Ireland Day 6 Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry

Torc Falls Forest

We knew this was going to be a long day as the Ring of Kerry is a longer drive than Dingle.
I am not sure if we preferred The Dingle Peninsula  more because we had driven it first or it just didn't have the same amount of places we could pull off the road to view the landscape. Michelle, our local host in Killarney, was also recommending the Dingle Peninsula tour over the Ring of Kerry. Both are amazing though so what ever you decide will be good:) 

 

 

 

For what it is worth we drove the ring in a clockwise direction. The buses drive counter clockwise so the theory is if you follow the buses you won't come face to face with them and it is easier to follow the buses. We didn't do that. We wanted to see the Kerry Cliffs which the buses don't go to so we figured if we started off very early and go to the cliffs, we would miss them. It actually played out that way! So we didn't meet many buses at all.
 

The blue route is the regular route and I added the green arrows where we deviated and went to the Kerry Cliffs and Valentia Island. The deviation was worth the drive and actually was the highlight of the day of the Ring of Kerry.
There was an admission fee of 4 Euros each. You need to walk about 10 mins from the parking lot and it is pretty steep with about 4 lookout points. These cliffs are actually 300 feet higher than cliffs of Moher and far less touristy - maybe not as dramatic but definitely worth a look.

The Kerry Cliffs

 

The Behive Huts

We ate at Portmagee at Smugglers - great fish and chips and then drove over the bridge to Valentia Island and took the ferry back to the mainland at Knight's Town  and continued our Ring of Kerry drive from there. 

Before returning to our hotel we decided to visit Torc Waterfalls in Killarney National Park. It was late in the day with a mist in the air. The waterfalls were so pretty and the trees were so tall and majestic and covered in moss. Everything was just so neon green - a piper’s music added to the atmosphere- it was mystical.

 

Next Stop Dublin!

Sláinte
Penny and Dan

 

Ireland Day 5 The Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head Drive

The Dingle Peninsula
We rented a Budget car in Killarney.
Mix driving on the left side of the road, add gearshift on the left, combine it with narrow roads then add some cliffs, then cyclists here and there and now drive on a couple of the more stressful routes your first time out - the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry and what do you have... a teensy bit of stress!!!!

Me - Dan, you are a little close to the bushes on the left (passenger side)

Dan - would you rather hit a truck or kiss some marigolds?

Me - I will kiss the marigolds

Dan is really good in these driving situations so I am really not worried especially because the Budget guy gave him this handy-dandy bracelet.

He also gave me advice on the best porridge to have here in Ireland - Flahaven-  and in fact he advised me to buy a few bags to take home with me. I saw the alarm in Dan’s eyes.
 

Off we go to Dingle!
This is scenery that is absolutely stunning. Wild flowers blanket the sides of the road, the mountains frame the sea and sheep and cows dot the pastures.  We watched waves crashing into the craggy rocks and we breathed in the salty air.  This is what travelling is about.

 

We stopped at inch beach where hurling was being played and there was a class taking surf lessons. Inch beach is a 5km long sand spit jutting into the sea between the outer Dingle Bay and inner Castlemaine Harbour overlooking magnificent Iveragh and Dingle Peninsulas. Inch has a huge beach and this area is great for all types of water sports including Surfing, Kayaking, Windsurfing, Kite Surfing, Hangliding and Fishing. There is also Sammy’s restaurant with a great view and we heard the food was good too but we didn't eat there.
  

 
Along the roads, Hydrangeas were fighting for more space. I work so hard to nurture my hydrangeas back home and here they were in copious amounts just filling the gardens to the brims. 

 

Slea Head Drive, one of Ireland’s most scenic routes, takes you on a journey through historic sites, small villages, famous Hollywood film locations with close up views of the world renowned Blasket Islands and distant views of the Skellig Islands  (Where Star Wars was filmed) on the south western horizon.

 

Thought I would do some knitting with fresh wool!

The Slea Head Drive (Slí Cheann Sléibhe) is a circular route, forming part of the Wild Atlantic Way, beginning and ending in Dingle. The route is clearly labelled by road signs throughout its length. The Slea Head Route is most enjoyable when done slowly over a number of hours allowing time for the many interesting stops and detours along the way. 

 

Ancient dwellings

A very hard working sheep herding dog

We spent about 8 hours from the time we left Killarney to returning back and travelled in a clockwise direction to avoid meeting the large tour buses that frequent the route during the summer. Part of the Slea Head cliff road is very narrow and single lane only so can be a little hairy at times especially when there are cyclists and walkers.

 

In Dingle

 What an an incredible day...

Tomorrow The Ring of Kerry

Sláinte
Penny and Dan

Ireland Day 4 Killarney

Limerick to Killarney

Dan woke me up this morning with the song- Christmas in Killarney! Now I can't get it out of my head! Here it is if you haven't heard it before.

Our Monograms local host Yvonne, was waiting in the lobby to see us off to Killarney.  

A minibus took us to the Killarney Plaza hotel for our stay the next 3 nights.  The hotel was situated  well.  We just walked out the door and there we were on the main street.  The staff at the hotel were incredibly friendly and helpful and in fact the girl who checked us in had such a big smile, you couldn't help but smile BIG back.

