Coming back to County Clare

The tiny coastal village of Doolin on the north Clare Coast would be largely unknown if it were not for its proximity (a good hike through cattle pastures) to the Cliffs of Moher. Consequently, it is flooded with visitors and musicians, and seems to have more hostels than homes!


Our place: Aille River Hostel... a comfy little place!


Given the rainy start to the day, Maureen and I headed inland to explore the rocky, ruin and herd-dotted Burren Country...



These guys got the memo: "Family photo today- black and white, yellow accessories"


Work with me, folks!


Much better, thank you. (There's always one who never looks up!)

First stop, Kilfenora, a one-street town that has the distinction of being the center of the diocese - with the Pope as its bishop! (An apparently successful attempt during the Irish Famine to help the town desolate little town survive.)

The ancient cathedral at Kilfenora (the intact part is still a cathedral of the Church of Ireland) renowned for its unusually well-preserved stone-etchings...

... and its seven 12th c. Celtic crosses. Here, the two intricate sides of the best preserved Doorty Cross.

Then out over the Burren country side.

It looks stony, but beauty abounds....

Even on the harsh coast...

... primroses take root.

The Atlantic weather and limestone rock create an unusual climate for plants: Arctic and Mediterranean flowers blossom inches apart depending on their exposure. So where rain will pool...

... a delicate ecosystem hovers.

The sturdier variety also thrives!

Back to Doolin for lunch on the rocks...

Apparently we were approaching the Edge of the World.

Maureen at the Edge of the World.

Haze and waves on the Clare Coast...

Cliffs of Moher in the distance...

Doonegore Castle, near Doolin.

The Cliffs of Moher revisited!

Even a second visit is still stunning!

The Moher Tower ruin is actually only from the 1800's - the first tourist "trap" of the region, built for viewing of the cliffs.

Then on to Ennis, our last stop before the Shannon Airport!

And bye to Maureen and our faithful car Herbie - sporting the hubcap-less replacement tire, testimony to the unforgiving narrow shoulders of Irish roads!

The Ring of Kerry: Reprise, in reverse (and in the sun)!

Setting out from our tiny, cottage-hostel on Caherdaniel (complete with a peat fire in the kitchen and a dog that had followed hikers over the mountains), we were greeted by the sun! It was our first completely sunny day in well over a week...

Morning light over the fishing villages...

As the sun rose higher, the colors and views just kept getting better!

Mountain farms and a ring fort ruin (center)...

If I disappear to Ireland, look for me here on the Kerry coast with the Skellig Rocks (home to monastic ruins and puffins) in the background...

You might recognize this view of Bellinskellig's Bay... without the fog! (Compare to previous postings...)


Or again, Dingle Bay, without the rain...

After adventuring down several unmarked roads inland from the Ring of Kerry, we ended up at Castlemaine Harbor for our lunch, the Slieve Mish Mtns of the Dingle Peninsula in the background...

... there joined by friendly, beach-running, bird-chasing setter who persistently tried to persuade us to let him be our guest at lunch. We named him Finnegan. (He did do us the favor of finishing off our everlasting brown soda bread, then almost 4 days old.)

Arriving in Killarney, we hiked a short bit into the national park
On our way to Torc Mountain...

Sprawling rhodedendrons of dubious reputation, guilty of overcrowding more fragile species and yet gorgeous...

Torc waterfall, a great place to sit for hours...

(Happily demonstrated by the couple of sweethearts blissfully unaware that they are now in everyone's pictures!)

Yes, we've been on the road for a few days!

Then back to regional landmark, the Muckross House...

Some people seem like they have all the luck, but having to impress Queen Victoria on a 2-day visit were was more than this family could handle... bankrupted and could not stay on to enjoy their work.

So the rest of us do instead!

And though considered rogues elsewhere, in the Muckross House gardens the rhodendrons prosper in every hue... Sadly, here my camera battery gave out!

West again: Kilkenny to Kerry!

Following local traffic, we head out of Kilkenny....

And head towards Cashel....

The Rock of Cashel.... a truly awesome sight.

This is also known as the Craic Paraic, or Rock of Patrick, the site of where St. Patrick baptized the first Irish-Christian king (Aengus of Munster? Don't quote me on that). Having seen a lot of ruins from the inside, we thought the sensible thing to do was to view this by climbing around it instead! The view was worth it.

Again hard to capture, but all we could hear were the ravens and sheep once we rounded the side away from the town traffic... (That's Maureen out there!)

From the hillside....


Then on to Killarney and the Ring of Kerry. I was here a couple of weeks ago, but the misadventure that occurred is noted below! Since it was still light, we scrapped the idea of staying in Killarney and started driving along the woods and coast....

Rhodedendrons in bloom....

More great views and great signs....

We weren't the only ones who thought it was a great view!

Maureen demonstrating other ways to get spinal injuries

Slow down Maureen - you can only go 100 around those blind, hairpin curves!

More local traffic - aren't they on the wrong side of the fence? (I wasn't, or I wouldn't be posting these pictures!)

Pancakes and tea on thin air.... (the arrows have a habit of never quite pointing in the right direction, sometimes with more or less confusing results).

Sunset over the mouth of the River Kenmare, Ring of Kerry.....