My two friends are coming to Ireland from California and we are embarking on a road trip around the south of Ireland. Before we set off on our road trip, we take a visit to the passage graves, giving the girls a taste of Irelands Ancient East.
After a visit to meet the mama in Coolock, we head for a local dinner at the Cock Tavern. The ladies are jet lagged but thanks to my sister Linda and buddy Miriam, they’re kept awake while I sneak off to choir practice!
Next morning we set off on our journey south and drive through the hills of Wicklow. We have a short pitstop at Johnnie Fox’s as Suzanne has memories of being here years ago with her friend. It’s a great spot in fairness, but a bit early for a drink!
Another quick stop in Enniskerry, the picturesque village where they filmed the movie “Enchanted”, for a tea and coffee and then we are back on the road to Wexford. We won’t make it to Guinness in Dublin so this was a good photo opportunity.
We drive to Kilmore Quay and have a delicious fish lunch at Mary Barry’s before heading further south, through Templetown, which was the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Wexford.
The Knights Templar were founded by the Crusaders in Jerusalem, early in the tenth century. In 1172, King Henry II granted extensive lands to the templars along the eastern shore of Waterford Harbour. They set up their headquarters at Templetown, which is named after them. The Templars were disbanded in 1307 and their lands were given to their great rivals, the Knights Hospitallers, who built the fortified church below.
We continue to Hook Lighthouse, the world’s oldest working lighthouse established from a beacon in the 6th century to a grand tower built by the ‘greatest knight that ever lived’ William Marshall!
We are convinced to do the tour by the very chatty and friendly guide. From the viewing area attached to the tower the views out to sea are beautiful.
When we go outside, the wind gets quite a hold of us … and apparently today isn’t that windy at all!!
As we leave Wexford we find a stall and Suzanne chooses some local strawberries which really are delicious.
We drive to Ballyhack and take the ferry to Passage East where we are greeted by a goat on a wall!
After another scenic drive, we arrive to Tramore and my home away from home. It’s been a jam packed day so we decide to stay in for the evening. Dot cooks us a beautiful steak and we continue our chats over some very nice red wine.
Next morning I show the ladies all Tramore has to offer, starting with the beach.
The sun is out but as we get up the prom there’s a shower of rain so we play a few games at the slots!! (They’re getting the full experience!!)
We continue to the Doneraile walk and although it’s a bit breezy, it’s fine and sunny.
We continue to the top of the hill and explore the village.
We really want fish and chips for lunch so head to Dooleys up the hill but it starts raining just as we are going to eat them outside… so Dot sweet talks the barman in Raglan road and he surprisingly lets us eat our Dooleys in the lounge… of course we have to have a pint!
In the afternoon we visit Gaulstown Dolmen, a regular on my tour!!
For those of you who I’ve brought here, you’ll know that you park in someone’s driveway to access the woods where the dolmen resides. Well when we park, another car pulls in behind us and a man in wellies follows us towards the Dolmen – we reckon he’s either a murderer or a farmer!! It’s the later and he tells us if we want to see his herd of Scottish Highland cows, he’ll be running them down the field behind the dolmen. We do wait and it’s amazing to see them up so close and coming toward us. They are magnificent.
That evening we go to O’Neills for dinner and catch some traditional Irish music in the bar afterwards.
Next morning we set off to drive the Copper Coast. We’re so lucky with the weather and have beautiful views all along the coastline.
We continue to Youghal and check out the seaside Medieval town, where Moby Dick was filmed. An Irish scone with our mid morning tea and we are off again.
Next stop is Cobh and a visit to the Heritage centre which gives us not just a “Titanic Experience” but the “Queenstown Story”. [Cobh used to be called Queenstown] It’s a really interesting museum with lots of info about emigration from Ireland.
Cobh was the final port of call for the Titanic. 123 passengers boarded the ship and among the few who disembarked, a young Jesuit priest, Fr.Francis Browne. He was ordered by his superior to leave the ship in Cobh, and his famous photographs of the ship taken during its final leg of the journey became internationally recognized after the disaster.
The town of Cobh has lots of history and is very picturesque. We walk up the hill for the iconic view of the coloured houses and it doesn’t disappoint.
