Going against the Grain: Too long of a trip
 

I know I’m going to get a lot of blow back, but I wish we had made this a 10 day instead of 16 day road trip. This trip report in early September, landing and departing from Dublin Airport, includes the following: Enniskerry 1 nt; Kilkenny 2 nts; Kinsale, 2nts; Killarney 2nts; Dingle 1 nt; Lahinch 1 nt; Galway 1 nt; Connemara 2nts; Westport 2nts; and Dublin 2nts.

Sometimes, less is more. The trip became repetitive and dreary weather made the scenic areas less so.

After flying Aer Lingus direct from Chicago (not sure I’d recommend this airline…very cramped seating, although a newer plane, below average service and food), we easily rented a VW Passat from Hertz and experienced none of the horror stories I’d read about on TA. The trunk was large enough to hold our luggage, a comfortable ride, diesel efficiency and DH liked the stick shift to aid braking on curvy roads.

In less than an hour, we arrived at Powerscourt Resort in Enniskerry, which was a wonderful way to get over any jet lag. The grounds had a view of the Wicklow Mountains and a quick walk to the Powerscourt Gardens, which were beautiful and featured some huge trees with sprawling branches that looked like they could reach down and grab you. Also, a lovely Japanese garden, fountains and flower gardens overflowing with hydrangeas and roses. The Spa was lovely and a massage also helped relax stiff plane muscles. The room was large with a terrace and the bed & linens were heavenly with a large marble bathroom with soaking tub…must’ve been upgraded because I’d just booked a standard room. Just ate dinner in the pub as we weren’t sure how late we could stay up. The included breakfast was excellent with made to order eggs benedict and cappuccino.

Our first stop on the way to Kilkenny was visiting Glendalough, an ancient monastic site from the 6C. We bought our Heritage Cards here, which covered a lot of the areas we wanted to visit. You need to check it out to see if it’s cost effective for you. I’d intended to do some hiking here but the weather was drizzly so just wandered around a bit marveling at how those round stone towers and churches could be constructed back then. DH got his first taste of navigating those narrow, curvy roads with oncoming traffic…glad he was up to the challenge.

Because we’d been watching the old series Ballykissangel , we had to drive through Avoca where it was filmed and go inside Father Clifford’s church and see Fitzgerald’s Pub. That was fun.

Then, on to New Ross where I wanted to see the Dunbrody Famine Ship, a replica of the ship that transported emigrants during the Famine years to the US or Canada. After a good lunch at the quirky Cracked Teapot cafe, the ship and the actors did make the deplorable conditions real. On to a look at Jerpoint Abbey and walked around the stone cloisters and church remains. Full disclosure..we don’t really get excited over ruins so probably didn’t enjoy them as much as others would. But, we had a full day of sightseeing for the first day.

Next: Kilkenny

I tried to post photos but they won't take.

Sorry about your weather. We have stopped the one and two night stays. We go for four nights at least now and do some day trips. Less stress on the body and can get apartments and houses that way. We only fly Aer Lingus because it is non stop and gets us in and out at great times. They use to have seats with more room but not on our last two flights. It is cramped.
I love Avoca and am a huge Ballykissangel fan. We drank at Fitzgeralds and got a 99 ice cream at Kathleen's store. Pictures at the bridge. Glad you stopped.

I appreciate your honesty! I wonder -- will you tell us how you planned your itinerary and plan for 16 days?

I read my post and it sounded like we only go for four nights. I meant we stop for four nights at least in each stop and do several cities. We usually go for two weeks, 14 nights on the ground. I run out of money after that. We did four nights in Galway, five in Ballycotton and five in Dublin last trip. Nice mixture.

Macross, four nights sounds like a good plan. Being the first trip to Ireland, i wanted to see a lot of areas. We love Ballykissangel too...but just finished the end of the third season and are heartbroken about what happened so may not watch the last three seasons! You'll know what I mean.

kja, since we really don't like driving, I wanted to keep a days drive to just a couple of hours so we didn't go that far when moving. My preference is for scenic small towns rather than cities...and I'd heard from several friends that they didn't really like Dublin. However as I'll get to, I felt the Burren area and Connemara were pretty similar...and you could say the ROK and Dingle were too. My initial plan was two nights per area but I couldn't get a second night in Dingle...and I should have dropped Westport...at the last moment, after a solid day of rain, I did try to change a night in Westport to Dublin, but I couldn't get a third night at my hotel in Dublin and didn't want the hassle of changing hotels. I also cancelled my second night in Lahinch after disliking our tiny, expensive room at Moy House. I'll get into the details soon.

