Road Trip Ireland Part 1

Saturday, 29.07.2023

Our last night on the boat was relatively short. But the sun spoils us right after waking up. We still have a lot to pack. We have to leave the boat clean. Just as we are about to leave, it starts pouring rain again. We wait at the reception until the shower passes. Now we can walk to the bus stop. After a short wait, a minibus actually arrives. The bus labeled as Bus 840 turns out to be a Local Link, a bus line created for the residents of smaller towns between Banagher and Tullamore. We are the only passengers and can have a nice conversation with the bus driver. The trip to Tullamore station takes a little over 1 hour and costs only €3 per person. Three teenagers board along the way. At Tullamore station, we can't go wrong as there is only one platform, our train to Dublin Heuston is slightly delayed. We have reserved seats on the train. The journey to Heuston also takes about 1 hour. Now we just have to catch the airport express to get to the car rental agency at the airport. Here we pick up our little gray Mazda. Now we're off to the hotel, located in the city. After checking in, we take a walk into town. We treat ourselves to a whiskey drink at Jameson, even though it's only half past four. Many streets and squares seem familiar to us from our last visit in 2016. Based on our experience from yesterday, we make a reservation at the Indian restaurant. To get there, we walk through Temple Bar, the trendy pub district of Dublin, which is bustling on Saturday evenings. After a hearty meal, we pass by the famous Trinity College before heading back to our accommodation.

Sunday, 30.07.2023

Right after getting up, we accidentally take a short walk through Dublin, when all we wanted was to go to the selected breakfast place, which is right next to the hotel. After that, we pack up and continue our journey. We have to drive 16 km through Dublin to our first stop, Forty Foot, a rocky coastline. It's not very busy and we make good progress. However, Forty Foot is so crowded, everyone wants to go swimming (in the freezing cold), that we can't find a parking space. We continue to our second stop, Killruddery House and Garden. Here, we only visit the beautiful garden. It's incredible how big the area is and how beautifully it's laid out and maintained. The next guided tour of the house is not for another 2 hours. We don't want to wait that long, especially since the weather isn't very promising either. After a coffee in the tea pavilion, we continue to Rosslare Habour. A very large ferry port from where you can travel to Great Britain, France, and Spain. This port will also become an important cargo hub after Brexit. Because when we arrive at the hotel, the lady at the reception immediately asks which ferry we want to take in the morning. After checking in, we would have time for a walk through the town, but it's not possible due to heavy rain. In the evening, we make another attempt and want to hike the Waddingsland Bay Cliff Trail. During a break in the rain, we finally dare to start. It doesn't take long and it's raining again. Slightly soaked, we return to the car. We have no choice but to go out for dinner and treat ourselves to a delicious beer. We hope that the next day will bring better weather.

Monday, 31.07.2023

It's raining. However, as it gets brighter, hope for better weather grows and indeed, the sun even comes out around noon.

We start our journey to the small fishing village of Kilmore Quay, a very beautiful place with small thatched houses and an disproportionately large fishing port. We park at the harbor, walk along the coast, and back through the village. In the sea, there are the Saltee Islands, formerly a hideout for pirates, now a bird sanctuary.

Our next destination is Tintern Abbey. On the way there, we see the wreck of the Port Lairge at low tide in the bay of Colclough. Shortly after, we catch sight of Tintern Church. We have to take a detour before we reach Tintern Abbey. After the visit, a small path leads us through the forest to Colclough Walled Garden, a beautiful garden behind a high wall. Finally, we visit the Tintern Bridge, an old bridge spanning a small stream. We can enjoy all of this in sunny weather.

Now the journey continues to Kilkenny, about 50 km away. We drive through the beautiful valley of the River Nore, crossing it several times on old, narrow arch bridges. Before we start our walk to the castle in Kilkenny, we quickly check into Langton's Hotel and park the car in the hotel car park. It's already quite late, so we can no longer participate in a guided tour of the castle. But that's okay, we can explore the premises on our own with the help of a description. The original stone castle was built in the 13th century. The castle was then owned by a family for over 600 years until it was sold to the residents of Kilkenny in 1967 for 50 Irish pounds. We walk through the small pedestrian zone to Smithwick's Brewery, where we enjoy the delicious Irish Red Ale before returning to the hotel.

Tuesday, 01.08.2023

It promises to be a beautiful day. We set off for Cork. Our first stop is the town of Cashel with the Rock of Cashel, a unique monument of Irish history. The mountain rises 65 m high and is considered an Irish landmark with its magnificent church on the hill, which can be seen from far away. From the visitor's car park, we make our way up. Once we arrive, we don't have to queue at the ticket office. We have our Heritage Pass, which we bought in Boyle, so we can go straight to the site. After a thorough visit and reading the historical information, we walk down to the lower ruins of Hore Abbey.

Next, we continue to the historic town of Cahir, where we want to visit the Swiss Cottage, located just outside. From the car park, a short hiking trail leads through the forest down to the river and on the other side, we reach the cottage through a tunnel originally designed for staff. We climb up using a staircase. We can only visit the interior rooms as part of a guided tour. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed. The furnishings are sensational. We are totally impressed.

