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!

Ireland, 2023 – A Day trip to Medieval Trim

May 31, 2023

On my second full day in Dublin I chose to do a day trip to Trim, about one hour northwest of Dublin by bus. Public transit is fantastic in Ireland and buses can take you to even the smallest of towns, with no left-side-of-the-road driving needed! Prices are very reasonable and, best of all, you can sit back, relax, and watch the scenery roll by. I sat in the front row on the top deck of the Bus Eireen double-decker and had a great view of Dublin streets and then suburban streets for about half of the trip, and then gorgeous rolling countryside and farmland for the second half. Then we arrived in Trim, a small town with impressive medieval ruins all situated along the scenic Boyne River.

This was my view, five minutes from the bus stop, on a riverside trail, of Trim Castle which is the largest and best preserved Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. It is also central to the history of Ireland as it was the stronghold of Hugh de Lacy, leader of the first invading force to occupy Irish land.

And this is my first view, some five minutes later, of two other medieval ruins, this time on my side of the river. The tall structure is known as the Yellow Steeple and was the bell tower for the Augustinian Abbey of St. Mary. Built in 1368 after the original tower burnt down, and largely destroyed by Cromwellian forces in 1649, it is believed to be tallest medieval building still standing in Ireland. The smaller structure is the Sheep’s Gate which was built in the 13th century as one of five gates in the town’s defensive walls. It was known as the Sheep’s Gate because farmers’ sheep and other livestock were counted as they came into the town in order to calculate tolls and the taxes owed.

A few minutes later, as I crossed over the Boyne River on a pedestrian bridge, I stopped and had this view of “Ireland’s Oldest Bridge”. In use since 1393, it is the oldest complete and unaltered working bridge still in use in Ireland. That is 670 years of use and cars were passing over it!

This is the west gate of the castle, backlit by the morning sun. Entrance to the grounds is free and the cost of the excellent and highly recommended (by me) guided tour inside the massive keep is a very reasonable five Euros.

I had time to walk around the grounds before my tour and I circled the large stone keep which was built in a square shape, with four square towers on each of the four sides (the north tower has fallen away). It was an unusual design and is the only known example of a twenty-sided Anglo-Norman castle.

This is a view from east of the keep and across to the western gate. The construction of the stone castle began in 1175 and was completed, with a series of modifications, by the year 1220.

And here is a view of the defensive southern gate, and of me inside its doorway.

This view is from the west. The castle tour will take me to a walkway at the top that enables viewing from all four sides of the central square.

Our tour guide, Valerie, was incredibly knowledgeable and adept at summarizing the long and complex history and social and political significance of this castle. On the first floor were models that showed the three main phases of construction that took place, and then we climbed the original spiral staircases to rise to the level of the second and then the third floors. We learned the function of various rooms and the way of life of the people who inhabited the castles in medieval times. The centre right photo is of the oratory where the family’s priest would have said mass. Clues to its use are the large east-facing window and the double recesses that contain carved stone basins for holding holy water.

Then we were at the top of the castle with views in all directions. The Hill of Tara, where the High Kings of Ireland were traditionally crowned, was just visible as a small bump on the horizon to the northeast.

The large building in the centre of the next photo is of Talbot Castle, a fortified manor house which was built in 1415 on the site of St. Mary’s Abbey. Now a private residence, it operated as a school in the 18th and 19th centuries and the Duke of Wellington was educated there.

From the castle, I walked back across the river and up to the Yellow Steeple where a worker was now clearing plants off of the structure. The truck and the figure of the man help to show the tower’s impressive height.

There were fabulous views of the castle from the tower,

and again from the Sheep’s Gate.

I returned to the river and began to stroll downstream to view more medieval ruins at Newtown. It was such a beautiful afternoon and the riverside path was being enjoyed by dog walkers, families, and other pedestrians. Everyone seemed very happy!

I couldn’t resist taking one more photo of the castle when I passed by a cluster of yellow flag iris growing by the river.

And then, believe it or not, this amazing meadow was medieval in origin too!

