Ireland----the isle of pleasant surprises!

Day #2---continued

Off we headed to Westport. Beautiful day. We stopped in Cong at the "Quiet Man" house and also the grounds of a lovely old Abbey for a few photos. Then on to Ashford Castle----stunning! Picturesque grounds on a lake. There was also a falconry school and it was fun to watch the falcon fly to & from his handler. We were tempted to take the 3pm-2 hr. boat ride as the weather was so nice, but knew we still had a way to go to Westport and find our next B&B. If you are in the area, the boat trip looked good and they also had an 11am-1 hr. ride that may be a better option.

We left Cong for Westport which we were told would be a 45 min. drive. MDH was now feeling quite confident in his driving and shifting skills, as I was in my directional skills. Driving furiously across the countryside, an hour later we came upon a sign---"Welcome to Cong"!!! Who knows? I guess we drove in a big circle. Even studying the maps later, we couldn't figure out how we got turned around.

Now we were on the road to Lenanne instead. This was a drive Fodorite Padraig suggested we take to Westport and he was right, it was beautiful.

When we finallygot to Westport, the traffic was heavy in town. It seems there was to be a "Cannonball Run" road rally that evening (Ferraris, Porshes, classic old cars, etc. racing through the streets). It was a good thing that we arrived by 5pm as they were closing the roads at 6pm in town. In that case, I don't know how we would have found our B&B.

Speaking of the B&B, we had booked "The Boulevard House" weeks in advance. The week before we left, Sadie emailed us of a family emergency and switched us to www.plougastel-house.com

Because we knew nothing about Plougastel, we were a little apprehensive as we would be there 3 nights. What a nice surprise----thank you Sadie. Fantastic location (again ableto walk to dinner & shops). They had been closed for 5 months for a total redo. Beautiful, comfy room, great bed and bathroom, and again a cute dining room for those tasty Irish breakfasts. Sandra Corcoran couldn't have been nicer and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. She also steered us toward some of our best dinners.

"MANGO" (bridge street)
Potato wrapped shrimp
Lemon sole with 3 outstanding sauces
Breaded boneless chicken breast(still sticking to the known)
excellent wine and cappuccino
90 Euros Highly recommend

Down the street we went to Matt Malloy's for some music. Now, I'm a wine drinker, hate beer, but I had to try a Guinness. Guess what? I liked it! I would have bet money that I would not drink any beer in Ireland, but after the wine at dinner I was feeling adventuresome.

Matt Malloy's has 3 very crowded rooms. We went to the largest in the back with folk-guitar, pub music and sat with a couple from Canada---what a blast! There I was singing and dancing to "Wild Rover", etc.----guess it was the wine & beer.

Next on to a tiny room with traditional music and the customers were getting up and singing solo. I skipped singing there---didn't want everyone to leave!

Another nice surprise---Fri. night with tightly packed rooms, the mostly younger crowd was more than gracious allowing us to move from room to room. Young and old seem to be enjoying the music together.

Day #3--Around Westport

Another great breakfast and off to shop. MDH bought me a Claddagh ring and a charm for my bracelet in a nice jewelery store. A few more odds & ends then off to "Westport House", the original site of the pirate queen, Grace O'Malley (one of MDH's relatives so they say) Highly recommend.

Interesting bit of information:
In Grace's time you could divorce your husband (which she did) on any of your wedding anniversaries simply by saying "I dismiss you"! I wonder if that worked in reverse?

Another fabulous dinner at TORRINO'S (again recommended by Sandra)
Goat cheese salad & seafood pasta (me)
Mushrooms with garlic bread & plain tomato sauce pasta (MDH)
(still sticking to the known, but he said that it was the best sauce ever)
Chocolate Cake
Apple Pie
Wine and cappucinnos
73 Euros----outstanding, again highly recommend
No Guinness tonight!

Day#4---more Westport

Repeat breakfast---we're getting used to this. You notice we haven't been eating lunch, just a snack here & there.

Took the "NEPHIN DRIVE". It's not on many maps so not many cars. What a find! Spectacular scenery, sheep in the road, etc. Just what we looked forward to finding in Ireland. Got lost at the end for another hour but finally made our way to Achill Island for some panoramic Atlantic views & photos.
Highly recommend---great day.

Dinner back at Torrinos We returned for pizza(we saw it go by the night before and it turned out to taste as good as it looked)
Garlic bread & Pizza
Wine & cappucinno 44 Euros

All in all, we loved Westport We were there on a Fri., Sat., & Sun. night----Fri-Sat- lively Sun-very quiet. As soon as we had arrived in Westport we knew that we had made a good choice.

