The DINGLE PENINSULA and KILLARNEY

I am glad I scheduled a few days for us to "play tourist" at the end of our trek.   The Larkinley lodge where we stayed was charming, with a spotless, spacious guest room.  Our hostess Toni pampered us and went out of her way to make us feel welcome.  The breakfasts she served were delicious and the dining area was elegant.  I think she saved her best china and silverware for us.

We wanted to visit Dingle and the Dingle peninsula which is the nearby peninsula north of the Iveragh peninsula.  We decided to rent a car for the day on Tuesday.  I was a bit leery though, because they drive on  the left side of the road in Ireland.  But Gerry felt up to the task, so we went for it.

It was somewhat nerve-wracking, as the roads are winding and narrow with many twists and turns.  I'm glad Gerry is such a good designated driver, and can expertly handle the clutch with his left hand.

 It was approximately an hour drive from Killarney to Dingle.  The drive was beautiful along this stunning peninsula.  There were several scenic overlooks, where one could pull off the road to take pictures. 

This is postcard perfect.

The coast line is rocky and jagged in places, which is apparent when you can view it up close.  It reminded me of our Big Sur in northern CA.

A steep drop off.

There are beaches for sun-bathers, too. But not many takers when the temperature is a cool but pleasant 62 degrees.

A few beach strollers. 

When we reached the town of Dingle it was busy and bustling with tourists.  The main parking lot appeared to be full, so we decided to drive the scenic 48 km Slea Head Drive loop, and then circle back to Dingle later in the afternoon.

We passed by a fascinating pottery gallery, Louis Mulcahy Pottery, at Clogher Beach, West Dingle.  Their pottery was gorgeous, but a bit pricey.  (A beautiful set of six pasta bowls cost $500.)  There is a cafe on the second floor where we stopped for a light lunch - homemade sweet potato and carrot soups, served with delicious brown bread.

A potty pottery break combined with a lunch stop.

We drove a bit farther to the Great Blasket Center, a heritage and cultural museum which pays tribute to the unique community who lived on the remote Blasket Islands until 1953.

Blasket Islands are in view from the Great Blasket Center.

Dingle is the only town of any significance on the peninsula.  There are several tiny hamlets, but not many people live here.    The entire peninsula has a population of less than 2,000.  The interior is lush and green.

It doesn't get more of vibrant than this.

I agree with the little bird who told me, "This is an udder delight!"

My messenger

The udder delight.

When we made our way back to the town of Dingle it was less hectic.  We found a parking spot and walked the main street of the quaint village which was lined with colorful buildings, shops and restaurants.

Dingle village

Another clean town with no graffiti

I like the artistic diner and the adjacent jewellery shop.

There is a Murphy's ice cream on either end of Main Street.  Employees stand in the doorway and offer free samples of their award-winning homemade ice cream.  It is worth walking the streets back and forth to take advantage of  their delicious ice cream samples.

I cut off the "M" in this photo, but this is one of the two Murphy's in Dingle. 

It made for a sweet ending to our Dingle day!

Back in Killarney, we returned our car and then walked past the Killarney Brewing Company on our way back to the Larkinley lodge.  We have been drinking Killarney IPAs most evenings on this trip, so we thought it appropriate we stop in and enjoy the real McCoy at the brewery.  So we did.

Killarney in Killarney, along with a tall bottle of water.

For dinner, we walked ten minutes from the Larkinley to Murphy's Bar on College Street (no relation to the Murphy's ice cream in Dingle) where I ordered fish and chips for my fourth and final time in Ireland.  The fish and chips were served with a green salad.  I forgot to mention that the first time I ordered fish and chips in Ireland, they were served with a side of mashed potatoes.  (I am not kidding.)  It is strange, they double-time the potatoes in the evening, but more often than not, spuds are not part of our breakfast....

We stayed local in Killarney on our final vacation day. It was the sunniest day of our trip.  I actually wore my sunglasses most of the day.  It was still cool, with a high of 62.

Our first visit was  a short 30 minute walk to Ross Castle, a 15th Century tower house on the edge of Lough Leane in Killarney National Park.  Ross Castle is the ancestral home of the O'Donoghue clan.

We're nearing Ross Castle on this clear crisp Weds. morning.

The castle is very impressive up close.  It is free to tour the grounds, but the only way to see the interior of the castle, and walk the spiral staircase to the top floor, is to pop for the 45-minute guided tour.  It was a bargain, at $5 Euro per person.  Local guide Dan led the tour.  There were a dozen in our group.  Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside the castle.

Ross Castle up close

Dan led us up the narrow spiral staircase, and we stopped at the various floors as Dan explained the features of the tower castle. It is amazing how well thought-out all aspects of the design were.  Dan also explained about the area and the history.  It was a very interesting tour!

Peering through one of the archways on the exterior.

The tall and mighty stone castle wall.

We walked back into town and stopped off at St. Mary's Cathedral, consecrated in 1855.  It is another work of stunning architecture, with the stone and wood decor, and the stained-glass windows.  It is an active Catholic church, with masses and prayer groups.

Designed by the renowned English Architect Augustus Welby Pugin

We were allowed to walk inside and see the stained-glass windows.

A view from the interior of St. Mary's.

Gerry and I are not big shoppers, (and that is a definite under statement.)  However, it was fun to walk in and out of some of the shops in Killarney.  Several local shops were selling authentic Irish woolen sweaters and other wool products.

There are a variety of watering holes in Killarney, with over 50 pubs within a multi-block radius. Most of them offer live music during the evening.  We didn't experience much of the music scene unfortunately, because we were too tired from our trek. 

We selected The Porterhouse gastropub for our final dinner in Ireland.  They offered an extensive menu selection, but we both ordered the same entree, barbecue pork ribs, which were highly recommended by our waitress.

Now this is what you call a slab of ribs!

The evening was a fine finale.

Although we never kissed a Blarney Stone, we felt very fortunate, and "the luck of the Irish" with our experiences and the people we met on our vacation!  Memories abound.