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Published: November 16th 2007
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Monday 18th June Lots and lots of driving!!! We followed the Northern coast line along and down 60kms to Londonderry commonly know as “The Walled City.” We walked a part of the only completely walled city in Ireland, built as defences for early 17th century settlers from England and Scotland. The walls are 1.5kms in circumference and form a walkway around the city. Not that awe inspiring, but insightful none the less knowing about the history of Ireland.
We then drove 60kms to Portsalon, near Fanad Head, which is the second most northerly tip of land. This drive was the start of many hours navigating around the narrow, windy roads of Ireland. Our eyes were constantly scanning and working overtime taking in the spectacular views of ocean, lakes, dense forest, and hills. On this drive and throughout the holiday we couldn’t help feeling a little envious of the cows and horses that lived on the green fertile paddocks overlooking the ocean. Prime real estate!!! What a waste!! We discovered by chance a lighthouse on this tip. As you can see from the photos, a magnificent view of the ocean and of course
Tinny Time
Near Fanad HeadAaron and Cam couldn’t pass up the chance for a beer.
Another 50kms and we hit Letterkenny where we had dinner with Cambo, Nat and her family. We all had our first Guinness (The first of many for Aaron) together and a pub meal. On the way home we stopped and walked through a beautiful forest, check out the photo of Aaron “being at one with nature”.
Tuesday 19th June Today was probably one of the best days of the holiday. The day started with rain and we were all very disappointed that the day would be a wash out. But, just in the nick of time, the sun came out and helped to make this day unforgettable. We travelled no more that 10 miles from our house to see the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, originally built to allow fishermen access to Carrick Island, a spot favoured by Salmon. The bridge is suspended across a 24m deep and 18m wide chasm. Walking this bridge was not an easy feat as it swayed substantially and looked as though it would break any minute. Yet, in saying that, on the way back across the bridge, a man in front
of me walked it with no hands and I took this as a personal challenge and of course succeeded. The bridge led us to a cliff overlooking the ocean, words cannot describe the beauty of the views (maybe a photo will), absolutely mesmerizing and soothing for the soul.
The next destination only 10 miles up the road was the iconic Giants Causeway; a very well known tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. The Giant’s Causeway is described by many as being a strange geological freak caused by volcanic eruptions and cooling lava. It goes without saying that the ancients believed differently. Clearly this was giants work and specifically the work of Fin McCool, the commander of the king of Ireland’s armies. 40,000 of these tightly packed basalt stone columns, mostly hexagonal but some with 4, 5, 7, and 8 sides rise out of the North Channel.
Well folks, this is where Emma signs out, a valiant effort she put in a good 3 whole days. Well done Emma! Now you rest those fingers up, put them on ice, you must be beat. 😊
We both had a sit in the wishing chair, an appropriately shaped rock formation
amongst the geological chaos, and wished a wish. Emma wished for enlightenment, I won’t tell you what I wished for as I know it doesn’t come true if you tell. Sorry Em. We walked around the main Causeway area which was packed full of people (damn tourists) and around the corner which had been out of view. There appeared a massive bay, surrounded by mountains, with a trail running around into the distance. We had to tackle it, just to see what was around the corner. On the way we spotted a cool, pipe organ type formation embedded in the hill before reaching the end of the bay. The view around here was even more spectacular than the Causeway, but I doubt many of the visitors made it around this far. The sheer rocky drops, turquoise waters and fresh air were certainly different than we were used to in London. After venturing back and having a nice lunch at the Causeway Hotel (thanks for the Guinness glasses if you’re reading) we scooted off to the Bushmills Distillery.
The tour started with a little history where we learnt that this is the oldest distillery in the world, getting people blotto
since 1608. Another interesting fact is that the Whiskey starts out clear and it’s the oak barrels (previously containing Sherry or Bourbon) that gives it its colour, distinct flavours and also removes some of the undesirable elements of the spirit. At the end of the tour we each had a sample of some Bushmills and then headed home. A spot of Frisbee finished off the day nicely and also forced me to experience some of the cold Irish waters after a haphazard throw landed it in the drink.
