Ireland Trip Report/Sept. '03
 

I am going to try to cram as many details as possible in so this may be long. This trip was to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We were scheduled to leave Sept. 18th but lost a day of holiday due to Hurricane Isabel. Devastating! However, we did wrangle 2 roundtrip International vouchers from the airline. They rerouted us and moved us to Business from Coach. When we got ready to board to Shannon, Business was overbooked so we accepted a bump to Coach AND $800 vouchers. Not a bad deal in my opinion.

Because I had not discovered this board before I did it, I booked B&Bs and car rental with Dan Dooley through Sceptre Tours. We probably paid too much but we had no problems whatsoever. After landing in Shannon, I think we were in the car and on the road within 30 minutes. We left with many reminders to drive left, look right. I had printed off driving directions from viamichelin.com (thanks to your good advice) and it was wonderful to have that. DH drove and I was supposed to be the navigator. Turns out I was more the curser and swearer on that first day- those roads are narrow, especially when there is a tour bus coming at you. Planned to have lunch in Ennis but arrived too early so went on to Cliffs of Moher. Very cloudy and damp but the wind would gently blow the fog and clouds out of the way, magically the Cliffs would appear and then gradually disappear. I told my DH that I was so disappointed... because I saw the most beautiful site in Ireland on my first day. (I was wrong, by the way.) Words cannot describe how moving it was to see the incredible color of the water, the cliffs and to hear the musicians playing along the path.

Moved on to Doolin and then to the Burren. Stopped at the Ailwee Caves but ended up taking a small nap in the car instead of going in. Took the Coast Rd. through Ballyvaughan. Saw my first white swans in Ireland. The air there smells as ocean air should smell- ripe, rich and seaweedy. Ate lunch at Monks where I chewed my first Guiness (just couldn't ever develop a taste for it) and some fantastic seafood chowder and brown bread with butter. Oh, the butter!!

Still following the Coast Rd., we crossed a small rocky river that let onto a beach. Every beach we saw in Ireland was so different from the others. This one had big black rock, very reminiscent of the Carmel area in California. People surfing and we saw dolphins- a huge pod of dolphins. (are dolphins in pods or is that just whales?) I felt so blessed that day.

Drove back into Doolin, checked into our B&B, Harbour View. It was okay- nothing to write home about. There was a young kid revving his mini bike for hours right outside our room that afternoon. Had dinner at Bruach na hAille- very good food. Had panfried salmon and a venison dish with a nice wine.

Made our way to McGann's Pub. Met a great couple from Nashville on their fourth visit to Ireland- his surprise birthday present. They gave us lots of great advice. The Matchmaking Festival was going on in Lisdoonvarna so we saw some interesting couples hooking up in McGanns. A hen party came in and the groom had his mates there as well. They were a hoot! Especially when the groom was chained to a bumper. Evidently he is a "panel beater" by trade so they took a full size bumper and attached it with a big heavy chain. Then they serenaded him with their own version of "Plastic Jesus, riding on the dashboard of my car", with a little bit of "Boy Named Sue" thrown in for flavor. Still can't get that song out of my head! Heard some great traditional music there.

Had black pudding at breakfast the next day- it wasn't bad. It wasn't good either but hey, at least I tried it.

Tomorrow... on to the Connemara and Clifden.

Pulled out of the driveway and right behind a farmer, wearing his wellies, moving his cattle down the road. Great way to start the day! Weather yesterday had cleared up and became quite sunny. Today started off rainy and cloudy again, started that way all day.

No problems getting through Galway City. Drove to Cong, (where they filmed the "Quiet Man") since my DH is a huge John Wayne fan. Loved the Cong Abbey, especially the Monk's Fishing Bridge. Intrigued with the ancient gates and gargoyles. There is a part in the movie where John Wayne takes Maureen O'Hara on a date, it begins to rain and they race for the Abbey where he pulls her in for their first kiss. Let's just say, my DH is a romantic kind of guy. :) Also became a big fan of Orangeade... yum!

On to the Connemara, past Lough Corrib (I swear the Loch Ness monster could live there!) with all its little forested islands with ruins and mist drifting everywhere. Started to see sheep all over the roads, the mountains, everywhere, all painted turquoise and pink.

We thought our B&B, Ben Breen House, was in Clifden but it is actually about 5 km. away, looking out over the Twelve Bens. Neat people and very nice house with a sweet dog, Lassie. Raymond gave us a little map of the local area so we took off exploring. stopped at a local cemetery, then on to Cleggan, a seaside fishing village.

Had some pints at Sullivan's Pub, sat on the deck looking over the bay,met a man who lives on Inishbofin. He was an inebriated, rheumy eyed middle aged man who was coming on to (successfully) a German woman there. He told us that he was a stunt man /:) and played 36 characters in a 7 part series starting that night, called "Strumpet City".