Thanks for those preliminary insights into your planning! I'm sure it must have been very frustrating to find that your itinerary didn't work out as planned -- travel time can be extremely precious, IME.

Great pictures.
Do watch The remaining seasons. Colin Farell in one of his first roles is in an upcoming season. The first season of Goodnight Sweetheart has the actress that played Assumpta.

Interesting... My longest trip was ten months, but I was only in my fifties then. Even my not-so-successful "test" trip to the UK last year was six weeks, and the problem was my knees, not the trip. I don't drive, which may or may not make a difference, and I do spend longer in one place these days. Still, I hate flying enough I want to get a good length of time on the ground.

Do you think the problem was with the destination or the weather? How long have your trips been in the past?

Oops...more spelling errors. St. Canice cathedral and Elverys for sporting goods.

thursday's, we usually travel for 3 weeks to a month...and I also suffered on this trip from a knee injury so I wasn't able to do the hiking, biking...even walking...that I would usually do, so I'm sure that affected my outlook. I also hate to think that I've become jaded, but compared to other countries we've visited (95) I thought that Ireland just didn't have the variety of scenery of others.

thanks john183!

thursdaysd, I did enjoy learning about all the history of Ireland and I think a shorter and sweeter trip would be fine.

I had to really psych myself up for the weather in Ireland. One thing that made a tremendous difference is that people of Ireland are the nicest, warmest I have encountered anywhere. If I did that many one and two nights stays, I'd be worn out too, I'm afraid.
I feel a trip is a great success when my husband and I are not weary and ready to go home, but instead verbalize "I could keep going."
Your photos look great!

thanks yorkshire. Actually, we had pretty decent weather for the first half and we weren't worn out. Just felt that we had seen what we wanted and it started to be the same thing. Think I needed more city time

KINSALE
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Mussels at Bulman's Bar
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Bulman's Bar
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Kinsale Harbor view from room
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Lusitania memorial at Old Head

KILLARNEY

Here’s where I really needed another night or two. The Killarney National Park area was beautiful and I wish I’d had time to see the Gap of Dunloe. Also, it would have been easy to do the Dingle Peninsula from here rather than moving to Dingle.

We drove directly to Muckross House for a noon tour of this historic home full of interesting and beautiful items…inlaid wood designs, English plaster ceilings and views across the wide lawns to Muckross Lake and the mountains. If you like, you could arrive by jaunting car, a horse drawn cart. There’s a lovely craft shop and cafe in the walled garden area and I bought some woven scarves from Mucros Weavers.

We checked into Loch Lein Country House, outside Killarney in Fossa, which was a lovely and comfortable inn with a view across to Lough Leane, the largest of the three lakes in Killarney. The innkeeper welcomed us with tea and biscuits set up in the front garden. There was no access to walk down to the lake though. Our delightful room had large picture windows looking across to the lake and the misty mountains with a huge bathroom. We had a wonderful dinner at a nearby inn, Rozzer’s…scallop/shrimp ravioli starter and rack of lamb, Salmon with Risotto.

Breakfast the next morning was excellent in a lovely room but marred by the brusque and impatient manner of the male owner. Nothing like his sweet wife.

It’s a sunny day for our drive around the Ring of Kerry and we’re grateful for that. We set off about 8:20, driving counter clockwise, and really didn’t have any issue with buses. However, the first half of the drive was not that scenic. Perhaps spent too much time at the Skellig Experience on Valentina island. Had coffee and cake in Portmagee, saw the Kerry Cliffs with Skellig Michael in the distance. It seemed like the best scenery was after all this when we were running out of time and energy…no time to stop in Sneem because the place was clogged with buses and tourists in mid-afternoon. Just stopped in Kemare long enough to buy more scarves and hats at Quills. Stopped at the Avoca store in Moll’s Gap quickly…and caught Torc Waterfall and Ross Castle as the light was fading.

If I could do it again, I’d follow Rick Steves advice and stay near Kenmare and drive clockwise from there so you’d get the best of the ring in the morning when you’re fresh.

We made it back to Loch Lein by 7pm and rushed to dinner in the inn’s dining room. Mr. Congeniality waited on us again but the three course dinner was delicious and so convenient after driving all day.

Next: Dingle

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Captions: Muckross House; Muckross Lake, Killarney National Park; Lough Leane from Loch Lein Country House; and our room at Loch Lein.