Enough for now. I'm trying not to be too wordy. I hope you enjoy our tales.

Will continue on to Dingle in the next few days.

MDH is editing the repetative photos---we hope to include some later.

Enjoying this! Looking forward to reading your food recommendations in the Dingle area!

Great so far TPAYT and you can be as wordy as you like! We are in the middle of planning 2 weeks there in May next year so I am soaking this all up.

A lovely post. Enjoyed every bit of it and just dreamed of being in Ireland once again. Maybe. I (of Scotch/Irish lineage) love it, but DH (of absolutely purely English heritage) says he's been there enough

Sounds like a fun time so far! Glad you enjoyed your trip.

TAYPT - Glad you enjoyed Westport and that the B&B was good. The particular weekend you were here was a nightmare traffic wise, with the Cannonball Run going on. I tried not to venture in to town!!

By the way, the singer you saw at Matt's (in the yard bar) on Friday was Dee Moore.

Looking forward to reading more.

Enjoying your report TAYPT and looking forward to photos, especially of Westport and Achill as we went to both!

http://s708.photobucket.com/albums/ww90/TMPAYT/Ennis%20and%20Westport/?albumview=slideshow&track=share_email_album_view_click

After going through hundreds of photos, here's a few from Ennis, Cong, and Westport.

Great photos! Thanks for sharing.

Lots of beautiful pics! Glad you had a good time!

Enjoyed the pix. I have many of the same views from Achill from our trip. Glad that you took the time to find the Nephin are -- it's an underappreciated section of Mayo. Did you make it up to bangor-Erris and Belmullet?

Addictive people and landscape isn't it?

Bob

Yes, it is so addictive. We didn't get uo to Bangor, etc.

After Westport we headed to Dingle. We're working on that part of the report and the photos as we speak. It's so hard to edit all the gorgeous views.

So glad you had fun! I loved the Cong story; we really enjoy getting lost in Ireland.

TPAYT, It's been 15 years since I was there, but your descriptions of Irish life bring back so many wonderful and warm memories.

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

I am enjoying your report and looking forward to the rest of the story. I am really disappointed that Ican't seem to see your pictures as when I clicked on the link, it said I had to download adobe, which my computer won't or can't do.

Great trip report!

On to The Dingle Penninsula

Day #5---Westport to Kilrush

Driving south it was a very gray day so we skipped the long way over to The Cliffs of Moher and took the faster motorway. Good choice as we later met a couple who had been out there at that time and they said it was so foggy you could barely see your hand in front of your face. We'll save it for the next trip.

Stayed in Kilrush (sort of a nondescript town), before getting the morning ferry. www.hillcrestview.com
(70 Euros) Very large room, great bed, convenient location. Casual hamburgers for dinner at "Kelly's Pub"----just so so and at 38 Euros not much of a bargain.

Day #6---Kilrush to Dingle

Very good breakfast in a cute room overlooking a pretty garden. Ater some interesting conversation with some folks from Canada and England, it was off to catch the Killimer-Tarbert Ferry which is east, cheap, and efficient.

Unfortunately more driving, but the quality of the scenery is rapidly improving. After Tralee, we chose the southern (N86) road through Camp and shortly came upon one of our many "WOW" vistas of this trip.

There really are 40 (or more) marvelous shades of green in the hiils of Ireland. MDH insisted on stopping at what appeared to be every 23ft. for photos. At this rate I feared we would get to our B&B in Dingle around midnight.

After a few hours of "Wowing" we arrived in the fishing village of Dingle and easily found our B&B.

www.greenmounthouse.ie There's a reason for the Curran family's sterling reputation. This family-run B&B is every bit as good as people had told us it would be.

We were there 3 nights and as one of these was my birthday, we splurged and booked a top of the line room. Luxurious, modern, and spotless----everything that we could possibly want. Sunlit balcony overlooking the water, flat screen TV(didn't get much use though), frig (must keep that white wine cold you know), with a wonderfully comfortable king sized bed----this place has it all.

At 147 Euro a night, another Wow! Keeping in mind that for 147 Euros we could hardly book a hotel room the size of a broom closet in Paris. Definitely not of this quality anyway. Not a fair comparison, I agree, but since we have spent so much time in Paris, it came to mind.

Late in the afternoon after unpacking we took a very short ride up to the breathtaking view from the Connor Pass. Well worth the effort and of course more photos, but it was a little gray that late in the day.