On to Clifden, popped into E.J. Kings Pub for veal shanks and Irish Fishermans stew while we watched the Sunday Big Game. Lots of kids running in and out, checking out the score. It was Arts Week in Clifden so there was lots of live music. However, we were tired so back to Ben Breen.

We lost a bag coming over so tomorrow we shop and drive some more.

Had to buy rain jackets and sweaters (I know, how horrible to HAVE to shop :) ) so back to Clifden. Bought a takeaway lunch from Two Dogs Cafe (ham and aged cheddar sandwich and a smoked chicken with pesto mayo sandwich), some Celtic jewelry and headed out to Sky Head Drive. The wind was howling that day! Gorgeous drive and the sun was in and out. Stopped to take pictures (but the wind was blowing so hard, it shook the camera too much!) and all of a sudden, a beautiful rainbow appeared. Yeah, another one of my goals for Ireland achieved. (Too bad the Guiness wasn't as great!) On to Kylemore Abbey- what a great stop this was. Really enjoyed the Victorian Walled Garden and the old Gothic church here. Watch for the sheep leavings!

We were continually blown away by the changes in landscape. Every corner, I would tell my DH that it doesn't get better than this but then next corner... better! We drove to Leenane, saw the mussel farms in the harbor, more rainbows, Ashleigh Waterfall, more rainbows, Doo Lough valley, more rainbows. The valley is so desolate but from one location, we could see mountains, one forested, one barren, looking out over a valley with a lake and the ocean in the distance, connected by a river. What more would you need? Oh yeah, did I mention a rainbow over it all? Yeah!

Found another beach, Carrowhiskey Strand, which was mostly sand but the transition from land to sand was hand sized rocks, packed flat by wind and water. The breakers were huge- several kids surfing.

Getting late so back to Clifden for dinner- Off the Square restaurant. Fabulous! My starter was mussels (figured they had to be fresh, right? must have been plentiful too because my serving of mussels on the shell with garlic, cream and onion was HUGE! Over 4 dozen mussels.) Other diners started laughing when they saw the size of the portion- I invited others to help me. DH had prawns in a citrus sauce. For mains, I had seared scallops and monkfish in a beurre blanc and garlic cheese potatoes. The potatoes were more scalloped than mashed and could have been a meal in themselves. DH had salmon but I was so busy with mine, I can't remember what it was!

Back to E.J. Kings for a few pints and live music. The band was about to start 10:30ish. They actually started about 11:00 and played a short set, then stopped for a pint and a piss. As I was a little slitter-slocken (as the Belgian girl next to us said), I eventually convinced them to play 2 more songs. One was trad, the last song was "Momma, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys". We were laughing so hard, especially when I looked around the pub. We were one of the few Americans there but everyone, everyone in the pub was singing.

Tuesday, we climbed back in the car and headed for Spiddal. This part of Ireland is poorly signposted and you need to know the Gaelic spelling of the towns where you are headed. We went first to Roundstone, for pottery and to visit Roundstone Musical Instruments. There is a great Spar (grocery store) here with lots of variety so we bought some stuff for lunch and moved on. It was interesting to see how the bodhrans are made and Malachy Kearns has a lot of great CDs in his shop as well.

Got lost, found our way again and got lost again. DH is sick today, just can't fly without it affecting his sinuses. Made it to Spiddal, found another beach (all huge boulders) and then checked in to Ardmor Country House. Mrs. Vera Feeney has won the Irish Breakfast Galtee award three times and man, I now know why. Her yard is beautifully landscaped with so many different types of plants- she can rival many professional gardeners.

Since DH was feeling poorly, we stayed in that night and I ate our lunch from the Spar.

We were in Spiddal so we could catch a ferry to the Aran Islands from Rossaveal. The ferry ride was rough but the sun was shining. Took a pony cart ride to Dun Aengus. There were rock walls all over the parts of Ireland that we saw, however, they were just crazy on Inishmore. They formed small corrals of only a few feet next to another just a few feet bigger next to ... well, you get the picture. Another fabulous beach, this one all sand. I didn't think I was going to make the walk up to the fort but then I noticed little grannies doing it..surely I could and did. The wind was blowing once we got to the fort, next to the steep cliffs it was a little bit scary. Learned so much about the Iron age from this fort.

Now on to the main reason for our trip to the Arans- Sweaters! Bought one for everyone for Christmas and shipped them home.

When we got back to Spiddal, went for a few pints and what a great night this turned out to be. Don't remember the name of the pub but we started talking to some locals about a news story on the tv. They were discussing "travelers" and how they are treated differently by the Irish gov't than others. They were calling it racism and told us that we wouldn't understand... did I mention I work in the county where the Grand Dragon of the KKK lives? Might know a little bit about racism. (travelers are gypsies, by the way.) They were so nice to us and really enjoyed talking to us.

