Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
If you spent every waking moment of your vacation on the Dingle Peninsula, you wouldn't run out of things to do. There's always someone new to meet, a new pub to check out, another historic site to visit, and yet another spectacular view to take in. This part of Ireland is particularly known for its vast number of untouched historic sites, including the famed beehive huts, Gallarus Oratory, and the Blasket Islands
only minutes away by boat. And let's not forget all of the famine cottages dotting the Irish countryside. (The cottage we stayed in was actually one of these completely restored.) Oh! And the beaches! The beaches are amazing if a bit too cold for this Southern gal to hop in for a swim.
One thing about this vacation: Will and I didn't feel the need to be constantly busy. The more we travel, the more we're learning that staying busy doesn't necessarily mean you're having fun—and you may be missing some of the more interesting parts of your trip by staying on the move. If you stay on the tourist trail, you'll never get to know any of the locals or come back with interesting stories from your travels. We decided to take each day as it came. If it was raining when we woke up, we decided to eat some breakfast, hop in the car, and find something to do indoors, such as the day we took a shopping trip to Killarney (where I bought a Celtic cross necklace and a claddagh ring) and visited Ross Castle. Most days, by noon or so, the rain cleared, and since Ireland is so far north, we had daylight until 9:00 PM or so even in late summer.
One of our favorite treks off the Dingle Peninsula was our day spent at the Cliffs of Moher and the medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle we did afterwards. A medieval banquet, in my opinion, is super cheesy and definitely a tourist trap kind of thing to do. But we'd never been to one before, and since it's done in an actual castle, it had more appeal than your average medieval banquet (think Medieval Times here in the States). We got to try mead! How cool is that? But that stuff is strong, and it's definitely one of those things where less is more.
A bed and breakfast called Slea Head Farm was just across the road from our cottage. One evening, as we were arriving back at Couminole Cottage after a day spent exploring, a woman and her daughter happened to be walking by from the B&B. We said hello, struck up a conversation with them, and made fast friends. As it turns out, the woman is an author named Anita Fennelly. She and her daughter spend some time every summer on Slea Head, and they stay at this same bed and breakfast every year. They were from Kilkenny, and several years ago, Anita spent a whole summer on the Blasket Islands, staying in a dilapidated barn there. After her experience, she wrote a book called Blasket Spirit: Stories from the Islands. We met she and her daughter Holly in Dingle one day as she went to the bookstores to sign her books. (In a town as small as Dingle, you're bound to see some familiar faces.) They were charming and friendly, and we adored them both. When we return to Dingle one day, I hope we run into them again.
The food! You wouldn't expect Ireland to have great food. On the contrary! Even the pubs serve up a delicious bowl of chowder, and almost every meal comes with a slice of Irish brown bread. But our best meal—and our favorite—was at Out of the Blue. It's a Michelin starred seafood restaurant on Dingle's main drag. The menu varies every day, depending upon what sort of catch the fishermen brought in. (How's that for fresh fish?) We'd been advised by a local that Out of the Blue or the Half Door were good places to go for fresh seafood even though they were a bit pricey. So we treated ourselves and went for it. We weren't the least bit disappointed, so if you find yourself in Dingle, go to Out of the Blue! Unless you're a fisherman, this will probably be the freshest and fanciest fish you've ever had.
Finally, for my last little story, I'll mention the evening we spent at Dick Mack's Pub and An Droichead Beag (The Small Bridge). We decided to spend some time listening to traditional Irish music the Friday evening before we left, and while Dick Mack's doesn't have music, we wanted to check it out. After all, this was the pub where Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Robert Mitchum, and more had been. What was special about this place that it drew celebrities? One word: atmosphere. It's a lively place with an old vibe. It's also a place where a lot of young people in Dingle and the surrounding areas start their weekends. While we were there having a drink (Will had Guinness while I had Bulmer's Irish Cider), a hen party (bachelorette party) showed up! A couple of guys from Cork chatted us up, bought us a drink, and told us they'd meet us down at An Droichead Beag. We really didn't expect to see them again. Things got a little rowdy at the pub with the hen party there, so we moved on to An Droichead Beag, knowing the music we were looking for had already started. We settled in, and the musicians were already hard at work.