Tired and wanting a light dinner we went for fish & chips at "The Marina"---the only place we could get in without a reservation. Man, that town is crowded!

Day #7---Dingle Penninsula

Here we go again, a grand tradition. The sumptuous full Irish Breakfast which MDH claims could last until noon if you do it right.

Greenmount House put out an impressive, lavish spread. A huge table filled with fruits, muffins, cereal, coffee cakes, rice pudding, etc., etc. Next you chose from a menu with individually prepared delights including daily specials.

Now I have to admit that an offering of Irish Whiskey on the porridge(oatmeal) gave us pause----MDH opted for real cream and honey on his. That followed by the usual eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomato, potatoes----yikes! OMG, do they have a defibulator?

I had an omelette to keep it a bit lighter, but of course had to add a good sampling of the sweets to keep up with the crowd.

The coffee was hot & fresh and refilled constantly by John Curran as he moved among the guests effortlessly carring on 3 conversations at once. This all takes place in the atrium breakfast room overlooking Dingle Bay & harbor.

SLEA HEAD DRIVE---I don't know if I have the words to describe how impressive the views were. It was a gorgeous day. A photographer's dream. The captivating vistas around every bend rival the many great drives in this world. (we've tried to keep the photos at the end to a minimum, but your camera will get alot of use here)

The more adventuresome (younger) chose to bike the penninsula fueled by all those breakfast carbs.In driving, it didn't seem crowded at all, lots of places to pull out and enjoy the views.

Returned to our comfortable room and I was surprised to find fresh flowers, wine, and birthday cards (even one from the staff). It seemed that MDH emailed ahead that this was my birthday. I guess I'll renew his contract for another year.

Birthday dinner at www.thecharthousedingle.com (thanks Fodorites for the recommendation) Reserve by email ahead of time

Salads w/warm apples wrapped in bacon
Kerry Beef Tenderloin w/ mashed potatoes (me)
Roast Chicken, potatoes & veg (MDH)
Desserts---vanilla, chocolate, strawberry ice cream w/hot caramel (MDH)
Hot apple tart w/ rosemary ice cream (absolutely fantastic) with happy birthday written in chocolate on the rim of the plate--photo. (seems MDH was emailing again)
wine and cappucinno
100 Euros

Day #7---Connor Pass to Brandon Point

How can we keep eating these extravagant breakfasts? Oh well, we'll force ourselves. It's a habit that is easyto pick up.. Eggs benedict anyone?

Another gorgeous day so we went back up to the Connor Pass for some better photos. The expansive vistas change by the minute with the late summer lighting.

Continued over the very narrow, twisting roads to Brandon Point. Well worth the drive. Fantastic scenery as we dragged our muffin laden butts up the hill at the end----extremely picturesque.

Dinner---OUT OF THE BLUE (again thank you Fodorites) Hard to get in, go there the minute you arrive and reserve. Kind of a small nothing looking place, but oh what enjoyable seafood.

Beautifully presented Scallops (me)
Potato encrusted Pollock for MDH (he's finally moving onto a more diverse palate)
Dessert--Creme Brulee, chocolate covered cookies & strawberries
Wine & cappucinno
80 Euros

Out to look for some music. Now Dingle Town is full of pubs and maybe the music is better on Fri. & Sat. night, but on a Thurs. night we ended up with an old guy singing "Ring of Fire". Whoopeee!

The Dingle penninsula itself is not to be missed in its captivating beauty. The Chart House and Out of the Blue were outstanding restaurants, and I can't say enough about how impressive Greenmount House was as a B&B. But, Dingle town as a whole wasn't our favorite. Not my kind of shopping (I should have bought those kids dresses in Ennis), full of pubs and day tour buses. Maybe good for some---just not our thing.

I will post the photos directly

Dingle penninsula slideshow

http://s708.photobucket.com/albums/ww90/TMPAYT/Dingle%20Penninsula%20Ireland/?albumview=slideshow


On to Kenmare post soon----I appreciate your interest.

irishface---I'm sorry you can't see the photos. I chose photobucket because so many of the Fodorites use it.

TPAYT; Absolutely beautiful pictures. We will be in Dingle next week and I can't wait to drive the peninsula. We are going to have lunch our first day in Ireland at Poet's Corner in Ennis like we did last year; their Real Irish Beef Hamburger is to die for! Continue to enjoy!

floridapugmom----Poet's corner was one of our best meals. I hope that you have the same beautiful weather that we experienced. I'll be watching for your trip report.