 We met Michelle, our Killarney local host who took us on a mini walking tour.  She was very welcoming and informative.  The Killarney National Park is right beside the hotel and goes on and on....
We explored the town a bit - lots of pubs and shops then had some lunch.

Bought myself an Irish cap

Off we went on our jaunty car ride.  This isn't a car- it is a horse and buggy! We had a great driver - I think his name was Sean and I know the horse's name was Sally. 

We jaunted through the National Park and felt like we went back in time.  We saw deer, rabbits, heron and beautiful scenery.

Ross Castle

I would recommend this short tour which was included in our monograms program but even if it wasn't I would check it out.

We went over to the Budget office and rented a car for the next 2 days with plans to drive The Dingle Peninsula and The Ring of Kerry.

Time to rest up!
But first a beer...

Sláinte
Penny and Dan

Ireland Day 3 Cliffs of Moher and The Wild Atlantic Way

It was a rainy day and it was a sunny day and it was also rainy and sunny at the same time!

Upon the recommendation of our Monograms local host, Yvonne, we booked the Paddywagon day tour to the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and Bunratty Castle.
I would highly recommend the tour as it left us plenty of time to explore the cliffs and we didn’t have to worry about navigating the crazy narrow roads where barely 2 cars can travel by each other.  We were considering renting a car to go there but we decided to sit back and enjoy the ride this time.  John, our driver, was an expert!

It was raining quite hard when we got to the cliffs but then it stopped and the wind was blowing so hard it dried us off! Perfect timing! and then the sun came out!

The Cliffs of Moher are situated in County Clare along the Wild Atlantic Way and have majestically faced the Atlantic for over 350 million years! 

The Cliffs rise to 702 feet (214 m) at their highest point and range for 8 kms (5 miles) over the Atlantic ocean. The sheer scale and dramatic impact of the cliffs is breathtaking.  

 

A little music adds to the atmosphere.

The Next Stop - The Burren

It has the most extraordinary landscape. The Burren may look rugged, but it is also a fragile place and is always under threat from increased human activity. It is amazing how seeds have blown in with the wind and flowers and grass emerge from cracks in the rocks.  It feels like you might be walking on the moon.

 Lunch and then a quick stop at Bunratty Castle then back to Limerick.

Time for a Guinness
Tomorrow...Off to Killarney

Sláinte
Penny and Dan

Ireland Day 2 Limerick

 
This morning we met Yvonne, our Monograms local host. She was very welcoming and  briefed us on things to see, where to eat and also where to meet for our walking tour this afternoon and for departure the morning after to Killarney.

She provided us with a packet of information as well as her contact info. 

Our guide for our walking tour was Declan.  He was very entertaining and informative!

We then checked out the Park of the People, a beautiful park with a great children's playground and manicured gardens.

Later on we went to The Locke for Irish dancing and music and a great steak and ale pie!
Here is a clip of some of the music and dancing. 

 

 Cheers

Penny and Dan

Ireland Day 1 Limerick

Limerick

The flight on Aer Lingus was fine.  We arrived in Dublin and found our way to the bus to take us to Limerick, a 2 1/2 hour bus ride away.  If you do this make sure to have cash and exact change as the driver does not accept credit cards. We were dropped off at Arthur's Quay and we were about to hop in a taxi when we spotted our hotel, The Limerick Strand Hotel , about 400 metres away!

We left our bags at the hotel (too early to check in) and set off for breakfast at the Hook and Ladder, a fun place to begin our day.

The River Shannon

Stop and look

Later in the day, we set off to explore the pub scene and enjoy our first Guinness in Ireland at the Mickey Martin's Pub, a little authentic pub where the locals frequent. The place was buzzing! The Guinness  was definitely better than at home.. It tasted fresher, richer and fabulous!

We met Shirley, who advised us to go to the Tom Collins Oyster Saloon where we headed next.  

We picked up fish and chips from Donkey Fords and headed back to the hotel for a good sleep!

Irish Proverb
A good laugh and long sleep are the two best cures.

Cheers
Penny and Dan

Ireland Day 0 Toronto to Dublin

Castles, adventure, Guiness, history, scenery, pubs  and cuisine...mix them all up and what do you have?  

 Magic!

It is our tradition to decide where we are going for our next vacation on New Year's Eve.  I got a hint where Dan wanted to go when I received an Ireland guidebook for Christmas! I had been to Ireland before and kissed the Blarney Stone but now it was time to do something different.  We decided this year  to try Monograms, which is a Globus product.
There are different ways to travel. You can choose to go with a group ... You can choose a do-it-yourself vacation... Or, you can choose something in-between. It’s called Monograms, where you can travel the world independently, with expert help and it includes our own onsite Local Host® .


Here is our rough Itinerary
3 nights Limerick (1 night on our own before the official start)
3 nights Killarney
2 nights Dublin
3 nights Belfast - end of Monograms tour
1 night in Balina
1 night in Galway
1 night  in Kildare

So here we are now, in the Premium Lounge, waiting for our Aer Lingus flight to Dublin.  Wally is home being watched by Harold, our wonderful dog walker and I am sure he will have the time of his life.
Now fasten your seat belts, it's time to go!

Sláinte
Penny and Dan