A little later, despite not expecting to see Collum and Sean from Cork again, we were surprised when they did show while we were chatting with some guys from Australia. We also recognized some faces from Dick Mack's earlier. By the time the evening was over, we wandered out of the pub as a line of taxis showed up outside to carry the drunkards home. And drunk they were! We'd heard Ireland has a problem with alcoholism, but it wasn't until we saw the staggering, glassy-eyed people stumbling out of the pubs that Friday evening that we understood. The only explanation we can come up with is that there just isn't much to do in a community that thrives on agriculture and tourism, so the populace drinks as entertainment. It's the dark side of small town living.
I'll post some pictures and videos for your enjoyment next time.
only minutes away by boat. And let's not forget all of the famine cottages dotting the Irish countryside. (The cottage we stayed in was actually one of these completely restored.) Oh! And the beaches! The beaches are amazing if a bit too cold for this Southern gal to hop in for a swim.One thing about this vacation: Will and I didn't feel the need to be constantly busy. The more we travel, the more we're learning that staying busy doesn't necessarily mean you're having fun—and you may be missing some of the more interesting parts of your trip by staying on the move. If you stay on the tourist trail, you'll never get to know any of the locals or come back with interesting stories from your travels. We decided to take each day as it came. If it was raining when we woke up, we decided to eat some breakfast, hop in the car, and find something to do indoors, such as the day we took a shopping trip to Killarney (where I bought a Celtic cross necklace and a claddagh ring) and visited Ross Castle. Most days, by noon or so, the rain cleared, and since Ireland is so far north, we had daylight until 9:00 PM or so even in late summer.
One of our favorite treks off the Dingle Peninsula was our day spent at the Cliffs of Moher and the medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle we did afterwards. A medieval banquet, in my opinion, is super cheesy and definitely a tourist trap kind of thing to do. But we'd never been to one before, and since it's done in an actual castle, it had more appeal than your average medieval banquet (think Medieval Times here in the States). We got to try mead! How cool is that? But that stuff is strong, and it's definitely one of those things where less is more.
A bed and breakfast called Slea Head Farm was just across the road from our cottage. One evening, as we were arriving back at Couminole Cottage after a day spent exploring, a woman and her daughter happened to be walking by from the B&B. We said hello, struck up a conversation with them, and made fast friends. As it turns out, the woman is an author named Anita Fennelly. She and her daughter spend some time every summer on Slea Head, and they stay at this same bed and breakfast every year. They were from Kilkenny, and several years ago, Anita spent a whole summer on the Blasket Islands, staying in a dilapidated barn there. After her experience, she wrote a book called Blasket Spirit: Stories from the Islands. We met she and her daughter Holly in Dingle one day as she went to the bookstores to sign her books. (In a town as small as Dingle, you're bound to see some familiar faces.) They were charming and friendly, and we adored them both. When we return to Dingle one day, I hope we run into them again.
The food! You wouldn't expect Ireland to have great food. On the contrary! Even the pubs serve up a delicious bowl of chowder, and almost every meal comes with a slice of Irish brown bread. But our best meal—and our favorite—was at Out of the Blue. It's a Michelin starred seafood restaurant on Dingle's main drag. The menu varies every day, depending upon what sort of catch the fishermen brought in. (How's that for fresh fish?) We'd been advised by a local that Out of the Blue or the Half Door were good places to go for fresh seafood even though they were a bit pricey. So we treated ourselves and went for it. We weren't the least bit disappointed, so if you find yourself in Dingle, go to Out of the Blue! Unless you're a fisherman, this will probably be the freshest and fanciest fish you've ever had.
Finally, for my last little story, I'll mention the evening we spent at Dick Mack's Pub and An Droichead Beag (The Small Bridge). We decided to spend some time listening to traditional Irish music the Friday evening before we left, and while Dick Mack's doesn't have music, we wanted to check it out. After all, this was the pub where Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Robert Mitchum, and more had been. What was special about this place that it drew celebrities? One word: atmosphere. It's a lively place with an old vibe. It's also a place where a lot of young people in Dingle and the surrounding areas start their weekends. While we were there having a drink (Will had Guinness while I had Bulmer's Irish Cider), a hen party (bachelorette party) showed up! A couple of guys from Cork chatted us up, bought us a drink, and told us they'd meet us down at An Droichead Beag. We really didn't expect to see them again. Things got a little rowdy at the pub with the hen party there, so we moved on to An Droichead Beag, knowing the music we were looking for had already started. We settled in, and the musicians were already hard at work.