TPAYT -- Enjoying your trip report and photos. We too, stayed at Greenmount House on our 2002 trip, and can recall their fabulous breakfasts. GH was a wonderful place then, and looks more so now.
I recall the wonderful sticky taffy pudding that we had for dessert in town.

Really, really wonderful pictures!! You have a great eye. Or is that DH's eye?

Awesome. Thanks for sharing!

Fabulous photo's, thanks for posting them so we can all share your trip. Still very much enjoying your report too. Interesting observation about Dingle - everyone raves over it so its nice to get another perspective. Did you feel it was just too touristy?

Good Morning from Madison, TPAYT!

Up early reading trip reports (working off jet leg - just got home from Switzerland and Lake Como two days ago) and loving yours. Your pictures are really beautiful and capture a lot of the same sights we saw way back in 2004. Reminds me I could definitely go back to Ireland!

Thanks again for the compliments on the photos. I take a few, but MDH is the one with the passion for photography. Therein lies an editing problem of 2 cameras, my point & shoot and his more complicated camera.

As far as Dingle town is concerned, maybe it was just us, but after the breathtaking, physical beauty of the surrounding area, somehow crowded streets, daytripping buses, and shop after shop filled with key chains and tea towels just didn't do it for us. We're told that the pub scene is a big draw for some, but a good dinner with wine, dessert, & cappucino is more like us. For the pubs, maybe we hit it on a bad night (Thurs.).I think Fri. & Sat. would be better(it was in Westport).

Happycheesehead---We'll be watching for your trip report. We've also been to Switzerland and were in the Lake Como area while you were in Ireland----one of my most memorable birthday dinners at "Al Veluu" overlooking the lake in the hills above Tremezzo.

Will try and post Kenmare today.

Thanks for your insight on Dingle, the town certainly doesn't sound like our sort of place either, but I guess its how a lot of the locals make a living. If you had your choice again where would you have stayed?

We will return to Dingle and definitely to Greenmount House B&B.

The outstanding beauty of the penninusila and the great accommadations of Greenmount House far outweigh any lack of enthusiasm we had for hanging around the town. There were enough good restaurants(Fenton's also looked nice although we didn't eat there) to fit our needs.

As I continue-------

Day#8---Dingle to Kenmare

We drove the R561 anong the water to beautiful Inch Beach (where "Far and Away" was filmed). The weather was warm and the surfers were out. We were able to drive right onto the beach for more photos.

Entering Killarney, we circled the city a few times to find the N71 to Kenmare. The traffic was quite heavy with lots of busses. We were going to stop but decided to move on.

There is a more direct motorway N22 toR69 to Kenmare but we chose the more scenic N71 which is a part of the famous Ring of Kerry.

Shortly we came upon some jaunty cars in a small parking area. We knew that we could drive a bit further on to the Muckross House parking area up the road, but opted for a buggy ride instead. 40 Euros bought us a l-1/2 hour ride through the forrest to visit the Muckross House gardens and Torc Falls. At both, Hugh (driver) and Sally(horse) waited for us while we walked in and of course took more photos. Touristy, we know, but why not? It's not something you do every day. Hugh's info and commentary was interesting and it was a fun ride.

On to some of the most difficult driving we had in all of Ireland. The N71 to Ladies View and on to Kenmare. By now we had been on many narrow, winding roads on this trip, but this one was downright dangerous. Extremely narrow with few turn outs or wide spaces except for Ladies View. Lots of buses and oncoming speeding cars around every bend---very nerve wracking.

Stopped at Ladies View, pretty but Connor Pass was better. They did have a cafe and a nice shop for souvenirs, but you often can find that.

Arriving in Kenmare, we were delighted to find a little "calm". We located our B&B www.shelburnelodge.com just up the road from Kenmare Golf Club. Pulling in the private drive we were awed by this grand 18th century Irish manor house.

Maura greeted us and took us up the steep staircase to our large room. Overlooking the garden, again we had a king size bed, up to date bath, and sitting area. (140 Euros per night)

The house is filled antique furniture, books, and charming things from all over the world. An elegant sitting room on the first floor was warmed by a wood & peat burning fireplace, and we ended every evening relaxing there.

Very lived in, we felt comfortable in every room. A house to enjoy---not a museum with velvet ropes across the doorways to look in but not touch.

If you picture your ultimate Irish vacation as being a guest at your loving cousin's country manor house, this is the place for you.

Since we were to be there Fri.,Sat.,& Sun. nights, Maura suggested she make some dinner reservations for us. We wanted to eat at "Packies" (as per Fodorites). Not so, too late for Fri. &Sat, and closed Sun.(Lesson learned--reserve ahead of time). She got us in at "D'Arcy's".

