Month: June 2023

Ireland, 2023 – Athlone, and a cruise down the Shannon River to Clonmacnoise

June 20-21, 2023

I slept fairly well on my second night on Inish Meain, up in the loft of my Irish cottage, but grew distressed again when my illness continued with three bathroom visits in the morning and two emergency stops on my 3 km walk to the pier to catch the ferry to Rossaveal! This was the ninth day since symptoms began! The boat ride to Rossaveel, bus to Galway, and train to Athlone all went well and were restful, but I was feeling worried and upset about my continuing tummy troubles. I had obviously overdone my sightseeing on Inis Oirr and Inis Meain, and what I really needed to do was rest. After calling Brent and having a good cry to relieve some anxiety I decided to book a second night in Athlone and basically do nothing for two days except my Shannon River Cruise to Clonmacnoise. And I sadly decided that it was best to cancel my second long-distance walk of 77 km in County Donegal and fly home a week early. Long story short, my tummy finally started to settle but I am only now (over a week later as I write this post) starting to regain my appetite and eat proper meals. So, I’m better! Thank you to everyone for your messages of concern and support (heart emoji).

Now, with my woes and worries behind me, my posts will focus again on sharing photo images and snippets of information about the beautiful landscapes, historical sites, and magical places that I have continued to see and experience here on the Emerald Isle. Thank you for joining me on the journey!

The pretty city of Athlone is near the exact geographic centre of Ireland and is situated along the Shannon River which is Ireland’s and Europe’s longest river. My wonderful accommodation at the Bastion B&B was the perfect place to recuperate with its kind hosts, eclectic decor, restful room, and comfortable lounge and dining area.

It was located on the left bank of the Shannon very near to Athlone Castle, the massive St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, and Ireland’s (and Europe’s) oldest pub “Sean’s Bar.”

It was also very near to where I would board a Viking-themed ship to travel down the Shannon to the monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise.

The ninety minute journey was truly magical and I was so lucky to be favoured, yet again, by a perfect day of sun and wind and beautiful clouds in the sky. Here is only one of the amazing views looking forward as we travelled downriver,

and one view looking back.

But I have to show several views looking towards the shore as the lines, shapes, and colours of the reeds, grasses, flowers, and other riverside vegetation were truly beautiful!

We passed many water birds including swans, ducks, coots, and grey herons,

but one of my favourite sights was of a group of black and white spotted cows who were running across a grassy field. And another group of cows, cream, brown, and tan, were running towards the black and white cows from the opposite direction. They stopped at an invisible line (which was probably a fence line that I could not see) and just looked at each other but it was obvious that they were happy to see each other!

I loved my journey down the Shannon and was excited as we neared Clonmacnoise which was founded around the year 548 by a young monk, later St. Ciaran, in the centre of Ireland at an important crossroads of north/south travel on the river and east/west land routes. Over the centuries, Clonmacnoise became a major centre of religion, learning, trade, craftsmanship, and political influence, and as the burial place of St. Ciaran, it has attracted pilgrims for nearly 1,500 years.

An unexpected sight beside Clonmacnoise was the ruins of an Anglo Norman motte and bailey castle that was built in 1214 to help secure control of central Ireland and to guard a bridge that was here over the River Shannon.

I exited the Viking ship and watched it begin its journey back up the Shannon. Its passengers would have ninety minutes of time to explore Clonmacnoise and then we would be returned to Athlone by a shuttle bus. I was sad to see it go – I had loved my trip downriver.

But I was also excited to explore Clonmacnoise. The large site contains a number of churches that date from the 10th to the 17th century, as well as two round towers, and a large collection of stone crosses and early grave-slabs. Between the 6th and 12th centuries, Clonmacnoise benefited from the patronage of the kings of Connacht and of Meath, but it was also attacked and plundered numerous times by the enemies of those kings as well as by Vikings and the Anglo-Normans. By the 13th century, Clonmacnoise was in decline, and in 1552 it was plundered again and reduced to a ruin by an English garrison from Athlone. It was recorded at the time that, “Not a bell large or small, an image or an altar, or a book or a gem, or even glass in a window left was not carried away.”

I first made a quick tour of the site and then I visited the interpretive centre and museum to watch an excellent film on the history and importance of Clonmacnoise. Inside the museum were three large crosses that are now housed indoors for protection from the elements (replicas have have been placed on their original sites). On the left is the Cross of the Scriptures, carved with biblical scenes on each of its four sides from one piece of sandstone around 900 AD. To the right is the South Cross which is believed to date from the early 800s.

The North Cross, below, is possibly pre-Christian in origin and features animal and abstract interwoven designs as well as an image of the Celtic god Cernunnos who is the god of hunting, fertility, health, and the underworld. It is carved of limestone and its base is a used millstone.

Also on exhibit were some very beautiful finely carved stone slabs that would have been used as horizontal grave markers. Over 700 grave-slabs, dating from the 8th to the 12th centuries, were found at Clonmacnoise and are now stored indoors for conservation. The inscription on the leftmost slab reads, “A prayer for Odra who had knowledge”, and the centre slab reads, “A prayer for servant of Michael”.

The following images are of the Cathedral which is the largest of the churches at Clonmacnoise. Originally built in 909 by the King of Tara and the Abbot of Clonmacnoise, much of the stonework visible today dates from around 1200, and the north doorway (top right) dates from the 1450s.

The photo to the right below is of Temple Finghin, a small Romanesque church with a round-tower belfry attached. It is the closest church to the Shannon and is thought to date from around 1160-70. The modern glassed structure (bottom left) commemorates the visit of Pope John Paul II to Clonmacnoise in 1979.

The last photo is of Temple Ciaran. Built in the early 10th century, it is the oldest and smallest of all the churches at Clonmacnoise and is the reputed burial place of St. Ciaran. It is falling inwards due to farmers, over the centuries, coming and scooping up handfuls of soil from around its foundation because legend has it that if a farmer spreads a bit of soil from St. Ciaran’s church in each of the four corners of his land he will have plentiful crops for the entire year.

Clonmacnoise was a very special place to visit, full of historical significance and beautifully situated beside the river, and I was very glad that I had been able to arrive there via a cruise down the Shannon. I returned to Athlone and rested in my B&B for the rest of the day until early evening when I was drawn outside by the feeling that the Summer Solstice needed to be marked and celebrated somehow. I planned to walk for a kilometre or two on the riverside trail but it was closed so I took just a few photos of the river and my B&B’s trio of businesses, the Bastion Gallery, Kitchen, and B&B. I also passed by the rear entrance of Sean’s Bar and read that an inn has been on the site since 900 AD. It was called Luain’s Inn and the innkeeper, Luain, also guided people across a river ford here. The ford became known as the Ford of Luain, or Atha Luain, which is were Athlone got its name. I considered having a drink in the oldest pub in Ireland (verified by the Guinness Book of World Records) to celebrate the solstice, but decided instead to return to my room to read, rest, and email family back home to wish them a happy Summer Solstice.

Thank you, Athlone, for a restful stay, and thank you to the Shannon River and Clonmacnoise for a magical Summer Solstice day.

Ireland, 2023 – Inis Meain and a lost romance

June 18-20, 2023

Inis Meain, the middle island, is a very different island than Inis Mor and Inis Oirr which are very organized for tourist visits with bicycle rental places, pony and trap rides, gift shops and cafes, etc. I knew that ahead of time and was happy to be the only passenger to disembark onto the island on the late afternoon sailing. I was met by my host’s lovely daughter who welcomed me at the pier with fresh baked scones (which made six as I had four with me!). Now a nurse working in Galway, and home for a visit, she grew up on Inis Meain and proudly gave me a quick tour of the island which I appreciated. Then she dropped me off at the very cute “200 year old renovated cottage” that I had been so looking forward to staying in. Before entering, she introduced me to Paisley, my donkey neighbour next door.

Cait oriented me to the cottage and lit a wood and coal fire before saying goodbye. It had been a pleasure to meet her but the moment she left I felt deflated. I loved the rustic cottage – I appreciate rustic and simple – but it was damp! Especially the bedroom where the mattress and linens were very damp. Why the heck didn’t I call the host and say so?! Aaargh! The couch and its afghan were damp. The chair cushions were damp. Every soft surface in the cottage was damp to the touch. Okay, time for dinner I thought and then I’ll feel better. I had brought some groceries as there is only one small shop on the island and it was closed on my arrival day. I boiled up a sliced carrot, a bit of broccoli and cauliflower, and some green beans as I hadn’t had any vegetables or even anything resembling dinner for almost a week. Then I read for a while on the damp couch and kept the fire up hoping that would help but it didn’t throw much heat. It was a long evening!

I climbed up to the loft where there was an unmade single bed beneath a skylight. A twin-sized duvet there was slightly less damp so I brought it down to the couch and decided to sleep there in front of the fire with all of my clothes on. It wasn’t very comfortable and I slept fitfully. I switched to the bedroom part way through the night but lasted only five minutes then went back to the couch. Awake at 3:58 a.m. I gave up on sleep, made coffee and toasted a scone, and read until the sun rose. Then, worst of all, my diarrhea was back. I felt devastated and exhausted and panicky and thought, “there’s no way that I can spend three nights here.” I started googling but then decided to take a walk to clear my head and calm down.

I walked past the island’s lovely church, and then Synge’s cottage, a summer home of Edmund Synge who was a well-known Irish poet and playwright. A trio of cows wondered why I was up so early!