Known as the Porchfield, this expanse of meadowland was granted to the Burgesses of Trim by Walter de Lacy in 1194 to use for cultivation and pasture. Later, in 1449, the Duke of York, who was then the Governor of Trim, granted the land to St. Mary’s Abbey. As I walked along the riverside path, interpretive panels complete with historical illustrations and maps provided information on aspects of medieval life in Trim and Newtown.

I reached the ruins of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral which was founded by Simon de Rochfort in 1206 who chose this site near Trim Castle after his cathedral at Clonard was attacked by the native Irish.

The ruins are surrounded by large yew trees and a graveyard with many Celtic crosses.

Just past the cathedral ruins are the remains of a smaller parish church and they feature, near the altar, the carved stone tomb with effigies of the “Jealous Man and Woman”.

From here I walked to a pleasant riverside coffee shop, Marcie’s, where I stopped for a light lunch and a rest, and then I crossed over the Boyne River on a one-lane arched stone bridge to visit the Priory of St. John the Baptist. The ruins here date from the 13th to the 17th centuries and are the remains of a hospital founded in the 13th century by the Crutched Friars who were Augustinian monks dedicated to treating the sick. I had the entire ruins all to myself.

I was so glad to have made this visit to the historic town of Trim! I took my time walking back along the riverside trail, and I had a little lie down in the meadow while I waited for my bus back to Dublin. After that quiet hour-long ride, I arrived in a very busy and crowded Dublin that was ready to party! It was the start of a long weekend and I had to really wake myself up for the walk back along and across busy streets to my accommodation.

It was all rather exciting, but tomorrow was going to be a “Dublin Day” for me, and today I wanted to cling to memories of that meadow and the river and those silent ruins so I made my way to St. Kevin’s Park which was nearly empty of people. I had a peaceful dinner there, on a bench beside the wall of roses, with the tall blue cranes beyond the wall silent and still.

From 2 km of quiet beach, to the busyness of Dublin

I am doing laundry at Trinity College in Dublin after having checked into the student residences for my last night in Ireland. It is always nice to revisit a place – familiarity breeding a sense of comfort and belonging – though when I first stepped off the train upon in arrival in Dublin an hour ago, after travelling south from the quiet northern coast, I felt a bit like a deer from a meadow that had accidentally wandered into the city! Busy, busy! But, the wind quickly blew away my cobwebs, I recognized where I was, and I was soon striding along, jaywalking across busy streets like many a Dubliner.

Yesterday was my last long walk in beautiful Ireland. Early in the morning, I took the local bus to Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in order to get there before all of the tour buses started arriving. The bridge is a suspension bridge, 60 feet long and 100 feet above the sea, operated by the National Trust. The origins of the bridge are that, for over 350 years, since 1755, fishmen have strung a rope bridge from the mainland to a small off-shore islet to allow them to access the best places to catch migrating salmon.

It was a very blustery, rainy morning. Usually, they allow 8 persons on the bridge at one time, but today they only let us pass one or two or three at a time, with no dawdling! I took pictures on the approach to the bridge, looking towards the islet.

And looking back along the chalk cliffs of the coast.

Here’s the bridge! The photo does not really give you a sense of how high up it is.

And now looking back after I had crossed. I only spent a small while on the islet as it was very very windy and wet! I felt like I could have almost been blow over!

I was able to take a quick photo before crossing back over to the mainland.

Here’s one last view of the bridge from another viewpoint.

After leaving the bridge, I was already quite wet and I started thinking that maybe instead of a 7 km coastal walk in the rain, I could just take the bus back to my bed and breakfast and read a book, or maybe go into town and find something to do indoors. But, I pushed myself to start off on the trail, and I am so glad I did!

Within a few minutes of walking along this grassy path, with fields to the left and the sea to the right, I felt very calm and happy and I remembered that this was going to be my last big walk in the Irish countryside.