Lobster Bisque & Potato Leek soups for starters
Lamb Rump, veg, rasted potatoes
Rib Eye steak & ff's
Dessert--apple crumble w/cream
Pineapple tart w/lime syrup & coconut ice cream
Wine & cappucinno 83 Euros
Good but not outstanding

Day#9---Voted best food day of our trip!

Another great breakfast experience in an elegant setting. Tom (owner) brought us menus along with with fresh squeezed OJ and hot French press coffee and explained the daily specials.

"What would you like for a starter?", he asked. Here we go again! So many sumptuous choices.I cannot stress enough how good this food was along with the presentation.

Rhubarb Compote w/orange zest, topped by gorgeous sliced strawbwrries followed by(I kid you not) Dover Sole on the bone with lemon butter. I usually don't eat fish for breakfast, but I couldn't pass that up. Both absolutely divine.

MDH had what he called, perfect porridge w/honey & cream (skip the whiskey) followed by another of those full Irish breakfasts.Along with assorted breads w/orange marmalade.

OMG, I'm in heaven! I may be a dedicated "Fodorite" but I am first and foremost a dedicated "Fooderite"!

A bit gray today so we took a pass on the ROK. MDH could not face another day of death defying traffic dodging tour buses. Also he was playing golf in the afternoon.

Walked into town to do a little shopping. Actually, they had some very nice shops there. We also went to Cromwell's bridge and the Druid Stone Circle (2200 b.c.), the oldest stone circle in Ireland.

MDH played 9 at Kenmare Golf Club and enjoyed the 100 year old course.

Maura had made dinner reservations for us at MULCAHY'S on Henry Street and we were lucky to get in---again reserve ahead.

This was our favorite dinner in Ireland.

Starters
Goat Cheese salad(photo)---I order alot of goat cheese salads and this was one of the best.
Butternut Squash soup---definitely full of cream and delicious

Both of us had Sirloin Steaks (w/bernaise for me, garlic cloves w/butter sauce for MDH) accompanied by potato croquettes, ff's, mashed carrots, snap peas,& red cabbage


We were leery of ordering steak, especially a sirloin steak, but this was one of the best steaks we've ever had anywhere--and that sauce, perfect!

Had wine from the Sancerre region of France, cappucino, & dessert---warm chocolate fondant w/ice cream, shared.

Day#10---Kenmare & Killarney

Repeat breakfast----I couldn't pass up that fantastic Dover Sole again.

Took the fast roed to Killarney and did a little shopping. Then as it was again a little gray, we did the inside tour of Muckross House---interesting.

Dinner----couldn't top last night so Maura suggested "The Coachman" for fish & chips and a little music. Again close by so that we could walk.

Along with wine and cappucino----40 Euros. The music started so we ordered a Guiness and stayed awile. This was music we liked. A great guitar played, folk singer---he did many of the well known Irish tunes.

Day #11---Kenmare to Adare, and on to Shannon

I just couldn't have Dover Sole again so I opted for poached pears w/ginger followed by the creamiest bacon & cheese omelett that I have ever had. DH stuck with the usual.

We hated to leave this beautiful property. We drove the motorway north to Adare. It was touristy, but very cute and not too crowded. Bought a few things and took some photos. It was a nice, sunny day so we sat at an outside restaurant and had coffee and a chocolate muffin w/hot fudge on top--yummm!

Now in all of our shopping, we never did find a children's shop of the quality of "Young World" in Ennis. Since we were spending the night near Shannon airport, we decided to return to Ennis (maybe a 20 min.drive from the airport) and look for it. A lady in a flower shop helped me find it and my shopping was complete.

Oakwood Arms near the airport was rather wierd. A gigantic property, sort of convention like, with strange medieval stuff everywhere. I have to say that the room was up to date and the bed was comfortable, but the lighting throughout the hotel was dim and cheap, cheap, cheap. Convenient to the airport w/gas station next door. ($98 US through Expedia)

The food was OK--sandwiches for dinner and an adequate breakfast buffet, but again the restaurant was so dimly lit you thought that they had a power outage or something.

I'll post closing thoughts and photos from the Kenmare area tomorrow.

Tpayt. Our flight to JFK was cancelled yesterday,thanks to monday's rain so we have not started our Ireland adventure yet. Hopefully tonight we will have more luck! Will post trip report when we have experiences to tell.

