KILLARNEY to KILRUSH
HIGHLIGHTS
- Sheep’s Highway. The descent to the port of Dunquin (Dun Chaoin) is a spectacular, narrow, very steep and winding walkway, which should only be attempted on foot.
- Gallarus Oratory (Séipéilín Ghallarais). The oldest Christian church in all of Ireland, built in dry stone.
- Great Blasket (An Blascaod Mór). The largest island of the small archipelago that was abandoned 70 years ago. Wilderness, walks and memories of a vanished life.
- Way of the Saints (Cosán na Naomh). A hiking trail on the ancient pilgrim path, reaching the most interesting archaeological ruins in the Dingle Peninsula.
- Singing pub Dingle. There’s a wealth to choose from, but the best bars remain An Droichead Beag, O’Flaherty’s Bar and McCarthys.
- Tig Bhric & Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne. The most westerly brewery in Ireland, run by the same family for more than 100 years.
- Brandon Mountain (Sliabh Bhreandáin). The second highest Irish peak, it is a sacred mountain both for Celtic and Christian pilgrimages.
- Ardfert Cathedral (Ardeaglais Ard Fhearta). The ruins of a Romanesque cathedral, founded in the 5th Century by St. Bredan the Navigator.
- Glanteenassig Forest Park (Gleann Ti an Easaigh). A solitary valley at the foot of Slieve Mish, an unexpected forest of pines and fir trees confined by two lakes.
AUTHOR’S TIPS
The South Pole Inn, Annascaul.
The pub of the explorer Thomas Crean with photographs, paintings, newspaper clippings of his expeditions to Antarctica.
Dick Mack's, Dingle.
Open since 1899, it is a pub and brewery, also famous for its selection of whiskeys.
An Café Liteartha, Dingle.
A bookshop that is also a pleasant café.
Foxy John's, Dingle.
Half pub and half hardware store, a place to have a pint, talk to locals who buy hoes and nails.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100049913960761
Dingle Distillery, Dingle.
A small and young distillery that produces award-winning whiskey, gin and vodka.
Out of the Blue, Dingle.
The menu changes daily and depends on arrivals from the nearby port.
The Fish Box, Dingle.
From the family boat to the boxes of fish and chips, mussels, squid rings. For a picnic by the ocean.
Lisbeth Mulcahy, the Weaver's Shop, Dingle.
Scarves, stoles, plaids and tapestries colored and hand-woven by a loom artist.
Great Blasket Island cottages, Great Blasket Island.
A place truly out of this world, with no electricity and only cold water. Unforgettable.
Louis Mulcahy Pottery, Clogher, Ballyferriter.
One of the fathers of Irish ceramics, he opens his studio to visits and workshops. Also cafeteria.
Tig Bhric & Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne, Reask.
The most westerly brewery in Ireland, run by the same family for more than a hundred years.
An Riasc b&b, Ballydavid.
A stone house with four rooms named after nature, overlooking the sea or Brandon Mountain.
Gallarus Oratory (Séipéilín Ghallarais), Ballydavid.
The oldest Christian church in all of Ireland, built of dry stone.
Barrow House, Tralee.
By the sea, at Barrow Harbour, a three-century-old Georgian house.
Ardfert Cathedral (Ardeaglais Ard Fhearta), Tralee.
The ruins of the Romanesque cathedral, founded in the 5th-6th century by St Brendan the Navigator.
https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/ardfert-cathedral/
Shannon Ferry, Killimer.
From dawn to night, the ferry crosses the Shannon Estuary, offering beautiful views and saving miles.
https://www.shannonferries.com/
Dolphin Discovery, Kilrush.
By boat to spot dolphins that live in the long estuary of the River Shannon.
Scattery Island Tours, Kilrush
The ferry and guides to the island, in the Shannon Estuary, with the round tower and the ruined monastery.