The grassy path led to a church at Ballintoy…

and then turned right towards the sea and down into Ballintoy harbour which is apparently a shooting location for Game of Thrones. I will show just a few shots here, but if you’re a fan, I have more! Some of the shots are blurred as the wind was blowing rain onto my camera lens, but I kind of like the effect!

Here are some more shots from Ballintoy harbour.

There is a small restaurant at the harbour, Roark’s Kitchen, and I read the signs outside advertising dishes like seafood chowder, mackerel, and Irish stew. I was wishing I had an appetite, as I was very wet, but I was still quite full from my breakfast. I walked in anyways and this is what I saw. Heaven on earth!

And this is what I ordered. A freshly-made, sugared donut cut in half, with whipped cream spread in the middle and a strawberry on top. So happy, and not an ounce of guilt!

After my little feast, but with not quite enough time to dry out, I headed back outside and continued along the trail. There were caves in the chalk cliffs, and a collection of rocky islets along the shore.

I met an elderly couple, who regularly sample the cakes at Roukes and then walk along the path for a bit, and they kindly took my photo.

The path continued along the interesting shoreline, until I arrived at a gate.

Shortly after passing the gate (this view is looking back), and rounding a chalky, bouldery headland, the way continued along beautiful Whitepark Strand, a 2 km long white sand beach backed by dunes.

I walked a ways down the beach and, by that time, the rain had stopped and there was now just a warm breeze. I found a nice spot by some rocks to have my lunch and dry out my socks and boots a bit. As I was looking out at the blue-green water, I saw the black curving backs of porpoises quite close to shore, possibly feeding. It was so exciting to see them, but I didn’t get a picture !

Here’s a picture of me on the beach (I asked four different groups of people today to take my picture (!), I guess because it was my last day).

I walked further to about mid way along the beach, and took this picture looking forward. The headland you can see ahead was part of my hike the day before to the Giant’s Causeway.

And this view back, from where I’ve come. I didn’t want to leave!

But, I continued on down the beach, towards another little harbour, Port Braddon.

And just before arriving there, and then climbing up a road back to my bed and breakfast, Ireland gave me one last little gift, beach cows!

So, now my blog is done (and my laundry is done too), so I’m going to go for a short stroll in Dublin and have dinner at O’Neal’s, a pretty pub very near the university that I intended to eat at last time I was here, after having taken its picture. Only one more blog to go on this marvelous holiday that I’ve had. Hopefully St. John’s decides to show me its sunnier side, or at least something gentler than that deluge of rain from before! So, I’m off for a pint of cider and a meal, feeling both happy to go home, and sad to leave Ireland. Goodnight from Dublin.

The Giant’s Causeway

I am writing this blog from the dining room of my bed and breakfast, looking out again at the fields and the sea. I have been so impressed with my accommodations in Ireland, including here at Craig Cottage where it has been very nice to spend three days in one place. This is my lovely room (with a view of the sea).

And this is the lounge and dining area, where I work at the table facing the window.

And this is the tea tray in my room, the table set for breakfast, and my Ulster fry. Yum! Rosemary, my hostess, is so warm and welcoming, and takes great pride in every detail. I greatly appreciate all of the wonderful places I have stayed on this trip!

After that big “Ulster fry” breakfast, I headed out for a 9 km walk from my accommodation to the Giant’s Causeway along the Causeway Coast Way.

I started down a nearby lane, across a grassy field (getting wet feet, grrr), over a fence, and then I was on the coastal path, down at tiny Dunseverick Harbour.

I interrupted the morning feeding of a calf – I was quiet, but he was curious – and then I started to climb steadily uphill, heading for the highest point on the Causeway Coast Way, Benbane Head, 100 m above sea level.

It was a beautiful, warm, sunny morning and the trail continued for some distance along the clifftop.

With great views looking back from where I’d come.

As well as nice views on a smaller scale.

Soon, the cliffs started showing signs of the characteristic rock formations of the Giant’s Causeway, long hexagonal-shaped columns of basalt.

Then I reached the trails of the Giant’s Causeway, a Unesco World Heritage Site. There are over 40,000 columns of basalt created some 60 million years ago as a result of volcanic activity. I walked down the signposted trail to a closeup view of some columns.

