The Land of Saints and Scholars -Irish heads home

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Pics are great.

Re Indian food. Some of the absolute best Indian I have ever eaten has been in the UK. Specifically, a restaurant in Edinburgh, and in the Hotel Montana in South Kensington in London, across the street from the Gloucester Road tube stop.

[Irish]

I forgot to mention one of out better finds that happened before getting to Baltimore.

We were trying to find the Cush Wall, south of Kinsale but it turned out that they only way to get to it was by hiking, as I almost got the Tuscon stuck just getting within 500 yards of it. It was also private barb wired land with cattle grazing. I was not comfortable trespassing (even though it is commonly done as intertubz pictures will attest to).

https://goo.gl/maps/UyGChH3fhPJfcYVW7

https://goo.gl/maps/6qwjYfYR7vk25xuq6

SO we tried to go to Old Head Lighthouse but alas, the park was closed and gated. We were about to h0p back in the rental when my son's started to meander through the fog. After about 50 feet this opened up before us.



Pictures really don't do it justice.



Anyway back to the present.... after a nice breakfast (another full Irish for me).....

The plan was to take a ferry over to one of the two islands off the coast. These are both Gaeltacht districts, where people have devoted themselves to the olde Irish ways. There are a few vehicles on them but only for residents. All moot however, as we were fogged in. So our exploring started right in the hotels back yard, where there was a church ruins.







We decided to head into Baltimore Harbor to see if perhaps it was still worth taking the Ferry, but the harbormaster said that we wouldn't be able to see more than 20 feet in front of us out on the islands. SO we took a look around Baltimore. Sleepy fishing village but cool nonetheless,





SO we headed to the Baltimore Beacon. We had to climb a bit. Kathy and Ry are both a bit slip and fall prone so only Griff and I went.




That sign cracked me up a bit. "Okay, I wont jump from 400 feet above the water" Anyway the hill in the back ground is what we had to traverse to get to the big white

After this, we headed north up towards our destination for the night. We stopped in Bantry for Coffee and danish.



It was a pretty ride but we didn't stop for too many pics.



We arrived at out next B&B in Kenmare. Right over a pub.



I had planned for this to be one of our "expensive" dinners out as there was acclaimed places in town, but we had been living pretty large already and decided to go pub food at the Kenmare Brewhouse. It was quite good. I looked for some music but the rest of my party fizzled out so It didn't happen.

[MexicanYarisTK]

The trip looks epic irish! I am truly glad you had a great time.

Edinburgh is definitely in the books at some point in near future.

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Another round of pics.

[Irish]

Thanks fellas, the best is yet to come.

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Thanks fellas, the best is yet to come.

[Irish]

DAY 4

Staying overtop the pub was better than expected both in room quality and lack of disturbance. This B&b was only a B. (i.e. no breakfast) but it was priced accordingly so we spent the $15/head at a French place up the street.



Picked up a proper wireless charging phone holder as I left mine at home $17 Euros at a b&m electronics shop Made driving infinitely easier.



After breakfast we headed north to spend the day driving through and sightseeing Killarney National Forest. It did not disappoint.



Rainbows are for real.... no pot o gold



Muckross Abbey







Back to Torc Waterfall to show the crotch fruit





Miscellanea



Next Stop, Dingle on the Dingle Peninsula , the highlight of the trip.

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pics. It is a pretty country, no doubt. Thanks for continuing to share!

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We arrived at our lodging and it turned out to be one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed at.



This was slated to be my sons last night with us before heading back to school so we had a really nice meal at one of the finer Dingle establishments. We stopped in pub while we waited for our table, where I lived vicariously through my wife and offspring.



After dinner, We found my middle sons namesake ....



And we caught a more-than-decent Irish Trio in another pub...there was a bacholorette party going on, the place was rowdy as all get out.....fun fun fun....



THe next morning, After wife unit some how flooded a wet bathroom and we had our first spat of the trip.....we made up, had another fantastic breakfast and set out.

I had read really good things about the Dingle Peninsula and there is a single lane twisty mountain trek within the route called Connor's Pass (my oldests namesake) that I was looking forward to traversing. Well it turned out that I was advised against it due to fog, but the circuitous route around the coast line definitely did not disappoint.




Neat Ruins



Born and raised catholic, dies hard.... prayers for her late father, I am sure....



Lighter note...We were def in a Galaxy Far, Far away....



Lukes Island



But this was the find of the trip for me. One of the most beautiful places I have ever stood. Pictures do not do Coumeenoole Beach justice.....









There were some other pretty spots as we made our way back and then onward to start taking Ry back to school in Cork but we didnt really take any decent shots. Nothing held a candle to what we saw earlier.

On the way, I offered to take Ry back the next morning just in time for class. So he happily (for all) opted to stay with us for one more night at our next stop, Cashel.

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Fantastic pics!

[Irish]

Fantastic pics!

Thanks Fappy. One more full day to go.

[Irish]

It was a 3.5 hour drive from Dingle and there was a detour onto back roads about an hour out that was the most challenging driving of the trip. Really narrow roads. We finally made it to the Copperfield House where Josephine greeted us warmly and was happy to upgrade the room for the kids. She recommended TJ Ryans Pub for drinks and Baileys Hotel for grub. Both were excellent. Had a few nice chats with the locals in TJs. Griff got a burger (Same dry lean beef as last time, not my thing but) he liked it. Ry got a delicious Vegetarian Wellington. K got Fish and Chips and I got Baked Hake with Scallion Mashed that were the best potatoes of the trip. We went to our rooms early as Ry and I have a 730 am breakfast date.

Got an early start, had a good breakfast (Full Irish minus the puddings)

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and drove Ry back to UCC.



Had an emergency bathroom situation on the way back and for the first time since I was in the service, I had to evacuate under the clear blue sky. There is a bit more to the story involving a church and its groundskeeper and a certain befuddled traveler but it is (a-hem, somewhat) humiliating and I will just leave it there... much like I did last nights dinner.


Got back to Cashel, cleaned up and collected the wife and son to head off to the Rock of Cashel. It was cool, a magnificent, open ancient cathedral.

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We looked around bit didn’t stay for the tour. We would have had to wait 40 minutes and then 90 min for the tour and instead, I found us a true Castle to explore. CAHIR. It was one of the most intact castles in Ireland.

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At one point Kathy walked through a doorway and made a young girl scream, which was so loud and echoey that it made ME scream, perhaps more girlishly than she. Lots of laughter from both sides.

We ate lunch in Cahir overlooking the Castle and a river then and headed up to Dublin to stay at the Kilronan House. Very nice, really old hotel. The rooms were quite roomy with an electric ceiling vent.

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Walked to The Barge for pub food …was decent. Had an app sampler and Griff and I both got huge pizzas. Mine was Mozz, Goat, Blue and something else. I loved it. Saw a guy on a bike get hit (but he shook it off, Guy in the pub said it happens 3-4 times a day. And a crazy singing dude who the locals seemed to grudgingly tolerate.

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We then took a tram



to Temple Bar section of Dublin. Was very cool, sort of like New Orleans.

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Got some Gelato (Nuttella) and souvenirs and trammed back to the hotel to pack. We have to get an early start to fly back at 1230.

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Another magical trip to my spiritual and ancestral home...... I can't wait to get back on her soil.

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