I reached Dun Chonchuir, a large 1st century BC elliptical-shaped ring fort built up on the highest point of the island.

Once inside, it was surprisingly large. Some of the outlines of inner dwellings had been repaired and partly rebuilt in 1880.

Like many other ring forts, the outer defensive wall was stepped and terraced on the inside to allow access to the top and I climbed up carefully for more views of the interior space,

as well as views out over the island.

From there, I next visited a small ancient clochan which was half-hidden amongst nettles and brambles. Clochans, or beehive huts, are small stone dwellings with corbelled roofs. I crawled through the tiny door, less than a metre high and half a metre wide, and felt like a spoiled whiny baby to be so upset with my miserable night when I had had the comfort of a soft (though damp) couch, modern clothes, a hot shower and a hot breakfast! I imagined sleeping in here. People had to be so much tougher back then!

The sun rose higher as I made my way to the western side of the island past fields, a few farmhouses and old cottages (some with thatched roofs), and several walled gardens planted neatly with potatoes, grain, onions and greens.

Then I reached Cathair Synge, or Synge’s Chair, where the poet liked to sit and watch the large waves roll in from across the Atlantic and crash against the cliffs of Inis Mor. I could hear the loud roar today of those crashes from across the water and remembered that roar from a visit to Inis Mor’s Black Fort where huge waves had crashed hard against a perilous section of undercut cliffs. Huge storm waves of up to 14 metres can hit the western edge of Inis Mor and shift limestone boulders as big as houses!

I continued past Synge’s Chair, careful of my footing on the uneven and cracked limestone pavement. There was sea thrift to admire, pretty in the sun even though the flowers had faded to brown from their earlier bright pink, and fossils of shells and crab carapaces to examine. Then I reached the sheer cliffs of Inis Meain. What a sight!

Farther along the coast here there are several blow holes but it was best for me to turn back so I started the return journey to my cottage and enjoyed more views of the island as I walked. I spent a few moments sitting in the cool, silent, and symmetrical beauty of the island church which was now open, and I visited the ivy-covered barely-discernible ruins of the Teampall Seacht Mac Ri, an early Christian church. Beside it was the grave site of Saint Kennerg (St. Cinndeirge) who was the daughter of a King of Leinster. Her grave and a nearby holy well were sites of pilgrimage for centuries and were “held in great veneration by the islanders.”

Back at the cottage I was tired and still feeling a bit discouraged but definitely calmer. I decided that I would tolerate one more night in the cottage and leave a day early to travel to Athlone in order to be able to do a boat cruise down the Shannon River to the monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise – another much-anticipated activity that I had not yet been able to book as the cruise dates did not match my itinerary. I considered finding different accommodation on the island for the night, but as everyone knows everyone I did not want to embarrass my hosts with talk of a damp cottage! I washed a load of laundry, had a few crackers with cheese and an apple for lunch, and visited with Paisley as I hung up my laundry on the line.

Then I headed out to visit the rest of the island’s sites and sights. It was turning into a gorgeous day, windy and sunny and fresh, and although I was very tired I was also happy to be here. I walked past village houses towards the eastern side of the island and uphill on several narrow flowery lanes to arrive at another stone fort, Dun Fearbhal.

Unlike most ring forts this one was built in a square shape rather than a circle. A teenager was installed upon the wall enjoying the beautiful view of the island down towards the old pier and beach. From Galway, he was visiting his grandfather and said that he loves coming back to the island often and that this fort was his special place. I could see why! Like so many of the people I had met in Ireland he was open and friendly and sincerely interested in who I was and why I was there. I loved talking to him but didn’t linger so that he could enjoy his quiet time in his favourite place on a beautiful afternooon.

I started to make my way down hill, heading towards An Tra Mor, the beach below.

On the way down I could see the remains of Cill Cheannannach, an 8th-9th century church surrounded by grave slabs. (In the bottom left corner of the photo is an example of the kind of trough that the farmers here build to hold water for their cattle. The inclined plane of stone adds to the volume of rain that is able to be collected on an island where there is little surface water available.

This small early church would have had a wood-framed roof and the only natural light inside would have been from an open western door and the small eastern window.

Here is a view looking back at the church and up to the square fort.

And then I neared this amazing beach and the turquoise-coloured sea.

From atop some limestone boulders, and zoomed in, I could see a father or grandfather watching over two boys playing in the sea. The beach was surprisingly immense.

I walked out onto the sand and started down the length of the beach.

This was my view forward more than halfway along,

with views back to the father and the boys. What a beach!

I sat on the sand for awhile, gazing out to sea, and watched several terns fishing for their supper. Then I carried on, off of the sand and onto a section of limestone pavement where three oyster catchers were very upset with me as I walked along. They circled and complained and were likely nesting in the area so I tried to look as harmless as can be. A good-sized flock of cormorants weren’t happy with me either and folded in their outstretched wings and retreated to the water when I tried to approach for a photo.

I continued on along the coastline wanting to get to the dune-backed beaches that I had seen from the ferry but the limestone pavement ended and the shore became bouldery and hard to navigate in my fatigued condition (it would have been fun otherwise!). So I returned to the pavement, once more annoying the poor oyster catchers and cormorants, and then I rose up above the beach to a beautiful area of grasses and wildflowers.

The views here, near and far, were spectacular and I felt both elated and exhausted at the same time. While down low taking photos I really should have given in to the temptation to just lay down and have a sleep on the soft grass in the warm sun!

I started to head back towards my cottage but decided instead to turn and continue in the direction of the dunes,

and I was happy when I spotted them in the distance.

Luckily I had asked Cait about the dunes and she had driven that way and pointed out a white arrow on a post which marked a lane that would lead me around to the far end of Inis Meain’s small airport runway and into the dunes. It was so beautiful!

The wind was waving through the tall grasses and it was a joy to walk on the undulating narrow path. Several side trails led to the bouldery shore,

and then finally one led me to this gorgeous sand beach. Wow! I wanted so badly to walk to its end to see what was around the corner,

but I was just too tired so I sat for a few moments and watched a fisherman in a currach as he pulled up and then tossed a lobster trap back into the sea before continuing on. Look at the colour of that water!

It was definitely time to head back and the last site that I wished to visit on Inis Meain was thankfully located directly on the way back to the cottage. Here are photos of the Carrownlinsheen Wedge Tomb, also known as the Bed of Diarmuid and Grainne. Dated at between 4000-2500 BC, it is the oldest known human-built structure on the Aran islands.

I returned to my cottage and forced myself to eat a small meal. Fewer veggies (which my tummy had not liked) (Paisley enjoyed getting most of my carrot), some instant rice, and a can of sardines for some protein. I brought my clothes in off the line as well as two bath towels that were now fully dry and would serve as buffers between me and the damp mattress and duvet. I had decided to sleep in the loft on the less-damp bed and would just have to be very careful coming down the ladder in the middle of the night. I was worried about my lingering illness, but happy with my long day on Inis Meain, and I went to sleep long before the evening light had faded from the sky.

And the “lost romance” in this post’s title? I can’t tell you how many times I have googled “Irish cottage for sale” in the last five years or so. Now, I must admit, reality has trumped romance. Although, …. I know that there are ways to keep those old cottages free of damp. Perhaps a little romance is left after all.

Ireland, 2023 – On to Doolin and the beautiful Aran islands

June 16-18, 2023

I left Portmagee to travel on four different buses to Ennis, and luckily had time at each of my transfer stops to have a bathroom break. My tummy was beginning to settle but I still wasn’t eating much more than a couple of scones, a banana, and a few crackers each day. I enjoy travelling by bus with nothing to do but enjoy the passing scenery and it was actually a restful day. I settled into my bed and breakfast right away and did not walk out to experience the medieval centre of Ennis town. Unfortunately I had to make the decision to cancel another much-anticipated activity that was planned for the following day – a seven kilometre hike in the Burren on the Mullaghmore Trail. It would have required several bus rides to get there, plus energy for the hike, and sadly I just wasn’t up to it. Here is an image from the internet as I didn’t get to go there! (Photo from barnabynutt.com)

What an amazing landscape! Yet another reason to travel again to Ireland! Because I skipped the hike I was able to travel on an earlier bus to Doolin, a place that I had visited on my last trip to Ireland and a gateway to the Aran Islands. I arrived at the comfortable and cozy Rainbow Hostel and received a very warm Irish welcome.

My hostess, Carmel, was so kind and offered to do my laundry and to drive me to the pier the following morning. I loved talking with her and with Susan, an Irish woman on holiday from Amsterdam, and I enjoyed hearing the two of them speak together in Irish. I’ve heard a lot of Irish spoken on this trip! I did nothing all afternoon except chat, read, nap, and enjoy a very dramatic electrical storm right above the hostel that flashed lightning, boomed thunder, and released a torrent of rain! In the evening I went on an easy walk near to the hostel along a country road to visit the ruins of an old church and a small stone circle.

It was a lovely walk in the cool rain-washed air and there were views across hay fields to the beginnings of the Cliffs of Moher in the distance.

The Killilagh Church was built in the 17th century and its cemetery continued to be used until the middle of the 20th century. It was very peaceful and there were many Celtic crosses marking the graves.

I continued along the road as it led straight towards the sea,

and turned for views back towards Doolin.