One gentlemen really took a shine to us and shared all his laments about living in Ireland. When he found out that we were headed to Dingle the next day, he gave us a list of things we had to do, including fishing for trout at Lissapool. He even made us go to his car so he could give us a "special" worm to use. (okay, it was a rubber worm like we use for bass fishing but it was really sweet of him to do.) If you are ever in Spiddal, look around for Dawes, postman from Galway City.

We had another tasty meal but I'll be darned if I can remember what it was. Too many pints? No! ((b))

Long day of driving from Spiddal to Dingle, about 5 hours but mostly good roads. Took the Tarbert-Killimer Ferry. Wish we had had time to stop in Listowel. Looked like a neat little town. Tralee- not so much. Ate a steak and kidney pie from a gas station (hey, I'm adventurous!). The steak was great, the kidney.. again, not so much.

Walked around Dingle town, tried fish and chips but we weren't too impressed. Guess we are spoiled, huh?

Did quite a bit of shopping in Dingle, especially linens from the Linen Closet. Great prices and beautiful work. Never did see Fungi, other than the statue on the main street.

Dinner was at Midi's. DH had seafood fajitas and I had lamb chops. I loved it, he hated it. I drank a bottle of Beaujolais by myself and then we walked in the rain back to Murphy's Pub. I swear I am not an alcoholic! I blame Ireland.

Guess who saw in Murphys!? The same couple we met in Dingle. They had planned to go to Donegal but changed their mind. Listened to some live music but decided to head home early.

Home was Duinin House, on Conor Pass Road. Lovely owner and the house has a conservatory, overlooking Dingle Bay and a mountain covered in sheep (what else?). Breakfast was delicious, especially the porridge with cream. Never tasted anything quite like it. I don't know what they do to the dairy products in Ireland but they are so rich and just melt like butter... oh wait, sometimes it was butter.

Once I poured myself out of bed, we headed off to follow Rick Steve's Dingle Peninsula tour- Slea Head drive. We had Ventry Beach all to ourselves so we just walked and walked, enjoying the way the air was soft on the water, creating a pink glow in the air. This country has to be where fairy tales come from. I definitely believe in leprachauns after this day!

Moving on... stopped at Dun Beag- a small fort at the base of Mount Eagle, gave an apple to the donkeys, on to the Clochans (beehive huts), lots of areas to pull off and take photos- you will need it because again, every corner brings on something more green, more blue, more white. It helped that we had a sunshiny day. I never did learn the name of the beach below Slea Head but we bought a blanket and takeaway from a great shop above, had a picnic. This might be my favorite place in Ireland. Tall, long rollers cresting on a shiny, fine sanded beach crowned with black rocks covered in barnacles and little shells I called "oriental hats". The surfers really loved this beach. Little waterfalls running down the rocks with saucer sized shamrocks crowding out the water and the view of islands. The photos I took actually hurt my daughter's eyes because the colors were so vibrant. Imagine how it looked in person.

The tide started to rise so on to Ballyferriter and Louis Mulcahy pottery. Let me put his work in perspective... I did not buy a thing because I was afraid if I started I would not stop. (Stupid, stupid, stupid!) He has some work that are exactly the color of green and blue that we saw all day. Next time!

On to Reasc Monastic enclosure and my first glimpse of an Ogham stone (another item marked off the list), to Gallarus Oratory. This is one of those sites that was holy even before Christianity and you can feel the change. When we stepped inside the watertight, boat shaped rock church, we immediately spoke in whispers.

On to Kilmalkedar church, another holy site. There is an old Ogham stone with a hole through it. It was used to "seal the deal" and Rick Steves says you can still use it to renew our wedding vows so we did. See, told you DH was romantic. It was so moving to see the ancient stones and graves and to feel the magic in the air. Saw one more fairy fort and then back to Dingle.

Had dinner at Novecento, which I highly recommend. I ordered steak tagliaterre for my main and the serving was huge. When I could not finish it, the waitress was quite concerned. Then the chef sent her back out to make sure that the meal had been satisfactory. I had to reassure her that the food was incredible, the servings was just too much for me. The owners of this restaurant also have a gourmet Italian delicatassen in Dingle.

We hit a different pub that night, don't remember the name but it is the last pub as you are headed out of town on Connor Pass Rd. There were a lot of young kids playing pool and this was probably the most smoky pub we visited, however the music that night was the best we heard. All of the other music had been two man bands. This was a three man band, playing accordion, banjo, guitar and many other instruments. The squeeze box player had a look of total absorption on his face that made you appreciate the music that much more.

Tomorrow, our last full day in Ireland. :(

We had to leave Dingle but I didn't actually cry... well, maybe on the inside. We stopped at Inch beach- oh my... I would have spent the entire day there, if I had been allowed. It was another sunny day and the moisture in the air combined with the sun gave everything a mysterious Impressionist feel. However, we did not know where we were going to go that day so had to hit the road.

