IRELAND, PART THREE -DINGLE TO LOUGH GUR

This photo was taken by Mossie Scalan at the beach in the Blasket Sound on the Dingle Peninsula. Our daughter, Jessica, found Mossie when she was looking for possible tours. We were lucky that he had an opening and we signed up for a 4 hour tour which seemed like it would be enough. Little did we know the we would have liked far more time. This man is so knowledgeable and so personable. The tour really was a highlight! If you are ever in Ireland you should contact him at http://mossiescanlon.com/wp/ I don't even remember what we paid for the tour but it was worth every penny. My only regret is that we did not ask for the whole day tour!

Our drive from Ring of Kerry to Dingle was through some rain and some clouds but lots of lovely things to see. We were tired when we arrived in Dingle and were very glad to find our way to O'Neill's B&B. This B&B, which is run by a mother and son, was a very exceptional place to stay. The son was so great at hauling our luggage which was huge since our room was upstairs. The bed was good, the internet worked well and the breakfasts were good. We stayed 2 nights so we had time to actually see the Dingle area! It is a cute little town with amazing history!

Steve standing by the front door. Our room was just above the door which allowed us to look out at where our car was parked on the street. Totally safe.

A view down the  street towards town. About a 10 minute walk is all.

Not really sure what this store is all about since the name is in Irish.

Again with the chimneys! This was on our walk to the pub where we got our supper.  It was a bit longer than Steve would have liked to walk since he is still having some issues. But we made it.

We ordered our usual yummy soup and soda bread and then Steve had ice-cream for dessert. As we were finishing up the staff began to set up for some musicians. We were in the perfect spot to see and hear. Before long two guys started their performance. One was on the guitar the second on the accordion. Sadly I can't remember their name anymore but we really enjoyed their sense of humor as they interacted with the crowd. At one point they asked where everyone was from. Imagine my disappointment when I learned that most of the spectators were from the USA! How can we have an authentic experience with so many tourists around? But then we learned that Dingle owes its living to the tourist trade, so what can we expect?

Their repertoire ranged from Johnny Cash to Irish ballads. And we absolutely loved it. But after a few songs we had to leave for our walk home. It was a lovely evening although we were tired from our travels and were glad to find our beds.

I walked into town the next morning to explore some of the shops. Lots of people about and lots of fun things to see. I found a great little cook book that had the soups and bread of Ireland. I am looking forward to trying out some of those recipes when we get home. We just LOVE the Irish soups and soda breads!

And then our real adventure began. Mossie picked us up about 1 PM to begin our 4 hour tour. First he drove us up to one of the highest points in Ireland.

An Chonair over looks a beautiful valley. It seems you can see forever! check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conor_Pass

Beautiful view!

Looking straight down we could the remains of a village which had been lost during the potato famine. We knew so little about the potato famine before but we came to understand so many sad details of death and struggle of the Irish people

Amongst the hills and lakes peat is formed. I am always interested in peat since I  knew that my great grandparents used it in Denmark

Driving over the actual pass was an exciting adventure. The road is not wide enough for 2 cars so  in the case of oncoming traffic one car must wait  at the side of the road for another to pass. Steve is rather uncomfortable with heights so this was rather stressful for him

Waiting.

Our turn to wait and that truck was just about too big to traverse this road.

Our turn to drive.

Of course there was a water fall and a good photo op. As I posted this picture I realized how funny we look! Steve is in his shirts sleeves and I am all bundled up with my vest, my coat and my scarf. It was a beautiful sunny day but in my defense it was very cool and the wind was brisk and I get cold so easily.

Incredible view!

More incredible views!

Another 'branded' sheep.

More beauty!

Mossie drove us by some bars and explained that 'back in the day' the bars were dual purpose. They may have been a barber shop and a bar, or a hardware shop and a bar, etc.  Four of the old ones were still in business. But interestingly there are 18 bars in Dingle. Dingle is a small town which gains its livelihood from tourism. And I guess bars are a great tourist attraction. The nightly music is a definite draw.