Then, I headed towards the “causeway” which heads out into the sea. By this time, about noon, there were already alot of people here, so I was lucky to get a shot of this wall with no-one posing in front of it.

And, surprisingly, I found a quiet corner along the west side to have my lunch, and to take a few photos of the rocks, some gray and some black. The black rock was warm on my back as enjoyed my lunch and the view across the water of the cliffs I had walked across.

Then, I braved the most popular, and most populous part of the causeway, but this shot, as the causeway reaches out to the sea, is without people as there is a boundary you cannot cross.

Here are some photos of the Giant’s Causeway.

As I walked away from the site, there was a steady stream of people walking towards the causeway. Here are a few views, looking back, as I left the busy scene.

One day, I will revisit the causeway, out of the busy season, to get the photos I wanted. But, I can’t begrudge the visitors their sunny, summer holiday outing, with children happily climbing over the rocks and couples taking pictures of each other.

I took the bus into the nearest town for an inexpensive, light meal, then headed back to Craig Cottage to read and rest and then write at my favourite spot, here by the window. Throughout the evening, I watched the light on the sea and in the clouds and on the golden grass in the field change in a multitude of ways. As the sun slowly lowered in the west, over Benbane Head, there was such a beautiful sunset. When I got up for a closer look, I saw several of the nearby cows watching the sunset! Silhouetted, watching the sunset. It was a rather remarkable sight, and a wonderful way to end my day on the Causeway coast.

Two Travel Days, Two Castles, Two Irelands

I woke up early on my last day on Inishmore, feeling a bit tired and melancholy. I’ve been going pretty steady on this trip, with a lot of highs, so there’s bound to be a low at some point. I packed up and left early for the 2 km walk into town to catch a different ferry, this time to Rossaveel, with a shuttle bus connection to Galway. This ferry was a much nicer boat, and they actually had a safety announcement as we left the harbour! It was a gentle, fair day, so not another rollicking ride. It was a peaceful crossing, with views back to Inishmore and to the distant horizon, which suited my contemplative and slightly sad mood well.

Once the shuttle bus reached Galway – a very pretty city that I wished I could spend some time in – I had 10 minutes to make a transfer to my bus north to Donegal. In the lineup, an older gentleman asked me a question or two, and then when we boarded the bus he asked to sit with me though there were about 40 empty seats! His name was John, he was 78 years old, and he had lived and worked in Boston for many years. He has two sons locally, but his daughter still lives in Boston with his only grandchildren. He has been a widower for 19 years, and we chatted about many topics for the next hour or so, including work, travel, religion, children, pensions, and the wonders of Guinness. He thought that I look very Irish, he said several times that I am a “fine looking woman”, and he remarked that I have nice teeth! Once he knew I was married, (he asked why I don’t wear a ring), he started asking about my mom! “Oh, maybe she’s the woman for me.” He was very charming, and nice to talk to, and he quite unknowingly helped me to feel uplifted again.

The rest of the bus trip to Donegal was enjoyable, and I again alternated between looking at the scenery and reading a good book. It’s very restful to travel by bus! I arrived into the very busy town square in Donegal – with a wedding going on – a couple of “hen parties” – and people wearing jerseys and heading to pubs to watch their local football team take on a rival team. My bed and breakfast was only a three minute walk from the centre of town, and surprisingly quiet, and I was lucky to get this lovely little room with a view out my window of the river and the town castle.

The castle, right in the centre of Donegal town, was built in 1474 by the chief of the O’Donnell family. It is thought that there was an earlier Viking fort on the same site in the 12th century, hence the name Dun na nGall, which translates to “Fort of the Foreigner.” The castle was an important meeting place for Irish chieftans during the Nine Years War as they planned and battled against English forces. After losing the war, the O’Donnell chief destroyed part of the castle, before leaving with other Irish chiefs, in the “Flight of the Earls” to go to Rome and appeal to the Pope and the Spanish to raise an army to help Catholic Ireland reclaim its land from the Protestant English. In 1611, the castle and its lands was gifted by the crown to an English Captain, Basil Brooke, and the castle remained in the Brooke family unti 1898, though it was abandonded a century earlier and fell into ruin .