The recommendations I had received here said Killarney so Killarney it was. Next time, more time in Killarney! What a busy yet quaint town! Found our way to Killarney National Park and the Muckross House. Walked in the 2 kms, despite the heckling from one specific pony cart driver, past Lough Leane. I love when I can see the mountains reflected in the water, broken only by easy ripples from small boats and small rocky, piney islands.

Give this location plenty of time. We didn't though we did stop for a cuppa tea and sandwich in the cafe. Didn't get to do the farm, didn't get to see much of the garden but we did shop. (stupid, stupid, stupid!) After many purchases, realized that we had to carry them back the 2 kms so broke down and took a pony cart.

The ride gave me a greater appreciation of the ability we have in the US to make (in theory) as much money as we can. Our pony cart driver was 28 yrs old and had been driving there for 14 yrs. Off season, he had horses and cattle. He will most likely never make more money than he does right now. There are not many 28 yr olds here that can say that. The trade off is that he gets to do something he enjoys for a living.

Drove to Bunratty, checked into Bunratty Heights- nice place and a sweet owner. Amazingly quiet and the breakfast was better than most.

We had not been able to get reservations to Bunratty Medieval Banquet. Dinner was at Durty Nellies and might have been the best dinner we had the entire time we were there. Of course, it could be that it had the most spice. shoppped at the Blarney Woolen Mills but still had to stop there again the next morning to finish up the shopping. Made a stop at Mac's Pub but it was pretty quiet so we chatted up a few local kids and then headed back to pack. (quiet sigh)

Last day in Ireland, we were so sad to leave but knew that we would be back. Remember those international vouchers? The first few days, the discussion was, "where should we go". Then DH started to say, "when we come back on our vouchers"... We only have a year to use them so...

Next time we would like to see Donegal and have more time and spend less time driving and we will know what we want to buy and my trip report will be less wordy. Yeah, right!

Diane

Please don't write a less wordy trip report next time! This was just lovely. Didn't know so much vicarious pleasure was possible. And, I love to see first time Ireland visitors start to say 'next time'. You've caught the bug!

What a wonderful trip report. Enjoyed every minute of it! We are going in Nov. and we seem to have about the same itinerary as you only in reverse order. Reading your post makes me even more excited about going.

Interesting about the taste of Irish food such as butter and beef.The butter there comes from cows fed on grass while American cows live on grain to a great extent.Irish butter (Kerrygold brand)is now sold in gourmet shops and by mail order in America because of this taste difference as well as the presence of omega-3.

Wow - that was beautiful. I felt like I was experiencing some of those places myself, again.

Thanks for bringing me back.

I may have missed this, but if the Cliffs of Moher weren't the most beautiful sight you saw on the trip, what was? Your description of them slipping in and out of the fog and mist was beautiful, almost makes me wish I could see them that way! (The day I was there was partly sunny and quite windy, a bit hazy actually.)

Diane,

Your trip report in a word was WONDERFUL! I laughed, I cried, I relived a few of my own memories and I *can't* thank you enough!

It's great to come here and read such thoughts and experiences and to know that others feel as I do about visiting Ireland year after year. My co-workers think I'm crazy, my famly thinks I'm nuts but I guess you just have to GO to to Ireland to really figure it all out.

Thanks.

Wendy
[email protected]

Ah thanks, guys ~she said sheepishly~ Amyb, I would have to say my favorite sight was the view from Slea Head on the Dingle Penninsula or it could have been Inch Beach or Lough Corrib. It would be easier to tell you what I didn't like and that was the smoke in the pubs. Thank heavens you guys told us to take Febreze. With 1/2 our clothes gone, we used it every night!

Great report, Diane.

It makes me want to go back right now. (and skip Italy?)

so how was Spiddal? we are going to be there for a week in August, staying at the Ceo Mara apts ...do you have any specific recommendations( pubs,restaurants) from that part of your tirp?

All pubs in Ireland are now smoke-free thanks to new law in March 04.

We enjoyed Spiddal because the locals made us feel welcome. We had a great dinner there but I can't remember the name of the restaurant. Maybe this will help- it is on the main street, it is next to a pub (great pub, by the way) and it is on the side of the street farthest away from the bay. :d It is only a few doors down from Walsh's pharmacy.

I assume you are going to do lots of day trips out from Spiddal?

Diane

Great trip report. Enjoyed every word. Thanks for the suggestions on restaurants and pubs. We leave tomorrow for two weeks. We plan to visit many of the same sights. Hope our trip is as enjoyable.

Thanks! Enjoy yourself and don't waste any time posting your trip report. ((b)) Have a pint for me!

Diane