Ireland with David and Dianne

Having toured London a little (though obviously not as much as we'd have managed if the tube maintenance staff hadn't gone on strike!) we were ready for some countryside...and where better to go than the South-West of Ireland.

We flew into Shannon on Wednesday and arrived to a sunny day (which was our first surprise). We headed south along the freeway (without being ripped off on the car - thanks to Alamo) and stopped off at Adare for lunch. Adare is the wedding capital of Ireland and was full of pretty churches and thatched houses.

One of the Abbeys in Ireland - it was already set up for a wedding at it was only Wednesday!

We got back on the road again and made our way to the Dingle peninsula, via the Connor pass. Although the cloud obscured the peaks of the mountains we still got spectacular views over the valley and down to the coastline below. The peninsula itself had some spectacular scenery, as well as prehistoric structures at Fahan (from as far back as 500BC)

The view from Connor Pass

A small waterfall along Connor Pass

Dunberg Fort, from 500 BC

The night was spent in Killarney where we were based in the Crystal Springs B&B - it had a lovely setting with a stream running along the back garden, and served porridge made with Baileys at breakfast (but make sure you get a large (King) room, as the small (Double) ones are very small indeed). We went to a local pub and had a traditional Irish dinner of seafood + 3 veg (mash potato, baked potato and chips)!

Thursday dawned on another gorgeous day and so we spent it down around the Ring of Kerry and the Skellig Ring. We saw some great scenery, and had the chance to do some things you wouldn't normally expect - including clambering all over a ruined castle and a 10th century hill-fort (although we didn't have the foresight of another couple who had brought their picnic lunch to the top of the hill-fort wall). We also saw the house of Daniel O'Connell, who was a leading campaigner for Catholic emancipation and was given a beautiful mansion by his wealthy uncle.

Di on the Ring of Kerry - a photographers paradise

The hill fort at Cahergall

Ballycarbery castle - you could climb right to the top (and, I guess, be 'King of the Castle')

Ironically, it was the places where all of the tour buses were stopped that were most disappointing - the bog-cutter's village was a bit of a let-down (although if nothing else you'll learn what burning peat smells like - not entirely unpleasant, but must be an acquired taste).

Stephen as a turfcutter

We were also overwhelmed by the extend of the Irish money-making schemes - one farmer in particular charged us 3.50 per head to walk across his land for a view voted 'best in Ireland' (of course he didn't mention who he had surveyed - we guessed his mother, sister and brother)...that also included free use of binoculars. In fact it was a very spectacular view, and one not possible from elsewhere on the peninsula, but it still seemed a little steep...nice work if you can get it, I guess!

Would you pay 3.50EUR for this view?

Friday had great weather again and we spent it at Muckross Abbey and Muckross House, just outside of Killarney. Muckross was a magical setting, so great that some stupidly wealthy Californians bought it for their daughter as a wedding present...they'd done a beautiful conservation job, too. The Abbey was covered in scaffolding, unfortunately, although you could still tell that it was once an extremely restful place.

Muckross House - it is even more beautiful inside

Muckross Abbey - there is a similar image (with a younger tree) in a painting from 1851

We had planned to stop in at Blarney Castle on our way through to Cork airport but didn't have time - County Kerry was just too beautiful for us to want to rush away, so I guess it will wait for another time.