St. Patrick's Day brings to mind my (mostly) walking tour of western Ireland -- the charming towns, lakes, glacial gaps, mystical islands, warm pubs, drum circles and irrepressible Irish wit. I kept a journal as I rambled in this original "green" country. (With added suggestions for tours, eating and sleeping.)
Arriving at The Ring of Kerry
The flight was just over five hours from NYC, with the wind at our back - an Irish blessing. Arrived at 6 am and then a couple of hours from Shannon to Glenbeigh on the Ring of Kerry -- the road that hugs the SW Irish coast, by the Bay of Dingle -- fields shimmering green, towns looking prosperous and tidy, history and beauty around each turn.
Our cozy hotel nestles between the Bay of Dingle and the mountains. My dozen companions are young and old, from the US, England, Canada, Belgium, Scotland, Ireland and Germany. Three of them --one married, two divorced -- met on other walking trips and reunite yearly on another. Walking tours mean talking tours as well, and true friendships develop on walks around the world.
First Walk Near Glenbeigh
We rambled on the beach and through the boggy countryside, and I managed to complete the seven miles, the last one in soft, steady "Irish mist." A collie joined us and ate much of my packed lunch, and a bull in a field had his eye on me.
At an old inn called The Red Fox, I celebrated my accomplishment with an Irish coffee. What could be more warming on a rainy Irish afternoon?
The Red Fox Inn (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Dawdling in Dingle
The weather this morning was typically rainy and cool as I joined an Irish friend and we drove along the winding roads of the peninsula to the town of Dingle. We visited a humped, stone Celtic chapel -- 7th-century Eask Tower, and lunched downtown in a wood-paneled pub. Main street facades are as colorful as the doors of Dublin. Flowers bloom from boxes, and dozens of pubs feature local music, so (I have to say it) Dingle made me tingle!
the colorful storefronts of Dingle (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
We drove back under sun, rain, hail and rainbows. Wide valleys roll down to the Atlantic, and cliffs and sheep added to the pastoral scene. I walked several miles sightseeing without realizing it; my favorite way.
Fresh baked soda bread, mussels, fish and lamb are Irish staples, but tonight we enjoyed melon, beef stew, and cream puffs with chocolate sauce and fresh cream; none of that squirted stuff. Walkers eat without guilt.
A Solo Walk
Another on-and-off rain this morning, and I chose to walk on my own into the nearby town, sauntering along the wide Atlantic beach. On the other side of the ocean is the east coast of America, where many Irish emigrated during the 19th-century potato famine.
The group is hiking for ten miles along a mountain pass. But my body and gut, and not my pride, dictate my actions, so a stroll around Glenbeigh for me, into tiny shops and along the coast, along a river and past a graveyard with a ruined castle above and a sheep field beyond. Around two hours, I'd say.
Five of us taxi to Portmagee on the Ring of Kerry road, and board a fisherman's boat to the craggy Skellig Islands. Over an hour on deck in rough waters each way; no life vests offered -- but well worth the risk. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is rarely publicized. The smaller island protects thousands of migratory gannets and puffins nesting in the whitened rocks. Birds screeched and wheeled overhead, and the air was tangy with ammonia.
Small Skellig as seen from Skellig Michael
Skellig Michael was home to a 13th-century monastery; over three hundred worn, uneven steps lead to the ruins, and to magnificent views of the Kerry coast. This rough walk without rails tested my fear of heights. I managed the ascent, looking at my feet, but the hurried descent to catch the boat was on my banged butt for much of the way.
Tea and pastries were a soothing reward at a harbor-side bakery, before catching the taxi back to the lodge in the late afternoon.
Walks, Drums & Pubs
Today's "gentle" walk of four miles focused on Irish culture. In the morning we visited a ruined stone fort where a German/Irish harpist named Adolph (?) plucked away as we sat in the ancient stone circle in the midst of farming fields. Later we walked among the ivy-covered ruins of a 14th-century castle, then drove on to the seaside town of Waterville, where Charlie Chaplin once lived.
a stone circle dating to the Bronze Age (Photo: Nigel Cox)
A Perfect Walk
The ramble today was to the end of a peninsula, with dunes covered in purple heather and wildflowers. We lingered in a ruined abbey and an old cemetery above the sandy beach, framed with mountains. I found an iridescent mother-of-pearl shell, which I intend to make into a pendant. (I still intend to.)
The day was cool, and not a cloud, and we ate our packed lunch as the guide told us some Ireland's history. We later toured the house of freedom-fighter Danny O'Connell, and then drove to a pub for a lesson on the Irish drum.
After dinner some of us visited another pub near Glenbeigh and sang along to more Irish music, with a new appreciation for the difficulty of the drumming. A ruddy-faced Irishman offered to buy me a drink but I passed. I only understood half of what he said, but I could tell he was full of Irish blarney.
Lakes, Castles, Pony Jaunts & Goodbyes
Last day of the walking tour --and I didn't walk. It was cool and my knee hurt. I joined the group for a gorgeous hour or so canoeing through three lakes leaving from Ross Castle in Killarney. The fisherman guide told tales of how St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland.
I opted for a pony cart (called a "trap" but actually a way out if you don't want to hike) for seven miles through the rugged Gap of Dunloe, carved by ancient glaciers. Fields, waterfalls, stony glacial moraine were all around -- and I heard my echo from the cliffs.
Gap of Dunloe
At dinner we said travelers' goodbyes -- "we'll stay in touch" -- to ward off the sadness of our ended bond. A shy English guy and a German gal, new friends brought together by rambling, were now holding hands. Maybe they'll walk together into the sunset; maybe they're celebrating this St. Pat's day together. You never know.
And:
Two well-regarded tour companies specializing in Irish walks: Go Visit Ireland, Backroads,
Faves to stay near The Ring of Kerry: Park Hotel Kenmare (high-end, huge rhodies in the gardens); Ard na Sidhe Country House, (Caragh Lake)
Faves to eat: I'd stick to locals' recommendations and pubs with Irish music, but two good places are The Moorings (Portmagee); O'Carrolls Cove Beach Bar (in a sub-tropical setting, due to the Gulf Stream! )