We stayed at Shelburne Lodge too and loved it, it was our little splurge lodging as compared to the B&B's we stayed in otherwise. What a great, great place. Glad to know they are still going strong!

Thanks for your reply, maybe it's one of those places that you just have to do!

Looking forward to more when you get the time.

Really nice trip report - the meals sounded wonderful. I loved all your photos but I do remember from your other trips that you take some great shots.

http://s708.photobucket.com/albums/ww90/TMPAYT/Kenmare%20and%20Adare%20%20Ireland/?albumview=slideshow

Finally photos from Kenmare.

In closing ---things that turned out to be better than expected:

Food really outstanding
Size & quality of the breakfasts included with the room
Wine selections from many countries
Hots were served really hot & colds, very cold
Cappucinno & espresso availabe everywhere
Casual dress (jeans everywhere, even in fine dining restaurants)
King & Queen sized beds in all of the B&B's we chose

Now, driving was more difficult than expected, but we adapted in a few days. Sometimes the signs were non-exsistent, but someone always helped us out.

The use of the street by street Route Planner was extremely helpful (all did before we left for our trip)
www.aaireland.ie Also Collins Road Atlas with easier to read maps.

All in all it was a fantastic trip and we will return to see more of Ireland one day.

I must add---to all of you who got in the discussion of black and white pudding.

Now I know Anthony Bourdain would have eaten it, but I just couldn't bring myself to try it. I think I'm pretty adventuresome about food, but it just didn't appeal to me in any way. Maybe next trip!

Dear TPAYT,

So glad you enjoyed Ireland and from the photos it seems you were blessed with great weather.

You brought back memories for me from our trip. We had an amazing dinner in Kenmare too - best scallops I've ever had - we went 2 nights in a row. Sure wish I knew the name of that restaurant!

Thanks for sharing and for the gorgeous photos!

gruezi

Great report and photos! Makes me want to go back.

I would like to take my husband to Ireland for his 50th. Your itinerary seems lovely but I am concerned about the driving. Is it difficult to drive if you have never done so before in Europe. Is it really the only way to get around to some of these areas?

DAE--We hate to drive overseas, and so I posed the same question here eons ago. We were joining cycling groups in various locations, and we just didn't want the bother of a car. People thought we were nuts (both for wanting NOT to drive and for wanting to be on bike), but dear NedsIreland on this board steered us towards the Irish bus system (he was a master of this very nice system) and car hire with driver. Perfect.

Buses go from Shannon to Ennis all the time, and my girls and I did that as our first leg on our first trip. When we later (after bike touring) met my husband at Shannon again, we rode by bus to Adare, stayed the night, and had a driver take us cross country to Cork airport to meet with our next bike group. At the end of the trip, we took a bus from Cork to Ennis and then to Bunratty. Hopped on the bus the next morning to fly out of Shannon. It really was quite easy.

The second trip we had a driver take us from Shannon to Doolin, and then we bused ourselves to Cliffs of Moher, Ballyvaughen, etc before we headed by bus to Galway. We met up with our bike group in a day or two at Galway airport (took bus again!) and so didn't have to worry about transportation again for quite some time as we biked up to and through Connemara, but for our return from Cong (we stayed at Ashford Castle in a turret!), we hired a driver through the concierge to take us straight to Galway Airport, where we were able to hop a bus back to Shannon with no problems.

So it's certainly NOT the way anyone else seems to do it, but it works just fine for us. We've certainly had no problem enjoying views, famous sites, B&B's, pubs, and so on like anyone else.

TPAYT--How rude of me! I was so busy answering DAE's question that I didn't tell you how very, very much I enjoyed your report. Lovely!

Thank you for that info- my husband and I have been doing some "comfort biking" on rail trails. The farthest in one day -about 30 miles. What was the biking like?

DAE---As far as the driving goes, it was a bit difficult the 1st day being very tired. That's why we chose Ennis, about 20 min. from Shannon airport, to stay the 1st night. After that, it got easier every day.

Now we really didn't drive in any big cities like Dublin or Galway, and driving on the smaller roads was very managable. To us having a car is the only way to go. You can take your time and stop anywhere you please. Being on a bus on the Slea Head Drive(Dingle Peninsula) somehow wouldn't have been as enchanting as having our own car. The same in Westport on the Nephin Drive--impossible on a bus, doable on a bike I guess.

I'd have to say the only really difficult drive was from Killarney to Kenmare on the N71 which is part of the Ring of Kerry---absolutely horrible, white knuckle driving. We then found the faster motorway to return to Killarney.