Wednesday 20th June After packing up and feasting on a beautiful breaky including the Irish specialty - Soda bread, down at the local café in Bushmills (full Irish only €4!) we hit the road once again with Brooke & Nat’s parents tagging along as well. After about half an hour we passed the Downhill area and I couldn’t pass the Downhill Estate without having a quick look. A nice walk through the dense gardens and across a field brought us to the ruined Downhill Castle, built by the 4th Earl of Bristol in 1785. It’s a pity it was left to fall apart over the years, it would have
been a grand old shack in its heyday. Onwards to the cliffs stood the Mussenden Temple, which looked to have weathered a bit better over time as it still had a roof. It was situated perilously close to the cliff face and the views looking from the inside out were spectacular if not a little nerve racking. Old Earl used this as his library back in the day, geez, he must have had a hard life.
The rest of the day involved a lot of driving and it was getting a bit frustrating wasting time having to keep track of the other car all the time. Tempers were fraying within the Miskelly clan as well so while the others had lunch at Killybegs (a fishing town with not much to see unless you like old fishing boats), Em and I hijacked the Pug and headed back to Donegal Town which had been bypassed. Unfortunately the Donegal Castle had just closed, but it was just good to have a walk around, browse through some of the local tweed/wool shops, and have a Guinness in one of the bars despite a shady Irish character trying to hit on Emma. 😊
Time was getting on now and we still had no accommodation booked so after the others had finished in Killybegs we journeyed south towards Enniskillen. Passing by the waters of the massive Lower Lough Eme we spotted a quaint B&B and as it was about 8pm we decided to take the rooms for about £40 each. Apparently in our room, that didn’t include hot water! Not to worry, I’ve always wanted to have a bath in a sink.
Thursday 21st June This morning we toured southeast around the lake, past Enniskillen, arriving at the Marble Arch Caves. Twas a bit drizzly today but underground that wouldn’t matter. On our hour long tour we discovered the caves had the subterranean Cladagh River running through it with calcium stalagmite and stalactite formations. While I don’t think it was quite as good as some of the caves in our own Margaret River it was still pretty cool to do something different.
Heading west through Sligo and south through Mayo brought us to the highly cultural city of Galway. About 200kms all up. Cam and I were alternating the driving days so it didn’t get too taxing. A quick bog
lap of the town found us a nice modern B&B and after a scrub Em and I hit the town while Cam and Nat had their last dinner with their family. We found a nice American style restaurant with great food and before departing got some great advice from the waitress on what to do with our only night in the town. “Head straight down there and check out the High Rd action”. Who were we to argue?! Just down the road, the crowds started to thicken, the streets turned all cobbly, pubs and restaurants started to line the streets as live music filled the air. This is exactly the image I had in my head of what Irish nightlife would be like. People were even dancing in the streets amongst the crowd.
I decided to head inside one of the pubs to see why it was so packed. I could barely walk through to get a spot to watch it was that crowded with young and old alike. I’ll never forget what I found. Inside this little pub was crammed a 10 piece brass band led by an exceptional singer belting out at the top of his lungs
Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way”. Shivers went down my spine as I ordered a pint of Guinness and soaked up the atmosphere for a couple more songs until they finished. From there we only had to walk about 20m before my ears dragged me into the next pub. An Irish 3 piece rock band had this younger crowd going in this larger, almost as crowded pub, with none other than U2’s “With Or Without You”. After a few more ditties, we headed off and I was surprised to see a “Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” themed restaurant across the street. Shoulda had dinner there, would have been interesting! Oh well, at least we got to witness this amazing part of town on what was my favourite night of the whole trip.
