Seeing Southern
  • Seeing Southern
  • Seeing Southern People
    • Easy Like Sunday Morning | Jimmy Carter
    • Easy Like Sunday Morning | Jimmy Carter | Part 2
    • The Last Backyard Juke Joint in America
    • The Causeway Storyteller
    • A Love Letter to a Moonshiner
    • Her Story | Dolly Parton
    • An Author | A Dream Comes True
    • His Story | Andrew McCarthy
    • His Major League Story | Clint Frazier
    • Ann Chapin | Holy Inspiration
    • Her Story | Juette Logan Hill
    • His Musical Story | Brent Cobb
    • Her Story | Julia Elizabeth Synder Nobles
    • Florida Georgia Line | Georgia Theatre
    • His Story | Private First Class Lloyd Carter
  • Two Coots Travel
    • Seeing Southern | Where Can We Go Next?
    • Seeing Southern | Why We Travel
    • Seeing Southern | What's in Our Bag
    • With Gratitude | Top Travels >
      • With Gratitude | Our Top 5 Moments of 2019
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2018
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2017
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2016
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2015
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2014
      • With Gratitude + Our Top Moments of 2013
    • Seeing Alabama >
      • Make It Mobile, Mardi Gras
    • Seeing Arizona >
      • 6 Hours in Flagstaff
      • Postcards from Route 66
      • The Legacy of Route 66
      • Planes, Trains, Automobiles
    • Seeing Arkansas >
      • The Clinton Library
      • Rock Town Distillery
      • Moss Mountain
      • Tales from the South
    • Seeing Florida >
      • St. Augustine | What's Old is New Again
      • St. Augustine | Eat To Your Hearts Content
      • Happy New Year Road Trip
      • Heading West, Key West
      • People and Places of Key West
    • Seeing Georgia >
      • Hot Blues on a Humid Georgia Day | Blind Willie McTell
      • Thomasville Rose Festival + Due South
      • It's Who We Are: Storytellers
      • Telling Stories in Young Harris
      • A Colonel and a Governor
      • It's All About the Blues
      • Time for 'Shine in Dawsonville
      • Climbing Higher at Aska >
        • Favorite Aska Recipes
      • It's All About the Animals | Georgia Wildlife Center
      • A Walk to Remember
      • Boys and Their Toys | Tank Town USA
      • Apple Pickin'' at Mercier Orchards
      • A Family Affair | Georgia Mountain Fair
      • All Aboard | Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad
      • Shrimp (and Grits)
      • The Blues of Blind Willie | 2014
      • A Fresh Look at the Prince
      • Taking Home the Golden Onion
      • The Farmhouse Inn | Hundred Acre Farm
      • Tally Ho! | Belle Mead Hunt Club
      • An Inspirational Childhood | Gena Knox
      • Top Southern Chefs Dish Tailgating
      • Pure Southern Sweetness | Sorghum
      • Celebrating Gone with the Wind
      • When in (Georgia's) ROME
      • A Slice of Buttermilk Pie | Yesterdays
      • Mud, Sweat and a Few Tears
      • Georgia's Sunflower Festival
      • St. Mary's | Georgia's Pathway
      • Get Fired Up In Macon
      • A Splash in the Historic Heartland
      • Cakes & Ale
      • A Sweet Onion of a Time
      • The Old Sautee Store
      • Cumberland Island
      • Fun Behind the Lens | GAC
      • Monroe Girls Corps
      • The Destruction of Tara
      • Dawsonville Moonshine Festival
      • Oktoberfest in Helen
      • Blairsville Sorghum Festival
      • The Battle of Chickamauga
      • One Ball | Two Weddings
      • The Battle of Tunnel Hill
      • The Battle of Resaca
      • Happy Plus 2 | Father Luke
      • Jason Aldean | Night Train | Sanford Stadium
      • The Makin' of Round Here
    • Seeing Louisiana >
      • Here's What Hope Looks Like