We continue to our destination for today, the city of Cork on the River Lee. Once we arrive in Cork, we check into our B&B and take a walk to the city center. It's only about 600 m from our B&B. Our first stop is the English Market. Then we go to a nice cafe, Bean & Leaf. After a small refreshment, we start our tour, which takes us along the River Lee. After a delicious dinner at the beautiful Irish restaurant Market Lane, we head back. Most Irish restaurants always offer the same dishes - fish and chips, burgers, chicken, and roast beef. The roast beef is recommended, served with mashed potatoes and vegetables and priced at €13 to €15, it's very affordable. Market Lane claims to be different and we experience a surprise - sophisticated cuisine and excellent food. We want to make a reservation for 7 PM at 6 PM, but the next available table is not until 7:45. When we leave the restaurant at 9 PM, it is still fully occupied.

Today, we walked over 15,000 steps again.

Wednesday, 02.08.2023

Today, we are on our way to Blarney Castle and Gardens, The Home of the Blarney Stone. For over 200 years, statesmen, literary greats, screen legends, and millions of pilgrims have made the journey to kiss this stone and obtain the gift of eloquence. We didn't do it. Hans-Werner went up to the top of the tower and marveled at the crowds. The stone is still very popular today. We visit a part of the beautifully landscaped 24-hectare park. There is even a poison garden, where all the poisonous plants are described. The fern garden is also impressive. In the tree garden, we even find a bluebell tree, which we planted in our garden last autumn. Our visit is interrupted by rain showers. Finally, we take a photo with the bagpiper. Now the journey continues. Along the way, there are heavy rain showers again. We drive over hills and through valleys on partly very narrow roads to Killarney. Once we arrive, we find a nice cafe first. The town is very touristy because it is the starting point for the Ring of Kerry, which we have also planned. After checking in at our B&B, we go back to town for dinner. We dine in a typical Irish pub called Bricin. We order the national dish, called Boxty here, which consists of a potato pancake filled with different flavors. Hans-Werner chooses the beef variation, Rotraut goes for the ratatouille version. Very tasty, we can't say otherwise. The local beer is a perfect match for the food.

Thursday, 03.08.2023

Our program for today includes a hike in Killarney National Park. We start from Ross Castle and head towards Library Point. Along the way, we have a beautiful view of Lough Leane, then we continue to the old copper mine. We are totally surprised that there was a large copper deposit here. From 1804 to 1828, almost 5000 tons of copper ore were extracted and shipped to Wales, where it was smelted into metal. The hiking trail then leads us to Library Point, offering a beautiful view of the lake. Shortly after, it starts pouring rain again and we have to take shelter. Luckily, we bought umbrellas, so we don't get completely soaked. Back at the car park, we continue our drive in the national park. Our next stop is Torc Waterfall, well, we have seen better ones. The car park is very crowded, so we continue on. We enjoy a coffee break at Ladies View. Before proceeding on narrow roads to the Gap of Dunloe. We are impressed by the road layout, it is relatively steep downhill, very curvy, and quite narrow. When encountering an oncoming vehicle, which happens frequently, you have to try to find a small bay. There is often no space to stop for photos. After the Wishing Bridge, the road gets slightly wider again and we can drive comfortably to our Larkefield B&B in Killarney. We end the day at Murphy's Pub with a good meal and beer.

Friday, 04.08.2023

Today we start the famous 'Ring of Kerry', a 179 km scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula in southwestern Ireland, County Kerry. The 'Ring of Kerry' is part of the 'Wild Atlantic Way', which starts in Kinsale in the south and runs to Muff on the border with Northern Ireland. We start in Killarney, cross a mountain, with the highest point being Molls Gap, and reach the small, very touristy town of Kenmare. Here, we are on the coast, the Kenmare Bay, and drive south, passing through Sneem to Castlecove. Now the interesting part begins with fantastic landscapes and cliffs. Around 2 PM, we reach the Cliffs of Kerry, which can be reached via a 2 km long path. The cliffs are privately owned, and we have to pay a €5 entrance fee. Just as we start our hike, it starts pouring rain on time. Moreover, it's very windy, so our umbrellas don't help much. Nevertheless, the trail is worth it. Our next stop is Valentina Island Lighthouse, the drive there is adventurous, narrow, and steep. For today's stage of 280 km, we need almost 9 hours and finally arrive at our hotel, Murphy's Pub Bed & Breakfast in Dingle at 5 PM. The name Murphy is very common here, everything is called that - hotels, pubs, beer and ice cream, even the garbage collection - and of course, there's also Murphy's Law. Oh, and when we arrive, it's pouring rain. We reserve a table in the pub, there's live music tonight. The band is called Tintean (which means fire or fires in Gaelic). The four guys play great music and get the guests in the mood. After 2 hours without a break, it's over. We buy a CD because we liked the music so much, chat with other guests, and get a variety of tips before going to sleep.