Ireland 2015: Day 12 – Doolin to Galway

Laura Irwin

Here are the things I miss about home today: sleeping in my own bed, knowing where everything is when I need it, buying, cooking, and eating my own food, and driving my own car on the right-hand side of the road.  And here are the things I love about Ireland: the people, the history, the incredibly picturesque landscapes, and the music.  I’m heading home in two days, and part of me wants to leave now and part of me wants to stay here (or at least take Ireland home with me!).  There are some vacations where I want to soak everything in because I don’t know that I’ll ever be back (the Cotswolds is a recent example of that).  There are other places I’ve traveled to where I absolutely know I will be back (I had that feeling on my first visit to Turks and Caicos and returned a year later).  Ireland definitely falls into the latter category: I will definitely be back.

New Quay, County Clare
New Quay, County Clare

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Ireland 2015: Day 11 – Dingle to Doolin

Laura Irwin

Today I visited my ancestral hometown of Cahersherkin in County Clare, near Ennistymon.  I wish I could say I met some long-lost distant cousins, but that didn’t happen.  I did visit two cemeteries where Shannons and Finucanes are buried (both family names).  In fact, Cahersherkin is more like an area, not an actual town.

The crossroads in Cahersherkin, County Clare
The crossroads in Cahersherkin, County Clare

I asked a gentleman walking on the road if I was going in the right direction and he pointed down the street and told me it was at the crossroads.  The crossroads were two single lane roads through the local farmland.  I didn’t feel any strong pull telling me that this was home, but it was very neat to see.  I kept thinking that my ancestors could have helped to build the stone walls and buildings I was driving by.

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Ireland 2015: Day 10 – The Dingle Peninsula

Laura Irwin

“When life gives you lemons….”  Once again, I woke up to cloudy skies and the threat of rain.  I determined to make the best of what is becoming a common theme the last few days.  I set off from Killarney after breakfast heading toward the Dingle Peninsula.  Known as another lesser-visited area, the Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the southwest peninsulas heading up the west coast of Ireland.  It wasn’t long before I hit Inch Beach.  I was determined to put my feet in this side of the Atlantic Ocean, and this seemed like as good a place as any to do it.  You might expect the Irish waters to be cold, but compared to Massachusetts, it wasn’t shocking.  I met a gentleman walking his dog on the beach and he said this weather is not what summer in Ireland is typically like.

Dingle Peninsula
Dingle Peninsula

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Ireland 2015: Day 9 – Killarney

Laura Irwin

Can we just talk about Irish dairy for a minute?  Every single dairy product I’ve had on this trip has been so creamy and fresh!  The cream, the butter, the ice cream… so good!  On my mental shopping list for the day I get home, I’ve already added Irish butter and cheese.  I’m probably thinking about dairy tonight because (a) I’m hungry and (b) I had the world’s best soft serve ice cream cone this afternoon.

Gap of Dunloe
Gap of Dunloe

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Ireland 2015: Day 8 – The Ring of Kerry

Laura Irwin

Another cloudy/rainy/foggy Irish day. I got an early start so that I could beat the masses and tour buses on the Ring of Kerry. I wish I could say I loved it. Maybe it was the solitude and beauty I experienced “off the beaten path” the last couple of days. Maybe the weather was to blame. Either way, it wasn’t my favorite day of vacation.

Ballycarbery Castle
Ballycarbery Castle

But there were some bright spots to the otherwise dreary day. I spent about an hour and a half exploring Ballycarbery Castle and the two nearby stone forts. The castle dates to the 1500s and stands high in a field overlooking the river Fertha. You can look into the first floor rooms, but the fun (at least for me) was climbing up the narrow stone steps at the back and exploring the rooms above the main floor. The fact that these old ruins are just sitting there and that you can just drive up and start exploring continues to amaze me!