Now we have driven extensively in France and found it very easy as it is on the right, but then we don't speak French, so that was a problem. We've driven in Italy and found it to be a nighmare. So all in all, even with the left hand side to consider, Ireland is a place to have a car. Take your time, avoid the big cities for driving, and don't get excited if you get lost, everyone will help you with directions. As much as we love France, of all of our European experiences, Ireland was one of the best. We will return.

TPAYT, those photos are beautiful! What did you buy at Louis Mulcahy? When I was there in March, I bought the most beautiful little coffee set and every morning I "go" to Ireland

TPAYT. thank you for that great report! Your photo of the Muckross grounds brought me back to a humorous (could have been disastrous) memory. On one trip when my now 19 year old was 4 we toured the estate. While I was lagging behind in the gardens my husband Pete was horsing around (pretending to be the horse) on the open grounds with our son on his shoulders. We had planned to take that same horse you mention and buggy ride and my son was giddy and running out of patience so Pete started galloping around with son on shoulders. Lots of giggles later we're off to the horse and buggy.

Pete reaches for his wallet in his back pocket and it's gone. We paid to get in to the house so we knew it had to be somewhere on the grounds. There is nothing to be done but retrace our steps. A little frantic we tear over to the open area where they were horsing around and I see an AmEx card on the ground. It's his but there is nothing but the card. Then my son points several feet away and there is an Irish bill, then another a few feet away and then his Visa card. Then his license all in a trail over a couple of hundred feet and finally his empty wallet. Apparently, as he was galloping along things were dropping out of his wallet onto the ground one by one by one. Still not sure how exactly no bills blew away or how it all fell out so uniformly. We were very lucky!

Beautiful shots!

TPAYT: You were so right about going right to Ennis and dropping the first night. One night's sleep makes everything else on the trip work, don't you think?

And TPAYT you are also right that some of the prettiest places by car also work very well on a bike--you get the time to soak the beautiful in.

But in a car, you don't have to GET soaked in rain. Actually, considering we've biked for three weeks there, we rarely encountered rain--and even then, it was more mist than anything. But still, in a car, you don't have to worry.

DAE:
It's not rails-to-trails biking, but it's beautiful biking. If you can do up to 30 miles per day (that's the magic number bike companies generally recommend you be capable of doing), the routes on the West coast are not onerous (I have a much different assessment about biking Beara and Healy passes South). Plus I'll point out that we were never playing "Sherpa"--no luggage on bikes--and our bikes were EXCELLENT, so those things alone make life quite enjoyable on two wheels.

Some of the "beautiful by bike" on our first bike trip...
--We got to follow the coast north from Lahinch to the Cliffs of Moher and then descend into Doolin.
--We then biked the coast road to Ballyvaughan and went up into the Burren.
--We took the a.m. ferry with bike to Inismore and biked out to Dun Aengus, etc on a simply gorgeous day. Lovely lunch there with such a view.
--We took the ferry to Rossaveal and rode the coastal roads through Gaeltacht along the beaches of Connemara.
--Later we left Clifden via Sky Road--stunning--and explored Conemara National Park the day after (Kylemore Abbey, etc).

We loved our views on this bike trip so much that on a third bike trip (we did a trip from Kenmare to Kinsale between) we repeated much of this route, only this time adding a leg from the Kylemore Abbey area up to Leeane (one of the most stunning rides ever) and then over to Cong.

Heck--I'd bike it again!

"only this time adding a leg from the Kylemore Abbey area up to Leeane (one of the most stunning rides ever) and then over to Cong."

I've heard that route is breathtaking. Sounds like a great excuse to start planning!

I think September is my favorite time to go to Ireland.

sheri_lp Hey, that's exactly what we purchased at Louis Mulcahy and it does take us to Ireland every morning.

We loved the large pieces but they are hard to transport and shipping is high. What a beautiful, friendly shop.

For those of you who might enjoy it, below is the link to our short, fast, musical slideshow that I posted on another thread.

http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-00a3-15f8-d09e?lb

quinnsmom---what a funny story. The kind that makes memories.

AlessandraZoe---fantastic that you can bike so many miles. We did meet alot of bikers on the Slea Head Drive and we used to bike often but never quite that far. On our next trip we plan to take in the Kinsale, Bantry area. It was in the back of our minds for this trip, but we ran out of time. There are so many beautiful places that you want to stay awhile.

Oh TPAYT, we are not great bikers. Oh, correct that. I am not a great biker.