I noticed that the birds were very active with their calls to each other, possibly discussing with some excitement the fantastic storm that had passed. I walked all the way to where the road ended and did not see the ring of stones anywhere off to my right in the fields. Disappointed, I turned to walk back and continued looking, now to my left. Halfway back, and losing hope, I met a Doolin resident getting her 10,000 steps in and she knew where the stones were so I turned again and walked with her back towards the sea. She pointed out the location, about 30 metres beyond where I had stopped before! The “ring of stones” was actually the Teergonean Court Tomb. Court tombs are the oldest Neolithic tombs in Ireland and date from the early- to mid- 4th millennium BC. They get their name from an open court in front of the tomb entrance and the tombs were normally covered by long cairns of stone. It is believed that a large and prominent stone on the horizon, a glacial erratic, influenced the placement of these stones into a meaningful alignment. It was tangibly an ancient and very special place and I felt honoured to be there to experience it.

The next morning, after a good sleep, I was ready to head to Inis Oirr for a four-hour visit and then continue on to Inis Meain for a three night stay in a 200 year old cottage. The Doolin Ferry company had new boats, an improvement over the somewhat rusty one I had ridden on five years ago when I had visited Inis Mor, the biggest of the three Aran islands.

The trip to Inis Oirr, the smallest and closest island, was a quick fifteen minutes, with views of the cliffs of Moher in the distance and then views of the island with its gorgeous beach, blue-green water, harbour buildings, and hilltop castle and tower.

I had booked a bicycle, and the proprietors kindly stored my big pack for me so, feeling excited and energized again for the first time in days, I set off to explore the sights of the island. Like Inish Mor, this island is a continuation of the Karst limestone topography of the Burren and it is criss-crossed with miles and miles of dry stone walls. I had loved my time on Inis Mor and was very happy to be back to visit another of the Aran Islands. On my first stop I walked down a grassy lane to see the island’s small brackish lake – seawater seeps into the lake from fissures in the limestone.

I continued on to the remains of the MV Plassey, a large cargo steam freighter that was wrecked in a storm off Inis Oirr in 1960. All eleven crew members were rescued by the islanders who also helped to salvage the cargo. The huge rusting wreck was strangely very beautiful!

From there I cycled towards the island’s lighthouse. It was very fun to ride a bicycle and much faster than walking, even though I do usually have to get off and push on the uphill stretches! The lighthouse was like a magnet in the distance,

and there was an interesting approach to it along a long straight road hemmed in by tall stone walls.

On the return trip back up the road I noticed a gate in the wall which enabled me to walk along the rocky shore to photograph the lighthouse from different angles. It posed marvellously, as did the obliging clouds! What a gorgeous day to be on Inis Oirr!

On the walk back I became distracted by some tiny yellow star-shaped flowers and I continued to enjoy finding and photographing flowers as I pushed my bike back uphill. There were so many daisies blooming on this island!

My next stop was O’Brien’s Castle which was built in the 14th century within a ring fort believed to date from 400 BC. The castle was a three story tower house for the O’Brien family who ruled the Aran islands until the late 1500s.

I enjoyed walking around all four sides of the tower and exploring the inside,

but the real draw today was the views in all directions over the island. This view shows some of the multitude of wall-enclosed fields,

and this view (left photo), over to the next hill, shows the remains of a signal tower, built in 1804 that was part of the extensive network of towers built by the British during the Napoleonic wars.

After the hilltop visits I zoomed on my bike downhill to what was perhaps my favourite stop on the island, Teampall Chaomhan, the 10th century St. Kevin’s Church. Built near the sea, over the centuries it became buried by drifting sands until it was excavated and revealed by the islanders who continue to maintain the site. It was very unique and beautiful.

Nearby was the Cnoc Raithnoghe, a Bronze Age burial mound, dated at 1500 BC, which had also been buried under the sands over time. It was excavated after discovery and the finds included decorated pottery urns, cremated human remains, and a small bronze pin.

There was still time before my ferry to Inis Meain so I cycled towards the western side of the island to visit Cill Ghobnait, also referred to as An Teampall Beag (The Small Temple). Dedicated to St. Ghobnait, and built in the 11th century on a site in use since the 6th century, the church still features its original stone altar.

There were still more parts of the island to explore but I was happy with my day and conscious of my energy levels so I returned my bicycle and sat outside at a cafe to enjoy a scone and cup of tea and the views towards the beautiful sand beach, Tra Inis Oirr. After my break, I still had time before the ferry arrived so I walked towards the beach,

and then along the sand to its very centre where the view out to the clouds and sea was truly magical.

I said goodbye to lovely Inis Oirr as the ferry pulled away,

and said hello to Inis Meain, the middle island, as we made the approach.

I was ready for the next part of my journey and optimistic that I was on the mend. I would have three days in one place to rest, read and explore. Unfortunately, things would not go as planned!

Ireland, 2023 – Not the finale I was expecting on my Kerry Way walk! Then, on to Cahersiveen and Portmagee

Day Six of Kerry Way Walk – Limateerha to Cahersiveen – 13 km

So, I’ll get straight to the point, and it isn’t pleasant or pretty! I started off my morning with three visits to the bathroom and much of the day was an exercise in finding discreet places to make emergency outdoor bathroom stops. It was the start of food poisoning symptoms that would last for over a week and severely cramp my style (in more ways than one!). I believe that the culprit was an undercooked hamburger in Glencar which I had wanted to return to the kitchen and definitely should have. I need to learn to be more assertive!! There were some good moments on my walk, and on the ensuing days, and so I’ll report on those and try to leave out the unpleasant details of my illness!

The last leg of my journey on the Kerry Way was mostly level walking along peaceful country roads, paved and unpaved. I was heading towards Blen Tee, the pointy-tipped mountain in the distance,

and I often turned to look back up the luxuriant green valley that I had traversed the previous day.

I reached the turnoff where the Kerry Way loop continues towards Waterville, but my journey continued straight on the linking spur to Cahersiveen. Soon after there was a beautiful long section of bog to traverse, but the walking was dry and easy on an access road.

There were also many stiles to cross over, into and out of farm fields. At this one I took a rest at the top as it was shaded and had a wonderful view of a meadow.

Two Dutch gentlemen came along, the only other hikers that I would see today, and they were very fit-looking older fellows carrying big backpacks. We said hello as they passed and later I met them again at a small shallow river where they having a wash, one of them naked. I talked for a few minutes with the non-naked one and learned that they were camping and had been walking for ten days. They had done the entire Beara Way (206 km) and had come this far on the Kerry Way (about 70 km) in those ten days, for an average of about 28 km per day with all of their gear. When I remarked on the distance, the fellow just smiled and said simply, “We like walking.”

I carried on, always heading towards Blen Tee Mountain. I would be crossing over its shoulder and then around to my final destination at Cahersiveen.

The day grew to be very warm and muggy and the Kerry Way made a few turns that didn’t seem to make sense. I was getting hot and tired, and worried about the state of my tummy, so when I hit a section of paved road I distracted myself with noticing the flowers along the roadside and hedges, and I noticed a few new ones that I hadn’t yet met including the beautiful purple loosestrife (top left) which is invasive at home but native here in Ireland.

A few kilometres on, I had another restful break on top of a shaded stile, this time looking back at the long valley that I had traversed and at the distant mountains that I had come over.

Then, I got lost for the first time on the trail. I came to a sign and was interested in the Blentee Loop Walk and other signed trails and so I didn’t notice that the Kerry Way made a right turn here. I continued straight and headed a good distance uphill unnecessarily, noticed my mistake, and then compounded it by figuring that I could traverse some farm fields to get to the proper path. I traversed one wide field, then another, then halfway across the third I realized that I would not be able to get over a high stone fence. Darn! I recrossed the fields, headed back downhill, and then found the post where I had made my mistake.

The next section rose through a blissfully shaded wood, and then opened up to great views down to Cahersiveen ahead, and looking back up the valley, but my need to find a bathroom spot again (for the umpteenth time) was becoming urgent and that’s all I could think about. On all of my other long distance walks I’ve felt quite proud and ebullient as I’ve neared the finish but this was no grand finale. I was miserable!

I found a barely-private spot in the nick of time and once that was dealt with properly I descended the rest of the way into town feeling depleted and anxious. I found my accommodation, met my wonderfully considerate host Danny, and retired to the serenity of my lovely room to shower and lie down for a good long rest. Later, I made my way to a thankfully nearby grocery store to buy food for dinner, breakfast, and the next day. I ate my dinner, one banana and small cup of strawberry yogurt, in a peaceful park across from my accommodation which featured the ruins of the Old Abbey of the Holy Cross. That was a nicer finale to the day, and to my Kerry Way walk, and I went to sleep early, hopeful that all would be well by morning.

Leacanabuile and Cahergall Stone Forts

My tummy troubles continued overnight but in the morning I managed to eat several slices of toast and I was determined to stick with my itinerary of visiting two stone forts and a ruined castle located 3.5 km out of town. I was able to leave my pack at Danny’s and I set off on another beautiful morning. I crossed over the Valentia River, gorgeous in the morning light,

and enjoyed views across hay meadows to the marina and town of Cahersiveen, with the green slopes of Blen Tee rising up behind.

I continued along and was excited to have my first sightings of Ballycarbery Castle,

but then bathroom needs became urgent again and my focus turned to possible spots and there were almost none to be found along the public road with fenced fields and scattered houses on either side. But, I said that I would omit those details! So, let’s head straight to the first impressive 9th century stone fort, Leacanabuile, located on a rocky knoll at a high point in the landscape with far-reaching views all around to the river, sea, and hills.

The fort would have been the farmstead of a wealthy land owner with a protective circular wall more than three metres thick. One doorway on the east side would allow access into the enclosure where there had been a round stone house with an attached square house and other smaller round buildings. There was also an escape route via a passage below ground which exited on the outside of the wall to the west.