Another bar on the main street.

This rock which now sits on a main street in town has an important history. During the time of great religious persecution this rock became an alter at which brave Catholic priests would give mass at the risk of their lives.

Then we were driven to see these Ogham rocks. This was all new to me having never hear of them before. There is an alphabet which was used, see chart below. Markings were made on the corners of rocks to give statements.

This is the alphabet and you can tell by the long perpendicular lines which side of the rock the marks should be made.

These are some surviving rocks.  The large rocks laying in front were rocks that   would be laid on property lines  with markings to indicate ownership boundaries.

A good example of a marked rock.

Mossie explaining how it all works! I think he is a walking encyclopedia  and he was self educated!

Some lovely flowers/bushes near the Ogham rocks.

Just Liz after taking flower photo.

Continuing our tour in the beautiful countryside.

More fuchsia.

A more recently built rock building but cool none the less.

Our route took us along the ocean.

Mossie told us about the rocks that were put in place to construct  a wall to support a road to allow the farmers to move  their wares and sheep without having to go over and around the large hills. The road was supported by many rocks carefully fitted in place which eventually were secured by cement and the road was paved as we see it now.

Just beautiful!

An old bridge.

We stopped to see some Beehive huts. We each paid a small admission fee to the farmer on whose land they  lay. Some farms grant access others do not. But they were fascinating and it is fascinating to think of when they were occupied and what else was happening at the time.  https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fahan-beehive-huts. 

So much rock. Can you see the rock wall in the background?

Right by the ocean.

Inside detail.

Looking out the doorway.

Steve is about 5'10" so the doorways were not very tall.

This shot looks up to the ceiling. The rock work is meticulous and the flat part  is the very top of the ceiling.

Steve and Mossie with beehive hut.

When you turn around and see this.

This one is in good shape but the power pole which appears to be coming up the center is actually behind it.

These protruding rocks allowed stepping places for repairs.

On the road again. Narrow still but with places to pull off.

Love the ocean.

Still narrow and curvy but great views.

This set of statues are a bit of a mystery. One day the foundation just appeared and the next night  the statues were installed. This is right along the narrow main road. No one is claiming to have installed them although I am sure someone knew who is respsonbile.

Are words necessary here?

OK, so this is a case where saying it was windy just doesn't tell the story. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so...

Heading downhill, again not Steve's; favorite part of the trip.

There is just something eerily beautiful in this view.

And the ocean!

And more rocky field enclosures!

Ahhh....

Love this!

I love old ruins and I love it when I can see through old window openings.

So, we arrived at the road for the beach and since it was too much for Steve to walk down to the beach Mossie just drove us down.

Again, freaked Steve out but we got to the beach.

As close to the beach as he could get.

Such a beautiful beach!

And we were there! Steve said 'he lived to die another day' - barely!

Time to drive up again. Only one lane of course!

A view out of the window.

In the back ground you can see the 'sleeping giant'  island. This whole area is part of the Blasket Sound. It is stunningly beautiful but also treacherous for sailors. We knew nothing of this before our tour but were thrilled to have seen it! 

https://www.irelandhighlights.com/info/blasket-sound/ 

More beauty!

If I remember correctly this is the mountain that was used to film some scenes in one of the Star Wars movies. There was a whole highway built to the top of the mountain and there was a whole village built at the base of the mountain. Lots of people were used to construct and to make the sight function. Mossie helped with the driving. And when the movie was done everything was returned to normal.

Along the way we came to this little white church. Mossie told us it  was one of two churches built  during the potato famine. Rocks for this church were found and brought to the site by suffering famers. They felt like they needed to do this to ask for the Lord's help and I think the sacrifices by those people make this church all the more holy.

This church was one in which Mossie attended with his grandparents when he was young. We had been told that he had a beautiful voice and that we should have him sing for us. We thought maybe some ballads as we drove around but instead he sang for us in this church ,a beautiful Irish hymn about thinking about God on different days of the week. It was beautiful and touching. Without his permission I cannot post the recording.

