Dingle Peninsula & Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

We continued our adventure driving along the Dingle Peninsula.  It was such a beautiful drive, the landscape gorgeous.  I took the passenger seat again, because driving on the opposite side of the road freaks me O.U.T. and Jordan is a way better driver.  We stopped in a cute town for some scones, because why not!??

If you're like us, and took about a week to explore Ireland go to the Dingle Peninsula.  Skip the Ring of Kerry and drive to the Dingle Peninsula.  You'll be sorry if you don't, and you've been warned.

We pulled off to the "side" of the road many times to stop and take pictures of the Emerald Isle.  

I get in the pictures sometimes too

Our main stop for the day was the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland's most visited natural attraction.  The cliffs ride 702 feet (to be exact) above the Atlantic Ocean and range for 5 miles on the western seaboard of Co. Clare The Cliffs of Moher take their name from a ruined promontory fort "Mothar" which was demolished during the Napoleonic wars to make room for a signal tower at Hag's Head.

For years anyone could walk right up to the cliffs edge until a number of fatal accidents prompted the hiring of rangers to keep people from getting too close.  There is a "civilized" part of the cliffs with a paved walkway and nice wall that extends a couple hundred yards in each direction from the visitors center.  After that, its walking along dirt paths along the edge and nothing to keep you from falling! We saw quite a few people get right up to the edge which blew my mind at their lack of fear, this girl kept a nice safe distance at all times.

A picture with O'Brien's Tower in the background.  You can climb its spiral staircase and enjoy the view.  

Having a great time!

The Cliffs of Moher is a Special Protected Area under the EU Birds Directive. The cliffs are home to Ireland's largest mainland seabirds, with over 30,000 breeding pairs of birds. The most popular seabird that lives here is the Puffin.  Early mornings and midday are the best time to see the Puffins because they go sea fishing in the afternoons.  They arrive from the mid Atlantic in April and return there the end of July.  The rangers had told us they were out in the morning, but we didn't spot any.  Regardless we were still happy! 

Bode and the Cliffs

We had a great time exploring the Cliffs; definitely check out the visitors center before leaving! They have lots of good information and looks of cool information in their exhibition rooms!

...and Ireland is not Ireland without some drastic weather changing.  From sun, to fog to rain, we conclude our trip to the beautiful land of Leprechauns with some of Irelands finest rain.  We had a great time though, and loved every minute of our stay!

 

Kinsale, Ireland

We visited one of the happiest little harbor towns in the southwestern county of Cork!  It's a nice seaside village, a colorful place with cobblestone streets, bright colored doors, good food, and a lot of history.  Read along and learn more about what there is to do in Kinsale!

We followed Rick Steve's recommendation on touring visiting Kinsale.  We went on a historic stroll of the town led by Barry Moloney.  I first saw him in the parking lot as we were parking, and I felt a little start struck-yelling in excitement "JORDAN thats HIM! That's the guy in Rick Steve's book!"

We learned several stories about the town and learned the port's history.  A major battle took place here in 1601 that pitted the English against the Irish/Spanish forces for mastery of the seas and control of all trade; the English won the battle (sadly?!?) but we all know the Irish eventually won the war for independence. Interesting tidbit, the Irish who came to help the Spanish were all from the northern Clans. As punishment for their involvement, the English stripped the northern clans of their land and encouraged English and Scottish settlers to move and take their place. This is what led to the creation of Northern Ireland when Ireland ultimately gained their independance.

Barry explaining what it was like to live in Kinsale and its layout in the early years of settlers and trade.

I would say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree here.  Bode seems like he is just as much a history buff as his dad!

For us there is nothing better than to wander around town.  Loving all the bright contrasting colors, walking cobblestone lanes, and admiring all sorts of local arts and crafts.

I love this pink shop!

 I spy window ships

Street signs get cold too!

 This little goober had so much fun, and was all smiles 

He isn't shy with making friends.

Bode really enjoyed being carried on his dad's shoulders.

We had heard that there was a tribute to those who died on the Lusitania (a ship torpedoed by a German submarine in 1915 just off the coast of Kinsale killing 1,200 people, sparking America's entry into the war) in the cemetery, so we went to take a look.  We couldn't find it but we did take some cute photos!

Before leaving town we got some local catch of the day at Dino's, along with a battered sausage and some french fries.  They were delicious and greasy and the best fish and chips either of us have ever had.  The prices were very reasonable too.   

Kinsale was a great way to spend half a day, the rest of our journey today took us to the Muckross house.  Read along in our next post for highlights!

Muckross House, Ireland

The Muckross house is one of the best Victorian homes we have ever seen.  Built in 1843 it is not far from Killarney and sits on the edge of the Killarney National Park.  We took a guided tour of the inside of the house, sorry no photos allowed, and it was one of the highlights of our trip.  

The home was once owned by the Guiness family, and then a wealthy American family bought it for their only daughter as a gift with 10,000 acres of land...a nice gift I'd say. It was donated to the State in 1932 and was made into the first national park.

I had a lot of fun with the camera and took some nice photos of Bode and dad.  The scenery is so beautiful why not!

 I think they have fun together

 Oh mama...

We took a beautiful ride along the  green rolling hills, through colorful Irish towns, and see a beautiful stretch if Ireland's rugged coastline.  It's a beautiful scenic drive!  he roads are windy and lined with large rhododendrons.  Bode didn't look like he was having it from the look on his face here.

We stopped at Ladies View about 12 miles from Killarney along the N71 towards Kenmare. The name sums from the admiration of the view given to Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting during their 1861 visit.  

From there we set off to Kenmare for the night and stayed at O'Sheas bed and breakfast.  Some of the best homemade scones we have had, and we had a great stay!