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Captions: Good omen for ROK drive; Cliffs of Kerry; and Portmagee

I'm having trouble pairing the comment: "just didn't have the variety of scenery of others" with all the dramatic & amazing photos I'm viewing on this thread!

suze....I know...I guess I'm a glutton for MORE...selectively took photos when the weather cleared.

DINGLE

We ran out of good weather and the drive along the Slea Head Peninsula was cloudy and rainy. We wasted too much time at Dunbeg Fort with seeing the movie and trying to walk down to it with my bad knee…what was I thinking…it’s a fort! Good coffee and cake at cozy Stonehouse Cafe though. We walked up to visit some stone cottages abandoned during the Famine. The best part of the drive was visiting the Blasket Island Visitor Center…very modern but just really had time for the movie. By now, it’s pouring out. Stopped at a cool pottery workplace and cafe, Louis Mulcahy Pottery for an open crab sandwich. These are so good in Ireland. Didn’t buy anything…the prices seemed high.

Drove back to Dingle and checked into The Greenmount House, where we had a wonderfully large harbor view room from on high and very convenient parking outside the door. Of course, with the rain, there is no view but we suited up and walked over to the town. Saw the Henry Clark stained glass windows in the convent chapel…tried the infamous Murphy’s ice cream, checked out the shops. But, Dingle leaves me cold. When I booked, I tried to stay two nights here but could only get one. Now, I’m glad. The town is known for trad music, which we had intended to hear, but on a cold, blustery, rainy night, the last thing we wanted to do was walk. We did have a good dinner at the Charthouse in town.

In hindsight, I would’ve skipped Dingle all together since we drove the ROK, and added the night to Killarney.

Trying to upload my photos is driving me crazy...have to try multiple times and randomly they upload. So, i apologize that when I can post them they won't be in order of the commentary. Maybe I need to try late at night

CTY. CLARE: LAHINCH & the Burren

We made the 11:30 ferry from Tarbert to Killimer and enjoyed a cafe lunch in Kilkee at The Pantry. However, it’s drizzly, cloudy and raining, not pretty at all, the coastal views of gray seas merging into gray skies means no pictures.

I’d really been looking forward to staying two nights at the Moy House, near Lahinch as a special treat. It’s a pricey place so had booked their least expensive room. You get what you pay for. The room with a double bed was the size of a closet, as was the bathroom. Unfortunately, I bruise or bleed at the slightest bump, so this was hazardous to my health. Barely had room for our luggage.

The inn is situated on top of a bluff with a walk down to a beach, which we didn’t get to try. It was slightly sunny when we arrived so decided we better pop over and explore the town. We learned the forecast for the next day was more rain, so drove over to the Cliffs of Moher, about 20 minutes away, to catch them. It was about 5p when we got there and only 2 buses so that was good. Just as we walked up to the Cliffs there was a brightening and a bit of sun. If my knee had been better, we would have walked longer along the tops of the cliffs. Photo recommendations are not to be there in the morning as the cliffs aren’t lit, but in the afternoon you’re also shooting into the sun.

Dinner was back at the Moy House…a 6 course tasting menu. It was the best meal of the trip.

Awoke to drizzly skies and decided that driving around the rocky Burren, our plans for the day, would not be very photogenic. And, that we didn’t want to spend another night in that room. We tried to change rooms but they were totally booked and agreed to let us leave a night early without penalty. My first thought was to spend the night in Galway as there would be things to do even if it’s raining, but we ended up staying just outside the city.

On the way there, we stopped in the Burren Centre to watch the movie and visited the Burren Perfumery and had lunch at their great cafe. It’s a rather desolate area and the weather contributed to that feeling.

We arrived during rush hour at the Glenlo Abbey, which is a large old historic mansion sited on a 9 hole golf course, fronting Lough Corrib on the edge of the Connemara. It was sunny then so went for a walk around the golf course and just ate in their pub. It’s a rather large, corporate type place, and this felt like a wasted day.

thanks John183!

CONNEMARA: Lough Inagh

My spirits lifted as a sunny day promised a scenic drive through Connemara. We took the coastal route and had a good pub lunch at O’Dowd’s in Roundstone before continuing on to Cliffden. The landscape is a lovely mix of rocky fields, water inlets, bog-like little lakes, background mountains fronted by yellow wildflowers, and red berry shrubs lining the roads. Tried the stores in Cliffden without success but had good cake and coffee at Walsh’s bakery cafe.

Drove on to our Lodge at Lough Inagh passing sheep grazing along scenic streams. The Lodge is across the street from the lake with surrounding views of the 12 Bens and the Mam Turks mountain ranges. Guests sat reading in the sun and enjoying a pint with the lake views. Thank God we got Room # 1, ground floor, huge with views to the lake, as my knee was the worst ever but hobbled down to their dock for a closer look at the lake.