I had the site to myself and enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere and views. Looking across to the larger Cahergall Stone Fort on a nearby hill I could see that people were standing atop its walls.

I made my way there and by the time I arrived that tour group was gone and I had the fort almost to myself for about 15 minutes before another tour group arrived. The stone fort is a regular stop for the large tour buses that take tourists around on the Ring of Kerry drive. Partially reconstructed, Cahergall Stone Fort has a massive drystone wall which is stepped and terraced on the inside to allow access to the top to give a view across the countryside.

I was hesitant to climb to the top of the wall because I was feeling a bit weak and woozy but I’m glad that I did. I took care! Then I started the return walk back to Cahersiveen feeling quite unwell. Sadly, a visit to Ballycarberry Castle would have to wait for another time as I just did not have the energy for it, but I did enjoy the views of it across a hay meadow filled with waving grasses and bright yellow buttercups.

Danny was kind to let me have a second shower even though it was past check out time and I rested on a bench in his front garden until it was time to take the bus to Portmagee where I would spend three days in an Airbnb two kilometres out of town. Luckily the bus was able to drop me off right at the front door and I spent the rest of the day in bed very sIck indeed.

The next morning I had to cancel my long-anticipated boat tour to Michael Skellig, a magnificent dramatic two-peaked mountain of rock 13 miles off the coast with 600 ancient stone steps leading up to a 6th century monastic site with beehive huts and other archaeological wonders. It was to be the highlight of my trip to Ireland but was impossible for me to visit in my condition. I had a good long cry and spent the rest of the day miserable – bed, bathroom, bed, bathroom, bed, bathroom – you get the picture!

Portmagee, Valentia Island and the Kerry Cliffs

The next morning I still wasn’t well but I decided to do the 2 kilometre walk into town to see if there was any last-minute availability on that day’s sailing out to Skellig Michael. An emergency bathroom stop halfway to town convinced me that I was fooling myself that I was able to do the trip. I rested at the beach for awhile and then walked the last kilometre into town. I decided to walk over the bridge to Valentia Island and felt very sad indeed as I saw the tour boats heading out to sea on another picture-perfect day. I contented myself by taking pictures of the beautiful view upstream towards Cahersiveen,

and of Portmagee town and marina,

and of the view out towards the sea.

I walked to the Skellig Michael Experience Centre and rested at an outdoor table with a scone and cup of tea. I was nervous to eat anything but the scone turned out to be the perfect food for my condition (white flour and a bit of sugar, easily digestible) and I basically lived off of two scones a day for the following week.

I was still feeling sad about missed opportunities (I had originally planned to do several scenic hikes on Valentia Island on this day), but also resigned to my fate. It was definitely time to just slow down and take it easy. I walked back into town for a few photos and to buy some bananas, yogurt and several more scones,

and then I started to head back to my accommodation. I saw three women, about my age, heading to a car and impulsively called out, “Are you going to the Kerry Cliffs?” And they were! They were three retired teachers on holiday from Australia and they kindly gave me a ride up to the Kerry Cliffs, which had been on my itinerary, and then back into town. I was very grateful for the lift, for the company, and for the opportunity to do at least one of the activities that I had planned for my days in Portmagee.

The striated cliffs were stunning!

Though I did feel sad again while looking out in the distance at the Skelligs, with Michael Skellig on the right.

Oh well, I at least had another very good reason to come back again to wonderful Ireland. The walk from town back to my accommodation was a challenge again with my energy flagging and my thoughts turning anxiously to a long travel day on the morrow with four bus rides. More rest was definitely needed…

If you are still reading, thank you for following along on this less-than-epic part of my journey! I hope the details were not too off-putting! It certainly was an illness that exhausted me and quite took the wind out of my sails, but at least nothing disastrous had happened and though not yet fully well I was able to carry on. I hope that you will continue on the journey with me. All the best to everyone, Christine.

Ireland, 2023 – More happy walking on the Kerry Way

June 10-11, 2023

Glencar to Glenbeigh , 12.5 km, 420 m

It was an overcast morning as I left the Climbers Inn in Glencar and this day on the trail would have a much different personality. There was more road walking, though thankfully almost all of it was along quiet country roads and farm and forest tracks. I passed by rivers and streams, and through fields, forest, and woodlands, all of it as peaceful as can be.

I had left the exhilaration of the mountains behind, but they were still present in the distance reminding me of where I’d been. It was a good day for contemplation and I was happy as I walked along.

Today, 3 groups of walkers passed me – an American couple, a young German couple, and three older Brits – all doing the Kerry Way but with their bags transported by tour companies. It was fun to chat briefly with each and to compare notes on our Kerry Way journeys. I walked at a good pace throughout the morning on easy terrain and sooner than expected I arrived at the turn to Windy Gap for another climb up to a mountain pass. This climb too was much easier than those of the previous days and I hiked steadily up,

stopping occassionally for views back to the MacGillicuddy’s Reeks, most of them tucked away in the clouds.

I continued on up the curving green path,

and then I was at the top with my first glimpse of the sea on the horizon.

I travelled a little further on and then stopped to rest with this view of Dingle Bay spread out below. Two long sandspits stretch out into the bay. Inch Beach (to the right) begins at Annascaul on the other side of the bay and is 6 km long while Rossbeigh Beach (to the left in the photo), extends 3 km. Both feature beautiful long beaches backed by sand dunes with native grasses and wildflowers. I had sadly missed visiting Inch Beach on my last trip to Ireland, and I wondered if I would make it to visit Rossbeigh Beach this evening.

After my rest I started the descent, first on the wide track for a kilometre or two,

and then on a section of road walking where my views were blocked for a while by tall hedgerows so I found enjoyment in looking at all of the plants growing on and over them. So many species, such vitality! Every square inch was covered by plants of one sort or another, all seemingly getting along as they shared the space and light.

Then I was passing through the outskirts of Glenbeigh and on into the town where I had another kilometre of walking to reach my accommodation at the slightly time-worn but still elegant Glenbeigh Hotel which began life as a stage coach inn in 1792.

After a refreshing shower I trekked back into town to do some laundry and find some dinner, and then returned to the hotel with time enough left in the evening to have visited Rossbeigh Beach. I didn’t feel up to the walk there and back but I really regret not having made the effort to at least walk there and ring for a taxi back. Sometimes I adhere a bit too strictly to my budget!

Glenbeigh to Limateerha, 15 km, 270 m

I started my day much lighter than on the previous four days of walking as my kind host, Richard, of Limateerha House where I would stay next, was transporting my big pack for me for only 15 Euro which is much more reasonable than the 30 or 35 Euro charged by many other hosts and baggage transfer companies. I was very grateful! I set off down Glenbeigh’s Main Street and then it was time to climb up into the Fairy Forest, a whimsical local trail and also part of the Kerry Way. The start of the Fairy Forest was appropriately carpeted with blossoms!

After the section of forest the Kerry Way joined a very quiet road which rose steadily for several kilometres,

and later provided views over the valley and across to Windy Gap which I had descended yesterday (the slight V between the mountains).

The road continued, always uphill, for a good long while, past farms and scattered houses and it was peaceful except for a few over-excited dogs barking from their porches. Today, I would again not see one other hiker on my entire day’s journey.

There was a turn to cross over the N71 and soon after that the Kerry Way finally left the pavement and joined a dirt track that began to lead me up to isolated sheep fields on the side of a mist-shrouded mountain.

As I climbed there were great views back. Rossbeigh Beach was already so far away!

The track rose and narrowed and began to travel on the very edge of the mountain slope.

And this was the view straight down!

The drop is almost sheer, with cars passing below on the N71 Ring of Kerry Road. If one should stumble over the edge I highly doubt that grabbing at bracken would slow the fall! The colour of the water was rather too mesmerizing, so eyes forward I continued on the path towards the encroaching mist.

Before rounding a bend, I stopped to take one long last look back at Dingle Bay with its duo of long sandy spits. What a view!

I left those dizzying views behind, rounded the shoulder of the mountain, and walked straight into a new kind of excitement – a very strong wind was blowing veils of mist at me and within minutes I was close to being drenched.

I put on my rain jacket but was too lazy to put on my rain pants… then two minutes later I put on my rain pants! I was in the rain, mist and clouds (or were they all the same thing?) as I traversed the mountainside and then passed through a long section of forestry with some newly cut areas.

The next highlight was seeing my first glimpse of the finale of my Kerry Way walk far in the distance beyond the end of the first body of water. I would get there tomorrow!

The rain eased up and I started a long descent on a beautiful section of winding road that passed a series of old farms and ruined cottages.

The views across and down the valley from those cottages and that road were breathtaking!

As I walked I alternated between looking at the distant views and features of the landscape and looking at nearer things – stones covered in lichen and moss, leaning fence posts, lambs with waggling tails, and the richness and variety of the plant life. Here I stopped when I noticed a curving line of blue forget-me-nots descending a shallow slope. They were growing where a tiny spring-fed stream was flowing!

I loved it here! Many people do the stage from Glenbeigh all the way to Cahersiveen (located just beyond the midpoint of the two bodies of water) in one go but I was very happy to be taking my time! I reached the bottom of that wonderful old road,

and continued along on a narrow trail until I crossed my last stile of the day and soon after joined a quiet paved road that led me to my accommodation for the night at Limateerha House. There I enjoyed wonderful books in the sun room, good conversation, and a home-cooked dinner followed by sticky toffee pudding with ice cream.

