mmaloney
Unregistered User
(7/8/05 5:55 pm)

Ireland Travel Journal / Trip Report (Part Two)

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Here’s part two of my Ireland Trip Journal.

Day Five: 17 June 2005

I loved Kilkenny so much and ‘Yesirree’s walking tour was so great, I woke up early to check out some other spots I missed on the tour and take some photos. My wife likes to sleep in but I tend to be a morning person, so I usually use this time to do my own photography. The morning was a bit overcast, but it cleared up by 11am. The breakfast at Butler’s Court was a bit disappointing and an unfortunate first impression of an Irish breakfast in a B&B. They just left some boxes of cereal and some pre-packaged scones. The scones were decent but nothing extraordinary. And I can have some “frosties” / er, Frosted Flakes in the US. But regardless of the breakfast, my last impression of Butler’s Court was a good one. Yyvonne took her time to print out directions from “the AA” to Kenmare, our next stop. (This AA website was a great resource that I was unaware of by the way… Its similar to mapquest ; Automobile Club in the US). She helps us plan out on the map a great route to see Rock of Cashel on our way to Kenmare. I’m starting to get used to this driving thing, but man the drive to Kenmare was LONG. Everything they say on this website to pad your driving is not only recommended, but ESSENTIAL. I need to pad an additional 2 hours to even padded driving times because it is pretty much a given that you will miss turns, get a bit lost, etc. Most of the day today was driving time. Cashel was beautiful, but unfortunately we didn’t spend a whole lot of time there because of the long drive. We arrived in Kenmare around 7pm, but we had no idea how to get to our B&B. We stopped in town to a pub “Roughys” to get some directions. In front of the pub were a couple of Irishmen who had definitely been drinking all day, and man were they great. They had no idea where my B&B was (The SeaShore FarmHouse), but it didn’t matter because I ended up chatting with them for a bit. The pub owner eventually pointed me in the right direction, and the Irishmen stopped traffic for us to get back on the road. We arrived at the SeaShore around 7:30pm, and this place is stunning. Our room overlooked the Kenmare Bay and we were about 1km outside of the city centre. We walked into town to grab some dinner at McCarthy’s pub for dinner. The atmostphere and food were wonderful. We had mussels with cream sauce and stuffed chicken breast with goat cheese and peppers…And this was pub grub!?! Wow. Afterwards we stopped at a couple of pubs. One was O’Connors where we chatted with the local butcher and wow was his accent thick. He gave us what I’m sure was great advice about driving the Ring of Kerry…too bad I didn’t understand a word. I smiled a lot.

Day Six: 18 June 2005

We woke up to thick fog so we decided to skip the Ring of Kerry and rather spend the day in town. This was a great example of why you should spend at least 3 nights per town ; you never know what the weather will be like. And WOW! We experienced a true Irish breakfast at a B&B. The food at SeaShore was wonderful. DeAnna and I had the scrambled eggs and salmon, along with fresh fruits, breads, and tea. Oh man I could get used to this. You know the breakfast was good because it actually got my wife out of bed early. You have no idea how big of a feat this is J. We shopped around town & bought gifts for friends and family. Kenmare is my favorite town we visited in Ireland. It has a perfect mix of shops, restaurants, and pubs, and you really feel like you are in a true “untouched” Irish town. In the afternoon we attempted to drive to Kilarney National Park. We got to the first “photo op” spot, Moll’s Gap, to a blanket of fog. From there we ended up taking a wrong turn into the base of Black Valley. However, this wrong turn ended up being for the better because the views from the top were covered in fog so we ended up hiking and running around the base of the valley. For dinner we tried to get into a restaurant called “Packies,” but they were booked. However, we lucked out and got into a charming restaurant called “the Lime Tree.” We walked in just as they had a cancellation. The food was unbelieveable. I didn’t think they could top Eden, but they did; the best food of our trip so far. For a day covered in fog it ended up being a very special day.

