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
    • Seeing Southern | Affiliates & Partners
    • 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 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 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
  • Len + Judy
    • Seeing Southern Photography >
      • 2020 | Behind the Lens
      • 2019 | Behind the Lens
      • 2018 | Behind the Lens
      • 2017 | Behind the Lens
      • 2016 | Behind the Lens
    • North Georgia Moonshine
    • Portfolio | Editorial & Photography
    • Media Kit
    • Words of Praise | Seeing Southern
  • Contact

Day 4: Dingle > Doolin

     There are two things you must do while in Dingle, says Bennie our host at Bambury’s Guesthouse. She knows that we’re passing through rather quickly and points us toward Dingle gold. First, the loop around the Dingle Peninsula, and second, the road that will eventually take us toward in our northerly direction of Tarbert, Connor Pass. We have heard magnificent words about Dingle from many of our travel colleagues, so we’re expecting breathtaking views and a true taste of rural Ireland. National Geographic once concluded that it’s “the most beautiful place on earth.” We find out that we are not disappointed.
     Once again, we move down Strand Street (its main thoroughfare) along the marina front, with its row of multi-colored businesses standing as the inland’s shelter from the sea. The loop will take us to Slea Head along the Wild Atlantic Way, the western most point of the peninsula. Along the road, we stop for photographs, even through a bout of blasting hail, we grab a few shots. But wait  - just five minutes longer, there is sun and a rainbow. The small winding road flanked by stone fences lead us onward. At about 8.6 km from Dingle, we see Paddy O’Shea’s pub, winner of eight all-Ireland football titles for Kerry; he has retired to the pub life. Further along, there are Raths, circular mounds which basically look like elevated hedge; locally called “fairy forts” for they believed that fairies inhabited. Although we can't get close, we wave their spirits in our direction. Further along, there are stone igloos, clustered together, looking like bee-hive huts. In the distance behind the reeds, the home used in Far and Away.
     Another 10 km, the crucifix at the point of a sharp curve tells us we have reached Slea Head (Ceann Sleibhe). In the distance, the Blasket Islands. From this point, you can see the ruins on Blasket of a few homes where people once lived. Today, no one is there save the few tourists that take the ferry to see what life was one like there. Back on Slea Head, patches of land move up the hillside while sheep roam the steep pastures. Before us is the village of Dunquin with a few homes, many abandoned. Again, Hollywood’s pulse is here; Ryan’s Daughter. Truly, one of the more spectacular views of our journey. In the watery distance, we see the Sleeping Giant just off the coast.
     The cold is pounding against our core, so it’s time for a break. During the winter, many shops/museums/cafes are closed. In Ballferriter (Baile an Fheirtearaigh), we find respite. At the gallery of Louis Mulcahy Pottery, we discover beautiful Irish pottery and a warm café. I know when I return home, I will revisit this potter. 
     We are rejuvenated with lattes and brownies. Moving on along the peninsula, our next step is Gallarus Oratory, built 1,300 years ago as an early-Christian church. During the high tourist season, you’ll pay 3 euros to park, plus you’ll be competing with tour buses. Today, there is no one here to take our money; our visit is free.
     Shaped like an upturn boat, the stone-structure remains waterproof. A simple arched window provides little sunlight to the wall where the altar would have stood. Only about 10 people could fit in its small area. Your imagination works overtime, wondering about the men who stood in this tiny space. What were their words? How did they worship? How did they know to do this?
     Moving forward along the road, we find the ruined church of Kilmalkedar (Cill Mhaoilcheadair). It was the Norman center of worship for this end of the peninsula. The Irish Romanesque church is surrounded by a dense graveyard.
     As nighttime is approaching (darkness rolls in by 4:30 each afternoon), we head back to Dingle. It’s time for sweater shopping, and we find two beauties at the Dingle Woolen Company. Next, we cross Connor Pass (over a series of mountain ranges) which offers us mountain views, sharp turns and one-lane roads that will take your breath away. Just the thought of meeting tour buses here (a given during high tourist season) leaves chill bumps. Luckily, Len is mastering the driving part of this adventure. I simply sit in the passenger side and gasp, a natural reflex when I come within inches of a cliff or stone walls.
     Avoiding an additional 80-miles, we head toward Tarbert, catch the 20-minute Shannon Ferry, and head toward Doolin in County Clare. We are praying for good weather tomorrow, at least low winds, in order to see the Cliffs of Moher. Those we have met in the last couple of days have told us of its closing; we have fingers crossed. In the dark, we find Doolin, a city which rises out of the darkness and assuredly, has profited from the hikers and visitors to the Cliffs. We check in at the Hotel Doolin, aggressively in the midst of renovations. Exhausted, we ask our usual question, “Where’s the best pub in town? We want bar food.” “McGanns,” without a pause. “They have live music tonight.” We erupt into our happy dance.
     We and other Americans from Boston and Milwaukee invade McGann’s Pub, filling up the intimate room. The fireplace is glowing and the jonquils on the dark wooden tables allow us to forget the bone-chilling cold just on the other side of the door. After my fish and chips and Len’s beef stew, we settle in for music. At 9:30, two men and a woman stroll in, asking about sound, moving the table beside us to their liking and begin taking out their instruments. A violin. Irish Bagpipes. A bouzouki. The sound check is intriguing; the show, pure Irish.
     We remain for one set for that’s all our bodies would allow. Between songs, the three carry on their own conversation, totally oblivious to those of us who can not take our eyes of them. A hearty “f***ing day” was deciphered quite frequently in that thick Irish brogue.  Friars Green with Blackie O’Connell and Cyril O’Donoghue. A souvenir purchase which will turn to traveling music tomorrow.
     It’s lights out at Hotel Doolin.