Friday 22nd June After polishing off breaky at the B&B we hurriedly Googled and a booked a ferry to the Aran (they spelt my name wrong!) Islands. By chance we ended up behind Nat's parent's car so we followed them down to the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs reach a maximum height of 214 meters above sea level and would have to be one of
Ireland's most spectacular views. We walked along the cliff's edge breathing in the fresh air and listening to the sweet sounds of an Irish harpist chick who must have had one of the best busking spots in Ireland. It's estimated 30,000 birds inhabit the cliffs including a large colony of Atlantic Puffins (you know the ones on the books, or donuts). We could just see, far below us, other ocean birds dive bombing full speed into the water in hunt of some tucker. The tourist centre was built into a hillside approaching the Cliffs, blending naturally with the surrounding countryside. It was here we said adios to Nat's family as they were due back in Dublin later that day.
A quick drive south brought us to the Doolin ferry's for Aran Islands. We had planned to go out to Inisheer, the closest and smallest out of the three Aran Islands as well as being the least commercialized. After a 20min ferry ride we hit the island and first stop was the bike hire. Up to the highest point on the island to check out the ruins of a medieval castle and then rolling down the other side we zigzigged
As High As I Go
This was around the corner from the Giants Causeway through a maze of old stone walls until we hit the sea. Twas a bit rocky for swimming so we headed over towards a lighthouse (via some very rocky terrain) to see if there was a better spot. The sun was beaming, the Cliffs of Moher were in the distance and the water looked too good to pass up. So, even though neither of us had our bathers with us, we went for a quick dip (of the skinny variety)...and the water was absolutely freezing! Very refreshing though. We then rode back through all the rock walled pens of sheep, horses and donkeys where we lost each other. Em had just been checking out 4 musicians playing in some unique style as she'd never heard before. They like doing things a bit different on these isolated, little islands. We all ended up meeting at the pub for a quick drink before the ferry was due.
Back on the mainland now and we had the goal of getting from Doolin to Dingle before nightfall. This meant we'd have to get to the car ferry at Killimer in record time. Alas, even with Juan "Aaron" Fangio at the wheel pushing the
Pug into unexplored realms of handling and control, we missed the ferry by about 2 minutes. Oh well, at least we were first in line for the next one...in an hour...😞 The delay meant making Dingle in time by tonight was going to be tough. It was getting dark by the time we got to Camp, a small town overlooking the Irish Sea, and we were still 30kms from Dingle. I had to stop at the "Camp" road sign to take a few pics with Campo, the biggest Camper in all of town Camp (see photo). While I was doing this, Em had scurried up the road to check out a B&B sign up ahead, it was late and we were all tired and hungry at this point. When she returned she was ecstatic, and with good reason. She'd stumbled across the best (arguably) B&B in all of Ireland - Camp Junction B&B, and the host with the most, John! It had sweeping views of the ocean, was virtually brand new and was all ours for the night surprisingly. John organised for the restaurant up the road to stay open a bit later than usual so we could eat. And
eat we did.
Saturday 23rd June After a big breaky overlooking the ocean, we started Pugging it up the narrow, windy mountain roads, our heads full of tips from John about what to see and which way to go. There were herds of mountain goats everywhere with one particular goat trying to run Em down, seemingly not too impressed by her company. The steep mountainside was as green as green, fed by the crystal clear streams that trickled down it. Paddocks and open hills gave way to dense forests of lush trees or cliffs with sheer drops. It was all quite grand I tell ya!
We followed the northern coastline of the Ring Of Kerry down to Valencia Island where we jumped on another little car ferry to take us the few hundred metres across. Valencia was a very small island and as we circumnavigated our way around (occasionally pulling off the road to let tractors through) we came across a little coffee place perched up on a hill. It was a good spot for a heart starter as we could see the ocean all around us with the two Skellig Islands in the distance. They are
Slainte!
At the Bushmills Distillery famous for their thriving gannet and puffin populations, and for a 6th Century Christian monastery. The Skellig monks used to live out on the bigger island, occasionally rowing their boats 16kms to the mainland for supplies. It would have been good to go out there for a look and see how they used to live back then, but alas, no time.
