PART FOUR: Rocking Out In The West
2016-03-08 to 2016-03-11
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| A little star gazing in Killarney before moving along to the next location. |
And as expected, the changeable weather for our time in County Kerry changed once more on the day we were due to leave. Tuesday 8th of March saw the clouds and mist roll in; not so much rain, but enough to give the day a bit of a gloomy feel. A perfect day to spend in the car, moving along to our next stop: Ennis in County Clare.
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| The craggy coastline of the Dingle Peninsula. |
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| Mountains meet directly with the sea. |
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| The Blasket Islands off the tip of the Dingle Peninsula. |
A bit further around the peninsula, on the way back to Dingle, you can turn off to visit the Gallarus Oratory. This is quite an interesting little relic; a free stone church or religious building shaped like an upturned boat. The masonry work, given that it is at least 1000 years old, is quite incredible. The stones are almost perfectly curved to follow the desired shape, and the window at the back has a stone at its base that was clearly carved out of a massive chunk of rock. Definitely worth a look if you're passing through. There's a visitor centre there too, but it will cost. It wasn't open when we were there, but in any case, our guidebook advised it wasn't really worth it!
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| Looking through the doorway to the rear window of the Gallarus Oratory. |
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| Gallarus Oratory. |
Returning to Dingle, we followed the route to the north-east that glided through the Conor's Pass and along the north coast of the peninsula. From there, we got onto the major roads and high-tailed it for Limerick. We arrived around 2pm and found a park - that was the first fun part...! Limerick is laid out in a rather confusing fashion; full of one way streets, it's quite tricky to navigate. Eventually, we found a parking lot in one of the Dunnes stores and went there. We wandered through a few streets looking for something that took our fancy. Being a bustling CBD, Limerick is not the kind of place you will find a cozy pub with a hot homely meal - at least, not in a brief stopover as a tourist, like us! We happened across an O'Briens, which we hadn't seen previously. They boasted "Irish Sandwiches" and for us, that sounded pretty good. We're not really sure what made them Irish, but they were tasty! I had a Triple Decker, which had chicken, cheese and local coleslaw, so it was very nice. We later learned that O'Briens is a franchise chain, as we saw a few in other towns. But that's fine, they filled our bellies sufficiently in Limerick!
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| Lunch at O'Briens in Limerick. |
As an aside, I mentioned in the previous post that we had been trying to write a limerick about our trip. Well, the whole reason was so that we could do a Facebook "check-in" in Limerick by writing a limerick! It went a little something like this:
At the end of the day, I'm not sure if Limerick is much of a tourist town. There are a few buildings and relics there, and there is a rich history to the development of the town, but nowadays, it's really just like any other city. Streets lined with clothing stores and cafes; it's not the kind of thing we were interested in seeing in Ireland, so there was no love lost in not staying there longer than 2 hours.
Our destination for the day, Ennis, is only about 30 minutes' drive north from Limerick, so we arrived in the mid afternoon. Locating our accommodation at Rowan Tree Hostel, we checked in. The manager upgraded us to a Family Room, so that was a nice bonus. When we saw the room, we were amazed - it was huge. Two bunk beds, a single bed and a king size; a couch and coffee table; and a huge bathroom. Pretty damned good for €20 each per night! Of course, that's the price we paid for the room we actually booked, so this is probably usually more expensive. But I can honestly say that in my travels for work, I have stayed in hotels that were worse than this hostel!
After a reasonably long day, we decided to try out one of the bars in town recommended by the hostel: Knox's. They were supposed to have traditional Irish music on from 7:30pm. However, we got there and the customers inside were engrossed in the Arsenal game on the big screen. No music ever started, that we could hear! Nevertheless, we enjoyed a few drinks before calling it a night.
On Wednesday morning, we awoke gradually and shuffled down to the kitchen. Believe it or not, included in that price is a free continental breakfast. Cereal, toast, fruit and coffee (filter, not instant!) all ripe for the taking. It was starting to become clear why this hostel was voted as Ireland's best for a few years running.