There’s plenty of interesting things to see in Cobh including St Colmans Cathedral. The cathedral’s steeple is 91.4 metres tall (300 ft), making it the tallest church in Ireland.
And our amazing runner and Olympian, Sonia O’Sullivan is from here! Woo hoo!
We see the memorial to the British passenger ship, the Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland in 1915. Cobh was the closest major port and was the first to receive survivors and victims. 169 of the victims were buried in the Old Church graveyard which we visit on our way out of town.
We drive to Blarney which is less than an hour away and after a bit of shopping at the Woolen Mills (sure you’d have to), check into our very nice guesthouse which is a two bedroom apartment annexed to a house. We have dinner in town at the Muskerry Arms which is delightful and very popular.
Next morning I drop the ladies to Blarney Castle so they can do the obligatory kissing of the stone and visit the gardens while I tick a Cork Parkrun off my list! So while I’m doing this…
They’re doing this…
Onwards to Kinsale and a fabulous fish lunch at Jim Edwards. It’s sunny when we arrive and we sit outside but it’s pretty clear we’re going to have to move inside to eat as there’s definitely a shower coming! We make it inside in time and the food is fabulous.
We love Kinsale and enjoy a walk around town seeing the colourful houses, shops and so many restaurants.
From Kinsale we head west toward Clonakilty and get a bonus stop at Ballinspittle, home of the infamous “moving statue” of Our Lady, which was quite the story in the 80’s!
We have a short pitstop in the gorgeous town of Clonakilty to visit my gorgeous friend Margaret. A quick chat and a ramble around Michael Collins territory and we’re back on the road to our next destination – Schull. We are staying at the Schull Harbour Hotel which has a direct view across to the harbour.
It’s Saturday night and we have a reservation at Blairscove House. This is quite a big deal as you have to book some months in advance and it has a five star reputation. It’s about a twenty minute drive and we book a local taxi woman so I’m clear for some beverages!!
We arrive early and walk around the very pretty grounds and then have a fabulous meal in what was once the barn of the Manor House, but is now an amazing high ceilinged dining room. The array of starters and deserts are fantastic (you get to choose as many as you like from a very high end buffet) and the cocktails and wine are also delicious.
Next morning it’s raining and unfortunately the hike that I had really wanted to do to Three Castle Head is not on the cards. We have breakfast at the hotel and then take a walk through town … which takes all of about 5 minutes!! Suzanne has spotted something we’re gonna try later – Hacketts local pub apparently have a gin!
The rain has eased so we get our raincoats and head off to explore the Mizen peninsula. A few kms out the road, we explore Altar Wedge Tomb, a 4,000 year old tomb, located at Toormore Bay.
The rocky scenery and coastline is rugged around here and the windy weather is invigorating.
We continue to Mizen Head, the most southwesterly point of Ireland, where we walk the Mizen Head footbridge which was built in 1909.
It’s very windy and the rain has come back but we enjoy the views.
We battle on to get to the Signal Station at lands end. The station was also built in 1909 to help prevent the loss of life and shipping on the rocks.
There’s a museum at the station and we learn lots about this area and about Fastnett lighthouse but to be honest the highlight is the scenery….
… and the views of the bridge.
We continue to explore the peninsula and see the beautiful Barley cove beach.
We are constantly looking out to the ocean in the hope that the clouds will clear and we’ll get a view of the lighthouse and low and behold, at Galley cove we manage to catch a glimpse – Fastnett!
We drive around Goleen (home to Sophie Toscan du Plantier who was murdered here in the 80’s – if you know, you know) and to Crookhaven.
Back at Schull we head to Hacketts and try the gin (although I have a pint) and the bartender tells us how it was created by her mam. There’s live music by an American and he’s really good.
From Hacketts we head for dinner to The New Haven which serves really good food for this tiny town. Afterwards we head for one more at O’Regans and have an interesting chat with the barman.
We really enjoyed our couple of nights in Schull and we are off again – our next stop is Kenmare. It’s raining as we park up the car so we try to stay indoors – that means shopping and also a visit to the Cathedral.
As we leave Kenmare and drive through Molls Gap, which is part of the Ring of Kerry, the scenery is stunning.
