Last two weeks in June

Roy · Guru

Last two weeks in June

Michele Erdvig · Host

Roy,

Another trip to Ireland. Great! biggrin Looks like you intend to take it easy and thoroughly explore a couple of areas. Are you self-catering or staying at B&Bs or hotels?

Michele

Roy · Guru

Looks like B&B's. We've discussed self-catering but for two the cost isn't as beneficial as far as I can tell. And yes, we are taking it easy relatively speaking!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Roy,

It sounds very relaxing. Let me know if I can help with your plans.

Michele

EngagingKate · Senior Member

Roy,

Your trip to Ireland will overlap ours! Only we'll be in Northern Ireland by the end of June. We'll start our trip staying near Enniskillen and then be heading over the Donegal coast for a few days, but we'll be heading back over to Antrim by the time you're flying into Shannon.

Inis Meain is the one Aran Island we haven't gotten to yet. And we had thought about dipping down to visit Ben Bulben and Achill, but we had to cut that part out due to the fact that we're needing to focus on the north for research purposes. cry

We love Ireland in June when the days are really long. We can do so much more in daylight in a single day that way!

Sounds like you have a great trip planned. Enjoy!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Kathy,

Where are you staying near Enniskillen? I know a fabulous farmhouse accommodation.

Michele

CowboyCraic · Guru

Kathy,

Hopefully, your time on Donegal's coast will include some time to hike the Sliabh Liag. They have greatly improved the road up to the top parking area, even adding in pullouts!

Inis Oirr and Inis Mor are the two most easily accessed islands of the Aran three. I could spend a week tarversing just those two islands. I never go over without at least an overnight on Inis Mor. I would feel deprived if I didn't close my eyes and drift off to sleep to the soothing sounds of an Aran Island lullaby, the waves against the cliffs and teh livestock lowing.

Donegal also has some great Islands to explore. Arranmore is a grand adventure in and of itself. Liam Flaherty, an Inis Mor Author, and his new bride Honeymooned at the Glen Hotel, still in operation, back in 1928 when it first opened. The people of Tory Island are inspiring. Their love of life and the joy they find in music and crafting is uniquely their's.

Slan Beo,

Bit

Roy · Guru

Yes Michelle, this trip is for fun and leisure, assuming my second climb of Croagh Patrick is leisurely! We have decided to concentrate on one to two areas of the country each visit from now on. I've never had the chance to explore Galway because we have always managed to be in Ireland during race week. My wife says I will love it. I have booked at Marless House B&B in Salt Hill and Ceol Na Mara B&B in Westport Quay. Two years ago we spent a week in Westport and really liked Ceol Na Mara. I still have day trips to add to both weeks.

Roy · Guru

Kathy,

Sounds like a great trip that you have planned! My wife is from Co. Westmeath so we tend to visit in the Republic. I would like to visit Northern Ireland sometime.

EngagingKate · Senior Member

Michele,

We have a reservation at Corrigan's Shore Guest House http://www.shoreguesthouse.co.uk/, which is actually a bit south of Enniskillen in Clonatrig (or Cloonatrig, depending upon who you ask). But we're always interested in hearing about other people's favorites. Is your recommendation located in the same area as the accommodation we selected?

Bit,

We are actually looking forward to getting out to Tory Island. Being artists ourselves, we really want to check it out. It is our intention to get an interview with King Patsy (Patsy Dan MacRuair or Rodgers, if you prefer) for our podcast. We were hoping that there would be some electronic means of contacting him other than by telephone, but the only contact information we have come across so far is a phone number.

Not sure if we're going to make it out to Arranmore. We're not spending but 3 nights in Donegal. Our focus on this trip is research we're doing in Northern Ireland. Our priorities in Donegal are Sliabh Liag, Glenveagh National Park, Tory Island and Inishowen. Anything we can fit in is gravy, as far as we're concerned! Since we really love the Beara Peninsula because it's so untouched, we are guessing that we will feel the same about Donegal...

Roy,

This is our 5th trip to Ireland. We have spent a total of about 10 weeks in the country so far (with 22 days added on during this June's trip to NI), but this is the first time we've ventured up into the North. We figured it was about time we saw the rest of the island for ourselves! It'll give us more credibility when we talk about things on our website and podcast if we've actually visited places across the whole of Eire.

If your wife is from the Republic, I can understand why you have stayed south. We have a particular fondness for County Tipperary (specifically, North Tipp), and we almost always make a stop to stay at a farm near Birr. It's called Fairymount Farm (www.fairymountfarm.com), and they have three self-catering cottages that are extremely reasonably priced. There are several marked walking trails on the 450 acre farm and are centrally-located for visiting the areas from Co Clare to Co Laois.

Thank you everyone for your feedback!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Kathy,

My recommendation is about the same distance from Enniskillen but it is west on the A4 (near Letterbreen) instead of south. It is really a place you won't want to leave: Abocurragh Farmhouse. Breakfast is something special there and it is so peaceful.

Tell me about Fairymount Farm Cottages. I've actually considered self-catering there myself. Which cottage were you in?

