Cork, Kenmare and Galway, Ireland

At the end of May, we visited the southern region of Ireland. The weather was slightly better than what we had experienced in North Wales in the sense that it did not rain. Our route took us from Dublin to Cork, then along the southern coastline to Kenmare. After looping around the Ring of Kerry and a stop over at Moll's Gap, we drove north along the west coast to Bunratty with a final stop at Galway. Along the way we saw some stunning scenery, drank beer, ate many full Irish breakfasts and met some amazing hosts at the Bed and Breakfast places we stayed at.

London to Dublin
We flew from London Heathrow Airport to Dublin on a Friday morning, the flight time seemed shorter than the ride on the Piccadilly Line from Central London to the airport. At the arrivals hall, we bought our coach tickets to Cork - a much longer journey that crossed through lush green countryside, representative of Ireland's nickname of the 'Emerald Isle'.

As the coach passed through central Dublin, the city was packed with not only tourists but many locals (including expats from abroad) who were in town to vote in the referendum on an amendment to the Irish constitution with regards to two matters: age of the presidency and same-sex marriage. The former was rejected and the latter was approved.

One of many sign boards regarding the referendum

Day 1: Cork
In Cork, we stayed at the Rose Lodge Bed and Breakfast near the University College. The walk into the city center took about twenty minutes and we headed there for dinner. We ate at a pub - The Oliver Plunkett, a popular place for live music. The meals were tasty and Mei's mum had her first taste of Guinness.

Live music from a band playing in the corner

Day 2: Cork Airport Car Rental

The next morning we caught a taxi to Cork Airport to collect our rental car - a red BMW and started off our drive down the coast.

Lookout point - Kinsale
Our first stop, a lookout point near the town of Kinsale. A stone plaque marks the 400 year anniversary since a Spanish expeditionary force arrived in the area to assist Irish rebels against the English - the Siege of Kinsale, that resulted in an English victory.

Historic plaque

Kinsale Harbour

Houses surrounding Kinsale

Charles Fort

Nearby, the Charles Fort - a historic defensive stronghold is open for visits. We stopped by to have a quick look but as a tour bus had arrived and the place seemed crowded, we didn't go in.

Kinsale Town

Kinsale is a historical port and pretty town full of painted shops and flower pots that were blooming in the spring-time. We did a short walk and stopped off at an ice-cream shop for a snack. The town is also proud of its status in the local 'Tidy Town' competition - an initiative from the 1950's that encouraged towns to improve their community as a desirable place to work, live and visit.

Baltimore Seafood festival

Our drive through County Cork took us along the coastal road where we spotted a sign advertising the current weekend's seafood festival in Baltimore. Interested, we detoured away from the highway to follow a string of cars heading to the festivities. A sailing festival was also on, and the car-park and harbour-side restaurants were swamped with patrons. We stayed for a beer and salmon sandwich before continuing our journey to Kenmare.

Scenery as we drove along the coast

Passing a small fishing village

Clouds, please disappear

Arriving in Baltimore

Hanging out at the port

Ring of Beara Cycle Race

As we crossed into County Kerry and drove around the Ring of Beara (the peninsula), we noticed a large number of cyclists on the road. As we entered the town of Kenmare, we realised that a cycle race was on and we were following the stragglers towards the finish line.

The race start line in Kenmare

Kenmare
As accommodation in Kenmare was almost fully booked due to cycle race participants and spectators, we stayed at a Bed and Breakfast located 2 miles outside of town (2 Mile Lodge). Greeted by a very friendly host, our next objective was to find something to eat. To save us a cab fare, Patricia offered to give us a lift in, as finding parking would be difficult if the race was finishing up. Once in town, we found a small pub - The Coachmans where we drank more beer and ate a large serving of steak with vegetables.

Day 3: Staigue Stone Fort
The next morning we drove to the Staigue Stone Fort along a bumpy country road that dates back to the Iron Age and was likely built for a local lord. The fort is ring shaped and we were able to climb to the top to enjoy the views.

Ring of Kerry

Our next destination was the Ring of Kerry, a tourist route that passes many coastal villages and landscapes. 

Coastal scenery

Although facing high winds, we stopped at the Kerry Cliffs, where we could just make out the outline of Skellig Michael - a UNESCO listed site due to its historic monastery.

Skellig Michael in the distance

Kerry Cliffs

At the beautiful cliffs, we read signs that described the local seabirds - including the elusive puffin that lived on an island off the coast.

Valentia Island

As we drove around the Iveragh Peninsula, we crossed the bridge at Portmagee to Valentia Island, a popular holiday destination. However, as we still had some distance to drive to our night's accommodation, we did a quick photo stop and headed on our way.

The bridge between Portmagee and Valentia Island

Moll's Gap

Our last stop on the Ring of Kerry was Moll's Gap, between Kenmare and Killarney. We parked at the car-park next to a coffee shop and followed a short trail full of sheep (and the odd goat) and pastures to the view of mountains rising above a lake. There is an option to take a horse-drawn carriage but we preferred to admire the scenery by foot.

Horse drawn carriages are a popular transport option

Bunratty

In the afternoon, we drove into County Clare and the town of Bunratty. Along the way we passed by an aqueduct and small estuary.We stayed at the Courtyard Bed and Breakfast, next door to the castle and ate at the neighboring pub - JP Clarkes.

Day 4: Adare

On the way to Galway, we passed by the scenic village of Adare, known as one of the prettiest places in Ireland with its many thatch roofed houses and country gardens.

Dunguaire Castle

After crossing the scenic Burren National Park, we had a short photo-stop at Dunguaire Castle that dates back to the 16th century. Next to the castle, a thatch roofed country house was also a popular photo subject.

Galway

Our final stop on this trip, we headed to the restaurant: Latin Quarter where we ate seafood chowder and seafood pasta.

We then walked around Galway - a harbour city that has a number of historic sites including the Spanish Arch - a 15th century city wall; Galway Cathedral and the Christopher Columbus monument, a present from Genoa to commemorate the visit of Columbus to Galway in 1477.

Spanish Arch

Galway Cathedral

Columbus Monument

The next day we caught the coach back to Dublin where we were straight onto a flight back to London, finishing up our short holiday in Ireland.

Next blog post:

Tallinn, Estonia

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