Day Seven: 19 June 2005

The weather cleared & we were ready spend the day driving through the Ring of Kerry. The weather was perfect, and based on the B&B’s suggestion we drove the opposite direction of the buses (coming from Kilarney). Highlights for me were the first hour of the drive & the last hour. Just outside of Cahersiveen we stopped at a Cathair Geal (ring fort) and an abandoned castle, the Ballycarbery Castle. We also walked through the National Park to see the Muckross House & Abbey. We walked from the abbey side about 2 miles into Muckross House, only to realize there is a car park there. Oh well, the walk was nice. We ended the trip at Moll’s Gap, the same spot we were at the previous afternoon. It’s amazing how different the experience was on a clear day. The weather changes the landscape so dramatically. So much so that the Ring of Kerry would be a waste of time on a bad weather day, IMO.

Day Eight: 20 June 2005

Our last day in Kenmare. We loved this place so much, largely due to the family at the SeaShore Farmhouse. We felt at home there. I highly HIGHLY recommend this spot and can’t wait to return (next time we are spending a week). We got a decent start to the day for a scenic drive to Dingle. We stopped at the rocky Ballaghbeama Gap for some photos, and got lost a couple of times but nothing too crazy. I’m now actually comfortable driving (thank God). It was about a 4 hour drive to Dingle taking this scenic route, but it was worth it. Dingle was a charming seaside town but we were still missing our new second home in Kenmare. In Dingle we stayed at the Greenmount House, in a superior room overlooking Dingle town. The view from our room was amazing but the fog and winds took a bit away. Our host Mary was kind enough but we missed the extra hospitality of SeaShore (can you tell how much we loved that place). Dinner was at “The Half Door” which was very nice (but expensive). The seafood was wonderful (I had the Thai Fish Cakes and DeAnna had a Place Filet). One thing we noticed was how much people in Ireland used their cell phones. In Los Angeles we are starting to establish a “no cell phone use” policy in restaurants and shops, but not here. Cell phones were going off like mad at the Half Door. It didn’t’ bother me too much, but I did find it rather strange.

Day Nine: 21 June 2005

DeAnna and I separated for the day. She’s an experienced horseback rider and we figured it would be a wonderful way (for her) to explore Dingle. Since I don’t ride horses I would only slow her (& everyone else) down. She ended up doing a full day session with only one other person. For those that ride horses you should definitely take advantage of this. She was able to do full gallops along the beach, ride through mountains, and even stop at a pub for a couple of pints! I took an archeological “Scuird” tour of Dingle. This is a very informative 2.5 hr tour seeing ancient stone forts, oratories, and beehive huts. I would have taken me all day trying to find all these spots by myself. I highly recommend this tour. The afternoon was spent shopping around town. Dinner was at “Doyles.” Whew…another great meal. I’m getting really spoiled. Hot & Cold Oysters and a Cod filet. I am so happy I stopped in Dingle (even if only for a couple of nights). Again this wasn’t part of our plan but now we can’t wait to come back (thanks Michele).

Day Ten: 22 June 2005

Okay, the Greenmount House rocks. They have the best Irish breakfast…wait…best breakfast ever. Period. I couldn’t believe it. I loved the breakfast at SeaShore but Greenmount topped it. Traditional Irish Breakfast, savory omelets, fresh scones, homemade cheeses…holy moly I gotta get back there just for the food! Unfortunately its time to get back in the car. I read on this site how much people love Dingle, and now I know why. We just didn’t do it justice… Now the plan for the next trip is…one week in Kenmare, one week in Dingle…The weather cleared so we took the Slea head drive. Dingle was a completely different place today. The Dingle Penninsula is a gorgeous place, much prettier than Ring of Kerry in my opinion.