A wonderful day’s walking deserves a wonderful ending! Thank you all for reading.

Ireland, 2023 – Fabulous mountain and valley walking on the Kerry Way

Black Valley to the Bridia Valley, 10 km, 270 m

It was very quiet as I set out from my accommodation on the second full day of my Kerry Way walk. I was heading first to the far end of the Black Valley and a little white house was like a beacon in the distance. I soon passed that milestone, and then when I passed the turn off to the Gap of Dunloe Road I was in territory that I had never trod before which is always exciting!

The views towards the end of the Black Valley were breathtaking!

As were the views looking back.

There were wildflowers all along the side of the road and growing on and around stone fences. I admired both dark red and pale pink fuchsia, a non-native plant that grows profusely over southwestern Ireland, as well as foxglove, buttercups and wild roses.

After several happy kilometres, I left the pavement and started up an old cobbled road with mama sheep and lambs my only company. In an hour of walking I had not yet seen one person or had one car pass by me. Near the top of this first hill I was thinking that I hadn’t yet encountered any stiles on the Kerry Way and then, just minutes later, I came upon one. It would be the first of many!

The trail passed through a small section of forest and then I was once again out in the open with views of Lough Reagh nestled below at the very the end of the Black Valley.

The Kerry Way once more joined a tarmac road and rose up past the somewhat famous “Slate House” ruin which is often photographed. I learned this from an English couple I passed that were doing a day hike around the Black Valley. They were the only people I would see to the entire day until I reached my accommodation in the late afternoon. I was very happy to be all alone in this magnificent landscape.

The Kerry Way passed the farmhouse and dipped down into the Cummeenduff Glen. This long and very isolated valley was filled with the rubble and outlines of so many old stone fences, animal enclosures, and dwellings.

And there was even older evidence of human occupation here, a standing stone surrounded by what appeared to be several collapsed dolmens.

Now it was time to really start climbing, first up a long gravel road that passed one lone farm near the end of the valley, and then up a rocky path that zigzagged its way up towards a saddle. The wind was very strong here and pushed at my backpack, trying to throw me off balance!

When I thought that I had reached the top of the saddle, I hadn’t! It kept mysteriously moving further ahead!

That was reason enough to stop, take a breath, and look back at the view down the glen.

As I continued to climb, I thought of how many people must have walked here before me over the millennia. How much harder their lives would have been! At last I was up and over the pass, with this spectacular view ahead of the Bridia Valley. Wow! I would have a very steep and tricky descent here, over uneven rocky terrain where every step had to be made carefully, but first I had time for well-deserved break. I rested for a good long while, reluctant to say goodbye to this view and to have this day of walking come to an end.

But, as they say, “what goes up must come down” and so I made my descent following the well-signposted path. And then I was down on a country road with a sign directing me to the Stepping Stone B&B, hosted by John and Sandy, where I would have a restful afternoon, a simple but very delicious dinner in the cafe, and a fabulous breakfast in the morning. The bottom left photo is of the view from my room!

Thank you, Kerry Way, for an absolutely marvellous day of walking!

Bridia Valley to the Climbers Inn, Glencar – 10.5 km, 350 m

Today’s walk would start immediately with a steep climb up to a height of 380 metres, complete with zigs, zags, and many stiles to climb. I had to stop often to catch my breath (I had just had a very big breakfast!), but the views back down the hill were worth the stops.

As I climbed towards and then above the ruins of this red-roofed cottage, I daydreamed that perhaps it could be mine to love and bring back to life. What a location!

But, on this day, I had to leave it far behind down on the mountainside. (Can you spot it, a bit to the right of centre in the photo below?)

I continued the steady climb until I rose to the top of a pass, with zoomed in views of a new valley and of Lough Acoose below.

To my right stretched a ridge line leading up to MacGillicuddy’s Reeks which are home to nine out of ten of Ireland’s highest peaks. Covered in mist for most of the morning, some of those peaks would later come into view when I was down in the valley below.

But first I had to get down! The descent here was the steepest yet and somewhat daunting!

I was certainly grateful for another day of perfect walking weather – dry and warm with a good refreshing wind. On both today’s and yesterday’s rocky climbs and descents I imagined what it would be like hiking through here on a cold and darkly overcast day with driving rain, wind blown mists, slippery rocks and boggy uneven ground! And that’s not uncommon here!

I descended with due care and attention, and reached the valley bottom quicker than expected. Then it was an easy ramble along a farm road with curious sheep, a meandering stream, and again, many remnants of previous farm holdings.

This is one of my favourite views of the day, overlooking an abandoned farmstead and with the Reeks in the background.

And here is another favourite view, taken from the same spot but looking in the direction of Lough Acoose. There was an elemental magic to this place, and I learned later that Bronze Age field systems dot the landscape here.

I reluctantly turned my back on Lough Acoose as the Kerry Way travelled away from it, towards and past a farm, then up and over some hillocks that were thick with bracken. As I climbed one stile, I was amazed by the tall stone fence that travelled all the way up to the very top of a mountain. You have to admire whoever built that!

The Kerry Way then led me down through a long pleasant section of forestry where I saw a baby deer,

and then back up onto a hilltop which was the perfect place for today’s rest, with a fine rock to sit on and a view of MacGillicuddy’s Reeks to the east. I wondered if one of those peaks was that of Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain.

I kept expecting to see other Kerry Way walkers or day hikers pass by, either coming or going, but like yesterday I saw no one else on the traiI. The sole person I had seen and said hello to was a farmer who was opening a gate to drive his tractor through. Otherwise, it was just the birds and insects, many sheep, one baby deer, the wind, and me.

Soon though I would cross farm fields and a wide stream to arrive at a paved road that would lead me to the Climber’s Inn in Glencar where I would chat with a fellow Canadian who was doing his first long-distance walk, have my first cider and pub meal in Ireland, speak French for several hours with two travellers, and then have a good long sleep.

I was thrilled with my last two days of fabulous mountain and valley walking on the Kerry Way, and ready for what the next day would bring. Thank you for reading!

Ireland, 2023 – Kerry Way Walk, a spectacular start!

June 7, Torc Waterfall to the Black Valley, 16 km, 430 m

The Kerry Way is Ireland’s longest way-marked National Trail at over 200km, and also one of its most popular for its spectacular scenery as it loops around the Iveragh Peninsula. My plan was to do a section of the trail, 77 km from Killarney to Cahersiveen. I had already done the first 6 km from Killarney to Torc Waterfall and now I set out to do the 16 km stage from Torc Waterfall to the Black Valley. I was able to travel by bus to the waterfall and I knew that once I arrived I would immediately have to climb up past the waterfall on over 260 stone steps – my first challenge with my overly-loaded big pack on my back!

It wasn’t so bad! The Kerry Way then continued steadily upwards on a wide road through a deciduous forest bursting with green. The shade was welcome on what was already proving to be another warm and sunny day.

After the section of forest, the views opened up!

The road continued to rise, more gently now, and it was exciting to see it stretch out far ahead in the distance. More amazing countryside to see!

There were fabulous views in all directions, both near and far.

Later the road dwindled out into a trail that rose to pass over several expanses of blanket bog, with the walking made easy by narrow boardwalks. I did get slightly wet knees from getting down low to photograph tiny bog orchids, cotton grass, and purple thistle.

There were some descents into gullies, thick with mature oaks, deep moss, and bracken,

and there were crossings over small rivers and streams, some with gentle waterfalls. Almost all of today’s walk on the Kerry Way is within Killarney National Park. Thank goodness all of this land, including its large tracts of ancient woodlands, is being protected and conserved for the future.

After several hours of very happy walking, the Kerry Way came to a T-junction at an old road where one chooses whether to walk the rest of the Kerry Way in a clockwise or anti clockwise loop. I turned right, the shorter path to my eventual destination of Cahersiveen. What a view looking forward!

I was now heading towards Killarney’s Upper Lake but before reaching it I would need to walk several more kilometres to where the Kerry Way crosses the N71 Ring of Kerry road at Galway’s Bridge, with the Derrycunihy Church nearby.

After crossing the N71 the trail descended on a steep rocky path to arrive at and pass through a small forest of very large, very old oak trees.

There were tiny glimpses between the trees of the lake below and then finally an open view of the far western end of Killarney’s Upper Lake.

After another kilometre or two through an open grassy heathland,

the path descended to lake level but stayed some distance from the shore. It was so fun to see the tree-covered islands and surrounding mountains that I had passed by the day before on my Gap of Dunloe boat trip.

The path left the lake behind and continued across a beautiful wide field, headed towards Lord Brandon’s cottage.

The cafe there was nearly empty of visitors, a far cry from the day before where it had been full of people who had just disembarked from the tour boats and were about to board jaunting cars to travel through the Gap of Dunloe, or who, like me, had just traversed the Gap and were about to embark on the boats. There was time to have a leisurely early supper at the cafe as the dinner provided at my very nice accommodation in the Black Valley was on the pricey side. Restored and rejuvenated, and very very happy with the my first real day on the Kerry Way, I hefted up my big pack (now seemingly heavier!) to walk the last two kilometres along a quiet paved road to my accommodation in the Black Valley. The scenery today had been nothing short of spectacular and I was excited to see what the next days five days of walking would bring!