Michele

CowboyCraic · Guru

June will be a busy month for the IrelandYes! Irregulars, it would seem. All that will be missing is our Michele!

Roy, climbing Croagh Padraig is an ambitious endeavour! It has long been my desire to make that climb. However, I know how I struggle just hiking up to Dun Aonghasa. Perhaps tehre will come a day when I can make it all the way to the top of Croagh Padraig, myself. Good luck, a chara.

Kathy, a stop at Ti Linn, the craft center you will pass on your way up to the Sliabh Liag parking areas, after your hike would be worth your while not only for the hot cuppa and a delicious baked treat but for the wealth of information you will obtain from talking to Paddy, if he is there. From Paddy, I learned of a court tomb and a small family tweed operation enroute to Glencolumcille. He also suggested a detour to An Tra Bahn, for which I will be forever in his debt. As to reaching King Patsy, good luck, even with a phone, he is rarely within phone range. If memory serves, the number provided for his contact is actually the Art Gallery

There is much to be enjoyed in Northern Ireland. It has many a hidden gem that most never find.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Here is a hidden gem not far from the Giant's Causeway that I enjoyed:

Dark Hedges

Michele

Roy · Guru

We climbed Croagh Patrick in 2009 and I am excited about returning. We had a near perfect day and even saw a rainbow.

EngagingKate · Senior Member

Michele,

RE: Fairymount Farm

John and Linda Kenny have been the most lovely hosts for us on every visit. The farm has been in John's family for generations, so he grew up right there (as did Linda, I believe) and knows a lot about what's in the area. He has also given us some great suggestions of places we would want to go (like the Glen of Aherlow drive and Doo Lough Pass). We probably would have found them eventually, but he told us first...

The farm itself is an organic farm. They raise some sheep (not as many as before, when they used to sell to Tesco) and grow hay, but their main focus now is horse breeding and training. They make several trips a year to the United States (mainly Kentucky, go figure) to meet with buyers. Their horses are beautiful! If you stay in The Old Cottage in the spring, you'll be right next to the barn where the mares are foaling, and you'll be right near the pasture where the mares and foals are kept.

We have stayed in each of the three cottages, and they are all very different from each other. Because the farm is so large, they're not all in one cluster, which we like.

We have stayed in Fairymount Cottage a couple of times, because it is attached to the main house, and we enjoy being able to see the Kennys most days and have a glass of wine in the evenings. Also, they have several Border Collies that are working farm dogs, but, when they're not working, we love to play with them in the yard next to the house. And Fairymount is also right at the base of Knockshegowna Hill (Hill of the Fairies). The 700-foot high hill has fantastic views of several counties and is a perfect place to pack a box dinner and go watch the sun set (provided you remember to take along a torch, so you can pick your way back down the hill in the dark!).

All of the cottages have washer and dryer (and outside drying lines), dishwasher, sleeping accommodation for at least 6, linens (including towels) and a small television. One of the three bedrooms in each cottage is en-suite. Each of the cottages also has a fireplace where you can build a real fire - either peat or wood. The one big drawback of Fairymount for us is that, to date, the cottages do not have any Internet connectivity. But, by the same token, it was nice and quiet with no distractions for a few days! (Plus, we were going out on day-trips almost every day, so we would just find someplace that had WiFi that we could use for a bit.)

On a complete tangent, one time we drove into Birr (which is about 5 or 6 miles from Fairymount) to have dinner and do some grocery shopping, and we had seen online that there was supposed to be an Internet Cafe in downtown Birr. The hours were listed as 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. We stopped by the cafe at about 12:30, and there was no one there, the door was locked, and there was no note on the door (as you sometimes find in Ireland - "I'm over at Joe's Pub if you need me.") So we went to lunch, went shopping, and came back at about 3 p.m. Still no one there. We left Birr that day and went back to Fairymount. The next day we drove through Birr on our way to somewhere else (I don't exactly recall what we were doing that day, but odds are we were trying to get to Holy Island on Lough Derg via Mountshannon...) and we stopped at the cafe to check. No one was there. Eventually, we ended up sitting in the middle of town in Emmett Square under the statue (the road goes all around that area - there's a picture of it on this page - we sat right on the curb just beyond where the blue car is in the photo:

http://www.bandbireland.com/Pages/Birr_Bed_and_Breakfast_Accommodation_Offaly.html)

We were getting a WiFi signal from somewhere in the area of the square, but if we left that spot, we couldn't get a signal anymore! So we sat there with cars whizzing past, the four of us, each taking a turn at checking our e-mail and updating our blogs.

Okay, back to the cottages at Fairymount... Our favorite cottage is The Old Cottage, because you can just picture it when it had a thatched roof. John and Linda told us a story about the widow who lived there with her 12 children during the famine years. I can't imagine 8 people living there, much less 13, and there were only two rooms to the cottage at that time! It has the cutest red Dutch door (stable door) leading out to the patio, where there's a table and chairs.