Next stop to Co. Clare for a night in Corofin. In Corofin we booked a room at the Clifden House, a part of the Hidden Ireland homes. We originally were going to have dinner with them, but since the day was so beautiful we wanted to use every minute of sunshine sightseeing. The directions were very unclear (something like “go through the town, head west and take the second left” – yeah right we were going to find this place). But surprisingly, it was the easiest of all places to find. We just ended up getting there. The house is an old Georgian mansion from 1750. It’s a little run down, but I felt that added to its charm. The doors are open and we walk in. Unbelievable 18th/19th century mirrors, but all cracked. Candleholders with mason symbols on them. Gothic unrestored chairs. The owner of the house obviously a collector of antiques. No one seems to be home. I say “hello” and get no response. Then he arrives. Jim Robson is part Jeremy Irons, part Vincent Price. He’s wearing an ascot and sporting a disheveled silver ponytail. He welcomes us to the house. I say how much I love the house and am surprised how easily we found the place. He says, “Oh I’m glad you like it. Often people are scared of this place. And I know the directions are unclear. After all, we are a part of ‘hidden’ Ireland. I believe there is a light that guides us. You and your wife were guided here, and others are kept away, like debt and tax collectors.” I’m trippin out on this guy right now, and I love it. Have we walked into the haunted mansion? I tell him that we don’t have time for dinner, and he gave us an old map of the burren. He gave us a great driving tour of the burren which would end up seeing the cliffs of moher at sunset. He also let us take their row boat out into their backyard lake. We take advantage of this and enjoy the lake and scenery for a bit before our drive. But soon its off to discover the burren. We stopped at the Burren Perfumery, and the Poulnabrone Dolmen. The Dolmen is a very special place. You could feel it. Fortunately it was later in the day so we were the only ones there. We drove along the burren coast ended up at the Cliffs of Moher at Sunset. We were there with maybe 3 other couples. It was spectacular. I saw the empty crowd barriers and I thought what a different experience (for the worse) this would be with mobs of people. We raced the sunlight back to the Clifden House. Jim greeted us on our return and said, “Don’t worry, the ghosts are friendly.” I loved this guy. I wish we had more time to have dinner with them. What would the dinner conversations have been? We get to our room and the bathroom is decorated with an old illustration titled “Hell.” And tons of birds flew by our window at midnight. We believe they were bats. We don’t know for sure, but that’s what we like to believe. And believe it or not, we slept great.

Part three coming soon…

Michele Erdvig
Administrator
Posts: 3247
(7/9/05 11:51 pm)

Re: Ireland Travel Journal / Trip Report (Part Two)

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Michael,

I can hardly believe that part two is even more entertaining than part one. You are an excellent writer and I love all the little details like what you ate, the people you met and descriptions of Clifden House. What a hoot!

Michele

Melissa2Ireland
Registered User
Posts: 3
(7/30/05 2:22 am)

Re: Ireland Travel Journal / Trip Report (Part Two)

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mmaloney, I love all 3 parts of your trip report. Full of so many great details, and I feel like I'm just right there in Ireland with you and DeAnna, having scrambled eggs and salmon with tea.

"Holy moly", I gotta get to the Greenmount House for breakfast after you made my mouth water for those fresh scones and homemade cheeses.

Thank you for telling us you found the Dingle Peninsula to be prettier than the Ring of Kerry. Otherwise how am I going to squeeze all of Ireland into my 2-week itinerary...if everything is equally pretty...

Are you sure you didn't imagine the haunted Clifden House in the Irish mist? I have 3 budding writers in my family and I think Ireland will spark up some inspiration. Well, okay, your fog was at Kenmare, but I moved it over to the Clifden House for atmosphere...Hope you don't mind.

Now I HAVE to see the Cliffs of Moher at sunset because you are the second person who was really struck with the spectacle of the cliffs at sunset...

I am trying to fit 3 nights in Dingle and 3 nights in Kenmare into my itinerary. I've been wondering if they are too close together to spend so many nights in Southwest Ireland. I'm wondering if that's a good balance or not. But reading about the fog makes me realize that we might miss something if we try to go too fast.