    • Seeing Maine >
      • Come for the Lobster Roll
      • The Soul of the Coast
      • Hugging the Coastline of Maine
    • Seeing MIssissippi >
      • Mississippi Sings the Blues
    • Seeing New York >
      • 24 Hours in New York City
    • Seeing North Carolina >
      • Tasting Sylva: Come for the Beer
      • The Super Bowl . . . of Sorts
      • A Total Eclipse of the Sun
      • The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
      • Getaway to Bryson City
      • Running For The Pot Of Gold
      • Mama to Son | Harris Leatherworks
      • The Earthy Balance of the Yadkin Valley
    • Seeing South Carolina >
      • Old 96 District
      • The Lowcountry of South Carolina
      • A Taste of Gullah
      • Left Hand, Right Hand | Zipline Hilton Head
      • Siesta at Sonesta
      • A State of Euphoia 2013 >
        • Taste of the South | Euphoria
        • Find Euphoria in Greenville
    • Seeing Tennessee >
      • Watching Paint Dry | See Rock City
      • Soggy Bottom Boys Reunited
      • Graceland
      • The Magic in the Holler | Gatlinburg
      • Working Class Art | Robert Alewine
      • What Would Wilma Maples Think?
      • Storytelling Festival
      • Smoky Mountain Fireflies
      • Robert Tino's Appalachian View
      • Love's Farewell Tour | International Storytelling Festival
    • Seeing Virginia >
      • National DDay Memorial
      • For the Love of the Train
      • A Night with the Salem Red Sox
    • Seeing West Virginia >
      • Mountains Set to Music
      • Travel South in Charleston
      • Hitting the Trails in Logan
      • West Virginia in Black and White
    • Seeing the World >
      • Seeing Belize
      • Seeing Bermuda | Bermudiful Bermuda >
        • 10 Days | 2 Coots | 1 Paradise
      • Seeing Canada >
        • The Rising of Noelle-Ange
      • Seeing Costa Rica >
        • Pack Lighter, Travel Better
        • Outside the Box | Medical Tourism
        • Only on Osa
        • Eating My Way Down Calle 33
      • Seeing Europe | Viking River Cruises 2019 >
        • Amsterdam Ramblings
        • Travel Like a Viking | Rhine River
        • Travel Like A Vking | The Alruna's Allure
      • Seeing Greece 2018 >
        • Two Coots Go Greek
        • The Poet Sandlemaker
        • Heaven's New Address is Halkidiki, Greece
        • His Passion for Wine | Danai Resort
      • Seeing Grenada 2016 >
        • Aboard the S/V Mandalay | Windjammer
      • Seeing Ireland 2016 >
        • A Wee Little Travel for Two Coots
        • Day 1 | Dublin > Kilkenny
        • Day 2 | Kilkenny > Kenmare
        • Day 3 | Kenmare > Dingle
        • Day 4 | Dingle > Doolin
        • Day 5 | Doolin > Westport
        • Day 6 | Westport > Donegal
      • Seeing Ireland >
        • Five Star Luxury in Dublin
        • Belfast North
        • County Antrim & Giants Causeway
        • Walking Westeros with Hodor
        • Seeing Derry
      • Seeing Italy 2017 >
        • Salerno and the Amalfi Coast
        • Sicily
        • Castellemmare del golfo
        • Over my Shoulder | Suzanne's Journey
      • Seeing Mexico | 2015 Viceroy Rivera Maya
      • Seeing Spain 2019 >
        • Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
        • Pamplona and San Fermin
  • Southern Diary
    • The Road to Italian Citizenship
  • Len + Judy
    • Seeing Southern Photography >
      • 2021 | Behind the Lens
      • 2020 | Behind the Lens
      • 2019 | Behind the Lens
      • 2018 | Behind the Lens
      • 2017 | Behind the Lens
      • 2016 | Behind the Lens
    • North Georgia Moonshine
    • 100 Things To Do In Athens
    • Portfolio | Editorial & Photography
    • Media Kit
    • Words of Praise | Seeing Southern
  • Contact
  • Shop

