Ireland2018

A collection of 57 posts

Ireland2018

Epilogue

When I got back I made a little map to consolidate the route. We really did cover a lot of the country

Ireland2018

A Nice Summer House

The Apple Farm campsite is cheap, £7 per adult and £2.50 for electric hookup. There's a washing machine (€3) and rather than expensive tumbler driers there's a couple of, free, hand mangles. What, you don't know what a mangle is! The site is definitely a camper's site rather than

Ireland2018

Knots and Crosses

Slow starting out. Not because we were slow but because it's a Sunday and supermarket sale of alcohol is prohibited before 12:30. Tesco has a bottle of whiskey we want to bring home on offer (which runs out tomorrow I think). Trouble is we can't even see if Cashel

Ireland2018

The Rock

I promised yesterday I'd say more about The Rock Of Cashel. The rock itself is moderately unimpressive, a small limestone plinth about 300' high. However the surrounding countryside is flat and so the steep sided plinth makes a great natural defensive point Home to the Kings of Munster in the

Ireland2018

Locked in

We've pretty much completed the Wild Atlantic Way and during the course of this trip visited every county except Waterford and Laois. If we go inland today for 80 miles or so then the latter could be ticked off. But where to go? There's a couple of campsites that take

Ireland2018

A Cork and Wool story

Cork beckons. It's a mile and a half walk down into Blarney itself to catch the bus into Cork, and the 30 minute journey is just €2.70 single. No, I've probably ranted about UK and, in particular Hampshire exorbitant bus fares too many times in this blog. Let's not

Ireland2018

An Gorta Mór

No pictures and a short blog today. Schull was a pleasant base last night and this morning's hot shower welcomed even though the edge has gone off the heat a little. I'm sure readers are aware of the great potato blight of 1845-9 with the subsequent famine killing well over

Ireland2018

In search of Marconi

As I said yesterday, Bantry Marina pricing was a little uncertain. I thought we'd be charged €20 as an overnighting motorhome (despite the fact we used no electricity of other facilities). There ought be no additional fee for staying until 12 this morning. Maybe we'd only be charged €5 for

Ireland2018

The Cork and Kerry mountains

As I was goin' over the Cork and Kerry mountains I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was countin' ... Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da Whack for my daddy-o Whack for my daddy-o There's whiskey in the jar-o Ah, they don't make them like that any more.

Ireland2018

Ring Of Kerry

This Bank Holiday is playing havoc with our plans. Unable to lie low in Killarney for the weekend our only option is to ignore the Bank Holiday and press on. It worked yesterday on the Dingle peninsula. What about today on the Ring Of Kerry? Let's take the chance. Firstly

Ireland2018

Going with the force

The Irish people, even those English people living in Ireland really are something special. Conversations pop up from nothing. Yesterday in the museum a woman apologised to Liz for her son's rambunctiousness but this took about 10 minutes as the 9 month old baby she was carrying had latched on

Ireland2018

The Rose Of Tralee

She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer, Yet 'twas not her beauty alone that won me; Oh no, 'twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning, That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee. The campsite is on the outskirts of town just 10 minutes

Ireland2018

Casey Jones

The single priority for today is to sort that juddering out. Something is definitely wrong. Before leaving we use "the facilities" at Askeaton Leisure Centre. There's a big sign reminding us that they are for customers only and I half expected a reprimand from the receptionist. Instead I got a

Ireland2018

Hell Fire

Moving on from Corofin we stop just down the road in Ennis, the county town of Clare. Wonderful narrow streets and local shops. We've come for the county museum though because it has the originals of the replica horns we heard in Galway on the weekend Not replicas this time

Ireland2018

Exodus 8:2

No music down the pub last night (Weds is the day to go) but some beautiful traditional Irish music at 4am this morning as a glorious dawn chorus serenaded the van. Made all the louder by windows and roof vents being open to allow some of the heat to escape.

Ireland2018

Ranger Danger

A good night's sleep, surprisingly quiet at the pub but then things were winding down when we left. First port of call is the magnificent Cliffs Of Moher. What can be more uplifting than admiring the splendor and tranquility of breathtaking cliffs, in the company of several coach loads of

Ireland2018

Stopped by Customs

You never know who you'll be camped next to. Who'd have thought that right next to us there would be the UK's finest Michael Bublé tribute But then again, who the heck is Michael Bublé? One goal of this holiday is to take in local events. And, let's face it,

Ireland2018

Socks with Sandals

Galway was busy! Very busy! Ireland's cheap bus service extends to here in Galway, just €2.30 for the bus that meanders round and on in to town. And, less usually for Ireland, the bus was almost on time. It's a beautiful Saturday morning and Galway is heaving. It's a

Ireland2018

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside

A lovely night's sleep at Bunmore Bay. Shame the smokery had external lights but I suspect there wasn't quite enough clear sky to see the milky way. To pay for the hospitality we popped in and bought some organic smoked salmon. We were given a taste of their mackerel too.

Ireland2018

Sitting on the dock of the bay

, Once again I forgot yesterday's driving. 75 miles but 20 or so of those were back and forth to The Thatch last night The downside of last night's great craic is the fact that we are still well inland and really need to be on the coast. Preferably in Galway

Ireland2018

There was dancing!!

We've passed through Carrick a couple of times but not stopped. Let's rectify that. A pleasant enough town, smaller than we though but with a lot of pubs, all seeming to offer music nightly. It's early but you can't really pass a micro-brewery taphouse, now can you? This was a

Ireland2018

Diddle-ee-ee, de-diddle-ee-de-ey-doo

Hands up those who think today's blog is about Irish Music. OK smart alecs keep your hand up if you know of Michael Coleman (the legendary Sligo fiddle player, not one of my ex IBM managers). If you still have your hands up I'm sure you are more than familiar

Ireland2018

Mayo mayday

It's a little busier in Knock as we leave this morning. Still, I feel more depressed than spiritually uplifted. Reminds me of Mablethorpe, vibrant in its heyday perhaps, but now just out of touch with changing times. Sad. Now what was spiritually uplifting was the cracking National Museum Of Ireland

Ireland2018

From Fatima to Bethlehem ...

... and from Lourdes to Kiltimagh I've never seen a miracle like the airport up in Knock Another Christy Moore title today. Let's begin are the beginning. We're a bit slow this morning; having a wee dram back in the van after being in the pub seemed like a good idea

Ireland2018

The County Hunter

So, about 10 days ago, probably in Belfast, Liz has this idea "why don't we make sure we visit every Irish county, both north and south of the border". Brilliant idea that would have been even better had she had it at the start of the trip. We've been a