We had already decided to have an easy day; our schedule had been a bit hectic for a few days and it was time to chill out a bit. After breakfast, we wandered into town, down Abbey Street to O'Connell Square. Just off to the east side, there's a small lane way called Albert's Row which leads to the Temple Gate Hotel. Also in this alcove is the Clare Museum. We found a notice board which described various Historic Walks around Ennis, taking in around 30 different sites on each route. We picked Route Two and started strolling easily through and around town. We weren't really taking in every landmark, but it was just a nice way to explore the streets and see what we could find.
Finishing up our tour around the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul, we found our way back towards Market Square where mum had spied a quaint shop called Tea Cosy. We stopped in for a cuppa - we actually had coffee, not tea, but I don't think that was sacrilegious! It wasn't the best coffee in the world, but it was still good enough to help us enjoy our lazy morning.
We found our way back to the square where we'd started and visited the Clare Museum (free admission). Inside, they have an extensive array of archaeological artefacts that have been discovered around County Clare. From arrow heads to wicker baskets to Iron Age implements, the story of prehistoric people in the region now known as Clare is explained. There's also information about the religious conflicts over the centuries. Upstairs, there were some displays relating to life on and around water; an important aspect of life along the Clare coast and rivers. This section was less interesting, but I believe it was only temporary in any case.
We returned to the hostel for a short rest, emerging again about 2:30pm to drive out to the coast. The weather had been so good all day that we thought we'd give the Cliffs Of Moher a try. Following the N85 out to Ennistimon and then branching off north on the N67, we drove almost up to Lisdoonvarna, turning westward on the R478 and following it to the coast. Along this road, you will find the official Cliffs Of Moher visitor centre, but it's not necessary to pay and go in this way. I'm not sure if you can pay less just to park and skip the exhibits. In any case, we continued on and found some other signs for a car park. This took us off-road for a several kilometres before arriving at a privately run car park on a farm. You can park for €2 and walk up to the south end of the walking trail, which starts at 52°56'44.5"N 9°27'41.2"W. It's a bit of a walk up to the cliffs, but once you get there, the view is pretty incredible! Be warned though - that's the fearsome North Atlantic Ocean out there, and she blows a steady gale right in your face!
We took a different route to get back to Ennis, following R478 down through Lahinch, then the N67 to Milltown Malbay. From there, we met the R474 which took us all the way back. It's a winding and hilly road, so it's a bit of fun to drive with the manual transmission!
There once was a mother and son
Who travelled 'round Ireland for fun
A Guinness or two;
A thick Irish Stew;
And whiskey, when down went the sun!
At the end of the day, I'm not sure if Limerick is much of a tourist town. There are a few buildings and relics there, and there is a rich history to the development of the town, but nowadays, it's really just like any other city. Streets lined with clothing stores and cafes; it's not the kind of thing we were interested in seeing in Ireland, so there was no love lost in not staying there longer than 2 hours.
Our destination for the day, Ennis, is only about 30 minutes' drive north from Limerick, so we arrived in the mid afternoon. Locating our accommodation at Rowan Tree Hostel, we checked in. The manager upgraded us to a Family Room, so that was a nice bonus. When we saw the room, we were amazed - it was huge. Two bunk beds, a single bed and a king size; a couch and coffee table; and a huge bathroom. Pretty damned good for €20 each per night! Of course, that's the price we paid for the room we actually booked, so this is probably usually more expensive. But I can honestly say that in my travels for work, I have stayed in hotels that were worse than this hostel!
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| Our room at Rowan Tree Hostel. |
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| Our room at Rowan Tree Hostel. |
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| Rowan Tree Hostel, as seen from across the River Fergus. |
After a reasonably long day, we decided to try out one of the bars in town recommended by the hostel: Knox's. They were supposed to have traditional Irish music on from 7:30pm. However, we got there and the customers inside were engrossed in the Arsenal game on the big screen. No music ever started, that we could hear! Nevertheless, we enjoyed a few drinks before calling it a night.