Would you really spend a whole week in Dingle and a whole week in Kenmare on a return trip to Ireland?

What did you like about the family at SeaShore Farmhouse in Kenmare?

Sorry I have plied you with so many questions. Thanks so much for another great installment of your Ireland journal. Dreaming of Ireland...

Robin
Unregistered User
(8/3/05 1:45 pm)

to Melissa

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I loved the Ring of Dingle also. I choose that on our last trip because people said is was a difficult to see over the rock walls and you were always following buses. We didn't see a bus in Dingle (September). There is a pass over and through the mountains that is a "must see" out of Dingle. If you ask in Dingle, they will be able to tell you where it was. Getting to it was a 'trip'. I couldn't believe we could possibly be on the right road. It felt like we were driving to the end of the world....AWESOME!! Also, somewhere on ring of Dingle, we stopped at a "scenic overlook"...on the right side everyone was climbing a small mountain (rocks, rocks and more rocks)to view a lake nestled in the valley above.... WOW! That was really something else!..even took mom up to the top for that one. We had trouble getting her down....dad was having a heartattack at the bottom. FUN! Cliffs of Mohr are a "must see" also! It rained the day we were there but we still laid on our bellies and looked over the great chasms....unbelievable.

Melissa2Ireland
Registered User
Posts: 17
(8/3/05 6:39 pm)

Re: to Melissa

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Robin, Dingle sounds great! I'm looking forward to spending 3 nights in Dingle so that we will have time to explore the surrounding area. We will have a car.

I can just see you coaxing your Mom up that hill to see the hidden lake, and your Dad having a heart attack at the bottom! I can't decide whether I'd be the one at the top or the one having a panic attack at the bottom!

Robin
Unregistered User
(8/3/05 11:09 pm)

Hint or two

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Melissa,

I found my itinerary on the second page of "I'm Back... I thought it was gone. Here are a copy of my notes on the ring of Dingle. I wanted to remember that beautiful pass...

Here tis..
copied from my notes...

We wake this morning to clouds and the promise of rain so Mark advises us to do our driving and sightseeing in the AM before the rain starts so we start off for Connor Pass. I had heard it was a narrow piece of road (Ring of Dingle) but very scenic and it turned out to be so true. At every turn and corner we ohhh’d and ahh’d! Again our word for the day was WOW! We stopped several places to enjoy the beauty but there was one particular place that was exceptionally great. The group stopped to admire the view on the side of the road and get a picture of the four of us near a waterfall. The young lady that took the picture told us, if we were up for a climb, we could find a lake between the mountains. Of course Randy and I jumped at the chance but mom decided she was up for it too. Dad was not too keen on her climbing but she was determined. It looked to be a climb of about 250 feet or so over boulders the size of a small car. What a blast! We all made it and the climb was worth the energy. WOW….here I go again! I think I need another adjective but there are no words to express it!

The road to Connor Pass was very narrow and several times we had to pull over as much as possible to let a car pass. Most of the time there is a small rock ledge to keep you from falling over the cliffs. I say MOST of the time!

Mark advised us to do most of the ring of Dingle but to cut back through the Slieve Mish Mountains. I think, of all the roads we took, this was the most narrow, the most dangerous, the steepest, the most beautiful and had the most sheep on it. We stopped at a house to find out if we were on the right road because, of course, it was not marked and was so narrow, we couldn’t imagine it could be right. At the first house, I stepped out of the car door only to be met by the barking of several dogs. When I got to the front door there was a sign that said, “Beware of the Dalmation”…..I made a hasty retreat back to the car and promised the rest of the passengers that I was not getting back out if there was any signs or any barking. Luckily, since the houses are built just a few feet from the door you can see right in some of the houses and I spotted a gentlemen getting ready to leave. Since we were back in the hills, I was hoping he didn’t shoot strangers. He informed us we were right on the mark.