Ireland, 2023 – Ross Castle, Innisfallen Island, and the Gap of Dunloe

June 5-6, 2023

On my third day in Killarney I headed off on a three kilometre walk to visit Ross Castle on the shore of Lough Leane. I took a path through a lovely meadow where I saw a herd of Sika deer grazing. Sika deer were brought into the area in the 19th century and are considered invasive as they can overgraze and destroy native woodlands.

A little further along, I saw two other deer that I thought might be the native Red Deer as they were larger and had darker coats, but I’m not sure!

This one was certainly a Sika deer and she looks like she may be pregnant. A few moments later, on the other side of the path, I saw a mother and her very young fawn but they quickly disappeared into the forest.

I soon noticed that I was walking through a “wet woodland” that I had learned about in the Killarney House interpretive centre. This ecosystem on the Lough Leane floodplain is dominated by alder trees and also supports ash, birch, and willow trees as well as thick areas of rushes, sedges, and grasses. I also saw many foxgloves, and yellow flag irises which are very beautiful but also very invasive. Also invasive throughout Killarney National Park are rhododendrons which thrive here in Kerry and outcompete native plants. Extensive conservation efforts are undertaken to eradicate them but it is a huge challenge.

Soon I arrived at Ross Castle and I headed to the stone pier of the Killarney Rowing Club to photograph the castle from across a small bay.

My plan was to do the 4.5 kilometre hike on the Ross Castle peninsula which would pass by a 4000 year old copper mine, as well as other points of interest, but on impulse I decided that I wanted to do a boat trip to Innisfallen Island instead.

The trip was not on my itinerary but the lake was so beautiful that suddenly fifteen Euro did not seem like too much to pay for a boat ride across the deep blue water to visit Lough Leane’s largest island and the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey. I was the only guest on the boat and the twenty minute ride out was wonderful with lake, island, and mountain views all around.

All too soon we were docking at Innisfallen, directly in front of the Abbey.

Innisfallen Abbey was founded on the island in 640 by Saint Finian and was known as a great centre of learning. Lough Leane means “Lake of Learning” and it is said that the Irish High King Brian Boru was educated here. The abbey was occupied for over 900 years until the monks were forced to abandon the island by order of Queen Elizabeth I in 1594. Today, the buildings still on site date from the 10th to the 13th centuries.

The giant yew directly if front of the abbey is thought to be at least 800 years old!

I loved walking around the ruins and what caught my eye the most today were all of the tiny plants clinging to the stone walls. In the perfect little mini garden below, the foxglove plant was only about five inches tall! It brought to mind part of a lovely quote from the Irish poet Thomas Moore in which he described the nature to be found in Killarney, “…the little gardens that every small rock exhibits, the romantic disposition of the islands, and graceful sweep of the shores; – all this is unequalled anywhere else.”

As well as lichens, mosses, and tiny ferns, some of the plants clinging to the stones were flowering naval worts (top two photos below) and Ivy-leaved toad flax (bottom left).

I had to search for a while to find the face of Saint Finian finely carved from a block of Red Sandstone. The building stone of the abbey is primarily limestone, which underlies much of Killarney National Park, and some Red Sandstone which was transported into the area by ice age glaciers and deposited as glacial erratics.

After viewing the abbey ruins I decided to walk the trail that circles the 21 acre island. The path travelled through bracken and open forest,

with easy access to the shore.

This view from a high bank clearly shows the limestone bedrock, sculpted by the water,

and here is a large Red Sandstone erratic beside the trail (it looks white because it is almost completed covered by lichen). I learned at the Killarney House interpretive centre that yews prefer to grow on limestone while the oaks prefer to grow in areas of Red Sandstone.

There were few people on the island while I was there and it was blissfully peaceful, and again I was the only passenger on the return boat ride. Here is a view of Ross Castle as we headed to the pier. I was going there next!

Ross Castle was initially built in the mid 15th century by an O’Donoghue chieftain as a tower house which included the tall centre portion of the castle you see below as well as the defensive outer walls with their rounded towers.

By the late 1500s the castle and its lands had been seized by the English crown and then had a succession of owners, chiefly the Browne family, over the ensuing centuries. A British military barracks was added onto the tower in the early 1700s and alterations were made, such as removing interior tower walls, that weakened the structural integrity of the castle. By the Victorian era, the castle had deteriorated into a Romantic ruin on the shores of Lough Leane, very popular with tourists of the day.

The castle has since been extensively restored and is managed by the Ireland’s Office of Public Works (OPW) (as was Trim Castle). I took their excellent and inexpensive guided tour that visited each of the three levels of the tower. The principal rooms, like the Great Hall on the third floor, were furnished as they might have been in the 15th century (interior photos were not allowed) and we learned what life would have been like then for the castle’s first inhabitants. I was so impressed by the tour and also impressed by the restoration work that was done by the OPW at great expense and with the use of local materials and medieval building techniques (as much as possible) to preserve authenticity.

Ross Castle is definitely a “must see” for visitors to Killarney!

On my last full day in Killarney I booked a “Gap of Dunloe” tour which is also a “must see” for many if not most visitors. The Gap of Dunloe tour is a 12 kilometre journey that begins at Kate Kearney’s Cottage where a single-lane road climbs its way up through a narrow valley, past five small lakes connected by the River Loe to a pass (the “gap”), and then steeply down into the beautiful Black Valley. It then travels to Lord Brandon’s Cottage where boats are moored on the river that leads into Killarney’s Upper Lake, ready to take travellers on a ninety-minute boat ride across Killarney’s three lakes to end at Ross Castle, with a bus ride back to Killarney.

I was very excited to do this tour but also a bit apprehensive because I was going to walk the 12 kilometres and the time allotted for the trip is 2.5 -3 hours maximum in order to meet the boats on time. That’s a walking speed of 4 km per hour which is fast for me. Most tourists choose to travel the 12 kilometres in a pony and trap jaunting car, clip clop clip clop!

There were not many of us walking and I headed off at a good pace behind a French family of three and soon passed them as the road climbed steeply away from Kate Kearney’s Cottage,

and we quickly reached the first lake.

The road would level off somewhat as it passed alongside the lakes and then rise again, always aiming for the deep V between the mountains in the distance.

Some sections ahead looked a little daunting!

It was a beautiful walk and I wished that I could take more time to explore and enjoy the vistas.

We climbed up,

and up,

until the very top of the pass.

From there, the road swept steeply down a series of S curves and then straightened out for a long descent into the Black Valley.

But I could see that the Killarney Upper Lake was far in the distance behind me, and where did everybody go? The jaunting cars had long since passed me but there were no more walkers that I could see either behind or in front of me. Had I missed a turnoff somewhere?

It was very bizarre, so quiet, and it felt like every single person had disappeared off the face of the planet! I looked ahead, and behind, and down the mountainside as I kept walking at a quick pace downhill, and then finally I could see the French family below me (they had passed me earlier), in the middle of an S-curve that reversed the road’s direction so that it would lead towards the lake. Phew!

I relaxed and continued along in front of the few homes and church of the Black Valley (I would walk here again on the Kerry Way), then the road paralleled the lovely Owenreagh River for the last kilometre or so before arriving at Lord Brandon’s cottage where I had just a few minutes for a quick snack and a five minute rest before heading across a wide path to the moored boats on the river. I took a quick photo back towards Lord Brandon’s cottage and the mountains that I had crossed,

and then climbed into the boat with eleven other excited passengers. What a beautiful day! We travelled down the river,

until it widened and then we were crossing Killarney’s Upper Lake.

On the other side we rejoined the river as it narrowed dramatically and flowed in fun curves around rocky points for some distance as it headed towards Muckross Lake (the middle lake).

We reached the narrowest and shallowest part of the river and had to disembark and then walk across a stone bridge and along a forest trail for probably about 100 metres to where the river joined the middle lake (Muckross Lake) and where a new boat was waiting for us. This manoeuvre is necessary when rain has been scant and the river level is low. One older American fellow was rather disgruntled with this but I heard him quip, as we boarded the bus at the end of our adventure, his good humour restored, “That’s the most hiking I’ve ever had to do on a boat trip!”

We crossed Muckross Lake, with views of Muckross House on a distant shore, and then passed under this bridge!

Here is one of my favourite photos of the day.

In the middle of Lough Leane, the largest of the three Killarney lakes, we had to do another, very strange maneuver and I still don’t understand exactly why. In the middle of the large lake we had to take off our life jackets, board another boat that came to meet us and was held directly alongside, and then put on new life jackets to finish the journey in that boat! There was lots of nervous laughter, excitement, and a rather pale and serious face on the American fellow! Here is our view of Ross Castle as we neared the end of our wonderful Gap of Dunloe boat trip.

Boat trips, Innisfallen Island, Ross Castle, the Gap of Dunloe, mountains, meadows, lakes and spectacular vistas all around. More reasons to visit Ireland’s wonderful town of Killarney!

Ireland, 2023 – Killarney, too touristy? Or definitely worth a visit?

Bike Fest, Loch Leane, Muckross Abbey, Muckross House, Muckross Traditional Farms, Torc Waterfall

June 2-3, 2023

I enjoyed the scenic four-hour train ride southwest from Dublin to Killarney which is one of Ireland’s most visited towns. I knew to expect lots of tourists in the town but I had not expected the combination of a bank holiday weekend with a popular motorcycle festival (BikeFest) that has been known to draw up to 50,000 people to Killarney for a long weekend of free concerts, a fairground, and a motorcycle parade on the Sunday! Yikes! I arrived on Saturday afternoon, saw lots of bikers around town as I walked to my accommodation, and learned of the festival at the tourist information centre. I decided to stick to my initial plan of first visiting the nearby Killarney House. Killarney House is the visitor and interpretive centre for Killarney National Park which encompasses over 10,000 hectares of mountains, lakes, woodlands and meadows, and which features trails, historical sites, gardens, and museums as well.