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| Knox's Bar. |
On Wednesday morning, we awoke gradually and shuffled down to the kitchen. Believe it or not, included in that price is a free continental breakfast. Cereal, toast, fruit and coffee (filter, not instant!) all ripe for the taking. It was starting to become clear why this hostel was voted as Ireland's best for a few years running.
We had already decided to have an easy day; our schedule had been a bit hectic for a few days and it was time to chill out a bit. After breakfast, we wandered into town, down Abbey Street to O'Connell Square. Just off to the east side, there's a small lane way called Albert's Row which leads to the Temple Gate Hotel. Also in this alcove is the Clare Museum. We found a notice board which described various Historic Walks around Ennis, taking in around 30 different sites on each route. We picked Route Two and started strolling easily through and around town. We weren't really taking in every landmark, but it was just a nice way to explore the streets and see what we could find.
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| The Franciscan Friary in Ennis; we couldn't visit, as they were closed until 24th March. |
Finishing up our tour around the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul, we found our way back towards Market Square where mum had spied a quaint shop called Tea Cosy. We stopped in for a cuppa - we actually had coffee, not tea, but I don't think that was sacrilegious! It wasn't the best coffee in the world, but it was still good enough to help us enjoy our lazy morning.
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| Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul. |
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| The very much revered Catholic patriot, Daniel O'Connell; his statue in O'Connell Square. |
We found our way back to the square where we'd started and visited the Clare Museum (free admission). Inside, they have an extensive array of archaeological artefacts that have been discovered around County Clare. From arrow heads to wicker baskets to Iron Age implements, the story of prehistoric people in the region now known as Clare is explained. There's also information about the religious conflicts over the centuries. Upstairs, there were some displays relating to life on and around water; an important aspect of life along the Clare coast and rivers. This section was less interesting, but I believe it was only temporary in any case.
We returned to the hostel for a short rest, emerging again about 2:30pm to drive out to the coast. The weather had been so good all day that we thought we'd give the Cliffs Of Moher a try. Following the N85 out to Ennistimon and then branching off north on the N67, we drove almost up to Lisdoonvarna, turning westward on the R478 and following it to the coast. Along this road, you will find the official Cliffs Of Moher visitor centre, but it's not necessary to pay and go in this way. I'm not sure if you can pay less just to park and skip the exhibits. In any case, we continued on and found some other signs for a car park. This took us off-road for a several kilometres before arriving at a privately run car park on a farm. You can park for €2 and walk up to the south end of the walking trail, which starts at 52°56'44.5"N 9°27'41.2"W. It's a bit of a walk up to the cliffs, but once you get there, the view is pretty incredible! Be warned though - that's the fearsome North Atlantic Ocean out there, and she blows a steady gale right in your face!
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| The majestic Cliffs of Moher. |
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| The power of nature displayed in the massive waves crashing against the rocks. |
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| Finding shelter from the wind behind the watchpost ruins at Hag's Head. |
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| Dining room in Cruises Bar & Restaurant. |
Parking by the hostel, we walked into town to get some dinner, settling on basically the first place whose menu was on display: Cruises. An old building with a bit of a retro feel to the dining room, we were both very happy with our warming, tasty home-style food. While mum tucked into the Bangers & Mash, I tackled a Shank of Lamb. The meat was not slow-cooked-fall-off-the-bone tender, but it was still nicely done and very tasty.
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| Shank of Lamb for dinner at Cruises Bar & Restaurant. |
Back at the hostel, we kicked up our feet for a while before heading back to Cruises to check out their Irish music, which started at 9pm. When we arrived, there wasn't any music, but there was a trio of guys - "The Hayes Brothers" - sitting around a table with their instruments at the ready. We each got a drink and sat to wait; they were just chatting amongst themselves, sipping some drinks around a table. Then, as if out of nowhere, they just started playing. It was so cool - it was like they had just gathered at a mate's house to have a jam session; so casual and light-hearted. I expect the style of music played has some standard repeated pattern, much like a walking blues or something, because they played through these rhythms and melodies that went back and forth. The main melody came from the guy on piano-accordion, backed up by a second guy on a concertina. The third played an 8-string guitar, which I think was an Irish bouzouki or mandolin. The latter would swap tuning several times during one song by sliding his capo around the neck. It was just so cool and full of energy; it made me want to get up and dance! It was fantastic to finally see some traditional Irish music in the perfect setting!
