Southern Ireland

We made our way south, along country lanes, through rural towns and past a multitude of ruined stone buildings and lambing sheep. We bid County Clare farewell as we took another car ferry (our fourth so far), this time across the River Shannon. We landed on the southern shore at Tarbert in County Kerry. We made our way to our accommodation, a cute self-contained cabin about 15km along Tralee Bay with great views to across the bay and up to the Slieve Mish Mountains (and two friendly cats). We decamped, did a load of washing and lay in the sunshine for a while. Then we ventured west to explore the Dingle Peninsula.

The drive to Dingle is pretty and our destination was even prettier. It is a tourist town, and we could see why – a lovey harbour, busy marina, attractive narrow streets, all sorts of Irish souvenirs and a multitude of eateries. We sampled black pudding and cheese crêpes (jury out on that one!), visited a variety of merchants and wandered the streets, enjoying the holiday vibe and the school marching band that was parading as we arrived.  

Ever since we entered Ireland in the north we have seen signs that trumpet ‘The Wild Atlantic Way’. It starts at Derry and hugs the west coast for 2,600kms to end just west of Cork. We have jumped on and off the route unintentionally through Donegall, Sligo, Galway and Clare but today was a day where every road was part of the scenic drive. We were on the Slea Head Drive and it was spectacular. The road hugged the cliffs, emerald-green fields ran down to the water and the sea glistened. Our stops were amazing – ancient hill forts, panoramic views, sun-drenched cafes and buttock-clenching mountain passes. The drive over Conor Pass was exciting – heading up the pass the road twists and turns through increasingly steep fields. Once you get to the top and start your descent, the road narrows to about 2 metres wide with limited passing places, the edges drop away and it is a thrilling weave down the side of the steep glacial valley. One of us loved it, the other kept eyes firmly on the ocean far below. Our day was a fantastic introduction to Kerry and we looked forward to our next day’s activities.

By now we were a dealing with coastline overload. Killarney National Park was an obvious choice to get some forest and field action. Killarney town is pretty, with lots of little lanes and alleyways branching off the main streets. And it was pumping with tourist and locals alike. We discovered the blossom walk at Killarney House and walked beside crystal-clear streams and lakes. A picnic lunch in the shadow of Ross Castle on the shore of Lough Leane was accompanied by swans, ducks and groups of loud tourists. A particular activity in the national park is taking a jaunting car along some of the paths; we moved aside to let these handsome horses and carts clip-clop by. It was lovely to stretch our legs, enjoy the sounds of nature and raise our step-count average.

We have been blessed with amazing weather, to the point we are getting tans (a little sunburnt perhaps). The light here is so different. It could be midday but it seems like it is earlyish morning. It is a very moist light and the sun is quite low in the sky to the south. We keep expecting the day to get brighter, the sky bluer and the sun higher.

We drove through lovely countryside to arrive in Cork. A wander through the steep streets of the old town on one side of the River Lee was followed by an explore of the other bank of the river, through the English Market and the narrow laneways. Our day’s journey ended in the port town of Cobh. We explored the town, finding staircases and steep streets to conquer, loved the colourful buildings both grand and small, were awed by the enormous cathedral and relaxed into the seaside vibe at a few watering holes. Early the next morning, we were entertained by the arrival of a large cruise ship into Cobh Harbour, watching it gracefully glide by, pirouette 180º and berth alongside the heritage museum.