Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A Visit to the Beara Peninsula and Killarney

A problem with our rental car delayed our next outing. We had to drive to Kerry Airport to exchange vehicles, and it took so long we knew we wouldn’t see the entire Beara Peninsula as we'd planned. We’d see what we could, however. I’d visited Beara before, though my husband never had. I wanted to show him the village of Eyeries and the writing retreat whose hospitality I'd enjoyed, and I wanted to see parts of the area I'd never seen. With the rental car business squared away, we headed back to Kenmare and entered the gloriously rugged West Cork region.

Gertrude, our gallant GPS, did a commendable job with her new Irish maps until we reached Beara. The place completely baffled the poor thing. What should have been a simple drive around a modest peninsula quickly deteriorated into "direct routes" through obscure trails and elusive villages that were on the map but probably only appeared every seven years.

Eventually we unwound ourselves from the maze and found Healy Pass, a high winding road that runs from Lauragh in County Kerry to Adrigole in County Cork, cutting through the Caha Mountains. Perhaps it was because my husband was driving and I had no sense of control, but I couldn’t help imagining the car slipping over the edge of the road and plunging down the cliffs.

We stopped at a lofty overlook. Once I was out of the car, I felt safe enough to enjoy the spectacular scenery—but we had to get back down. What would happen if we met a car coming the other way? One of us would have to back up for miles. One of us would surely plunge. My bet would be on the Yanks driving backwards on the "wrong" side of the bicycle path road.

But we reached Adrigole at last having met only two other cars in spots where we could pull over and let them pass. We continued on to Castletownbere and stopped for lunch, assured by the owner we’d never find fresher haddock anywhere. He was right.


After lunch, we drove to Eyeries. Sadly, Sue Booth-Forbes, owner, director, and all around wizard of the Anam Cara Writer’s and Artist’s Retreat, was away on a family matter, but we viewed the house, Coolagh Bay, and the town. Only the occasional mooing of cows disturbed the peace. I wished we could linger and walk on the bogs, but the afternoon was fading fast. Perhaps we'd see the rest of the peninsula another time.


The next day we stayed in town for a walk in Killarney National Park. Fine blue skies and warmer temperatures graced our stroll to Ross Castle. The last time we’d seen the castle, scaffolding covered most of it. The renovations are complete, and though the old fort was closed for the winter, we had a wonderful tour of the grounds and a walk through the park.

That evening, we attended the traditional Irish music festival that had been our excuse to visit Ireland this time. After three great concerts, we returned to our hotel room to pack.

Gertrude got us safely back to Limerick the next afternoon. We strolled into town, and I picked up a few books for writing research. I nearly shrieked when I saw The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance, the new anthology containing a story I wrote, in one of the bookstores!

Our hotel room overlooked the Shannon River, beautiful at night. Our flight to Boston wouldn’t leave until the following afternoon, but I was already wondering how soon I could return.

16 comments:

  1. Amazing photos, as always, Pat, and how awesome to see your anthology on the shelf in Ireland! When you go back, can I hide in your (super-size) suitcase??? ;)

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  2. Ooh I wanna go! Awesome pics of beautiful sites, Pat! The castle is amazing. And how cool to find your book in a store there. I hope you signed a few! :)

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  3. Fabulous pictures, Pat! I enjoyed every minute of your wonderful trip through your descriptions your wonderful pictures. I love it that you found your book on a shelf!

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  4. Chassily, Nicole,and Donna, thanks for checking out the pix. Glad you enjoyed them. I didn't see any Irish guys skiing in kilts, but maybe by the next time it snows in Ireland, the sport will have spread across the Irish Sea :-)

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  5. Pat, what wonderful pictures, not only of the castles, etc., but the Irish skies! There's nothing like a changeable Irish sky, one minute grey and threatening, the next with the sun breaking through and a rainbow on the horizon. I know what you mean about wanting to go back again. On the day we left Ireland last summer, it rained, and I thought how appropriate that weather was, since I didn't want to leave. What a high it must have been to see your anthology in a bookstore there. I loved your story!

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  6. Cynthia, I appreciate your kind words about my story. Thank you! We saw at least six rainbows in a week. Unfortunately, they got washed out in the pictures. We'll just have to go back and try again :-) Thanks for visiting!

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  7. Beautiful pictures! You make me long for a return trip!

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  8. Lexi, I make ME long for a return trip! Thanks for dropping by.

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  9. Such gorgeous pictures, Pat. So many breathtaking views. That is such a thrill that your book was on the shelf! Does Gertrude have an Irish accent?

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  10. Hi Heather! No, Gertrude doesn't have an Irish accent, though we honestly didn't check to see if that was an option. Maybe next time :-) Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  11. Ross Castle is a fantastic example of medieval architecture!

    On another note, your pictures have given me a lot to think about in terms of sight-seeing. When my daughter Meghan graduates HS we are planning a month long stay in Ireland--kind of as a last hurrah before she goes off to University. Ross Castle will definitely be on the list.

    As always, thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures and stories.

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  12. Lisa, a month-long stay in Ireland sounds heavenly! I hope you're planning now. You'll give your daughter memories to last a lifetime, and you may take home one or two yourself :-) Thanks for stopping by.

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  13. I finally had a chance to pop over and check out the news on your blog. The photos from your Ireland trip are wonderful. What a thrill it must have been to find a book containing your writing. One of these days I'll get there. (Fingers crossed.)

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  14. Keep those fingers crossed, Dawn. We'll meet in a pub somewhere!

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  15. Absolutely indited written content, Really enjoyed reading through.

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  16. Hi, Hillwalking. Not sure what you mean by indited, but glad you enjoyed the post!

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