A little later, despite not expecting to see Collum and Sean from Cork again, we were surprised when they did show while we were chatting with some guys from Australia. We also recognized some faces from Dick Mack's earlier. By the time the evening was over, we wandered out of the pub as a line of taxis showed up outside to carry the drunkards home. And drunk they were! We'd heard Ireland has a problem with alcoholism, but it wasn't until we saw the staggering, glassy-eyed people stumbling out of the pubs that Friday evening that we understood. The only explanation we can come up with is that there just isn't much to do in a community that thrives on agriculture and tourism, so the populace drinks as entertainment. It's the dark side of small town living.
I'll post some pictures and videos for your enjoyment next time.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
I'm breaking my series of Irish posts just for tonight because I had to share my new song obsession, "Just A Kiss"
by Lady Antebellum. Look for more of my Irish journey shortly, but in the meantime, enjoy!
by Lady Antebellum. Look for more of my Irish journey shortly, but in the meantime, enjoy!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Dingle is a funny name, isn't it? In Irish, though, it's An Daingean. It's been Anglicized so that people like you and I can read it. Despite the funny name, this part of Ireland is known to be one of the most beautiful in the entire country. And because the Dingle Peninsula
is less inundated with visitors than the famed Ring of Kerry, it means that as a visitor, you'll enjoy your time there a whole lot more than those trying to dodge tour buses on the Ring of Kerry
just a bit farther south, which is exactly why Will and I chose to visit Dingle.
Dingle is a colorful little town with a population of about 2,000 year-round residents. Known for its fishing and a friendly bottlenose dolphin named Fungi, it is exactly the sort of place you'd think of when you think of small-town life in Ireland. Many of the locals speak the Irish language, their accents a bit more careful and lyrical than you'll find in the rest of Ireland. It's a Gaeltacht as I mentioned in my previous post, which means it's one of the few areas in Ireland where you're likely to hear the native language. Everyone speaks English, but every child in Ireland is required to learn Irish. It's an attempt to hold on to their culture and their history even when English is the predominant language in every part of their lives.
As the bays of the Dingle Peninsula slowly turned into harbors of the Atlantic Ocean, my breath caught. I was practically dizzy with excitement. This was the Ireland I wanted to experience. This was the Ireland I knew my ancestors must have known. And when we finally reached this little town situated on the Atlantic, I knew I'd never forget it...never retrieve that little piece of my heart. It was everything I could have imagined and more. With a bronze statue of Fungi in the center of town and only steps from the docks where fishing boats moored, the main strip of town is cheerfully painted all different shades of the rainbow. Office buildings and homes in pastels greeted us as though waving hello to long-lost friends. Even our favorite pub, An Droichead Beag (The Small Bridge), was colored a vibrant yellow.
Despite our reluctance to leave town, we were ready to find our cottage after four hours on Ireland's winding roads. We started down Slea Head Drive, which is certainly an adventure within itself if you consider it's tight lanes with room for only one vehicle to pass in particular spots. Wildflowers—thousands upon thousands of them—lined the road. It almost felt as though we were passing through a tunnel of them. And though we'd done this route on Google Maps several times before we ever left Nashville, we were still surprised when we had to drive through a stream on Slea Head
Drive! Only in Ireland would you find a stream running directly over the road and straight down the side of a sheer cliff.
Finally, at last, we found it. Just over the hill and around the bend, past the life-sized crucifix, the Ryan's Daughter
roadside marker, and the cafe, the little Irish cottage with the blue trim awaited us. And oh! What a view! The Blasket Islands
, Coumeenole Beach, and fields full of sheep and horses greeted us, the sounds of farm life like a joyful symphony of the countryside.
How much more home could I be?
is less inundated with visitors than the famed Ring of Kerry, it means that as a visitor, you'll enjoy your time there a whole lot more than those trying to dodge tour buses on the Ring of Kerry just a bit farther south, which is exactly why Will and I chose to visit Dingle.Dingle is a colorful little town with a population of about 2,000 year-round residents. Known for its fishing and a friendly bottlenose dolphin named Fungi, it is exactly the sort of place you'd think of when you think of small-town life in Ireland. Many of the locals speak the Irish language, their accents a bit more careful and lyrical than you'll find in the rest of Ireland. It's a Gaeltacht as I mentioned in my previous post, which means it's one of the few areas in Ireland where you're likely to hear the native language. Everyone speaks English, but every child in Ireland is required to learn Irish. It's an attempt to hold on to their culture and their history even when English is the predominant language in every part of their lives.