Day 3: Kenmare > Dingle

     We start with chickens. Not the kind to which I have become accustomed – i.e. fingers, wings.  These colorful yard pets run free, much like cats and dogs back home, and for some of you, I’m sure you know them quite well. They even try to jump in our car. But without them, I would not have enjoyed those hard boiled wonders with my freshly baked bread this morning.  It’s a childhood memory of clotheslines-ringing necks- boiling kettles that I associate with running wild chickens; I do not like them. Forgive me.
     Maggie, our hostess, was once a Ireland tour guide, and she tells us of the South Pole Inn, located in Annascaul, which is on our way to Dingle. This is the hometown and pub Tom Crean, Antarctic explorer and dog handler on the Shackleford’s Endurance Expedition. Its landmark building hasn’t changed much since the 1950s; along the walls are photos and memorabilia of its native son. Opened as the South Pole Inn in the early 1920s by Crean and his wife Ellen, it is a simple blue two-story pub which sits beside the road. It’s a stop we must make.
     Our drive reminds us of home, rolling through the Chattahoochee Forest in Georgia. Lush greens, mountains meeting the (surprisingly) blue skies. However, we’re tooling along the country roads in Killarney National Park (UNESCO site) in County Kerry, a place that might not have been such a popular destination if it had not been for Queen Victoria. Her story, later. These mountains sweep down, touching the lakes of Killarney, an impressive 26,000 acres in all. As we meander through the mountains, now and then, hikers are seen, crossing roads, finding new trails, groups of likely best friends bundled in layers on their way to discovery. At some point in their journey, they will end up where we are headed, the central point in this park: Muckross House and Gardens.
     Muckross House is a 19th century mansion who once upon a time had a very important visitor, Queen Victoria. Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife Mary Balfour Herbert finished the home in 1843. Then in the 1850s, when Queen Victoria agreed to a two-night stay in their home, there was nothing that was too good for the Herberts (or their home).  By the Queen’s visit in 1861, the budget had exploded, and the Herberts found themselves in financial ruin, thus losing the home. It was purchased by Lord and Lady Ardilaun who created gardens and the estate blossomed. Upon her death in 1932, the land and house was donated to the state in her memory.
     We spend the afternoon in Muckross House with hikers and as luck would find it, in the dry from a rain-soaked afternoon. During the winter, the farm is closed, but the tours continue through the home. Authentic pieces still remain, preserved with intense care. We see where Queen Victoria slept; she was given Mary Herbert’s room on the ground floor because she was intensely afraid of fire. The tour is 9 euros, well worth the cost to hear and view (no photography inside) history in its actual setting.
     It’s mid-afternoon, and we have a pub to reach. We’re in Annascaul, and if we hadn’t been looking, the South Pole Inn would have faded in with the other buildings. Len and I open the door and meet eyes. To the right, a blazing fireplace with a mantle stacked with books; in front, the bar keep. The walls are covered with posters, prints and paintings of Tom Crean. There are about a dozen people, all sitting at their own little table in clusters or at the bar, singularly enjoying a pint. As we enter, their conversation drops and their eyes focus on us. We freeze for just a moment, then look around, find two empty spots, and take off our coats. Conversation immediately picks up again about the latest Blindside episode. It feels more like a friend’s living room rather than the neighborhood watering hole. They immediately include us in their conversations, and we wonder what took us so long to find them.
     It is St. Brigid’s Day (celebrating the arrival of warmer and longer days), February 1, and John (originally from London) and his wife are selling St. Brigid’s crosses made of thatch reeds. We offer him five euros; his grin reaches across his face. “I finally sold one,” he shouts to his wife. "Another pint," he shouts to the bar keep, and they all break out in laughter. A pint of Guinness with our new friends and we’re off to Dingle.
     As we make our way to Dingle along the Dingle Peninsula, the views are breathtaking. The squared off plots of green grass, exactly as we have seen in our imaginations. The green, just as vibrant. The rock walls, just as solid and jagged. Before we reach Dingle, we turn left as we follow the signs to Minard Castle which is located on the water’s edge, its ruins overlooking the sea.  It’s our first real look at the rugged cliffs of the coastline, majestic and powerful, especially at sunset.
     In Dingle, Bambury’s Guesthouse is new and modern and a welcome sight upon entering town.  Bernie welcomes us and we check into Room 10, upstairs.  We quickly drop our bags and head into the downtown/marina district. It’s a very cold and raw night, so rather than walking (which is very possible), we get in our coot coupe and drive the few kilometers in.
     Our friend at the South Pole Inn recommended John Benny’s Pub for dinner in Dingle. “For sure, John Benny’s,” he said when we asked for his pub of choice with good bar food. Tonight we dine with Yvonne at John Benny’s. We have the pub to ourselves, and she seats us beside the warm coal fireplace. We feast on Shepherd’s Pie, followed by Warm Apple Cake. At the end of the evening, we notice the walls filled with dollar bills, blackened with names and cities visitors call home. A reminder of Key West's Captain Tony's Saloon. We left our dollar there; we must leave our dollar here. Two Coots. Upon taking it to put tape on the back, Yvonne thinks she sees Two Fools. She breaks out in laughter, and we quickly correct. "No, we're just two coots, but on any given day, we might be fools." Len places our dollar in a strategic spot, and we both touch it in its resting place, hoping for its luck through the rest of our journey.
   Yes, we are again, two happy coots.