Dingle and the Dingle Peninsula

Dingle holds all the charms of which previous travelers have told. Don't miss the Dingle Woolen Company - right next to John Benny's - and find your very own gorgeous wool sweater. Mine is white with buttons at the neckline - what I always imagined.
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It's Paddy O'Shea's pub along the southern drive on the peninsula. Come to find out, there's lots of Paddy O'Shea's pubs around the world. Len is excited; I have no clue, but I will celebrate anything that serves Guinness and promotes football.
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Notice the earthen rise in the field (lower left). To the Irish, it's a fairy fort dating back possibly as early as the Iron Age.
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The Slea Head Drive

Quite possibly, the most beautiful view of our journey. In the summer, we're told, these narrow roads are filled with tour buses fighting for their turn on the road. Tourists hover and cover every inch of this area. What a shame, I say. Our January journey was as Ireland should be experienced, with time to savor Ireland's beauty. At Slea Head's point is the crucifix; across the water, the Blasket Islands.
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Gallarus Oratory

An early Christian site that is built entirely of stone. It is estimated that it could have been built as early as the 700 AD. Its architecture stands the test of time, without restoration or repair. It remains watertight today.
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Kilmalkedar Church

Historians tell us the church was built in the 12th century and was thought to be modeled after Cormac's Chapel on the Rock of Cashel.
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From Tarbert to Killimer via the Shannon Ferry

Crossing the Shannon Estuary between County Kerry to County Clare.
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Music at McGann's in Doolin

One of the absolute best nights of our week abroad - You would never know that in the middle of nowhere, musicians gather in this small pub and bring their bagpipes to life. Blackie, Cyril and Geraldine made us wish this was our every night spot. And if you need a place to sleep, well, McGann's has a room for you.
Legend has it that here in Doolin, J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired to write Lord of the Rings. One thing we've have learned; there's a story for everything, and everyone is true.
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Come along with us on day 5

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©2013-2021 Seeing Southern, L.L.C. All images and text appearing on this website are the exclusive property of Judy and Len Garrison d.b.a. Seeing Southern, L.L.C. unless otherwise stated. Two Coots Travel, Judy Garrison Writer, Groceries and Grit, Seeing Southern Photography, and Full Circle Fotography are part of Seeing Southern, L.L.C.
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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
    • Seeing Southern | Affiliates & Partners
    • 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 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 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
  • Len + Judy
    • Seeing Southern Photography >
      • 2020 | Behind the Lens
      • 2019 | Behind the Lens
      • 2018 | Behind the Lens
      • 2017 | Behind the Lens
      • 2016 | Behind the Lens
    • North Georgia Moonshine
    • Portfolio | Editorial & Photography
    • Media Kit
    • Words of Praise | Seeing Southern
  • Contact