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| Cruises Pub. |
On the morning of Thursday 10th, we had another relaxed and slow start. We left Ennis a little after 9am to drive to the south west corner of Clare. Consulting the map, we decided to aim for a town called Kilrush and just go there to see what's what. The answer? Not much! It appeared to be a sleepy little fishing village; plenty of shops and people around, but not a lot of actual activity. I expect that Kilrush is not the kind of place that gets tourists through very often. We wandered down to the marina and then back in and around town. By 11:30, we decided that was enough and drove back up the coast (a different route to our way there) towards Ennis. This route was marked as "scenic" on our maps, but there really wasn't a whole lot to see. Some cute, old style cottages and a bit of coastal view, but nothing noteworthy.
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| Kilrush Marina. |
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| Church of Ireland in Kilrush. |
Back in Ennis, we went for a walk through town again, looking for a few options for another night of awesome traditional music. Having spotted a few options, we went on the hunt for a late lunch/early dinner, deciding on Brogan's on O'Connell St. A cozy, refurbished setting; the staff were very friendly and the food was just great: I had "traditional fish & chips" which came with a little ramekin of mushy peas; a new side dish for me! Topped off with a warming Irish coffee, we shuffled back to the hostel with full bellies, ready for a sleep.
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| Brogan's Bar & Restaurant, Ennis. |
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| Deliciously crispy Traditional Fish & Chips at Brogan's. |
Later that evening, we returned to Brogan's to check out their take on the live music. In the back corner sat a quartet; two guys and two girls. I think the piano-accordionist was the same guy as at Cruises. Alongside him sat a guy on the same kind of Irish mandolin (or similar) as at Cruises and the two girls played fiddle and concertina. The tunes were just as lively, and again, they just parked at a table in the pub as if they had got together for a jam, not a gig. That's definitely the coolest part about it! Unfortunately, the partitioned nature of the layout inside Brogan's meant it was hard to sit in a place where you could see the band. You could hear them reasonably well from further away, but the bar also had other music playing on speakers in the rest of the bar. So while the songs were just as enjoyable, the overall atmosphere and experience at Brogan's was not as good as at Cruises.
On our last morning based in Ennis, we planned a driving route through the north-west corner of County Clare, known as The Burren. We followed the N85 and N67 out towards Lisdoonvarna, turning off to the west just before reaching the town. From here, you can follow the R477 along the coast to take in the views. The limestone slabs that make up the 250-square-kilometre area have been slowly eroded by water over time, causing long "grikes" in the rock; they look like cracks, but the rock has just been eaten away. The remaining chunks of limestone that look like the slabs that have broken apart are called "clints". Walking through the landscape, you wonder why people would stake claim to these lands. It seems like such a desolate landscape, covered in rocks and not a lot of grass. In actual fact, about 70% or Ireland's native plant life grows in this region.
Continuing through the region to the north, you reach the tip at Murrooghtoohy and Black Head. From up there, you can get a bit of a view of the Galway county across the Galway Bay, but there's not much to see of it - it's a bit far off. We drove down to Ballyvaughn where we met with the N67 and proceeded south-west for a way before veering off onto R480, back through the inland area of The Burren. There's a cave here that's supposed to be pretty cool - Aillwee Cave - but they charge an exorbitant €18 entry fee! So naturally, we gave it a miss. A few kilometres further on from the cave, you can find Poulnabrone Dolmen, an example of a Neolithic or New Stone Age "Portal Tomb". Structured a bit like one of the sections of the infamous Stonehenge, the Dolmen sits proudly atop a small mound tomb wherein archaeologists found the remains of more than 30 people. These types of tombs were an important aspect of prehistoric life, and tells us that they had developed spiritual beliefs, including the belief in some kind of afterlife. Personally, I found this structure to be very cool; I've not yet had the opportunity to visit Stonehenge, but the idea of building this type of thing thousands of years ago without cranes and pulleys and modern engineering really gets you thinking about how they did it!