The sheep were so funny! They would just stand there as we drove by. I am almost sure I could have grabbed some wool as we drove up to them but I didn’t think they would like that so refrained from that particular action. All the sheep have ink on their backs but we haven’t quite figured out why. We are supposing it has something to do with keeping your sheep separate from everyone else. We often saw sheep far away from any home, way up on the mountain. I can’t imagine how anyone could collect them all for shearing.

I hope that gives you a couple of ideas...if in all you searching, you find an interesting place to stay near Galway....that is where I am in my planning for our September trip.....let me know! When are you leaving?

Melissa2Ireland
Registered User
Posts: 27
(8/5/05 2:09 pm)

To: Robin, Re: Dingle and Galway

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Robin, are you "the other Robin"? I printed out 4 "chapters" of a trip report written by "the other Robin".

Thanks for sharing about the Dingle area visit! I'm getting excited about visiting the Dingle Peninsula. I'm a little nervous about some of those roads. Hubby will be driving though, he's pretty fearless.

Our trip will be June/July 2006...for 2 weeks. Actually 15 nights in Ireland.

Have fun planning Galway! You asked if my research turned up any interesting places to stay in Galway. If I were going to Galway, I would look into Carraig Beag B&B in Salthill (near Galway). www.dirl.com I haven't been to Ireland yet but this B&B was described in Rick Steves guidebook and sounded interesting. (I'm waiting for Michelle's Best Little Guide to Ireland to arrive soon!!!)

I don't know about you, but I'm hoping to stay in family-run B&Bs where the friendly Irish family is willing to chat with me a little. Did you stay in any places like that which you would recommend? I am planning 3 nights in Dingle, 3 nights in or near Lisdoonvarna (West Ireland), 1 night near Killarney National Park, 1 night in Cashel, 2 nights in Trim, 3 nights in Northern Ireland (Belfast, Bangor, or Newtownards), and finally 2 nights in or near Dublin.

Happy planning!

mmaloney
Unregistered User
(8/5/05 5:19 pm)

Dingle / Kenmare

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Hey Melissa,

I don't know when my next trip to Ireland will be, but yes I'd like to spend one week in Kenmare and another week in Dingle. I feel like my trip to Ireland was mainly for me to get aquainted with the different areas. For my next trip I'd like to actually relax a little more and experience a little more of the Irish culture rather than sightseeing. But I quickly learned that you can't do it all in one trip ! I kept reading that on message boards like this one and darnit I hate it when they're right !

It think 3 nights in Dingle would be wonderful for your first visit.

Weather is a huge factor. When we stayed in Kenmare, I briefly talked with another family from England. It was their third visit to Kenmare and they had still not properly experienced the Ring of Kerry because everytime they visited in foggy weather. Unfortunately for them they left the day before we did our drive.

Re: The SeaShore Farm Guesthouse. I had a little bit of a history with that family. My mom and sister had visited Ireland in 2001 and loved that place. My mom got horribly lost driving to Kenmare and they were very helpful in helping them find their way. The family has a daughter around my age and had a similar interest in music. She sent me a tape from Ireland of an album I had been looking for. When I booked my room at the SeaShore they had remembered my mom and sister. I just couldn't believe how hospitable they were. Plus, they were just a damn cute family! I noticed you were looking for B&Bs where the family would chat with you...SeaShore is definitely the place for that !

The couple at Greenmount were less chatty, but the breakfast sure made up for that !

I think I read that you are spending a total of 15 nights in Ireland? What spots do you plan on visiting? I think my trip itinerary was kind of in the middle in terms of pacing... I know some people have done much more in less time, while others just focus on a couple of spots. I feel like our trip was at a good pace, but I would definitely lean more towards spending more time in less places rather than trying to see everything.


RE: Cliffs of Moher... Seeing the Cliffs was a special experience, more because of the lack of crowds than anything else. Only issue is, if you see the Cliffs at sunset make sure you have somewhere to sleep relatively nearby. The Clifden House was approx. 40 min. drive away and I was racing the last minutes of light getting back. I wouldn't want to drive in Ireland at night...