We drove to the top of the island for amazing views of the Atlantic and a lung full of a fresh blowing wind. Ireland's rugged beauty was epitomised by the green rolling countryside, dramatic rocky cliffs and deep blue sea we could see all around us. The awe inspiring scenery continued around the ring, through Waterville (where we grabbed some lunch), Kenmare and Moll's Gap (a nice place to visit...). The ocean and cliffs gave way to the native forests and lakes of Killarney National park, a huge area of greenery with a very diverse ecology. We drove through Killarney, which we summed up as a bit of a yuppy town with 5 star hotels everywhere.
Got back to the B&B at 9.30 and Cam and I went down to the local pub across the road to
have a couple of quieties. We ended up settling in at the Railway Hotel, used by rail crews for 160 years or so, which was full of nostalgic decorations including a few Irish old timers. We met an English couple who started buying rounds of shots which went tit for tat for a while. When the pub closed at 1am we went back to the B&B for some Texas holdem poker (and more shots for the winner of each round). Despite Cam's best attempts at cheating (you've gotta watch him!) the Pommy git ended up cleaning up, winning a few rounds in a row. But that wasn't all he was cleaning up after spewing into his hands about 5 minutes later. When John told us off at about 2.30am for the second time we thought it was probably time to hit the sack.
Sunday 24th June Oooo my head!! Emma went for an invigorating run along the beach whilst I paid penance for my crapulence with flatulence (amongst other ailments). Time to say goodbye to the legend John (who is mates with Tadgh Kennelly by the way) and steer the Pug down Dingle Peninsula to Castlegregory for
a spot of horse riding. We coughed up €20 for the hour and mounted our trusty steeds. Em loved being back on a horse again but was keen to get her beast moving a bit quicker, with her horse stuck in third gear. My horse was stuck in second gear and I wasn't exactly enjoying it. I was allergic, hungover and getting my nuts pounded with each and every step. Once I got the rhythm down a bit better it was tolerable, we rode a km or two down the beach and had great views of the ocean and mountains in the distance. By the time we'd gotten back though, my eyes were itchy as and they just seemed to get worse and worse. My breath started becoming wheezy and I was getting rashes here and there. This made driving rather intolerable...but at least I had a cushion seat now. 😉
We headed to Dingle via some of the most amazing (and scariest) roads in Ireland. The views stretching out from our mountain passes were spectacular so we stopped every now and then for a gander. At one point we got out for a leg stretch and a quick
Room With A View
Our B&B by the Lower Lough Eme hike up past a waterfall where we discovered a high altitude lake cupped by the mountain side. I managed to get the Pug down to Dingle where we parked up and had some fish'n'chips on the coastal strip near the jetty. The fishing/tourist town had a very relaxed feel to it despite the hoards of (bloody) tourists everywhere with their (bloody) coaches. A 20 piece violin band looking a bit like an extended version of the Von Trapp's had set up in the main square and were entertaining the crowds, quickly packing up when the rain started and unpacking again when it stopped.
Feeling a bit better by now, I jumped in the Pug and chauffeured the others back down through Killarney and eastward onto Cork. We had a quick drive through the streets of Cork just to scope it out for the next day and ventured furthur south to Kinsale where we'd be staying for the night. Now, the roads in Kinsale were probably the scariest in a different way, having been planned by retracing the path of a dying eel. Well, it seemed that way from the drivers seat! Haphazard and narrow are two words that best
sum them up, and the fact that it was now pissing down with rain made finding a suitable B&B quite difficult. We eventually found a good one though for €45/night, with nice views of the harbour from our room and a very friendly host (not as cool as John though!). Em and I walked down into town once settled and spotted a sea otter (we think) popping up around some fishing boats that had just docked. We too, had the taste for fish, so we just walked over and grabbed some tasty morsels from the shop across the road (sorry to rub it in mate, if you're reading).
***DONT FORGET TO CLICK ON PAGE 2 AND 3 FOR MORE PHOTOS***
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