After visiting Ireland about a year ago, we said we'd like to return and spend some time enjoying Irish music in the pubs and maybe visiting a few locations we missed the first time around. When United offered a favorable airfare for travel in early September, we decided to go and and invited our good friends Terry & Jeannie to join us. Jean isn't fond of long plane rides, but considered that the 7 hour flight to western Ireland might be tolerable so we were happy to hear they agreed to go.
Day 1
We drove to O'Hare together, arriving a couple of hours before our 6 pm flight. There was enough time to relax in the United club for a while before boarding. We booked exit row seats on both sides of the aisle, and left the middle seats open hoping they would stay that way. Unfortunately the plane was booked full and we each ended up trading the aisle and keeping the middle so we could sit with our spouses. I watched a movie and slept quite a bit so the flight seemed to go by quickly. We landed at Shannon airport Saturday morning and smoothly transitioned through customs and immigration. The 'VW Passat or similar' I rented from Hertz turned out to be an Opel Insignia, but it had plenty of trunk space for our 6 bags plus a couple of backpacks. We loaded it up and headed for the
Cliffs of Moher. Weather was good, cloudy and cool but no rain. The hour and a half drive to the cliffs was a good opportunity for me to review my left side driving skills.
The last time we visited the Cliffs of Moher they were completely shrouded in mist and we saw very little of them. We were luckier this time. Although it was windy and cool, the cliffs were nicely on display.
After viewing the cliffs and climbing lots of stairs to see if there were better views, we went into the visitor center to visit the souvenir shop and also sit down for coffee and a snack. Next we got back in the car and drove to our first hotel in Galway. We stayed at the Park House in Galway which is a nice hotel with a hard to find parking lot. Because of the one way streets we had to go a bit out of the way to get to the parking lot, and then I turned into the wrong entrance and we briefly visited a municipal parking garage. Ultimately we got properly parked by the hotel valet, and checked in to our rooms. We went out for dinner at a nearby hotel pub known as 'The Skeff'. The food and drinks were good and we had a nice table by a window. I enjoyed a local Galway beer named the Galway Hooker. Perhaps I enjoyed it too much since when I stood to look out the window, I managed to knock my empty glass to the floor, shattering it.
We were in the mood for some entertainment after dinner and were advised by a local that the best pubs with live music could be found on Quay street so we headed there. We opened our umbrellas against the rain that had started but it was difficult to keep them from inverting in the wind. We did make it to Quay street including stopping in a shop or two on the way. We found a pub with a live musician and went in. Our entertainer was a solo singer/guitarist but he was very talented and made excellent use of a
looper pedal to sound like an entire band. In Galway we learned that
Jameson and ginger ale is a popular way to enjoy the classic Irish whiskey. Terry and Jeannie mostly made it their go to drink for the trip. We stayed for the music and a couple of rounds of drinks then walked back to our hotel where we had another round in the hotel bar before turning in for the night.
Day 1 Pictures
(click on pictures for a larger view)
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| Cliffs of Moher |
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| Cliffs of Moher |
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| Cliffs of Moher |
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| The Skeff |
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| Galway pub entertainer |
Day 2
Our rooms at the Park House came with breakfast included so we enjoyed a nice breakfast in the dining room before heading out on our day. I tried the full
Irish breakfast which was a protein overload including sausage, bacon, eggs, and
black & white pudding. We checked out after breakfast and drove a short way out of town to have a look at Galway bay. After snapping a few pictures we got back in the car and started the 3.5 hour drive to Dingle.
Along the route to Dingle we came across the Blennerville Windmill. We hadn't heard of the place before but it looked interesting so we stopped. It's a museum of sorts with a film and exhibits about the people who emigrated from this point, followed by a guided tour of the windmill. There was also a building nearby that housed a large model railroad exhibit that reminded me
of the one at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry though not as extensive. We were going to have lunch at the windmill restaurant, but it was closed.
We continued on our route to Dingle which took us on a high narrow road through
Conor Pass, the highest paved mountain pass in Ireland. We hoped the adventurous drive would yield some awesome vistas, but the mountains were shrouded in mist near the top. On the other hand, perhaps it was good that we could not see how far down it was from the edge of the road. A short way beyond the pass we got out of the mist enough to get a nice view of Dingle below. We continued on until we reached our destination, the Dingle Benner's Hotel. Our rooms were in the original 300 year old section of the hotel which offered charming ambiance but no elevator.
