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This trip was more to visit a friend in Ballylickey, County Cork than to tour so I’ll simply highlight the sites that I did get to see on the trip and any changes I’ve noticed from the last trip. Car Size We landed in Shannon on the 17th we got our car from Dan Dooley. One of my colleagues arranged for a compact automatic car and I prefer a manual so they gave us an upgrade (no questions asked) to a full-size car, far too big for my comfort as I drive a MINI Cooper here at home. It was a Ford Mondeo, similar to our Toyota Avalaon – much larger than two people would need but it did show me that four people would be fairly comfortable with room for not only people but 4 bags in the trunk. GPS I took my GPS from home, loaded with maps of Ireland, in an attempt to see how good it worked when roads were smaller, quickly changing and often remote. It knew the word “roundabout” and was quite accurate with “2nd exit on the roundabout.” With so many roundabouts at the airport it was a bit annoying but accurate. When we were on the major highway (N18) I did notice that the GPS told me to pass my usual exit for Doolin and I was determined to see how far out of the way it would take me. I went another 4 miles to a new exit and backtracked a bit to the road I would have exited myself. At that point I turned off the GPS and decided that navigating on my own was better. For those who are not familiar with Ireland, the GPS is great – you won’t know if you’re backtracking or going a little bit out of your way. Doolin Doolin hasn’t changed in the past year but over the past few it has, with couple boutique hotels right in the village, within walking distance of McGann’s and McDermott’s. You can easily walk to both of these pubs, restaurants and down toward the docks to O’Connor’s Pub and there is plenty of music in the pubs each night. I think McDermott’s music starts at 9:30pm while O’Connor’s was having sessions 4-7pm, perhaps because they’re further from the hotels and main village that they try to get the business before folks head to the other pubs? I really enjoy Doolin as it’s 30 minutes from Ballyvaughan, 10 minutes from the Cliffs of Moher, 15 to Lahinch and the Burren has a lot to explore. We hit O’Connor’s early one night and within a few minutes a group of musicians strolled in, taking over an empty room. We were sitting at the bar right between the two rooms and it was competing musicians. I have some good video on YouTube (search Doolin or Traditional Irish Music) of the one session so people will know what to expect… a room packed with people (mostly locals this time of year) who are playing, singing, eating and drinking for their own entertainment. This wasn’t put on for tourists which makes it all the better. The Burren We had a full day of exploring the Burren, starting our morning with a 10:00am massage at The Halcyon Spa at the Burren Coast Hotel. The massage what wonderful and the spa quite unassuming from the outside, well designed on the inside. From there we set out to find the Burren Perfumery which was quite a distance and very remote. Just when we thought we were lost, another road sign would be spotted and telling us to go further. Deep inside the Burren you’ll get a good feeling for the unique landscape and the actual Perfumery is small with an expanded parking lot for those who find it. A short film details the uniqueness of the Burren, detailing the different flora and animals that exist here – including orchids, something I never would have thought. I found the lotions, shampoos and soaps expensive due to the conversion rate but did find some trial sizes to give as gifts for about €4 each. The café was in a separate building and offered hot soups, sandwiches and sweets along with coffee/tea/water and we did grab something to eat before leaving (quite good and fresh!) The gardens were out of season but I’m sure they’re gorgeous I the summer months. Fuscia was still blooming everywhere though. From there we went right to Poulnabrone Dolmen and pulled up just as three buses were arriving with school kids on a field trip, one of the down sides of off-season travel (we’ve run into this in the past.) We quickly got out of the car and walked to Poulanbrone to take some photos and take in this site before the kids got there and we only had about 10 minutes with cloudy skies so the photos weren’t great. We quickly made our exit as the teenagers were running toward Poulnabrone… and we met some other tourists who were fleeing the rushing teenagers as well, hoping to get to the next site well before they did. We passed Caherconnell Stone Fort on the way to Poulnabrone so we decided to stop on the way back, why not – we’re already here. This is privately owned and there is an admission charge of €5 per person but you did get a map and description of the various highlights of the stone fort. Just two weeks prior (September 6, 2008), an excavation of what they believed to be a secret entrance into the fort turned up a body. The entrance was apparently and entrance to a burial tomb which is now open and sitting in the middle of a cow pasture. They have a gift shop (the usual trinkets) and a café as well which we skipped – but it looked nice. Bantry, Ballylickey, Glengarriff We drove from Doolin to Ballylickey directly, over the mountains in Kealkil which is gorgeous in the sunshine. It’s actually faster driving the main road to Mallow and cutting across rather than down through Killarney, Kenmare and over the Sheehy Mountains via Caha Pass. These towns really slow you down and the roads over the mountains are small with many curves on mountain ledges. Bantry is actually quite busy and has many stores and restaurants though not designed for the tourist. It’s a great location for exploring the southwest, convenient to Mizen Head, short drive to Kenmare, perfect for touring the Beara Peninsula and many of the smaller towns. If relaxing is what you want then Bantry will give you that along with convenience. Ballylickey is quite small with only two things to actually see or do as you drive from Bantry to Glengarriff: Manning’s Emporium and Raymond Klee’s Gallery. Manning’s is owned by Val, an Irishman who has really helped carve out the Irish cheese market in Ireland and offers well-priced wines to complement your Irish cheese tasting while sitting outside. Locals will stop in now and then and Val will even sit down and chat a while. I’ve spent rainy afternoons at Val’s, under the awning, sipping wine and gorging myself on cheese and bread… and sunny days working on my Irish suntan. Raymond Klee has a gallery just across the road from Val’s and you’ll notice it by his paintings on an easel sitting in the driveway. The gallery is actually in Raymond’s home so feel free to stop in and view his artwork which includes Ireland landscapes, portraits and many pub scenes. The prices are extremely well priced for original artwork and if Raymond is available he’ll likely show you around, otherwise his wife Florence will. I’ve passed the Glengarriff Bamboo Park every time I’ve gone through town and this time we stopped to see it. Owned by a Belgian (Claudine), the bamboos have been imported from France and thrive in the subtropical climate in Glenngarriff. With about 12 acres of gardens, much along the water, you can spend an hour or so exploring, relaxing on chairs or the stone wall overlooking the water. Don’t forget to pop into the office/store for a cup of tea or coffee and some of Claudine’s homemade cake or pie – we had a wonderful apple pie the day we went. I think the cost was €5 per person and you’ll get a laminated map of the grounds which you should return when leaving. Ring of Kerry The Ring of Kerry is not as picturesque as I remembered it, perhaps because I've seen much more natural beauty in other regions of Ireland? I will say that the roads are being widened between Kenmare and Sneem and on the opposite end, near Killorglin, the road works area already complete -- good for buses and it makes travel faster but some of the charm of the small roads is lost.
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