I entered the grounds of Killarney House and had a wonderful view across expansive lawns and a distant field towards Loch Leane, also known as Killarney’s Lower Lake (just barely visible as a minuscule dot in the far distance (at the vanishing point)), and the McGillicuddy’s Reeks which are Ireland’s highest mountain range.

In the other direction, I walked along more expansive lawns and then through a small formal garden to arrive at Killarney House which was once the stable block for a grand house on the 137,000 acre Kenmare Estate which is now incorporated into the national park.

Killarney House features a series of fifteen rooms that provide information in a variety of formats about the national park’s many diverse habitats which include ancient oak woodlands and yew woodlands that are among the largest in Western Europe and contain trees that are over a thousand years old. Exhibits also described the human history of the area through the centuries and its impact on the land, as well as conservation efforts that are underway in the park to mitigate some of the damage caused by those activities which include the introduction of invasive species in the 19th century.

After my visit to Killarney House I decided that I would like to have a picnic supper down at the lake so I exited the park, visited a nearby grocery store, and then made my way to a wonderful riverside trail that would lead me several kilometres down to Loch Leane. It was a beautiful walk!

And once I arrived this was my view of Loch Leane with its small islands and the McGillicuddy’s Reeks in the background!

I found a nice spot in the shade under some trees to spread out my picnic and my tourist pamphlets. I had purchased dinner and my next day’s lunch and snacks for less than half the price of a restaurant dinner! The crisps were meant for the following day but of course I couldn’t wait – they were the perfect accompaniment to reading my pamphlets and revising my Killarney plans so as to best avoid the crowds. Happy with my new itinerary (and the crisps!) I explored the lake shore for a while, talked to some fishermen, and asked an American couple to take my photo after I took theirs. It was incredibly beautiful, quiet, and peaceful there and I was very happy with my first afternoon in Killarney.

I followed the river trail back for part of the way and then took a trail that led me across a picturesque meadow and toward the town. There were so many large and incredibly beautiful trees, and I saw a European robin, so pretty! He posed for me nicely and just before I snapped the picture he flew a few feet away to pose again, “No, I look better here”, and then again twice more until he was just a tiny silhouette but I snapped the photo anyways, thrilled to have seen him.

I walked past Killarney’s large St. Mary’s Cathedral, situated at the edge of town,

and then walked along quiet residential streets to my accommodation where I enjoyed some more quiet time in my lovely room and in the small kitchenette where I would help myself to breakfast items in the morning and where I could work on my iPad and have a coffee and biscuits, or heat up a meal, anytime I wished. This was to be my comfortable home for the next three full days in Killarney.

I slept well and woke early on Sunday ready to walk the first eight kilometres of the Kerry Way, from Killarney to Torc Waterfall, while also visiting three of Killarney’s top tourist sites, Muckross Abbey, Muckross House and Gardens, and Muckross Traditional Farms. I figured that many of the bikers and others in town for the festival would be sleeping in late on a Sunday morning and then attending the Motorcycle Parade at 11 a.m. and therefore I could safely stay away from all of the busyness.

There is no official sign in Killarney to mark the start of the Kerry Way built it does start at the beginning of Muckross Road which is also the N71 that is lined with shops, bed and breakfasts, gas stations and small hotels and inns, most of which had very shiny bikes parked in their lots.

It was not yet eight, and the N71 was thankfully still fairly quiet, but it was not the most scenic start to a national trail! I was looking forward to a section, after about two kilometres of road walking, where a gravel path used by horse-drawn jaunting carts would parallel the road, but that section had been turned into a bikers’ campground!

At first there were a lot of tents all in a row, and then a lot of RVs and tents, with a few people just starting to be up and about.

This was a simple yet effective set-up – two bikes, a double air mattress, some blankets and a tarp. What more do you need?

It was really quite fun to see the assemblage of bikes and bikers, but it was also wonderful to arrive at this point where the campsite and inns and hotels ended.

I turned onto the road to Muckross Abbey and later a Kerry Way path that took me through lovely woods,

and there were short offshoot trails that lead me down to the lakeshore more than once for new views of the lake and mountains. It was wonderful!

The path led me from woodland to meadow and then on to Muckross Abbey, a Franciscan Friary founded around 1445 by Donal MacCarthy who was a local chieftain.

I was the only one there and free to roam about the entire large, well-preserved, and beautiful ruins.

There was a small cloister with an amazing yew tree in its centre and I learned from a sign at the entrance to the ruins that yews are often planted in cemeteries and monastic settlements in Ireland.

There were spiral steps that led me up to the second floor where I could wander through various rooms and look down into the cloister, and then more steps that led me into the bell tower for a look way up to its wooden roof.

The monastery was surrounded by a cemetery that was filled with wild roses, red valerian, and green and golden grasses, and the lake and mountains were visible in the distance. I felt very grateful and quite moved by my early morning visit to this very special abbey.

I returned to the Kerry Way path with its lush vegetation, beautiful trees, and ever-changing views of the lake.

Then I reached Muckross House, a 65-room Tudor-style mansion which was built in the years 1839-1843 for the Herbert family. This elegant house is furnished in period style and visitors may tour through many of its rooms at their own pace. The house and its 11,000 acre estate were gifted to the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) in 1932 and later formed part of Killarney National Park along with the lands gifted from the former Kenmare Estate.

Here are photos of just a few of the upstairs rooms on display – the dining room, billiards room, library, entrance hall, and an elegant bedroom.

And this is the bedroom where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed during their visit to Killarney and Muckross House in 1861.

The tour also includes multiple rooms “downstairs” that were used by the servants to keep the house in tiptop shape and its residents happy! The kitchen was huge and quite beautiful with gorgeous slate floors and gleaming copper pots.

I really enjoyed my visit to Muckross House and I would love to visit it again on a quiet day with nothing else on my agenda in order to more fully take in all of the wonderful antique furnishings and beautiful objects in the home, both upstairs and down.

From Muckross House I proceeded to the Muckross Traditional Farms, completing forgetting to visit the popular Muckross Gardens which are free to everyone. Oh well, yet another reason to return again! The Muckross Traditional Farms feature authentically-built replicas of three separate working farms (small, medium, and large) as they would have typically looked in Ireland in the early 1900s. On view as well are farm animals, traditional farm machinery, a labourer’s cottage, carpenter’s workshop, harness maker’s workshop, a blacksmith’s forge, and a schoolhouse. All of this is set on 71 pastoral acres and is accessed on a pleasant looped walk of 2 km.

The small farm had peat burning in the fireplace with bread baking in a pan above it. A lovely older woman in period dress offered visitors Irish soda bread with butter and answered their questions. A small farm usually would be a holding of about 20 acres with a mix of dairying and tillage.

The medium-sized farm would typically be a holding of 40 to 50 acres and have outbuildings for animals and equipment built in a continuous row parallel to the family home. Here too there was bread and butter on offer and a bit of storytelling as well. The musical instruments and extra seating in the main living area denote this as a “Rambing House” where neighbours would gather for evenings of conversation, storytelling, music and dancing, particularly during the long winter months.

A large farm of about 100 acres would typically have a home and connected outbuildings arranged in a U-shape around a rectangular farmyard. These farms would practice mixed farming with dairying, tillage, and the growing of grain crops such as wheat, barley, and oats.

In the kitchen of this farm a woman was rinsing freshly-made butter, “always three with fresh spring water.” Another woman working there mentioned to a visitor that she was a musician and I asked her if there was a place in Killarney where I could hear traditional music, “not too late in the evening.” She told me of a pub where up to 15 musicians gather on Sundays between 3 and 5, and also that she would be playing there at 8:30 p.m.

I finished my tour of the traditional farms and then carried on with my plan to walk to the Torc Waterfall. The two kilometre walk there from Muckross House, along the lake and through woods and across meadows, was stunning!

What an amazing day! By this time I was definitely getting tired and the bus from Torc Waterfall to Killarney was not due for another 40 minutes so I asked a couple that were heading to their car if they were going to Killarney and if yes could I catch a ride? They kindly said yes and were very happy to hear that I am from Vancouver because their son had moved there in February for a year of work, as many young Irish have been doing, and they had many questions about my fair city. Traffic into and through Killarney was slow, slow, slow, slow with the Bike Fest on so we had a good long chat!

That evening, after a lovely shower, rest, and dinner I roused myself to actually go out for the evening and I am so glad that I did! Sheila, the woman I had met at Muckross Farm, was playing and singing with her sister and another woman and they were fabulous! Fiddle, guitar, pipes, accordion, bodhran drums, and voice, in a crowded bar with an appreciative audience. It was fantastic! I sat with an American couple, an Irish couple, and an older Irish gentleman who was also a musician and singer and Sheila came over and greeted me like a long-lost friend even though we’d only met for five minutes that afternoon! (Shiela is centre in the photo)

So, that was my day, evening, and previous afternoon in Killarney! I think it is quite obvious to anyone who has managed to read through all of the above, rather lengthy post, that Killarney is most definitely worth a visit!

