Killarney Day One and Two

We left Dublin and started our journey south to Killarney. Again to get from A to B the easiest way  was via the motorways again. One thing we are noticing is that there are not many service centres like  we have but then there are a lot of small towns that you can exit the motorway and stop in so in a way the same thing. We haven't done that as we have been eager to get to our next stop and make the most of our time there. Doris did a good job and we arrived at our B&B at around 1pm but as we couldn't check in until 2.30 we decided we would go into town and find a laundromat to do the washing. We found it after visiting the information centre. The lady was very helpful and it was done a lot quicker than the last time we used a laundromat.

We went back to the B&B and checked in and another small bathroom with not much room to move in the room either. Thankfully we aren't there long. Our host gave us some good advice about the Ring of  Kerry and we decided not to drive but to go on a bus tour which we were able to book with her as well. We freshened up and went for a walk into town. Had some dinner at a very nice restaurant above Murphy's Pub and that was day one done!

Our first full day in Killarney is a drive along the coast to the Dingle Peninsula. It is a lovely day and we set off reasonably early as it is a fairly long drive especially if we want to stop along the way at scenic sites.

Our host advised us to stop at Inch Beach which is the longest stretch of sand in Ireland and has nice views across the water. She also told us about a seafood restaurant in Dingle whose seafood comes right off the boats and is one of the few that does, as all the seafood from Dingle Harbour boats is exported all over the place. We tell her we’ll make sure and look for it.

The drive along the coast is called the Wild Atlantic Way and it runs around the whole coastline of this area. It is a very scenic drive with lots of beautiful coast but very few places to stop and take photos. We have found this quite often as we have driven around everywhere. 

Inch Beach looking across to the mountains

Our first stop is indeed Inch Beach and our host wasn’t wrong, it is a very pretty beach. You can actually drive your car onto the sand as it is very firm. As you look out to the water it is a beautiful blue and definitely my kind of beach, no waves! It seems to stretch for miles but in fact is only 2 miles long. Across the water are the Macgillycuddy Reeks Mountains  which are shrouded in mist. As we walk onto the sand an American couple ask us to take their photo and we have a lovely chat with them. Their daughter lives in Melbourne and their son lives in Ireland so they are here visiting him and then the mum is going to visit her daughter later this year (I think). They wish us a happy holiday and we take some photos of our own. 

It is just gorgeous and I am not sure the photos will do it justice again. We have a coffee at the restaurant which is right on the beach. A nice stopover.

Above Inch Beach looking along the coast

 We drive on into Dingle and as with most villages parking is hard to find. After one drive around we luck out and find a park that has no payment required. We are a little wary as this is a rarity in most places and just hope that the car will be ok. We walk into the village and what a lovely little seaside place it is. Unlike the other seaside places we have visited this one while busy isn’t overwhelmed with people. 

Dingle Harbour

We walk around to the harbour and look at the fishing boats, different again as there isn’t the amount of expensive boats and yachts like in the bigger seaside places. There are boat trips leaving from the harbour to visit a dolphin called Fungi which apparently arrived in Dingle Bay 30 years ago and has been there ever since. We are not keen to do this as we have limited time and we have seen dolphins before. 

Looking along the road at the stillness of the water and the reflections

By this time it is almost lunchtime so we decide to get in before the crowds arrive. All the places we visit are also on the tourist bus routes and sometimes there can be 2 or 3 bus loads at each stop. The Boatyard Restaurant is the place to go as it looks out over the harbour. 

Some houses by the harbour

A great decision as both Peter and I have the crab cakes and they are delicious especially complimented with a nice pint of the local lager.
We leave Dingle Harbour to drive further around the coast to see the Beehive Huts something which Peter has read about. These are a collection of beehive houses or clochan located at Faih Han on the Dingle Peninsula. These stone huts have been built from neolithic times until the 20th century. It is thought that most of the clochan in this grouping dates to the 12th century when Norman invaders forced farmers from more prosperous areas to move to the marginal lands along the coast.

A very interesting site and while we are visiting there is an archaeological team rebuilding one of the huts in a traditional way by just stacking the stones in an interlocking igloo shape. There are quite a few visitors but there were a couple of American sisters who really got on my goat as they posed for photos by sitting on the stones of one of the partially ruined huts. Made even more annoying by taking numerous shots and standing on the walls as well. I can’t help it these type of people make my blood boil when they don’t respect historic sites like this. Anyway an interesting place. The driving is very tight around this part of the peninsula and we find that we have to manoeuvre carefully a few times.

The method of stacking the stones

One of the beehive huts

As we drive further along the coast the scenery is spectacular and it is easy to see why it is called the Wild Atlantic Way as I can imagine it would be very wild with stormy weather. Our next stop is a group of islands called the Blaskets. This group of islands is the most westerly off the Irish coast and consists of 7 large islands and a few rocky outcrops. These islands date back to the early Christian period and include oratories, crosses and beehive cells on some of the islands and church ruins on the great blasket. The main industry of the islands up until the mid 1950’s was fishing but with some bad fishing seasons families moved to the mainland and only a few Irish speaking people remain. The only way to visit is by boat. 

The Blaskets

Another coastline view

We make our way back to Dingle and then take a route cross country to get back to Killarney. Another big day although not much walking today. We go into town for dinner at Murphy’s Pub. One thing we have noticed in most of the places we have had meals is the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff. They are all very eager to make sure that everything is ok and that you are happy. They also like to have a bit of a chat at times as they know we are tourists and that makes all the difference sometimes. We make our way back to our accommodation ready for another day out tomorrow.