry from County Kerry (Tarbert) to County Clare (Killmer) would be a 20 minute ride, saving us some amount of time and petrol. More importantly as this point in our day, it saved David having to drive through yet another busy city on a Saturday afternoon. The fare was €18 for autos plus passengers.

The ferry was actually an interesting experience with all sorts of passengers using it to cross the River Shannon. Offloading from County Clare were mostly autos, but there was a couple of fuel tankers, a large lorry and even a tractor hauling a trailer. On our trip over to County Clare, the most interesting passengers were a woman with her two well behaved dogs and an RV that was apparently from Germany (based on the license plates on the vehicle and the left-hand driving steering wheel).

I snapped this photo of the Clare Abbey as we entered the M18 motorway near Ennis. It was a drive-by snap taken with my Canon600SD pocket camera. I’ve been pretty happy with most of the photos I’ve been able to take from the moving vehicle. Sometimes they are too blurred because something in the foreground enters the frame, but given the very limited availability of turnout spots to stop to frame a photo where you want to the "drive-by" method of photography will have to suffice.

We arrived in Oughterard which is the last little village before reaching our timeshare cottage in Recess, where we had dinner at Breathnach’s Bar, a quaint local’s pub that served meals from morning (breakfast) to night (lunch and dinner). Ellie had been looking forward to Irish Stew and her she was able to fulfill that wish. I had the fish & chips, while David had the beef lasagna. Everyone enjoyed their dinners and with full tummies, we head across the market square to the grocery store to buy our provisions for the week.

By the time we reached our cottage, nightfall was approaching. We dodged a pair of sheep trotting up the lane towards our evening’s destination. Being an old rustic style cottage, the place inside was unbearably cold and took more than two hours to warm up.

With a long driving day in the books, we decided to take the next day (Sunday April 29th) as a day of relaxation at our cottage.
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