Continuing south, we reached the end of the R480 and turned west, driving to Kilfenora, famous for having the highest number of Celtic High Crosses in County Clare. The crosses - or what remains of them - are housed in the cathedral. The original roof of the cathedral is no longer in place, and a glass roof has been installed to protect the building. The most famous cross, called the Doorty Cross, sits proudly in the middle of the cathedral. The engravings of each cross are explained on nearby placards. Some of the detail on these relics is incredibly fine - dedication to the art was paramount when it came to these religious icons.
From there, we followed the R476 basically all the way back to Ennis. After droping a few things at the hostel, we wandered into town to find some lunch, opting to dine at Knox's. A hearty serving of Bangers & Mash had my name written all over it, and at the bargain price of only €9.95, that did a great job of tiding me over for the afternoon.
Our last evening spent in Ennis, we returned to Cruises for one last indulgence of Irish music. The band this time featured acoustic guitar, banjo and fiddle. While very talented, the sound was much more like Country or Bluegrass. We agreed that the accordion style was much more in tune with what we preferred. But nevertheless, we enjoyed our last night in the west.
Next, we move on to the midlands and the heart of the Emerald Isle.
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| Traditional Irish music at Brogan's Bar & Restaurant. |
On our last morning based in Ennis, we planned a driving route through the north-west corner of County Clare, known as The Burren. We followed the N85 and N67 out towards Lisdoonvarna, turning off to the west just before reaching the town. From here, you can follow the R477 along the coast to take in the views. The limestone slabs that make up the 250-square-kilometre area have been slowly eroded by water over time, causing long "grikes" in the rock; they look like cracks, but the rock has just been eaten away. The remaining chunks of limestone that look like the slabs that have broken apart are called "clints". Walking through the landscape, you wonder why people would stake claim to these lands. It seems like such a desolate landscape, covered in rocks and not a lot of grass. In actual fact, about 70% or Ireland's native plant life grows in this region.
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| Looking out towards the Aran Islands as we approach the rocky fields of The Burren. |
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| Beaches with more rocks than the south of France. |
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| Waves crashing in against the jagged Burren landscape. |
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| No shortage of materials for building a castle (except that you're not allowed to touch the rocks!). |
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| Poulnabrone Dolmen. |
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| Poulnabrone Dolmen. |
Continuing south, we reached the end of the R480 and turned west, driving to Kilfenora, famous for having the highest number of Celtic High Crosses in County Clare. The crosses - or what remains of them - are housed in the cathedral. The original roof of the cathedral is no longer in place, and a glass roof has been installed to protect the building. The most famous cross, called the Doorty Cross, sits proudly in the middle of the cathedral. The engravings of each cross are explained on nearby placards. Some of the detail on these relics is incredibly fine - dedication to the art was paramount when it came to these religious icons.
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| The Doorty Cross in Kilfenora Cathedral. |
From there, we followed the R476 basically all the way back to Ennis. After droping a few things at the hostel, we wandered into town to find some lunch, opting to dine at Knox's. A hearty serving of Bangers & Mash had my name written all over it, and at the bargain price of only €9.95, that did a great job of tiding me over for the afternoon.
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| How can you go wrong with a plate of Bangers & Mash? |
Our last evening spent in Ennis, we returned to Cruises for one last indulgence of Irish music. The band this time featured acoustic guitar, banjo and fiddle. While very talented, the sound was much more like Country or Bluegrass. We agreed that the accordion style was much more in tune with what we preferred. But nevertheless, we enjoyed our last night in the west.
Next, we move on to the midlands and the heart of the Emerald Isle.
Maps of our travels
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