Oakwood is also a great cottage, but it is a bit different than when we last stayed in it, as they had a small fire and had to refurbish the inside. This cottage has a separate utility room, and a nice conservatory on the front. It's also nice because it sits aways up on a knoll, so you can go out in the mornings or evenings and look out over the vale and the rolling green hills and listen to sheep and cattle and rooks and crows as you sip a warm cuppa and wish you could stay right there forever...

I suppose I could just go on and on (and already have!), but that's a good overview. If you want to know anything else, please let me know. I'm happy to share! smile

EngagingKate · Senior Member

Bit,

Thanks very much for the tips on the Sliabh Liag area and about Pat on Tory Island! We've got them noted... Your photos are lovely. Thank you for sharing those!

Michele,

That picture, Dark Hedges, is a view we've seen in photos before (similar to yours). I really want to go and drive that road! Where, exactly, is it?

Also, checking out Abocurragh Farmhouse... thanks for that info.

Roy,

I really like that photo of you on Croagh Patrick. It's also on my Bucket List... Hope you get another rainbow this climb! wink

Slan,

Kate

Michele Erdvig · Host

Kathy,

Thanks for the additional info on Fairymount Cottages. They sound great. Maybe by the time I get there they will have WiFi. I like your story of finding WiFi on the curb! Only in Ireland.

Send Bernie at Abocurragh an email and tell her I recommend her B&B. If you are staying for a couple of days she might give you a discount. Never hurts to ask. It really is first-class.

The Dark Hedges are on Drones Road approaching Gracehill Golf Club in Stranocum. It is south of the Giant's Causeway between Armoy and Ballymoney. The only way I can find it is via Armoy. If you want directions from Armoy let me know. Don't just drive it. Park and walk it. I took my photo in late afternoon in Oct. and got some fabulous light.

Michele

Roy · Guru

Kate,

Thanks for the compliment on my picture. I need to shed a few pounds and get in shape- it was not an easy climb (at least for me). I made a video of pictures and posted on my FB page, I'm not sure how to otherwise share it. My wife said she could run up and down it when she was a child!

EngagingKate · Senior Member

Roy,

Have you been out to Sceilig Mhichil (Skellig Michael)? I found climbing down the stairs way more difficult than going up. (But mostly because I have a situational fear of heights. I'm okay being at an elevation, if I have some sort of enclosure or wall around me. There's not even a railing on the stairs at Sceilig Mhichil, so I had some issues with vertigo coming down...)

Having said all of that, though, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It was fantastic and exhilarating!!

Roy · Guru

I'm thinking of adding Clare Island to the list of might do's for the week in Westport.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Roy,

Here are some links for you:

http://www.clareislandferry.com/

http://www.omalleyferries.com/

http://www.clareisland.info/

Michele

Roy · Guru

Thanks Michele. There's not much in the archives on Clare Island, but my wife loves exploring. A couple years ago we spent the day on Cape Clear Island and my wife realized she had spent some time there in her youth.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Roy,

Have you ever been to Inishbofin? Ages ago I read the book "Island of the White Cow" and really enjoyed the descripitions of the island. I think the book is out of print but you may be able to find a used copy.

Michele

Roy · Guru

Have not been there Michele. I'll take a look tonight.

Roy · Guru

Inishbofin looks interesting. There's not much in the archives, but we decided to book Trad on the prom for 22 June.

tony2phones · Guru

If you are nearby Clifden on the last Friday of the month you might want to go to the Comhaltas which should be in one of the pubs and makes a great night out. no web page but Facebook link, (Should have been there tonight myself)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=210403426608&v=wall

Roy · Guru

We like Clifden, thanks for the advice!

Roy · Guru

After stressing on the crap shoot known as "purchasing airfare" I decided to wave the white flag in surrender. Prices seem high for being four months out, and perhaps I should have been more patient, BUT looking at seat availability I became concerned as window seats seem to be quickly filling. Since Aer Lingus cut back on flights to Shannon and some American airlines bailed out completely, apparently seats are becoming less available. My wife suggested looking at alternate nearby dates, and I was able to shave some money off the ticket price. So, we are now leaving two days earlier on 16 June and returning on 30 June. Before I booked I made sure the B&B's I had reserved could accommodate the date change, and changed the dates of my car rental as well.

murphy · Guru

Way to go, Roy! After the stress of car rental, the airline booking process is the 2nd most stressful part of any trip for me. cry

I was looking at sample airfares for the June15-30 time period this year....to maybe......get an idea of what to tell family members about the price for the possible 2012 family reunion in Ireland. It was looking to me like the $1100-1200 price range was common,.... which made our 755 dollar tickets for March 26-April 10, 2011, look like a real bargain. However, if you divide the extra $500 over a 14 day period, it is only about $35/day....and that is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things! Now comes the real fun biggrin

...planning all the other details of the trip! Dan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Roy,

Glad to hear your flights are confirmed. I agree it can be stressful. Too bad we all don't have crystal balls to tell us the best deals and when they will happen. Hey, if we did we would all be rich! It's kind of like predicting the weather in Ireland. I've been seeing on the news that airlines are raising their rates right now. I suppose to keep up with fuel prices.

Michele