We find a couple of viewing points and are able to pull over and enjoy the rural surroundings.
We arrive to Killarney National Park and stop for lunch at Muckross Park Hotel. Across the road is Muckross Abbey which is a 15th century Franciscan friary. Despite being in ruins, it is well-preserved and features a church with a square tower, a cloister, and a central courtyard with an ancient yew tree.
It’s an hour and a half to where we’re staying tonight so we get on the road and head for the Dingle peninsula. We pass through Dingle town and head further west to Ballyferriter. The scenery around Dingle bay and Slea head is stunning although we can’t really stop for a photo. We’re staying at a beautiful family run hotel called Ceann Sibeal.
We go for a walk to explore this tiny village. Again the views all around are stunning. Some Star Wars movie was filmed out here and you can see why…
We hit one of the local pubs (just across the road) for dinner.
… and a drinky-poos!!
Next morning we continue the Slea head drive to Dunquin pier.
It’s stunning. I’ve wanted to walk this pier for years and finally I’m here.
We continue to the Blasket centre where there are great views out to the Blasket islands and a great bookshop where we solve a mystery! This man is everywhere but I didn’t know who he was and low and behold his book is beside Peig Sayers (my Irish friends know very well who that is!) – a local man turned explorer of the Antarctic. I’ll have a copy of that please!
We are delighted with our Slea Head visit and decide to head into Dingle town. I insist the girls meet Fungi!
We have a walk around and visit a number of the famous pubs and do some shopping.
Avoiding some rain showers, it’s time for an Irish coffee (decaf if you please!)
Tonight we eat at the hotel and the food is fantastic. I have this amazing prawn laksa curry. Some of us may have had some Hacketts gin in our very comfy family room and the wine in the bar is delicious, so everyone is happy!
Next morning it’s time to pack up and start making our way toward home. We travel through Tralee and stop to visit Blennerville Windmill which is an 18th century working windmill. We do the tour and learn all about how flour was milled and as a bonus there’s a model railway section! We chat to the guide who turns out to be from Kilmore West – small world!
We’re now heading east toward Tipperary and to the Rock of Cashel. It is a beautiful sunny day and it looks amazing. The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster as early as the 4th century and prior to the Norman invasion. The girls do the tour while I catch up on some messages and chat to some tourists (as you do!).
We’re spending our last night of the trip in Kilkenny so we continue east to the Newpark Hotel. Once we’re settled in and have a final gin and tonic, we head into town. First stop, the castle.
We really want to enjoy our final meal and Butcher restaurant has been recommended for a good steak. We’re lucky enough to get a table and we start with a cocktail which goes down very well. We each order a different cut of steak and everything is delicious, especially when it’s paired with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. What an amazing meal!
Happily fed, we hit a few pubs and check out the live music scene! We start with Kytelers, set in a medieval building, traditionally associated with the Kyteler family and Dame Alice Kyteler who was allegedly a witch! Parts of the building date to the 14th and 15th century!!
I had also brought Dots daughter and son-in-law here when they came to Ireland a number of years ago as part of their honeymoon. We like this spot!
The place is buzzing when we arrive inside and we manage to get stools at the bar so we can watch the band, which consists of three men plus a lady on the fiddle playing traditional music. They’re really good.
There’s a group of ladies having a great time at the end of the bar – one in particular has clearly been on the sauce for the evening and when I attempt a few Irish dancing steps for my friends she makes a beeline for me to join in the craic. Madhead!!!
We hit a couple more bars and in both pubs catch the last few songs before it’s all over. What a great night and we would have stayed out longer if we could!!! 🤣
The view from our hotel room next morning entices me to check out Jurassic Newpark!
So while the girls go here and do the tour of the castle…
I run around the park and see some dinosaurs! I love it!!
We get on the road and head toward home. I’ve driven this route so many times and every time I see the sign for the Quaker village in Ballitore I think I should visit.. well today’s the day. We are all intrigued so we park in the tiny village and make our way to the library where we hear all about the Quaker’s who settled here in Co. Kildare.
We finish our road trip with a drive through the Curragh and then we’re back in Swords for our final night before the ladies fly off tomorrow. What a great trip!
odohertyelaine 