Cliffs of Moher

This is the "money shot" of this very popular tourist destination in Ireland, perhaps the number one sight based on the filled parking lot, and the shear numbers of tourists wending their way along the foot paths to the top. Being afraid of heights, I relied on my intrepid traveling partner to take this photo. I'd seen enough travelogues to know I wanted to go nowhere near the edge.

It looks innocent enough as you follow the road toward this natural phenomena and national treasure of the Irish coastline, over gently rolling hills, along this
narrow country lane. It looks like much of the Irish landscape and it is easy to forget that you are heading for literally, the edge of the country.

As you head toward the cliffs you cannot be prepared for the enormity of their size. The view from the parking lot is deceptive because you cannot visually perceive that you are walking on the cliffs, rather than alongside them. As the road climbs towards the left of this photo, it seems only logical that it heads to the ultimate destination, the cliffs themselves.

The monumental size starts to loom over you the nearer you come to the edge, where you realize you have been walking almost two thirds above the level of the sea that these cliffs plunge into. I'd like to know how far beneath the surface of the water these cliffs go.

I admit again, that I did not take these photos either. My knees are weakened and I feel queasy just looking at the two dimensional images. It is nice to note that the consession stand and bathrooms were well away from the cliffs and did not become intrusive as so many do at popular tourist destinations.

http://www.cliffs-moher.com/about.php

Adare

Adare was the classic Irish village of my memories; memories formed long ago, in another century, and romanticized over a few intervening decades. By the time we drove through this part of West Ireland, Adare was so crowded with traffic congestion, we decided to forgo our plan for a lunch stop. Since driving through the main road was painstakingly slow, parking would have been impossible. We must have arrived on a market day or during a festival. Adare, it appears, had succumbed to the tourist hoards and been overbuilt to the point where I did not recognize it. I had to wonder if the old timers even recognized their own town. I couldn't tell because we only drove through, but I do hope it's charm is still intact for all parties concerned, the villagers and the tourists.

Adare was the first stop, after arriving in Shannon on my first trip to Ireland with a college friend, who still sends me St Paddy's Day cards. It was filled with quaint thatched roof cottages that lined the main road. Adare Manor was a beautiful old mansion we toured after we got over our jet lag. We were a bit saddened that the owners had to give tours to contribute to the upkeep of such a lovely property, but delighted that we were able to see the elegant interior and furnishings. It was in Adare that we stayed at our first B&B run by an elderly widow who baked and served us our first taste of Irish brown bread, so memorably accompanied by our first taste of unsalted Irish butter. We looked out of the second storey window of the stone house the next morning to see what was making all the noise. It was a pony cart being driven down the main thoroughfare and a flock of Rooks cawing so loudly it was surreal. We giggled, as young women would, embarking on the adventure of their first trip away from home. I can't imagine a pony cart on this road today.

Adare's cottages are still images on which dreams are made, dreams of a simpler place and time. I hope to return one day when traffic is not so unbearable, so I can spend some time there, looking for the old manor house, finding the B&B. Until that happens I'll think of it as it was, when times actually were simpler and Adare struck two young women as a small, quaint hamlet and their gateway to the world.
http://www.adaremanor.com/
http://www.adarevillage.com/restaurants.php

The Ring of Kerry Tour

More bucolic landscapes, earth and sea, coastline scenery sums up the tour around the Ring Of Kerry. The Dingle Peninsula, which I toured on my first visit to the Republic of Ireland is desolate by comparison. County Kerry like so much of the country, is composed of small farmsteads bound in a patchwork pattern by stone fences. With so many hues of green, there are certainly enough variations of the color for each of the 32 counties to claim their very own. If it were not for the lovely scenery around Killarney itself, I would recommend skipping any bus tours of the Ring of Kerry.


Each stop of the bus was presumably for photo ops of the surrounding countryside, where patrons of the tour jockeyed for positioning to get their photo, but they seemed uniquely intertwined with animal tricks for gratuities. Farm animals seemed mere accessories to the dogs and cats posing for the cameras. There was more posing to be done, however, by gift and trinket shops posing as "rest stops". With half of the tour ticket holders scrambling for the loo, I'm afraid not much commerce took place.


Our "lunch stop" was geared around a specific restaurant, so I took off in the opposite direction seeking out a cup of tea, so I could at least stretch out my legs for thirty minutes. Instead of having a large lunch interrupted by a call back to the bus, I was able to snap this photo instead. Not a great photo, but better than any that could have been taken in town, a strip mall backed up by new housing.


Ireland's rugged terrain is referred to as a "terrible beauty", probably because it was so difficult to subsist on, but it is easy to see how the sheep and dairy industries thrived. I have a weak spot for buying wool products in this country and even managed to pick up a few hand knit scarves at one stop during the tour, but only because I can make a buying decision in a flash!

Earls Court House in Killarney

Since hotels in European countries almost always include breakfast as part of the cost, some are being included here as personal recommendations for places we have enjoyed staying. If asked where to stay in a particular place that we’ve visited, the information would have to be gathered and presented in a reasonable fashion. Inclusion here makes it possible to really go over every detail, and not forget to mention something. It can also be easily linked in an email many more times than I would want to have to explain it verbally. If anyone visits Killarney, Earls Court House Hotel seems to be the perfect place to stay. It’s an easy half mile or less walk from town and all the noise associated with close proximity to pubs is eliminated, affording one a peaceful night’s sleep.

We booked the hotel because of the name and the fact they were running a special for three nights. When in London, we like the atmosphere and diversity of the Earls Court neighborhood. There’s not much diversity in Ireland unless you’re in Dublin, so we really went for the price. With the special we were able to upgrade from a standard room to a deluxe king, in hopes of having a bit more space. As the photos can attest, we had plenty of space in this nicely furnished room and more than enough in the adjoining bathroom that offered a shower, whirlpool tub, a gracious double lavatory and of course the “water closet”.