At home in Kenmare

It was a home in the country. We had the entire apartment to ourselves, and it felt like we belonged. Sometimes, you take a chance (with Airbnb) and you get really lucky!
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Traveling from Kenmare

We saw very little of the city of Kenmare, but we relished the sights we discovered on the country lanes. On our way in, it was complete darkness. Today, we see what we have missed along the way. When we rounded the curve and saw just how close we were to the bay's shore, there is part of me that is glad it was dark.
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Killnary National Park

Located in County Kerry, it is the first national park established in Ireland. From castles to waterfalls, view for all.
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Muckross House and Gardens

Muckross Estate is a fully working farm. During the summers, visitors get to see a traditional farm of Ireland in the 1930s and 40s. The daily chores and farming activities that were governed by the seasons. It's beauty and contribution goes way beyond the palatial home.
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Sheep Farms

Every white dot along the hillside is a sheep. No matter how far up, or how far down below, sheep are grazing. Sheep and their wool are as much Ireland as a pint of Guinness. The rural lands and the rugged terrain prove acceptable for sheep. The most common (below) is the blackface mountain breed and can put up with the cold and rain. We saw mostly sheep  - very few cattle - in southern Ireland and it was only when we headed north that more cattle were seen.
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South Pole Inn

As sure as we're sitting here, the legend of Tom Crean will never die. These hearty souls will make sure of it.
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Heading into Dingle

Along the southwest coast of Ireland lies a land that most people will tell you is Ireland's most beautiful place. It is the Dingle Peninsula, and for once, we agree. The peninsula stretches 30 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, where sea cliffs and rugged terrain provide protection. It's here you'll find the beginnings of the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's unforgettable coastal route.
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Minard Castle

It never ceased to amaze us that no matter which direction we looked, we saw ruins. Many were discernible as homes or forts; most we crumbled stones scattered. Today, we see Minard Castle, majestically sitting along the Dingle Peninsula, and has stood since the early 1600s.
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Leaving our mark at John Benny's

We loved our evenings at pubs. Bar food, they call it. Quite different from the restaurant variety. People would always ask, "Do you wan bar food or restaurant food?" Always bar food. Much better, we agreed. There is no live music tonight at John Benny's; in fact, not a soul in the place except us and our server (that we can see). We like this January travel. We find seats. There are no lines. We get to enjoy each other. Sometimes, you just do the unexpected to receive the unexpected.
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Let's go . . . Day 4