As the bays of the Dingle Peninsula slowly turned into harbors of the Atlantic Ocean, my breath caught. I was practically dizzy with excitement. This was the Ireland I wanted to experience. This was the Ireland I knew my ancestors must have known. And when we finally reached this little town situated on the Atlantic, I knew I'd never forget it...never retrieve that little piece of my heart. It was everything I could have imagined and more. With a bronze statue of Fungi in the center of town and only steps from the docks where fishing boats moored, the main strip of town is cheerfully painted all different shades of the rainbow. Office buildings and homes in pastels greeted us as though waving hello to long-lost friends. Even our favorite pub, An Droichead Beag (The Small Bridge), was colored a vibrant yellow.
Despite our reluctance to leave town, we were ready to find our cottage after four hours on Ireland's winding roads. We started down Slea Head Drive, which is certainly an adventure within itself if you consider it's tight lanes with room for only one vehicle to pass in particular spots. Wildflowers—thousands upon thousands of them—lined the road. It almost felt as though we were passing through a tunnel of them. And though we'd done this route on Google Maps several times before we ever left Nashville, we were still surprised when we had to drive through a stream on Slea Head
Drive! Only in Ireland would you find a stream running directly over the road and straight down the side of a sheer cliff.Finally, at last, we found it. Just over the hill and around the bend, past the life-sized crucifix, the Ryan's Daughter
roadside marker, and the cafe, the little Irish cottage with the blue trim awaited us. And oh! What a view! The Blasket Islands, Coumeenole Beach, and fields full of sheep and horses greeted us, the sounds of farm life like a joyful symphony of the countryside.How much more home could I be?
 |
| A stop on our trip from Dublin to Dingle not far outside of Dublin. |
 |
| The view from the cottage on the first day. |
 |
| Couminole Cottage at sunset. |
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| Slea Head Drive. |
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| The stream running directly across Slea Head Drive. |
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| The beautiful crucifix. |
Friday, September 9, 2011
I've fallen in love, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to retrieve my heart. I left a big piece of it in Ireland
.
Our first day in Ireland was spent in Dublin. We toured St. Patrick's Cathedral, ate at Harry's on the Green (where I had my first taste of an Irish Guinness), visited the historic Guinness Storehouse, and hung out on Grafton Street—dodging in and out of awnings and buildings to avoid the sporadic yet persistent drizzle. We were exhausted from our red-eye flight but determined to experience some of what Dublin had to offer. But by 8:00 PM, we were in our room at the Roxford Lodge settling in for a long slumber despite the fact that the sun hadn't yet gone down.
Our second day, we rose early (for us), had breakfast at the hotel, and then began meandering toward the Dingle Peninsula, which was our primary destination. Along the way, we stopped for photos and had planned to visit Glendalough until we got there and realized our luggage and belongings would be fully exposed in our car while we explored. So much for that plan. Shrugging off that disappointment, we continued our journey.
As we approached Dingle
and began to catch glimpses of the bays and Atlantic shoreline, my heart raced. We were about to be in County Kerry, rumored to be the most beautiful county in all of Ireland. Not only that, in my research, I'd discovered the Dingle Peninsula is a Gaeltacht, an area where the native Irish language is spoken. Would we hear Irish?
Stay tuned for the next installment!
.Our first day in Ireland was spent in Dublin
. We toured St. Patrick's Cathedral, ate at Harry's on the Green (where I had my first taste of an Irish Guinness), visited the historic Guinness Storehouse, and hung out on Grafton Street—dodging in and out of awnings and buildings to avoid the sporadic yet persistent drizzle. We were exhausted from our red-eye flight but determined to experience some of what Dublin had to offer. But by 8:00 PM, we were in our room at the Roxford Lodge settling in for a long slumber despite the fact that the sun hadn't yet gone down. |
| At Harry's on the Green |
 |
| Inside the Guinness Storehouse |
 |
| The famous barrels inside the Guinness Storehouse |
 |
| St. Patrick's Cathedral |
 |
| The chaos known as Grafton Street |
As we approached Dingle
and began to catch glimpses of the bays and Atlantic shoreline, my heart raced. We were about to be in County Kerry, rumored to be the most beautiful county in all of Ireland. Not only that, in my research, I'd discovered the Dingle Peninsula is a Gaeltacht, an area where the native Irish language is spoken. Would we hear Irish?Stay tuned for the next installment!
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