The Jacobean fireplace, below, is original to the early 1600s and features the coats of arms of Brooke and his wife, as well as ornamentation that includes the tudor rose, an emblem of England, and the Scottish thistle. There are no Irish motifs as the period after the Nine Years War was the time of the “plantation”, when King James of Scotland and England decided to import 200,000 settlers, ninety percent of them lowland Scots, to take up Irish lands and make them their own.

The guided tour at Donegal Castle helped me to connect a few more dots on the timeline of Ireland’s long history of struggle, resistence, and occupation.

The next morning, I headed back up to the town square to catch a bus north to Derry, also called Londonderry, which is in Northern Ireland. The river Foyle divides the town, and the town was also divided by the “troubles” in the 1970s. I crossed over the pedestrian”Peace Bridge”, built to symbolize peace between Ireland and Northern Ireland, to arrive at the train station and pay for my rail journey north to Port Rush in pounds sterling rather than Euros.

It feels different here, in Northern Ireland, and I felt a little guilty and traitorous somehow, feeling that I owe my allegience to Ireland. This is an occupied land, though it has been so for over 400 years, and the people living here belong here too. On the train to Port Rush I was speaking with a young man, surname Benoit, whose Dad is French Canadian, and his mother is English, but he was born and raised here and considers himself Northern Irish. Hopefully Ireland can be reunited one day, peacefully, or perhaps not, peacefully. There have been enough troubles here over the ages.

Which brings me to the beautiful ruins of Dunluce castle on the Antrim coast, dramatically perched on a cliff, and built for defense. We have our modern-day worries and fears of random dangers and acts of violence, but think of what life must have been like under the near-constant threat of raiders, mauraders, and invading armies.

Here are the dramatic views to the west of the castle, with arches lining the white chalk cliffs, and then to the east, directly beside the castle.

After visiting Dunluce castle, I took the local bus a little farther east along the Antrim coast to my bed and breakfast at lovely Craig Cottage where I enjoyed an early night. I was too tired to blog, and was almost falling asleep by 7, but then I started watching the speeches from the Democratic National Convention – first Michelle and Barack Obama (both with amazing speeches), then Chelsea Clinton, Michael Bloomberg, and Tim Kaine. Tonight, I’m tired again from a big walk today, and I’m almost caught up with my blog, so I’ll watch the speeches by Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and lastly Hillary Clinton.

But, I’m off topic. Two days of travel, two castles, and now two Irelands, though I am in Northern Ireland only briefly. Just before I say goodnight, this is the view from the dining room of my bed and breakfast where I have been sitting and blogging for the last hour or so. I also have the same view from my bedroom. Fields, cows with their calves, and the sea, with Scotland just visible in the distance. I’m starting to really like a sea view, Brent!

Inishmore – What a day!

I woke up on my second day on Inishmore to a wonderful breakfast at Cliona’s house. Then, I packed up my rain gear, camera, water bottle and snacks for my outing on my rented bicycle. It was a beautiful, warm day with a mix of sun and cloud and little wind. A great day for cycling!

My first destination was the “Worm Hole”, a remarkable pool made by nature in a perfect rectangle. It’s hard to believe that it is not man made! The pool became widely known when Red Bull sponsored a diving competition there (look it up on youtube!)

Cliona let me know how to find the pool which is on the western side of the island. First, I travelled on a rough, back road that crossed the island and then travelled northwards, towards Dun Aengus. There was not a soul on that road, and I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the fences and fields.

Looking south. The mainland and the Cliffs of Moher are far off on the horizon.

My route across the island, up and then over.

Looking north, with Dun Aengus in the far distance on the clifftop.

When the farmers want to move cattle from one enclosure to another, they just undo a section of fence, and then built it up again.

Look at all the stone, row after row of fences, and more stones in the fields!