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P.O. Box 277, Farmington, Georgia  30638 | SeeingSouthern@gmail.com | SeeingSouthernPhotography@gmail.com
  • Seeing Southern
  • Seeing Southern People
    • Easy Like Sunday Morning | Jimmy Carter
    • Easy Like Sunday Morning | Jimmy Carter | Part 2
    • The Last Backyard Juke Joint in America
    • The Causeway Storyteller
    • A Love Letter to a Moonshiner
    • Her Story | Dolly Parton
    • An Author | A Dream Comes True
    • His Story | Andrew McCarthy
    • His Major League Story | Clint Frazier
    • Ann Chapin | Holy Inspiration
    • Her Story | Juette Logan Hill
    • His Musical Story | Brent Cobb
    • Her Story | Julia Elizabeth Synder Nobles
    • Florida Georgia Line | Georgia Theatre
    • His Story | Private First Class Lloyd Carter
  • Two Coots Travel
    • Seeing Southern | Where Can We Go Next?
    • Seeing Southern | Why We Travel
    • Seeing Southern | What's in Our Bag
    • With Gratitude | Top Travels >
      • With Gratitude | Our Top 5 Moments of 2019
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2018
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2017
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2016
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2015
      • With Gratitude + Our Top 5 Moments of 2014
      • With Gratitude + Our Top Moments of 2013
    • Seeing Alabama >
      • Make It Mobile, Mardi Gras
    • Seeing Arizona >
      • 6 Hours in Flagstaff
      • Postcards from Route 66
      • The Legacy of Route 66
      • Planes, Trains, Automobiles
    • Seeing Arkansas >
      • The Clinton Library
      • Rock Town Distillery
      • Moss Mountain
      • Tales from the South
    • Seeing Florida >
      • St. Augustine | What's Old is New Again
      • St. Augustine | Eat To Your Hearts Content
      • Happy New Year Road Trip
      • Heading West, Key West
      • People and Places of Key West
    • Seeing Georgia >
      • Hot Blues on a Humid Georgia Day | Blind Willie McTell
      • Thomasville Rose Festival + Due South
      • It's Who We Are: Storytellers
      • Telling Stories in Young Harris
      • A Colonel and a Governor
      • It's All About the Blues
      • Time for 'Shine in Dawsonville
      • Climbing Higher at Aska >
        • Favorite Aska Recipes
      • It's All About the Animals | Georgia Wildlife Center
      • A Walk to Remember
      • Boys and Their Toys | Tank Town USA
      • Apple Pickin'' at Mercier Orchards
      • A Family Affair | Georgia Mountain Fair
      • All Aboard | Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad
      • Shrimp (and Grits)
      • The Blues of Blind Willie | 2014
      • A Fresh Look at the Prince
      • Taking Home the Golden Onion
      • The Farmhouse Inn | Hundred Acre Farm
      • Tally Ho! | Belle Mead Hunt Club
      • An Inspirational Childhood | Gena Knox
      • Top Southern Chefs Dish Tailgating
      • Pure Southern Sweetness | Sorghum
      • Celebrating Gone with the Wind
      • When in (Georgia's) ROME
      • A Slice of Buttermilk Pie | Yesterdays
      • Mud, Sweat and a Few Tears
      • Georgia's Sunflower Festival
      • St. Mary's | Georgia's Pathway
      • Get Fired Up In Macon
      • A Splash in the Historic Heartland
      • Cakes & Ale
      • A Sweet Onion of a Time
      • The Old Sautee Store
      • Cumberland Island
      • Fun Behind the Lens | GAC
      • Monroe Girls Corps
      • The Destruction of Tara
      • Dawsonville Moonshine Festival
      • Oktoberfest in Helen
      • Blairsville Sorghum Festival
      • The Battle of Chickamauga
      • One Ball | Two Weddings
      • The Battle of Tunnel Hill
      • The Battle of Resaca
      • Happy Plus 2 | Father Luke
      • Jason Aldean | Night Train | Sanford Stadium
