Our BnB in Killarney was lovely and remote, although a bit rough around the edges. Uta is a new owner, having just acquired this residence and we helped her learn about some of the details of the property. The internet was out the entire time we stayed despite her attempts at getting it resolved, and given the remoteness of the property we had basically no network or phones while we were there. The washer and dryer were non functional and needed replacing. The lovely assistant Lese helped us out with the water heating system and ensured we had sufficient towels and bedding. Despite the bumps, it was a very nice place and the sheep who took up residence on our lawns were charming.
After a yogurt, fruit, granola, and coffee breakie, we headed to the tourist info centre in Killarney where the girl was extremely helpful. We decided to do the Dingle Way and the weather could not have been more glorious. It hit at least 23c with full blue skies. Given the amazing weather for early May in Ireland, we made a stop at Inch beach where people were sunning, swimming, and surfing. It was a beautiful sandy beach, but with frigid water!
The drive offered stunning views at every twist and turn. We stopped several times to admire the view and get some photos. We stopped in the town of Dingle where we had our big meal of fish boxes and local ales. Across the street we discovered a small museum in a converted convent/school which Nano Nagel had started.
Born in 1718, Nano Nagel became a nun, and was an amazing woman. As a Catholic, she was not allowed to attend school in Ireland but was able to attend school in France. Upon returning to Ireland she felt the need to create schools for locals. By the time of her death in 1784 she had created 7 schools in county Cork, Ireland. In the 1960’s when education finally became publicly available, her schools were disbanded.
The museum was also home to 12 stain glass panels by Harry Clarke, renowned Irish glass artist from around 1900. He was instrumental in raising awareness of the skill and creativity of Catholic Irish in a time when they were looked down upon.
Next off to the Dingle Way loop. We passed endless sheep and lambs and fields and pastures divided by stone walls. Lush green landscapes all around, all very Irish . We skipped the ‘hold a baby lamb’ stop and unfortunately missed the sheepdog demonstration. But we did stop for the beehive homes which were dated from 2000-1200BC. They believe the site was a single family homestead. One of the roofs was incredibly still in place. As we made our way around the loop, there were more amazing views out to the islands and beaches below. One of the spots was the setting for a scene from Star Wars, Return of the Jedi.
On the way back we stopped in Killarney for groceries with hopes of getting a Guinness ‘nitro cap’ at the Tesco. Dan had purchased some special cans of Guinness which require a special cap to create the ‘on tap’ experience – but we later learned that they were not a big hit and the caps are now very hard to come by and quite expensive. But not to be deterred, Dan researched and learned that you can use an electric toothbrush to activate the ‘nitrous’ Guinness cans. It turned out to be a reasonable success and the beers did not go to waste along side steak and kidney pie for dinner!
We had hoped for Northern Lights as the solar flares were massive. Sadly between cloud cover and the large mountain behind us to the north we didn’t experience any of the glory. The sheep just continued to graze on the grass oblivious to the missed opportunity.
