Wild Atlantic Coast, Ireland
With excitement we booked a few days to the West of Ireland to explore some of the hidden and not so hidden gems of the Emerald Isle. Rich in folklore and legend, gorgeous rolling hills and gargantuan jagged cliffs and the friendliest folk you could meet anywhere.
We crammed more into three days than is usually possible, but the aim was to get a perfect feel for a potentially more gentle-paced experience seeing some of the key highlights that visitors come so far to see.
Flying into Cork made the start of our trip so easy, small airport, minimal fuss and quick car rental procedure and we were off and away to Kenmare, a quaint coastal village at the base of the Ring of Kerry. A short walk into town meant being spoiled for choice with restaurants a plenty and covering many different genres of food. For fish lovers this is a haven. The colourful main streets play host to home spun shops and restaurants all with a very personal feel – of course who could resist imbibing in a pint of the black stuff – otherwise known as Guinness, one of the most famous beers in the world.
Day Two
Day two and our route took us up to Killarney and Killorglin (Kill in Irish means Church) where we started our anti clockwise tour of the ring taking in picture perfect villages, calm bodies of water, rolling hills and desperately stunning hills and coastal views. With plenty of stopping points and scenic stopping places it takes a few hours to navigate back to Kenmare. We then took a different route north towards Limerick through the Killarney National Park with even more stunning and more mountainous terrain and I can only imagine in pre-digital picture taking days visitors running out of film at the first stop!
Cutting along the coast past beaches with surfers we made our way to Dingle on the Dingle peninsula. A unique community who makes their living on fishing, farming and tourism and this charming town has been crowned tidiest town in Ireland more than once. With a welcoming vibe, live Irish music filtering to the street from open pub doorways it’s a lovely walk punctuated by colourful homes, a throbbing restaurant scene on the waterfront and up the main street and has ample parking.
Day two we headed up from Limerick passing Bunratty Castle and onwards towards the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular coastal spectacle of impossibly jagged cliffs towering 200 metres (700 feet) above the North Atlantic. The viewing spot is very developed, and pathways are easy to follow and enjoy views from many different aspects.
We decided to stay in Galway and enjoy Irelands home of music. True to its word, the thronging streets and live music were everywhere along with street performers, friendly vibe of the pubs full of laughter and spilling over onto street side tables who were all doing roaring trade. A walk down Quay Street and then up to the waters’ edge to look at Long street and the colourful homes overlooking the marina. It certainly proved a good decision to linger in the city and explore rather than head north. That is now reserved for our next trip as the north coast of Galway is both rugged, slow and peaceful. Dotted with narrow roads with passing places, Kylemore Abbey and the wild Atlantic Coast, we were sorry to miss it on this trip.
Last Day
Our last day we headed down to the most visited attraction in the country, the rock of Cashel, steeped in richness of history and dramatic in its design, and of significant architectural importance to the country. Ancient kings, patron saints and unparalleled beauty – the Rock of Cashel brings together Ireland’s long legacy and trademark stunning scenery. On the rock sits the chapel of King Cormac Mac Carthaigh, which was begun in 1127 and consecrated in 1134. The entire site dates back to Kings of Munster as early as the 4th century and prior to the Norman invasion. The oldest and tallest of the structure is the well preserved round tower 28 metres (92 ft) high, dating from c.1100 – this was a highlight of our trip and a fitting end to a brief three days exploring Kerry, Galway, Limerick and memorable sites along the way.
A few days in Ireland can easily be added to any itinerary and access is possible with inexpensive short flights from most areas of the UK mainland.