      • The Makin' of Round Here
    • Seeing Louisiana >
      • Here's What Hope Looks Like
    • Seeing Maine >
      • Come for the Lobster Roll
      • The Soul of the Coast
      • Hugging the Coastline of Maine
    • Seeing MIssissippi >
      • Mississippi Sings the Blues
    • Seeing New York >
      • 24 Hours in New York City
    • Seeing North Carolina >
      • Tasting Sylva: Come for the Beer
      • The Super Bowl . . . of Sorts
      • A Total Eclipse of the Sun
      • The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
      • Getaway to Bryson City
      • Running For The Pot Of Gold
      • Mama to Son | Harris Leatherworks
      • The Earthy Balance of the Yadkin Valley
    • Seeing South Carolina >
      • Old 96 District
      • The Lowcountry of South Carolina
      • A Taste of Gullah
      • Left Hand, Right Hand | Zipline Hilton Head
      • Siesta at Sonesta
      • A State of Euphoia 2013 >
        • Taste of the South | Euphoria
        • Find Euphoria in Greenville
    • Seeing Tennessee >
      • Watching Paint Dry | See Rock City
      • Soggy Bottom Boys Reunited
      • Graceland
      • The Magic in the Holler | Gatlinburg
      • Working Class Art | Robert Alewine
      • What Would Wilma Maples Think?
      • Storytelling Festival
      • Smoky Mountain Fireflies
      • Robert Tino's Appalachian View
      • Love's Farewell Tour | International Storytelling Festival
    • Seeing Virginia >
      • National DDay Memorial
      • For the Love of the Train
      • A Night with the Salem Red Sox
    • Seeing West Virginia >
      • Mountains Set to Music
      • Travel South in Charleston
      • Hitting the Trails in Logan
      • West Virginia in Black and White
    • Seeing the World >
      • Seeing Belize
      • Seeing Bermuda | Bermudiful Bermuda >
        • 10 Days | 2 Coots | 1 Paradise
      • Seeing Canada >
        • The Rising of Noelle-Ange
      • Seeing Costa Rica >
        • Pack Lighter, Travel Better
        • Outside the Box | Medical Tourism
        • Only on Osa
        • Eating My Way Down Calle 33
      • Seeing Europe | Viking River Cruises 2019 >
        • Amsterdam Ramblings
        • Travel Like a Viking | Rhine River
        • Travel Like A Vking | The Alruna's Allure
      • Seeing Greece 2018 >
        • Two Coots Go Greek
        • The Poet Sandlemaker
        • Heaven's New Address is Halkidiki, Greece
        • His Passion for Wine | Danai Resort
      • Seeing Grenada 2016 >
        • Aboard the S/V Mandalay | Windjammer
      • Seeing Ireland 2016 >
        • A Wee Little Travel for Two Coots
        • Day 1 | Dublin > Kilkenny
        • Day 2 | Kilkenny > Kenmare
        • Day 3 | Kenmare > Dingle
        • Day 4 | Dingle > Doolin
        • Day 5 | Doolin > Westport
        • Day 6 | Westport > Donegal
      • Seeing Ireland >
        • Five Star Luxury in Dublin
        • Belfast North
        • County Antrim & Giants Causeway
        • Walking Westeros with Hodor
        • Seeing Derry
      • Seeing Italy 2017 >
        • Salerno and the Amalfi Coast
        • Sicily
        • Castellemmare del golfo
        • Over my Shoulder | Suzanne's Journey
      • Seeing Mexico | 2015 Viceroy Rivera Maya
      • Seeing Spain 2019 >
        • Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
        • Pamplona and San Fermin
  • Southern Diary
    • The Road to Italian Citizenship
  • Len + Judy
    • Seeing Southern Photography >
      • 2021 | Behind the Lens
      • 2020 | Behind the Lens
      • 2019 | Behind the Lens
      • 2018 | Behind the Lens
      • 2017 | Behind the Lens
      • 2016 | Behind the Lens
    • North Georgia Moonshine
    • 100 Things To Do In Athens
    • Portfolio | Editorial & Photography
    • Media Kit
    • Words of Praise | Seeing Southern
  • Contact
  • Shop