yesiree100
Registered User
Posts: 52
(8/2/05 1:40 pm)
 
Corey's Trip Report

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I'm back from my two week trip and had a great time. I was there visiting family and friends, so touring wasn't the top priority. However, the weather was absolutely fantastic, so we actually did much more touring than we had planned (how often do you get 75 degrees and sunny for almost ten days straight in Ireland?)

A little background, I spent this trip with my friend Liam who spends his summers giving personalized tours for small groups of people around Ireland and often hosts them in his cottage. He had a break in his schedule, so I came in for a visit.

I've been there several times, so we try to avoid the typical spots and try to find sites that are off-the-beaten path. My job as navigator is to find as many things as possible that Liam has never seen...which can be tough when dealing with someone who spends 3 to 5 months a year touring around Ireland.
It's going to be a little while before I get my full trip report and photos posted, but I thought I'd post some highlights from my itinerary.

Spent a day and half in the Burren. Highlights included:

-Caherconnell Fort (they have a rather interesting computer animation of what the fort might have looked like - better than I expected)

-St. Bridget's Well near the Cliffs (amazing to see the cards and items people leave behind...some the 9/11 cards hit close to home)

-Poulnabrone Dolmen (actually quite small compared to other's we saw this trip)

-The Burren Perfumery (interesting stop and the café was very nice)

-Doolin Pottery (choose your pottery and leave the money in the tin)

-Coole Parke near Gort (has a great exhibit on Lady Gregory and the very interesting autograph tree)

-The Burren Centre in Kilnaforna

-Craggaunowen (it made for a great walk, but I didn't feel it was worth the admission price...especially since the cranog is no longer accessible)

I've been to the Cliffs of Moher several times, so we skipped that stop because the work they are doing on the new visitor center really limits where you can go. The Burren Experience near Ballyvaghan is closed and the space will likely be absorbed by the restaurant or store at the site.

Stayed with a cousin in Carrick-on-Suir. She and her boyfriend showed us all kinds of things around Kilmacthomas and Carrick-on-Suir. They had plenty of suggestions for us to see en route to Waterford-Hook Head-Inistoge. Highlights included:

-a hike in the Comeraghs (WOW! - like many before us, we couldn't get the magic road to work either...and we had a local in the car with us!...we figure the magic has gone out of it)

-Famine graveyard (Kilmacthomas)

-Famine workhouse (Kilmacthomas - it's now a scrap metal place, but we were able to wander around...the old morgue was quite somber)

-Walked under and across the train trestle in Kilmacthomas

-Duncannon (the fort was a bit of disappointment, but the beach was very cool)

-Loftus Hall (what a site...a huge, abandoned manor house right on the ocean...dead crows and a howling dog only added to the eerie effect)

-Hook Head Light House (very cool and very old)

-Tintern Abbey (got there after closing, but had a great walk on the paths)

Another roadtrip took us in the area around Mallow and Fermoy. I have to say, we found so many interesting things in the Mallow-Fermoy-Lismore area, one could spend an entire week there:

-Mallow (nice enough town)

-Nano Nagel's birthplace (she started a convent and school during penal times - we ended up having tea with one of the nuns and she pointed out the Hennissey House (of brandy fame), Michael Flatley's estate and a mass rock with one of the best forest walks)

-Anne's Grove Gardens (I loved the hydrangea rock)

-Lismore (what a beautiful town...no wonder it was named Ireland's Tidiest!)

-Ballysaggartmore Towers near Lismore (this was a really great site...if the family hadn't run out of money, one can only imagine how elaborate the house would have been)

-Dromana Gate near Cappoquin (this was a really cool gate/bridge...couldn't find the ruins of Dromana house though)

-Glanworth (another beautiful town with a 12-arch bridge, castle and mill...it was hot that day and people were out swimming in the river...a rare site in Ireland...also visited Labbacallee Cairn which is quite cool and very large)

-Ballybeg Abbey (not much of a ruin until we got to the amazing dovecote where the monks kept birds)

-Bridgetown Abbey (very nice ruin in very good condition and a nice river walk)

-Ardpatrick (great climb to the monastic site and then we wandered around to view Castle Oliver and its two gates)

-Donkey Sanctuary in Liscaroll (a great park...you aren't allowed to feed the animals, so the donkeys come to you for affection not food...a really great, free place to take kids)

A trip through the Glen of Aherlow:

-St Berrihert's Kyle (very interesting stone circle built with all kind of stone antiquities)

-St Berrihert's Well (very peaceful spot)

-St Pechaun's Church, well and cell (all interesting, but Berrihert's had more going for it)

Another trip from Inistoge through parts of Carlow and Loais Counties:

-Inistoge (really picturesque little place, Woodstock Park made for a great hike from town)

-Cranavane Holy Well near Myshall (interesting because it has a casket trough where they used to dip the casket before burial)

-Huntington Castle (not much as far as a castle tour, but the 1970s shrines for the Church of Isis in the basement and the fact that the family still lives there...although I get the feeling the grander days are long gone...makes it very weird and very interesting)

-Browne's Hill Dolmen (HUGE, absolutely huge!)

-Duckett's Grove (fairytale castle ruin)

Another trip along the southern coast was a bit of a race to get some touring research done rather than enjoy ourselves, but we still found some time to enjoy.

-Ardmore (St. Declan's walk along the ocean is really spectacular)

-Youghal (it was very busy when we got there, but we managed to take in a lot of the sites)

-Cobh (Barryscourt Castle has a very nice castle with a lot of reproduction furnishings, the Cathedral was truly amazing, it was getting late and we were staying in Kinsale, so we didn't get to do as much in Cobh as we would have liked)

-Kinsale (stayed at Kilcaw...thanks Michele, Charles Fort was very nice)

-Timoleague Abbey (lots of nooks and crannies to wander around, Liam found a hole in a tomb and stuck his head inside to see five skulls, a rib cage and several other bones...yikes).

Well, that's all for now. I'll let you know when my photos are posted.

Corey

Michele Erdvig
Administrator
Posts: 3294
(8/3/05 12:00 am)

Re: Corey's Trip Report

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Corey,

Welcome home! I can't believe the good weather you had. I hope you took your sunscreen. It must have added greatly to your trip. You did see a lot and I am looking forward to hearing more when you have the time. I'm glad you enjoyed staying in Kinsale at Kilcaw House. I hope that Henry & Christina treated you royally. Did you know that Henry's brother owns Mitchell's Restaurant in Clifden? Small world!

I can't believe that Liam stuck his head into a tomb! He sounds like a character.

Thanks so much for posting and we anxiously await more when the jet-lag wears off.

Michele