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Ireland 2015: Day 7 – The Beara Peninsula

Laura Irwin
Muckross Abbey
Muckross Abbey

Off the beaten path.  That is exactly how I would describe the last two days in Ireland.  Mizen Head, Sheep’s Head, and the Beara Peninsula are three of the lesser-traveled peninsulas in southern Ireland.  The tour buses can’t easily get to many of the places in these areas, so there are far fewer people.  Just my type of day!  I stopped at Muckross Abbey in Killarney before heading to the Beara Peninsula.  I plan to spend the day in Killarney National Park on Friday, but the Abbey is a short walk from the main road and I decided to check it out.  I was there before 9AM and had the place almost to myself.  The friary dates to 1445 and is well preserved.  I can’t say that my visit turned me into a history buff, but I wandered around in awe of the building and tried to imagine the friars who lived there walking through these same doorways and arches. You can actually climb the winding stone staircases up into the tower and around the vaulted cloister.

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Ireland 2015: Day 5 – Kilkenny to Kinsale

Laura Irwin

Today started off gray and rainy.  As in, pouring rain.  Yesterday, I had seen a sign for the “Kilkenny-Cashel Scenic Drive”, and since Cashel was my first stop for the day, I decided to give it a try.  Good thing the route was well-signed!  Between the narrow roads, rain, fog, and oncoming cars, it was a bit of a white-knuckle drive!  When I got to Cashel, my only planned stop was at the Rock of Cashel.  The Rock of Cashel was the seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years before being donated to the church in 1101 AD.  In 1749 the roof was removed, and the ruins have been an attraction to visitors ever since.  It was interesting to walk around inside the old cathedral with the rain coming down, but I was even more impressed by the cemetery outside, with its views of the surrounding countryside.  In 1930, they made a register of those who would be able to be buried in the churchyard.  Only those living could be recorded in the register (no would-be children or grandchildren).  There are only 5 people left on the register to be buried, all in their 80s now.  I’m sure a sunny day would have made for a better visit, but somehow the rain and clouds added to the atmosphere.

Rock of Cashel
Rock of Cashel

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Ireland 2015: Day 4 – A Day in Kilkenny

Laura Irwin
Parliament Street, Kilkenny
Parliament Street, Kilkenny

I now understand why they tell you to dress in layers in Ireland.  You can go from enjoying a sunny day to a downpour in 10 minutes’ time!  This morning was a mix of sun and clouds (now I sound like a weatherman!), and I started my day with a hotel breakfast before heading to Kilkenny Castle.  I did some reading up on scrambled eggs because everywhere I’ve been in Europe, the eggs are very moist and gooey, not at all like what we’re used to in the U.S.  It turns out, while we normally make our eggs by mixing them with milk and then cooking until they are dry; here they put the milk and butter in the pan, add the eggs, and cook just until they’re set.  I’m not a fan.  Fortunately, croissants also seem to be staples of an Irish breakfast, so I’m not going hungry!  I met two nice couples from Virginia at breakfast this morning, who asked me to pull up a chair and discuss vacations with them.  They were just finishing a 12 day trip very similar to mine, but in reverse.  They were able to share some of their favorite places and experiences, and I took plenty of mental notes!

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Ireland 2015: Day 3 – Dublin to Kilkenny

Laura Irwin

Today started with a trip back to Dublin Airport to pick up a rental car for the rest of the trip.  There were red, white, and blue balloons everywhere, including in arches over the doorways.  Pretty impressive!  I finally got the car, a Volkswagen Jetta (my only requirements were automatic and a/c; no small feat – or price tag – in Ireland), and discovered that it runs on diesel.  Add that as another first for me!  Having driven for a week on the left in England back in April, I wasn’t nearly as nervous or apprehensive this time.  I should mention that my nervousness this time stems more from the low mileage – only 19 km! – on the car than the driving.  I’m afraid of getting any little scratch on it.  They actually have pictures taken of it just before I picked it up.  Hertz’s NeverLost system seems to spend more time “searching for a GPS signal” than it actually does navigating, but I managed to make it to all my intended stops for the day.

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