ContraBecky

Well, I am very embarrassed at how long it has taken me to get back to this trip report! Life intervened, and it just got away from me—but I wanted to finish before we head off to Greece, um, tomorrow!

So, on June 16, we left Bantry and headed east to Lismore, our home for the next two nights (at a B&B called Kilcannon House). We stopped briefly at the bustling little town of Skibbereen and then turned off the main road and drove through the lovely coastal villages of Unionhall and Glandore. The Glandore Inn looked very inviting, so there we stopped for lunch, which was as tasty as we’d hoped. We then made our way to Drombeg Stone Circle (also known as the “Druid’s Altar”). This group of stones marks the gravesite of an adolescent boy who died about 2000 years ago. The site also contains the ruins of two prehistoric huts and a cooking place. It was a fascinating place and well worth a stop. Back on the road, we headed to the Michael Collins birthplace at Woodfield. We also saw the Four Alls pub and the spot where Collins was gunned down. We finally reached Kilcannon House late in the afternoon, where we were met by the very hospitable Gertie, who gave us some wonderful tea and homemade rhubarb pie. We had also prearranged to have dinner there that night and were very happy we did—the food (hake, asparagus, potatoes, and mushy peas) was excellent, and it was nice not to have to drive anymore that day.

June 17—we had an amazing breakfast that started with pannacotta and porridge with whiskey and brown sugar and cream (!), which were followed by a choice of entrees. And of course there were scones and bread and wonderful homemade jams/sauces. Although it was a bit chilly and gray, we drove over to Lismore with plans to explore the area around the castle. We first went to Lismore Heritage Center to watch a video that Gertie had recommended that gives historical context on the area. By then the sky had cleared a bit so we went for a walk along the Blackwater River. We then walked through town and stopped at the Lismore Craft Studio, an artist's cooperative, and chatted with some of the artists there. Very sweet people, warm and welcoming. Next we went to the gardens at Lismore Castle, which were large and very pretty, with modern sculptures interspersed around the plantings. At the cafe in the garden, we had wonderful apple juice produced from the castle's own apple trees. We then drove a few kilometers out of town to do the Tower walk, a walk through a folly built by a wealthy man for his new wife at the height of the patio famine. He ran out of money, so all that was built was the bridge and gatehouse. It was a pretty spot though maybe not quite as magical as advertised. That evening we headed to Dungarvan to have dinner at the Tannery restaurant. It was a great choice, light and airy inside, quiet but still buzzy. The food was wonderful, and the set menu was a great deal. After dinner we walked around Dungarvan for a while. It was a pretty town on the water, bigger than I'd expected—this is another town I’d be interested in visiting again!

ContraBecky

June 18: After another wonderful breakfast, we were off to Dublin! Before leaving, we chatted a bit with Gertie and Pat. They are so nice, and such genuine people, open and truly interested in their guests. Their dog, Mack, is very cute, and the chickens are beautiful and friendly. We'd love to stay here again and maybe take a cooking class with Gertie.

Our drive to Dublin took us through Inistioge, a town on the Nore River that is supposed to be tranquil and beautiful. That it was--the drive down the hill into town was stunning. We walked about a mile up the river, toward Thomastown. It would have been fun to walk all the way there--next time, maybe? Once back at the car we drove there, though, and had a nice lunch at the Blackberry Cafe.

We then drove over to Jerpoint Abbey, where we joined a guided tour around the ruins. Finally headed to Dublin, where we encountered a lot of rush hour traffic but soon were settled in to our apartment, Merrion Mews. This beautiful apartment is one of many historic vacation homes rented by the Irish Landmark Trust, and we absolutely loved it, and the location in Georgian Dublin.

June 19: Our first task of the day was to return the car! We had a really nice breakfast at a cute cafe (Food Game) near the car rental place then walked home, with part of the walk along the Grand Canal. It was nice to be free of the car! We didn't need it to get around Dublin, that’s for sure, although it was convenient to be able to park it at Merrion Mews.

We decided to visit Kilmainham Gaol, and to get there we took Uber. Handy! In this town the Uber drivers are exclusively cabbies, which is handy because, as our driver explained, cabs can use the bus lanes. So it was a relatively quick trip, and we got tickets for the next tour easily. The gaol is being spruced up for 2016 commemorative events (the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising), so the entry fee is reduced, but it was a great experience. Our guide was fun and knowledgeable, and we learned a lot. The museum was great too. This place is really worth a visit.

We then grabbed another Uber and went to the Chester Beatty library for a light lunch and explored the museum. It was an amazing place, we definitely want to go back when we have more time. We were mesmerized by displays of sacred illuminated texts from many religious traditions, from Sufi to Jain to Muslim to Christian, not to mention a Papyrus with biblical text from 150 A.D.

After leaving the museum we walked to Drury Street, where we went to a nifty Irish design shop and stopped by Kaph, a hipster coffee shop across the street, for a cup of extremely good mocha. We then continued walking, on the way sticking our head into a church (Catholic University Church) across from St Stephens. A choral group was rehearsing for a concert later in the evening, as it turned out. They were wonderful, so we decided to come back for the 8 pm concert. Although the group, the Amici Singers, was local, the concert was titled Americana and included music written by Americans or with an American theme. Then we had a late dinner at Matt the Thresher, a nice restaurant not far from our apartment with a great atmosphere and delightful food.

June 20. Last day! It was warm and lovely out, so after breakfast we decided to see if we could get in to see the Book of Kells. The wait wasn’t that long, but it was very crowded inside. We saw some interesting info and exhibits before we got to view the actual pages, but there were only two pages on display, and I’m not sure it was worth the effort. We then wandered through Temple Bar and Meetinghouse Square and ended up on Fishamble Street. We continued to the Cathedral, where we wandered around the stalls of a garden fest. Then we walked a bit further, to St Audouen's Church, where we explored the medieval runs and touched a lucky grave, which is supposed to help us make it safely to Santiago de Compostela someday. We then stopped at Leo Burdock for an order of what turned out to be excellent fish and chips, which we ate in the sun at the Dub Linn (site of the ancient spring that gives Dublin its name). After some more wandering around and a bit of shopping we ended up having our last dinner at Dada, a Moroccan restaurant near Temple Bar.

All in all, our trip to Ireland was fabulous. The countryside was beautiful, the food was wonderful, and the people were friendly and kind. I would love to go back to West Cork and settle in for a week or two, and perhaps that’s what we’ll do next time. But it would also be great to spend more time in Dublin. We could easily have spent more time wandering and exploring, and visiting museums.

ContraBecky

I forgot to embed URLs for the various places we stayed in these much-delayed chapters of my trip report--so please let me know if you'd like to know more about any of the places we stayed! I especially recommend looking at the Irish Landmark Trust places. Many of these would be wonderful (and more cost effective!) for a larger group, but there are some that look perfect for a couple.

Anyway, thank you all for reading and commenting. It's so fun to hear about everyone else's experience Ireland, and I'm glad that others love Bantry, Beara, and Kilchrohane.

Italian_Chauffeur, your Kilchrohane cottage looks lovely, and I'm looking forward to perusing your trip report. You said in it that there is something about Ireland that resonates in your soul, and I can see how that would be.

rncheryl, yes, times have definitely changed! We felt that the prices were surprisingly good, but they sure aren't as good as what you experienced.