Then on to more beauty.

No words.

So awesome!!!

this looks peaceful enough but the barrier is there to warn people that when the storms come the angry waves will come up beyond the parking area and it becomes very dangerous.

I could stand and watch the waves all day long!

Even on this beautiful day with the giant sleeping peacefully in the background the water looks angry. 

Now this is an interesting stone. It is not real but is a leftover prop from another famous movie - Ryan's Daughter- which was filmed in the Dingle Peninsula in the 1970's  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan's_Daughter We have not see the movie but will try to find it when we get home. We also have a LONG reading list of books recommended by Mossie to help us better understand Irish history. If there is one thing we have learned it is that the Irish people are incredibly resilient and have endured much but survived.

More fuchsia and our lovely orange montbretia.

How can I not add this view?

Or this?

Or this?

More random beauty along the way.

At the end of our 4 hours Mossie dropped us off to a pub where we ordered our soup and soda bread supper. It had been a glorious day! We had learned so much and had come to love Mossie and consider him our friend.

 We were just too tired to stay at the pub long enough to hear the music since it would not start until 9 PM so we walked on to our B&B. The sun was at the golden hour so we could get some nice photos. This is another view of a Dingle street.

Dingle Harbour.

Garda is the term for Police in Ireland.

This was kind of interesting. It is a river that literally runs through the town under some of the houses. As I have been thinking about this I think it might cause the house temperature to be pretty cool in the damp colder winter.

I don't pretend to know Irish but I thought it was pretty cool to the bilingual street signs. I guess 'eion' is 'John'.

Old door on our walk home.

Next morning we left Dingle with a degree of sadness. Our time there had been a highlight. But we were greeted by more amazing scenery. More tha once I just had to stop to take a photo. Steve is pretty good at taking photos out the window as we travel but sometimes I just want to stop and do it myself.

Just look at these fields!

It just takes my breath away!

And again!

The clouds are coming.

Steve is still a farm boy at heart! and you can see how the road almost has enough room for us both.

After a long drive and an interesting journey through the country side with the help of our SatNav we made it to Lough Gur. Jessica had planned our trip in Ireland and wanted us to experience this amazing piece of history. There was the interpretive center which I toured. Steve was not up to the walk so he waited in the car while I took the audio walking tour.

The tour began by going past some ruins of old homes. This sign talked about fairies and the steps to climb.

From the steps I could look out at the shapes of the OLD homes. It is amazing to think of the history that is here.

The fairies were not forgotten as there are many little fairy houses along the way.

From the top of the hill I could look out over Lough Gur [Lake Gur] and listen as the audio talked about the various groups who had inhabited the area, how the water levels had changed, how little islands had been man made, how there was a castle a bit to the left that had been of some importance and how at one time the ships could come up from the Limerick area. It was amazing to me how many different  groups of people had inhabited this little part of the world.

The interpretive center had a lot of exhibits of items from the various groups of people. Sadly it was not possible for us to actually go out and see the circular mounds.

This was an ages old tomb which at some point was lived in by an old woman in the more recent past.

And there was this beautiful old church ruin from the more recent past.

A little more driving and we found the stone circles right along the road. This was a VERY large circle and was too large to capture in one shot. Perhaps these 4 shots will help give a perspective of how large and how amazing this circle actually is. It is a mystery to me why these circles exist. I know they have some religious significance but that is about all I know. Again I must read and learn so much more.

Then it was time for us to drive along our way. Our next stop was Deeprpark House in Ennistymon, County Clare and it was late afternoon when we arrived. Our visit to the Cliffs of Moher and New Grange will be in the next blog.

For now I must quit. Sometimes my head just feels like it has expanded all it can. We have learned so much and met so many amazing people. And the more we learn the more we learn that we don't know. So we are armed with lots of ideas and suggestions of things to study when we finally go back to our home in Utah. But thank you for letting me share our journey with you.