Part of our agenda for the day included making the drive around the tip of the Dingle peninsula. We headed out along Slea Head Drive, but shortly realized that the weather was too misty and we would see little if we continued, so we put it off until the next day in hopes of clearer skies. After making our way back to the hotel we headed out on foot in search of some dinner. We settled on
Paul Geaney's bar, an establishment directly across the street from the hotel. I had another local brew, this time a
Tom Crean's brewed in Dingle
Following dinner we were up for some drinks and live music so we walked down the street to An Droichead Beag (which means 'the little bridge') and went in for a round of drinks and some traditional Irish music. After a round or two, which included some Jameson and Gingers, we left and walked across a little bridge to The Courthouse Pub where we had another round and more Irish music. Eventually we made it back to the hotel and settled in for the night.
Day 2 Pictures
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| Galway girls |
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| Galway Bay |
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| Galway Bay |
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| Galway Bay |
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| Blennerville Windmill |
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| Blennerville Windmill |
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| Windmill tour |
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| Waterfall near Conor Pass |
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| Conor Pass (two way road) |
Day 3
Breakfast was included again at the Dingle Inn. After checking out we set out to make the
drive around the Slea Head road. Weather was good this time and we made a stop at the
Dunbeg stone fort. Dunbeg is one of many stone forts that are found in the Dingle and Kerry area but is one of the worst for preservation. Built near the ocean on the edge of a cliff, years of erosion have resulted in the half of the fort collapsing into the sea. You can visit the remaining half and get an idea of what it once looked like. Also, the ocean cliff location offers some nice views and the sound of the waves crashing on the cliffs below.
After a bathroom stop at a nearby restaurant we continued along Slea Head drive and enjoyed the nice weather and ocean vistas. We stopped at the Slea Head Cross and got out for some pictures, then continued along the narrow road. We passed the sand beach at Clogher Strand but it looked like a narrow steep road to approach it so we passed by without a stop. After the beach the Slea head drive turns inland and continues through farmland until it joins itself again near Dingle.
We headed out of Dingle and toward our next stop in Killarney. After an hour or so drive we arrived at the
Arbutus Hotel in Killarney. We parked out front and checked in, then moved the car to the parking lot around back. After a little bit of room shuffling we got settled and then enjoyed the complimentary ginger bread and tea in the lobby. We went out for a walking tour of downtown Killarney with some souvenir shopping in mind. We also popped in briefly at the chapel connected to the Franciscan Friary nearby.
After shopping and touring we were hungry for dinner so we went to
Murphy's Bar, right next to the hotel. I again tried a beer that was locally produced at the
Killarney Brewing Company. We stayed at Murphy's and took in some more live Irish music before returning to the hotel for the night. When we got back to the hotel, Janet and I decided to go out for a stroll along the main street in Killarney and doorway listen to some of the other entertainment being offered in the various pubs.
Day 3 Pictures
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| Dunbeg stone fort ruins |
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| Cliff view |
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| Waves below |
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| Slea Head scenic vista |
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| Cross at Slea Head |
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| Clogher Strand beach |
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| Killarney Arbutus Hotel lobby |
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| Arbutus Hotel room |
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| Franciscan Friary |
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| Friary Chapel |
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| American tourists |
Day 4
After another hotel breakfast, we started out on our Kerry sightseeing. We first headed to the
Gap of Dunloe. I thought the Gap of Dunloe was something you could drive through but it turns out you can only go so far by car, so we stopped at Kate Kearney's Cottage and viewed the gap from there, followed by a little shopping. Next we drove back to Killarney and to the
Ross Castle. We didn't stay for a tour but we walked around the castle grounds and took pictures. We continued along the clockwise direction of the Ring of Kerry stopping at some of the highlighted viewpoints like Ladies View and Moll's Gap. We started out towards Sneem for lunch but decided it was too far and settled for lunch at
P.F. McCarthy's in nearby Kenmare. After lunch we started back towards Bunratty which was our destination for the night. Along the way back we stopped to see the
Torc waterfall. We arrived in Bunratty and checked into the Bunratty castle hotel. We had dinner nearby at
Durty Nelly's Pub. We didn't stay out late because we had an early departure the next day.
Day 4 Pictures
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| Kate Kearney's Cottage |
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| Horses near Kate Kearney's |
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| Ross Castle |
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| Windblown Cannoneer |
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| Ladies View |
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| Molls Gap view |
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| Torc Waterfall |
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| Torc Waterfall |
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| Bunratty Castle |
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| Bunratty Castle Hotel |
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| Durty Nelly's |
Day 5
We got up early and headed to the airport, arriving before dawn for our 9:15 am flight. It was reassuring to be at the airport with the car returned and plenty of time to spare, however the check in agents had not yet arrived and we had to wait in line for about 45 minutes before we could check in. Once that was done we went to the airline lounge to get something to eat, and relax before boarding. The plane was less crowded for the return flight, so we were each able to take advantage of an empty seat in our row. The early morning departure had us back at O'Hare by noon.
