Southern Ireland Gems

Feeling rejuvenated after a restful few weeks, we set out to explore southern Ireland in a rented Corsa Opel. This car is cleverly designed to appear to fit human proportions so that you don’t realize you’re uncomfortable until you’re well away from the rental agency. 

Click here for the picture album.

Cobh

Our first stop was Cobh (pronounced “Cove” for reasons only Irish speakers understand). Our hotel was overlooking the waterfront but our room overlooked the roof. We thought it would be a thriving seaport town and though parts of it were very picturesque, there were many dilapidated business/homes outside the immediate tourist area. There’s a cathedral to St. Colmar high on a hill overlooking the harbor and neat cookie-cutter houses down the steep hill. The town is rather small but has a very large natural harbor so large ferries and ships can dock here. Cobh has the dubious distinction of having been the last stop of the ill-fated Titanic where it picked up passengers bound for NYC. 

The following day we visited the famous English Market in the city of Cork. The indoor market was a feast for the senses. We found the inspiration for Jabba the Hut -a monkfish in the fish market. To help you keep the many types of meat on offer straight, they put small figurines of the animal from which the meat comes in the case.  

Clonakilty

Next we drove to Clonakilty which has a cute and colorful main street. We had lunch outdoors in a small square where they served our sandwich on an Irish Soda bread that was full of the flavors of wheat bran, oats, flax, pumpkin seeds and probably other grains I couldn’t place - tasty!  The fashions in the shop window is from their parade of clothing made from recycled materials. The town seemed very livable.

Kinsale

The drive to Kinsale was partially among the coast. Unfortunately, the tide was out so it was not at its prettiest. Kinsale was noted as quite a foodie town so we had saved it for last so we could eat dinner here.  It was a very happening town with lots of sailboats in the harbor and many restaurants and businesses but the historic buildings all seemed to be closed for restoration. We took the walking tour anyway and saw a very interesting “urban castle” which, when open, also served as a wine museum. We had a very good dinner of seafood.  

Wicklow

The following day we headed to see Dermot’s cousins on his father's side.  They are a lively group with many great stories to tell. One is a semi-retired nun who took us on a tour of the area (the ruins of Black Castle, the golf-course, etc and the views of the ocean were lovely.  They fed us a dinner of lamb, veggies and apple pie whose glorious aroma was only exceeded by its taste. 

Glendalough

Having spent the night at a B&B, we ate a hearty breakfast and set out for some serious hiking in the Wicklow mountains.  By way of supplies we had a bag of nuts and dried cranberries in case we became lost.  Some people might have opted for a compass or whistle but there you go. We arrived at the Glendalough Visitor Centre, paid four euros for parking and then waited, along with other tourists, for it to open.  I was amazed at the late opening times of places in Ireland in the height of the tourist season.  In Cobh, a restaurant that was only open for breakfast and lunch didn't open until 8:30!  I made a comment to this effect and Dermot shot back "Of course it opens late, Irish business didn't get where it is today by opening early!"

When the Visitor Centre did open, the staff positively discouraged us from paying the entrance fee explaining that it was just a movie and displays, but then offered us a trail map for 50p. Down-selling at its finest.  

Thereafter we looked at posted trailhead maps that left us confused as they didn't use the same conventions as our 50 p trail map.  We eventually gave up and selected  a sign that pointed toward what was described as an ecclesiastical settlement.  It included a tall round tower dated between 900 and 1200 and the ruins of other monastic buildings dated much later with a large number of tombstones from the last several hundred years tilting this way and that.  There was also an archeological dig going on. We eavesdropped on the conversation between a women with many questions and a person with a bright yellow vest and some answers to learn they were excavating a stone-lined ditch which was probably used to divert water for various purposes over the years.  He also explained that another building was probably used to dry corn and other grains. 

Afterwards we picked a few trails and hiked around the lakes and up to waterfalls. We even saw two deer (which seems to be a trend).

Next we drove towards the Glendalough National Park. I expected an entrance or at least some kind of board with information about the habitat but Google maps announced we had arrived and there was absolutely nothing but rolling hills of shrubbery in shades of purple (heather), green and gold interrupted only by a few sheep for as far as the eye could see in every direction.  Dermot guessed there was quite lot of bog under all that. Check out the pictures of the lake, hills, cliffs with waterfalls and rocky mountain river. This day wins the prize for most changes in weather by a mile. When we started the hike it was cloudy and cycled between cold and windy to brief periods where the sun broke through the clouds, back to cloudy with showers in a matter of minutes.  The scenery brightened so much in sunlight that we hurriedly snapped pictures whenever the sun appeared.

Kilkenny and the Ring of Kerry

Next we headed to the Ring of Kerry - renowned for gorgeous scenery. On the way down we stopped at Adare - known for adorable thatch-roofed houses and historic buildings. We really enjoyed the fact that our Kilkenney B&B was within walking distance of the town so we could stroll into town, enjoy a nice dinner and cruise the streets for live music afterwards. The first day we arrived was the All Ireland Hurling Championship game which we watched in a pub along with spirited fans on both sides. We both wished that Dermot’s County Clare team had made it to the finals but enjoyed watching a very good game nonetheless.

We set out early for our drive around the Ring of Kerry but the clouds were heavy for most of the day and so we were underwhelmed with the views. I included some pictures but really, don’t base your travel plans on our experience. Your luck might be better than ours! We enjoyed several nights of great, fun Irish music here.

The picture with cliffs and several large islands off the coast is of Skellig Michael. History books will tell us that these islands are punishing places to live, where monks experienced exposure to extremes of weather and hardship. Star Wars fans know (SPOILER ALERT) this is where Luke Skywalker was hiding out all those years.