The two night package included dinner one night, so we ate in their dining room and had a lovely meal. (mussels, rack of lamb, goat cheese/beet salad, salmon, rum raison/coconut ice cream,

So far, we like Connemara the best.

And then, the next day, more gloom. It started cloudy and only got worse. We started at Kylemore Abbey, about a 20 minute drive, stunningly sited below a forested mountain. There’s a beautiful view of this from across it’s lake. We started with walking to the small gothic chapel built like a little cathedral in honor of the owner’s beloved wife who died of Nile Fever (dysentery) while on a family trip to Egypt. Very charming and featured different colored marble from the region. The house had a few rooms decorated in the Victorian style and displays on the Belgium Benedictine nuns who fled during the war and opened a school for girls here. Notre Dame University has now entered into a partnership with them.

There is a shuttle bus you can take up to walk around their large walled Victorian Gardens and a nice gift shop on the property. Going early helps avoid the crowds.

Next we drove to eat lunch at Oliver’s on Cleggan Pier overlooking a working fishing harbor. My first taste of garlic Crab Claws…amazing!…and again, seafood chowder, washed down by our favorite, Smithwick’s Ale. Watched the wet fishermen working their boats.

Our last stop was the Visitor Center at Connemara Park, where you can go for some hikes. Of course, with my knee and the rain, this wasn’t going to happen. So, instead we watched the movie. Nothing looks good today in the rain. So, now I don’t like it here. I’m way too dependent on weather for my moods!

Best part was coming back to our lodge to find red and blue sheep grazing outside our window. Tonight we just ate in the pub part of our lodge.

By the way, I CANNOT post any more photos. I’ve tried every which way. So, at the end of this report, I will post a link to a site if you’d like to see them.

Next: WESTPORT, Cty. MAYO

WESTPORT, Cty. MAYO

Rained ALL Day again. i am so tired of this.

So, our “scenic” drive today was along the Killary Fjord, which would be quite beautiful if you could see it and take a ride on one of the fjord boats. We did see the mussel farms below in the wind swept water. Then, we took the Doo Lough Pass, site of where so many starved to death seeking relief and being turned away. The low lying clouds, and mist shrouded mountains added to the desolate feeling. I couldn’t believe the bikers that braved this weather for a ride. Jumped out in the rain to see the Aasleagh waterfall and some hardy souls were baiting their lines.

The best part was lunch at The Tavern, in Murrisk, at the foot of Croagh Patrick, which we couldn’t really see. It’s dark, cozy atmosphere fit the rainy mood.

From here, it was a short ride to Westport, where we checked into the Westport Plaza. I don’t like this hotel at all, although it has all the comfort features. It feels like a business, group type of place, with dated ‘modern ‘faux luxury touches and dark/ugly colors.

I tried to drop the second night in Westport and add it to Dublin where we could at least visit museums, but our hotel in Dublin was booked and I didn’t want the hassle of changing hotels once we got there.

Tried walking around the town in the rain, but on a Sunday, not much was open. I was looking forward to dinner at the An Port Mor, which has gotten so many good reviews, but it was probably the most disappointing meal of the trip. The sirloin steak was a bad cut…very tough and chewy. They were very nice about changing it to rump of lamb…but had the same issue with that.

The next morning..what a difference a day makes. It started out cloudy with a mediocre breakfast in the hotel, but on the way to tour Westport House, I got my favorite photo of the trip…even with the overcast.

The tour of Westport House was very interesting. Lots of history to absorb about the Famine besides the fine furnishings. What an entrepreneur the current owner is!

And then…the sun came out…so decided to drive out to Achill Island and see their beach. For those of you who like to ride, there’s a wonderful bike ride you can take from there back to Westport along an old railroad path. Again, when planning this trip, I thought we would do that. The scenery was very pretty and we made it to Keel. There’s a charming and excellent cafe there with a good craft shop, The Beehive. Here I tried my first Banoffee pie and a Tuna Bap…type of warm sandwich. Very good! The server gave us directions on how to walk down to the beach past grazing sheep. Watched the surfers ply the waves for awhile. Happy to get some good photos today. Dinner was at Sol Rio, which was just OK and very tight and noisy.

Next: DUBLIN

The Tavern was probably one of my fav places. We climbed Crough Patrick, walked in there looking like hell and they treated us so good. We were starving. They called us a cab and we went back to Westport. Glad you ate there.