Husband, even for an old guy, is pretty good not because he bikes all the time but because he's one of those sickening "MVP at every sport in high school" kind of guys (I was the "Most likely to be a librarian").

One daughter is state swimmer, so she's good because she's used to all that operation on no air stuff. The other daughter who always WANTED to be an athlete (no eye-hand coordination, limited skill set)somehow is a MONSTER biker even if she hasn't been on a seat for years. On a trip, she can bike 60 miles up hills per day, and I am not exaggerating, and be back at the hotel, showered, with a wine glass in hand, before anyone else in the group comes back.

That said, the key is to be able to HAVE gone before you leave 30 miles in one day at least ONCE. When I bike here, I rarely bike more than 10 miles. Pre-trip, I make sure I get a 30-mile day in. And then I have a nice hilly practice route that gets my mind straight.

I've just found this and I'm loving it. I'll be printing and taking it with us for our May adventure, thanks so much.

So glad you enjoyed it. We had such a good time in Ireland in Sept. that we are in the process of planning a return trip in May. The same month as you are going. Maybe we'll run into each other. If you see us say "hi" since you know what we look like.

Great trip report, fab pictures. I think driving is the toughest part for the driver. We even folded in our mirrors. Going again but doing public transportation and day tours. I don't mind driving in Germany but Ireland scares me. Glad to hear your opinion on Dingle. Agree, beautiful but not for me. Thank you!

Ha Ha, TPAYT, click on my profile and you will recognise us too. Maybe a beer in one of your recommended pubs?

So I just realised I hadn't viewed your photos. WOH, fantastic, just beautiful, makes me very excited.
I'll be following your May plans.
AD

TPAYT: Thanks for sharing your trip report and the great photo slide show! I enjoyed it. We loved Matt Malloy's pub in Westport on our first trip to Ireland. I am now trying to plan our second trip to Ireland for September 2011. Considering staying in Kenmare. Just not sure if the Ring of Kerry is worth it with all that traffic...hard to decide. Maybe we will do Beara instead. (Did the Dingle peninsula on first trip.)

So you did think Ennis was good for a 1st night stop? I hear Ennis has good music. Our 1st night stop was in Bunratty on our previous trip.

Melissa - Ennis is only about 30 minutes from the airport, and there are quite a few nice venues for music. I stayed at the Temple Gate Hotel which is right in the middle of town so you can easily walk everywhere. There's a quiet pedestrian square between the hotel and the main streets so it's pretty quiet.

We liked Ennis and would stay there again. As I said in my TR, "The Poet's Corner" was wonderful for our first dinner in Ireland. They did have music later, but with jet lag and all we skipped it and turned in at 9 so we'd be ready for the next day.

In May we will be staying in Kinsale and also hope to do The Beara.

BTW, your instincts are correct. Just driving on the ROK road from Killarney to Kenmare was the worst drive ever for us (as an example, driving in Venezuela was difficult, but nothing compared to that day of tour buses and speeding BMW's on the ROK).

Also, Kenmare was charming---one of our favorite places.

I have driven from Killarney to Kenmare many times over the years and hopefully will do so again.It is a beautiful drive in each direction and I suggest you do it both ways. The road is narrow and sometimes you may have some buses coming against you from the south. Traffic can be heavy too but less than it was before the recession.If you are apprehensive it is much quieter in the morning and this can mean from 6 to 11am in summer when the days are very long.In the evening 6-10pm in summer is quite good too. Stop from time to time on the away,including a trip to Muckross House, the short boat trip to Dinis Cottage and the Meeting of the Waters from the lakefront nearby, perhaps a jaunting car trip or a walk from Muckross House to Innisfallen Abbey and the old fashioned farms. You can eat or shop at Avoca and especially after rain visit the waterfall at Torc,which you can do while parked at Muckross House where there is plenty of parking and a good restaurant.

What beautiful memories this brings back. Dingle was our absolute favorite town,and we have many of the same pictures of Slea Head that you do.

Two precious souvenirs: A poster with the Pubs of Dingle whch we framed and my fisherman sweater. Our B&B owner in Dingle sent us to a friends' shop. I chose the yarn, the pattern, and buttons. About 6weeks later my own beautiful sweater arrived.

Thank you for sharing.

rncheryl-----that's amazing. You actually chose the sweater and they sent it to you. I'm impressed!

Sandylan----I guess I shouldn't have been so harsh. We drove it at midday and we did stop at Muchross House and Torc Falls, which were lovely. When we returned to Killarney we took the inner, fast road to aviod all of that traffic and it was fine.

Nice pictures.