Finally I arrived at this path to the ocean.

This is a storm beach of huge rocks and some boulders that are flung far back onto the land during Atlantic storms. I crossed this storm beach, and then travelled on the limestone shelves for about 500 m to reach the Worm Hole.

And this is it! The Worm Hole – a completely natural geologic feature!

There were two other people at the Worm Hole when I was there. With the person on the ledge, you can get a bit of perspective on the size of the size of the pool and rock ledges. In the Red Bull competition, the divers dive from the topmost layer of rock.

As I walked back, I looked more closely at the cliff face. (It is difficult to see, but in the photo above, the person standing on the lighter coloured rock has a huge amount of rock above their head.) The limestone cliffs are being eroded at their forward edge by the action of the sea, but also by rain which falls from above and seeps down the cracks in the limestone. Both physical and chemical weathering occur because as the rain mixes with carbon dioxide in the air, a mild carbonic acid is created which slowly dissolves the limestone.

When the rainwater finds a seam of weaker, softer rock, that rock erodes more quickly…

…leading to overhanging portions of rock which eventually give way catastrophically, as in the photo below. This geology lesso is important for later in the afternoon!

After recrossing the island to the eastern side, my next stop was Kilmurvy Beach, a beautiful, curving beach with soft white sand, lovely green and blue water, and a view of the Connemara mountains across the water.

I walked the length of the beach barefoot, tried out the very very very cold water for about two seconds, and then amused myself for awhile organizing limpets and a gull’s feather for some nature art. (At Dun Aengus, almost 8 tonnes of limpet shells were found during the excavations!!)

After my time at the beach, I cycled back south in order to go visit Dun Duchathair, the “Black Fort”. Unlike Dun Aengus which is protected and operated by Heritage Ireland, the black fort has no admission fee, no interpretive centre, and as far as I know, no geotechnical engineer vouching for the safety of the site for it too, sits perched on the edge of highly undercut cliffs.

There was about 3 km of very bumpy road to negotiate, and then the bike had to be left behind to walk on the limestone pavement alongside, and sometimes over, fence after fence.

I arrived at the cliff edge and this was the view to the north. Erosion, yikes! Is the piece of limestone I am standing on undercut?

The Black Fort was south of me, on a deeply undercut promontory.

It’s difficult to see, but the cliff is undercut by maybe 20 m at the water line.

As I walked over and around to the promontory, there was a jumbled field of upright rocks. This was also present before the outer walls at Dun Aengus, and is presumed to be the remnants of a sort of spiky line of defense against any oncoming invaders.

I got closer to the fort, but was wary about going out onto the promontory until I saw a family of 5, with three young daughters, come out from behind the wall on the left. If they can do it, I can do it…

Getting closer and heading towards the left.

This was the view as I came to the edge of the wall on the left!

It looks wider in this photo, but the distance to get around the wall was maybe 150 cm. I was holding my breath, hanging onto the wall with my left hand, thinking about undercut cliffs and catastrophic failure…A quick photo to the south…

A quick photo of the inside of the fort…

And then another quick photo before I slowly and carefully edged my way around the wall, and headed as carefully, quickly, and *lightly*, as I could away from the Black Fort!

Phew! What an adventure! I was exhilirated, but slowly getting tired too. I rode my bike to the main village, Kilronin, to pick up an easy lunch at the Spar grocery store. Juice, banana, a scone with butter and jam, and yummy Irish bacon left over from my breakfast. I rode again south of the village, around a beautiful sweeping bay edged with white sand to find a place on the rocks for my picnic.

A beautiful place, a beautiful summer afternoon that reminded me of that feeling you get on Hornby Island, and suddenly I missed my family so much. It was the first time I have felt lonely on this trip. I was just feeling so sad that they could not be here with me, enjoying this special island.

I cycled further to even more beautiful beaches, edged with sanddunes.

It was almost unbearable! Knowing that I had to leave the next day, with so much still explore, and yet tired from my big day. Here are a few other scenes from the beautiful Aran island of Inishmore.