RE: Dingle...Yes, Connor Pass is amazing. Definitely experience Slea Head Drive and Connor Pass. There are also several hikes you can take. Next time I'll be hiking, unless my wife convinces me to take horseback riding lessons...

Melissa2Ireland
Registered User
Posts: 32
(8/6/05 1:23 pm)

gabbing about Ireland

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mmaloney, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!

You asked which spots we'll be visiting. I keep re-working my itinerary, to accomodate biologist hubby's need for nature, and young adult daughter's need for some lively places, and my need to experience Irish culture, people, history, and music. So here's what I have right now: (added to this, we want to enjoy music pubs everywhere with locals!)

FLY into Shannon.
Rent car. Drive to Lisdoonvarna

3 nights: LISDOONVARNA
--Cliffs of Moher
--The Burren
--Dunguaire castle medieval banquet

3 nights: DINGLE
--Dingle Peninsula
--Great Blasket Island

1 night: KILLARNEY
--nature walk in Killarney National Park and spend the night close to the park.

1 night: CASHEL
--Rock of Cashel
--Bru Boru traditional Irish music & dance show

2 nights: TRIM
--Trim castle
--Newgrange

3 nights: NORTHERN IRELAND: BELFAST, BANGOR, OR NEWTOWNARDS
--visit Belfast and Lurgan where my Irish grandmother lived
--Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
--Belfast Botanic Gardens
--Mt. Stewart House Gardens

2 nights: DUBLIN
--Killmainham Gaol
--National Museum
--Dublin Writer's Museum
--Book of Kells
--Grafton St. shopping
--Temple Bar area
--St. Stephen's Green
--Merrion Square

OKAY, the list for Dublin is too long, I know, we'll have to choose! I think the Book of Kells and the Killmainham Gaol should have priority. Not sure what is #3.

I don't like my two 1-nighters, but they are for practical reasons. Hubby wants to walk in the Killarney National Park Yew woodlands. Most convenient to do that by spending the night and not having to do any back-tracking by car. 1 night in Cashel is as a stopover in the drive between Killarney and Trim.

Funny, some people on fodors say I have too many nights in Dingle. I don't think they understand that, if you choose a location rich in sights, the more time you spend there, the more you like it!

I actually don't think I have enough nights in Dingle! And I'm sad I can't fit in Kenmare and surrounding area, Beara Peninsula, etc.

SeaShore farm guesthouse sounds great, but I couldn't fit in Kenmare...had to take it out...sigh... Also not sure if hubby will take a second trip to Ireland with me after this one, because he's a biologist and he is already lamenting the disappearance of Ireland's trees! But I'm gonna try my best to show everyone the grand wonders of Ireland!

If hubby won't go back for a second trip I'll go without him. I'm sure I can find somebody to come!

I appreciate your warning me that weather can be a factor. If the weather is bad in Dingle we won't get to the Great Blasket Island. But then I guess we'll do more sight-seeing in Dingle town.

Oops, blabbing too long, gotta go now...talk to ya later!

Robin
Unregistered User
(8/7/05 9:40 pm)

the other Robin

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Yes, Melissa...the 'other' Robin was me. At that time there was two "Robins" writing on the Travel Forum. You asked about any good B & Bs....I wrote about them in my journal....check that out! Now, I need to know if anyone has stayed in the "Faulhouse" in Clifton in Connomera. It is a working farm and sounds like something different.

Mark D
Unregistered User
(8/13/05 12:15 pm)
 
Trip report

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Great read !
I found Galway to be my favorite city, with Westport a close second !
Loved the urban "buzz", yet it was small enough to wander on foot.
It was the first spot in Ireland where I felt I wanted to pack up and move.
We were on a tour, so I am not that helpful with places to stay, but I do think I absorbed alot, and can recommend many pubs, restaurants,shops,etc.