Each room offered its own charm, with different colors and furnishings. The room in the photo on the left was a standard, but still a comfortable size. The one depicted on the right was one of the suites and it certainly showed in the four poster bed and wardrobe closet. Lovely furniture in each room was antique and not reproduction. Since I was planning on writing a Trip Advisor review, I asked to see several rooms in each price range and admit I was surprised to see such individuality, instead of cookie cutter rooms with standardized furnishings. The larger rooms even had gas burning fireplaces for a bit of romance.

Another of suites made quite an impression with its bright red orange walls and club chairs. I’m not certain it would be soothing for sleep, but I’d stay in it gladly. This family run, 4 star hotel is uniquely personalized and each room makes one feel as though they are staying at a friend’s country estate. The bed was very comfortable with nice linens and extra pillows; splurge quality at reasonable prices. We do not hesitate to recommend this hotel to friends and family, and have since learned that a friend’s parents visit this hotel every few years.

Killarney is quite the tourist center and has become over built for my taste. I can still envision the bluebells that nestled under the trees lining the lake, on Muckross Road heading out of town. Those fields are now occupied by more tourist hotels, making it nearly impossible to see the lake. Where once private pastures surrounded the old manor house turned B&B, Coolclogher Farm, where I stayed on my first trip to Ireland, there were now more hotels enshrouding the property. It was barely visible, but I had such fond memories of having stayed there, that I looked for it and was ultimately successful in finding it. I will never forget looking out the window on my first morning in Killarney and seeing black and white cows grazing on the front lawn. It’s regrettable that people new to the area will not have that same pleasure.

Earls Court House also provides a computer for the exclusive and free use of guests, something I especially appreciate, since I don’t have a laptop, nor would I want to bring one on vacation. Guests are also welcome to afternoon tea or hot cocoa in the lounge. They just need to ask at the front desk. The public rooms were really comfortable, warm and inviting and many of us enjoyed using them. Tours are easily arranged by the hotel for guests and I decided the try the Ring of Kerry tour, since all that was necessary for me to do was show up.

Now for breakfast. Once home, after writing my own and reading other reviews of the hotel, I saw many glowing remarks about the breakfast and I concur with all, but the one rant about burnt toast. With all the attention to detail that this hotel displays, I do not believe they would serve that. Everything in the dining room was perfect while I was there. There were many surprises beyond the typical bacon and egg breakfast one expects while visiting the British Isles, yet little about it was typical; portions were overly generous.

On offer were lovely cakes and Irish brown soda bread, marmalade and fruit preserves, and best of all, freshly cooked Irish oatmeal with cream, or a selection of cold cereals. I couldn’t even imagine selecting cold cereal with the availability of the oatmeal, but perhaps it was meant for children, since this seemed to be a child friendly establishment. Fruit, juices, coffee and tea rounded out the meal.

Lightly toasted white bread was served with the scrambled egg and smoked salmon. Egg dishes were served to order as well as “pancakes”. With three days we were able to try just about everything.

http://www.killarney-earlscourt.ie/rooms-suites.html

Rock of Cashel

As I looked through my travel notes I discovered that a single word hadn't been written about this marvelous ruin in County Tipperary. Once known as St. Patrick's Rock, in the 5th century, the current cathedral buildings that dominate the site were built in the 13th century. There have been quite a few changes over the centuries, and the one I personally noticed was that what once was a romantic ruin I had climbed on my first trip to Europe, is now a micro managed tourist attraction.

My first glimpse of this edifice was breathtaking and my first time there seemed magical. It must have been a slow day for tourism as my college friend and I spent most of our time there alone, climbing the walls and ramparts, exploring every nook and cranny. The stairwells were not barred then and we were able to walk along the walls of the second storey of the main choir; an activity my current, more cautious self would not have attempted this time, had the opportunity presented itself.

Could this have been where the seed of my aversion to heights was planted? The lack of guard railings would certainly keep me from walking briskly through those doorways today, but it didn't stop me then.

The Romanesque details of the architecture help to set the mood of these ruins, solemn and even oppressive, if it weren't for the roof and dark stained glass windows having been destroyed because of sacking and looting by the English during the Irish Confederate Wars in the mid 17th century. The roof came off a century later and it is my guess it had to do with the desire to avoid having to pay taxes. Buildings were taxed in earlier centuries by the number of windows on the property, so many very old buildings all over the country show evidence of windows having been bricked up. Buildings were considered ruins and had no tax obligation if the roofs were destroyed.

The graveyard is very old, but these crosses are from the Victorian era. One can't help but wonder how many other unmarked graves lie beneath this ancient site.

Another church or monastery ruin in the valley can be seen from the graveyard. This setting is quintessential Ireland to me, with its stone walls, hedgerows and lovely green grass. Looking at it almost brings back a scent memory of peat burning in a fireplace. In 1975 there was a flurry of activity on the Rock and what is referred to as the hall was rebuilt to accommodate the new entrance and ticket desk. Prior to that, the only official stop between you and the rock was set at the foot of the hill. Public safety must surely have improved with personnel on site.

Prior to that time, Cormac's Chapel was closed to the public and it would have been difficult for anyone to imagine any color on the walls in this austere and sober setting. Trace evidence enabled a contemporary artist's rendition of what it may have looked like when it was being used in centuries past.

Due to the opening of the chapel, current visitors are treated to a greater variety of artwork and the best piece of ancient Celtic bas relief as pictured above. The decorative stonework at the back door of the chapel would also have been missed prior to the reopening of the chapel.