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Welcome to Ireland - Part 2
Located in the
southwest corner of Ireland, the Cork and Kerry region offers its visitors a
great diversity of scenery, culture and leisure activities.
From Kenmare (at the
base of the Roughty River and between the Ring of Kerry and Beara
Peninsulas) we travelled on one of Ireland’s most beautiful roads for the
twisty 35 kilometer drive over mountains to Killarney, stopping at Ladies’
View to admire a spectacular panorama with the lakes of Killarney spread at
your feet.
The gap of Dunloe is a
tourist institution in itself, especially the spot known as Kate Kearney’s
Cottage, halting-place for jaunting-cars operating through the narrow gorge
to Lord Brandon’s Cottage with its cluster of shops.
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Although still very
popular, the ring of Kerry unfortunately lost its original splendour, due to
the roads that are choked with tourist coaches. Both the Beara and Dingle
Peninsulas were, to our opinion more enjoyable, less crowded and packed with
contrasting seascape and escarpment scenery.
As our overnight
spot we have decided on Doyle’s Seafood Bar and Town House, in the small
fishing village of Dingle. This world-renowned seafood restaurant of
Sean Cluskey’s menu consists only of the freshest harvest from the sea,
chosen daily from the returning fishing boats in the harbour. The
unpretentious, but cosy 6 upstairs bedrooms, offer a most delightful
memory of this typical Irish coastal town. |
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After a typical Irish
breakfast (a bowl of porridge, followed by a fully garnished plate of fresh
mushrooms, soft black and white pudding, herb sausages, rashers of bacon,
eggs and toast, washed down by lashings of hot tea), we left Dingle,
crossing the historic Dingle Pass to Brandon Bay where the movie of the
seventies, “Ryan’s Daughter” was filmed. At Tarbet, we crossed the mouth of
the Shannon by car ferry, to Killimer in the county of Clare.
The landscape scenery
changed from the ruggedness of the Fjord like peninsulas of Kerry with the
contrasts of mountains and loughs and dramatic coastlines to the almost
uninteresting endless views of Clare : much similarity with Knysna and
George’s scenery and then the contrasting scenes towards Riversdal.
Late afternoon we
arrived in the small Irish town of Corofin, set in the heart of Clare
Lake-lands : a small Hugenot colony established themselves here during the
end of the 17th century. Today, a typical Irish settlement :
Medieval stone church, a bakery, a butcher shop and some five Irish branded
pubs.
After a hard days
work, the locals gather here for a bangers and mash supper, downed with a
typical Guinness draught or Murphy stout.
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Moher, one of the most majestic sights in Ireland, has five miles of
dramatic cliff top edges, with superb views on all sides overlooking the
spectacular moods of the stormy sea far below. While walking on the
cliff’s edge, a symphony of sound filled the air : thundering waves,
screaming sea birds and the sweet melodies of Tina, with her crisp
mellow voice self accompanied on the harp.
On our way to
Clifden, in the Connemara, we were struck by the natural wonders of the
Burreni (meaning “Rocky Land” in Gaelic) an apt name for this vast
limestone plateau in the northwest county Clare. Few trees manage to
grow in this desolate place, yet other plants thrive. From May to
August, an astonishing array of flowers adds splashes of colour to the
austere landscape. |
The Quay House is
Clifden’s oldest building, dating back to th 1820’s. Staying at the Quay
House is a completely different experience : 14 individual furnished
rooms overlooking the “lively” Quay, with a sumptuous original breakfast
prepared by well known chef Paddy Foyle, (whose family has been
innkeepers in Connemara since 1917).
With these assets,
it seems obvious that this treasure is the outright winner of the Caesar
award for Ireland in 2003.
Although just a
cocktail sample of Ireland, these five days were more than sufficient to
whet our appetite for a second visit in the near future. What a
wonderful experience of beautiful people in an even more beautiful
country!
Johann Beukes
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