Ireland, 2023 – A Dublin Day

National Art Gallery of Ireland, Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship, Docklands and River Walk

June 1, 2023

On my last full day in Dublin I had five stops planned but only managed three of them. This is definitely a city to spend some time in as there is so much to discover and do. I will stick with my assessment from one of my very first travel blog posts which was called “Dublin in One or Two Days? I Don’t Think So!” https://christineswalkabout.com/category/ireland/dublin/

My first stop was the National Art Gallery of Ireland. I walked up steps that advertised a special exhibit of works by Lavinia Fontana and then visited the collection of “European Art from 1850-1950”. Some of my favourite pieces in that collection were (clockwise from the right) “Le Corsage Noir” by Berthe Morisot, “Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat” by Claude Monet, and “The Terrace, Saint Tropez” by Paul Signac.

Next I visited a series of rooms featuring Irish paintings from 1660-1965 and I took my time there to observe the works that appealed to me and to read the brief but informative write ups that accompanied each one. The top left photo is of “Carting Seaweed on Sutton Sands”, by Joseph Malachi Kavanagh, and the bottom right is “A View of Lower Lake, Killarney” by Jonathan Fisher (Killarney is where I am now). The top right photo is “Lady Lavery as Kathleen Ni Houlihan” by John Lavery which was commissioned as a design for the first banknotes of the Irish Free State. The painting is a reworked portrait of his wife Hazel, posed in front of the Lower Lake, Killarney, and cast as Kathleen ni Houlihan, the mythical heroin of a play by W.B. Yeats. The notes were issued from between 1928 and 1977.

For the centre left photo above, entitled “The Liffey Swim” by Jack B. Yeats, I listened in on a school tour group and learned that this painting is a depiction from 1923 of a very popular two-mile competitive swim down the Liffey that occurs each year in Dublin. This painting was entered in the first-ever modern Olympic Games that took place in Paris in 1924 when there were medals awarded for sport-themed fine arts submissions. “The Liffey Swim” won a Silver, Ireland’s first Olympic medal.

The Gallery’s largest painting is “The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife” by Daniel Maclise which depicts the marriage in 1170 between the Norman invader, Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow, and Aoife MacMurrough, daughter of Dermot, King of Leinster. Their marriage is seen as a key moment in the beginnings of Anglo-Norman rule in Ireland. The couple are in the centre, with Norman soldiers as shadowy figures in the top right while the goddess Eriu, after whom Ireland is named, is the anguished figure with arms upraised amidst a group of vanquished Celts. And, to the left of her, the harp of Brian Boru, also a symbol for Ireland, is held by a downcast harpist and has broken strings. (I listened in on a school tour here too and learned a lot!)

After my visit to the National Art Gallery of Ireland (during which I saw only a small fraction of the works on display), I walked towards the River Liffey which divides Dublin into North and South. From one spot on the south shore I took photos of the Sean O’Casey pedestrian bridge located upstream of me,

and a photo downstream, zoomed in, of the Samuel Beckett Bridge, more commonly known as the Harp Bridge. It is a swinging bridge that can move ninety degrees horizontally in only three minutes in order to let tall marine traffic travel up and down the river.

Behind me I was interested in the integration of old and new in the architecture of the HubSpot building. HubSpot is one of the many high tech companies that have moved into Dublin in recent years, many of them in this part of Dublin that is known as the Docklands, but is also sometimes referred to as Silicon Docks.

And directly across from me, moored on the north side of the river, was the Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship which was my next stop. I consider this museum to be a must-do for any visitor to Dublin.

I crossed the pedestrian bridge and at its end is the relatively new Epic Irish Emigration Museum which won the award for “Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction” in 2019, 2020, and 2021. It was one of my planned stops but I went to the Jeanie Johnston first and was so moved by what I learned there that I didn’t want to take in anything else today except more walking along the Liffey.

Before my guided tour of the Jeanie Johnston I visited the Famine Memorial, a visceral grouping of tall, gaunt, starving figures sculpted by Rowan Gillespie. During the years 1845-1852 a terrible blight destroyed Ireland’s entire crop of potatoes which were a subsistence food for much of the Irish population, especially in the south and the west of the country. There was little to no relief provided to the Irish from the English parliament whose ruling Whig party attributed the catastrophe as due to a lack of moral character by those suffering. Even though the potato crop had failed, there was enough wheat, oats, and other grains grown in Ireland during the years of the famine to feed the entire population but that grain continued to be exported out of the country by Ireland’s English and Anglo-Irish landowners.

Over one million Irish died of starvation, or from typhus and other famine-related diseases, and over one million emigrated, leaving Ireland’s population decimated by nearly a quarter. Of those that emigrated, 95 percent travelled to North America, mostly in the holds of cargo ships that came to be know as “coffin ships” as so many of the Irish died during the voyages due to unsanitary conditions, disease, and lack of food. All of these tragic facts, and more, were related to us on our tour aboard the Jeanie Johnston, but there were also a few glimmers of light and compassionate humanity as well in the story of this particular ship.

The Jeanie Johnston was a Canadian-built cargo ship that transported timber and other products to Ireland and like many other cargo ships it would typically return to North America empty. During the famine, these ships started transporting Irish emigrants across the Atlantic in their holds. (The ship here is a near-exact replica of the original Jeanie Johnston. It was built in Ireland as a Millenium project using authentic materials and techniques, with modifications made for current sailing safety standards.). After learning about the famine and the ship, we descended to the hold where an average of 200 passengers per trip made the perilous voyage across the Atlantic which took an average of 47 days. On other ships, the passengers, already weakened and ill from starvation, were kept below decks in filthy conditions but on the Jeanie Johnston the passengers came up onto the decks daily while the hold was cleaned and blankets were shaken out over the railings to get rid of disease-carrying fleas and body lice. Food and water were available (though not plentiful) and there was a doctor on board to deal with any illnesses. The Jeanie Johnston made sixteen voyages from Tralee to Canada and lost not one passenger on any of its voyages. As part of the tour, our excellent young guide related the true stories of some of the passengers known to have taken this ship to a new life overseas. They were all absorbing and some moved to me to tears. For example, on each voyage the captain would provide free passage to at least person or family including, once, a widower and his eleven children. Also, one female passenger travelling alone was nine months pregnant and gave birth on the ship the day the passengers boarded. Throughout the voyage, other passengers shared part of their rations with the nursing mother and took turns helping to care for the baby. I could tell more of the stories I heard but I won’t in this space. Please do make it a priority to visit this museum if you ever visit Dublin.

Here is one last amazing fact about the original Jeanie Johnston. In 1858 she stopped taking on Irish emigrants when new legislation made it illegal for cargo ships to transport passengers. That same year, on a voyage from England to Canada, she sank in the middle of the Atlantic after water got into the hold during a fierce storm. The waterlogged timbers on board became heavy causing the ship to slowly sink. Once the water was two feet deep on the deck, the crew climbed the rigging and lashed themselves to the top of the main mast.

The ship continued to slowly sink, and after nine days a passing Dutch ship, the Sophie Elizabeth, saw the mast, barely above water, with its clinging and exhausted crew who had almost surely lost hope, and they were all rescued!

After my visit to the Jeanie Johnston, I walked slowly downstream along the north side of the river towards and then past the Harp Bridge for about a kilometre or two, taking photos of the views and buildings.

I could see no more bridges ahead (though I saw one later on a map) so I turned back and returned to the Harp Bridge to cross over it to the south side of the river. The Harp Bridge is stunning!

I continued to admire the mix of old and new architecture as I walked upstream, and it was truly a pleasure to stroll along the river on such a fine day. I felt grateful to be here, whole, healthy and blessed with good fortune.

I walked by the 1908 Immaculate Heart of Mary church, Parish of City Quay, which was tucked in between two taller, newer structures and I decided to step inside for a few moments. The interior featured beautiful arched wooden beams holding up a steeply pitched roof. Large arched windows added to the overall feeling of lightness and height. It was an unusual design and a really beautiful space!

I continued my walk upriver, past the Sean O’Casey pedestrian bridge, the Talbot Memorial Bridge, the Butt Bridge, the Rosie Hackett Bridge and then the O’Connell Bridge, taking photos all the while.

I was heading to the famous 19th century Ha’penny pedestrian bridge, intending to cross again to the other side of the river, but I just had to stop first for a coffee and pastry. The young server, Daniel, gave me a discount, “just because” he said, and we chatted quite a bit as he worked. He and his husband, both born and bred Dubliners, are emigrating to Pennsylvania soon where one of them has family because the cost of rents has gone “sky high” in Dublin, with prices similar to those in Vancouver. He was friendly and funny and I hope that his move is the right one for him and that he and his husband do not miss Dublin too much. Suddenly feeling that my day had been full enough I decided to head home to my accommodation. I walked through the very busy and popular streets of Temple Bar that were crowded with tourists and large groups of young people enjoying the pubs and bars on their long weekend, and then on to Grafton Street where shopping was the order of the day for many.

Do we stop to think how lucky we are? Of course, the parts of Dublin that I visited on this trip are just a piece of a larger whole and I know from my hostesses and others I spoke with that there is more homelessness, poverty, drug and alcohol addiction and crime in other parts of the city, particularly north of the river. But I am sure that there is community there as well as some despair. Those cheery fellows in Howth that run the ferries to Ireland’s Eye were very proud of being from tough and working class “north-of-the-river Dublin 7”.

This post is getting rather long, and I am about to set out on a 77 kilometre long distance walk on the Kerry Way (in about half an hour!) so I’ll end this now by saying that any day in Dublin is a day that you will see something old and something new, and you will almost certainly enjoy exchanges with friendly and welcoming Dubliners and others. I greatly enjoyed my Dublin Day!