Celtic Connections…

We have recently returned from a most enjoyable holiday in Ireland, via Wales. When people were having travel problems as the Icelandic volcano (the no one can pronounce) spewed ash into the atmosphere and grounded European air traffic for a week, we drove our way around this delightful island. We had booked our passage on a ferry and took our own car (previous to the ash-issues we were told we were mad to do it this way – but afterwards we were applauded for our forward thinking – we just thought it would be easier as we don’t fancy airports).

The weather was also a pleasant surprise as we had prepared for rain (they tell us that is why the country is so green and lush), yet it was absolutely brilliant without a cloud in the sky (apart from the ash cloud).

We initially drove to Caerphilly in Wales after work in the Friday and stopped there. In the morning we explored the grand castle and headed towards the port of Fishguard where we caught the ferry to Rosslare. Sue dislikes sea travel almost as much as air travel (difficult when we live on an island), but the Irish Sea was as flat as a mill pond and the journey uneventful.

Arriving in Ireland we drove on to Cashel, where we stayed a couple of nights with friends as we explored Cashel including the ‘rock’ and the surrounding areas in Tipperary.

On the road again we headed further west, sliding through Limerick (didn’t fancy the look of it) and stopped to look around Bunratty Castle and Folk Park that had its own recreated village laid out in the shadow of a restored castle. We continued deeper into county Clare until we reached Ennistymon , and had a run out to the awesome Cliffs of Moher before returning. We stopped in the Falls Hotel over looking the river and had a couple of drinks in the famous Eugene’s Drinking Emporium (where cast and crew of Father Ted frequented).

The next day we headed on into the spectacular landscape of the Burren where we stopped to visit Poulnabrone Dolmen and Cahirconnell and looked around the pavement landscape and other picturesque vantage points. Later on in the day we drove to Kilrush for lunch before catching the ferry across the Shannon between Killimer and Tarbert and continuing on until we arrived at one of our favourite towns, Dingle.

This town had an alternative hippy arty feel to it with plenty of craft shops, colourful buildings and a lively eating, drinking and entertainment scene. We had a great meal at the Out of the Blue fish restaurant where sue had her first Lobster. We got talking to an American couple who were stranded due to the ash and later we met them at the Small Bridge Inn where traditional music was playing.

We travelled around the peninsula the next day stopping at regular intervals to take in the view, visit stone forts, famine cottages and to have lunch on a sheltered sandy beach. We drove a long way in the afternoon with a few stops at particular attractive sights until we arrived at the pretty fishing village of Portmagee at the end of the Ring of Kerry, where we stopped for the night in a lovely B&B.

The Ring of Kerry is also spectacular, but we felt that we were spoilt by the superior Dingle Peninsular. The next day we explored more of the ring and were again pleasantly surprised as each corner on the winding coast road revealed another wonderful view. Onward we continued until we came to the south-eastern fishing port of Kinsale where we stopped for the night.

This town is famed for its food and it is where we found our most favourite restaurant of the journey. Jola’s is unassuming from the outside, but inside it is breathtakingly elegant and calming. The food was divine Eurpoean / MoPo (apparently that is Modern Polish) and we left feeling quite spoilt in search of some entertainment. Three different music venues later and we came to the conclusion that the Irish seem to like older music as we watched youngsters sway to Fleetwood Mac, Thin Lizzie, blues and soft rock.

On our last day in Ireland we visited Charles Fort near Kinsale before driving northwards past Cork and onto Cobh (pronounced Cove), where we visited the Queenstown Story that informed us about the great exodus from Ireland by sea after the Famine. We also saw moving exhibitions about the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania. After a lovely alfresco lunch in the glorious sunshine we drove on towards Rosslare where we stopped within striking distance of the port, ready for the early morning crossing.

Another calm crossing and we were back in the UK, still bathed in sunshine. We took a diversion to Tenby where we joined the throngs of people enjoying the good weather either on the beach or in the town up on the cliffs where we had fish and chips (having queued for them out into the street at Fecci’s – one of the best in the country) out of the paper whilst sitting on a bench admiring the views. We also visited Colby Woodland Gardens before driving back home.