Trip Report from Ireland

Before leaving Dublin, we picked up our rent car downtown at an agency at the Baggott Street Bridge which was extremely convenient to the entry point for the N6/M6. Heading towards Killarney, we stopped off along the way at the Irish National Stud (boring if you aren't really into horses like we are) and managed to find the perfect viewpoint of the Rock of Cashel by going off course a bit in Cashel. Once in Killarney, the B&B I had hoped to stay at was full and I didn't have the address for the other one I was interested in. We ended up going WAY over budget at a hotel in Killarney's town center, but it was actually kind of nice to spend one night in a 4 star hotel. Our view was a fabulous one of the apse end of a 19th century church. After a leisurely breakfast, we drove out to Ross Castle and wandered the grounds a bit there before getting back on the road to head to Dingle. We took the coast road through Inch and were pleased to find that Murphy's B&B/Pub had a triple vacancy. It is on the strand across from the Harbor which made it easier for my father to walk to nearby pubs and out on the pier while my mother and I navigated the hilly side streets to see what the shops had to offer. Murphy's pub was the ideal place to wind up the day since all we had to do afterwards was stumble up the stairs to our room. We debated doing a harbor cruise and/or a guided tour of the Dingle peninsula the next day, but I got to thinking we might have difficulty making the departure times and suggested we just use the Rick Steve's self-guided tour of the peninsula and if we got back in time to make a cruise and still wanted to do it, we could. The self-guided tour was great, but some of of the distances are slightly off and some of the directions could be more precise. One wrong turn did end up serendipitous in that we saw a ruined castle (only the keep remained standing) that Rick doesn't have in his tour.

Upon returning to Dingle, we rested a bit before having dinner down in the pub and another evening of music and fun. My Dad and I had the fun of doing a duet of Molly Malone after losing to the REST of the pub in a "who can sing louder" contest. The musicians could never convince my Mom to get up and show off her dance moves.

The next morning we headed north through Conor Pass on our way to Galway. Nervous drivers should definitely skip this route. It narrows down to a single lane on some of the switchbacks and having done it once, I don't need to repeat the experience. I've also come to the conclusion that the Irish traffic engineers have a bizarre sense of humor marking some of the roads at 100kph when any sane person wouldn't drive over 60kph.

We made it safely to Galway, but driving IN Galway was not fun. The other cars weren't a problem, it was the sheer numbers of pedestrians who had a distressing tendency to step out into the road without looking to see if a car is coming. I also couldn't find the information center to get directions to the hotel I had planned for us to stay in. I finally pulled into a parking place in front of a financial planning office and went in to ask directions. The receptionist called her boss over and Dermot was an absolute love. Pity I did such a bad job of following his directions. I was so set mentally on "driving on the left" that I ended up unable to make the right turn I needed to make. GPS to the rescue, however, and we finally arrived at our hotel ready to have a break from the late evenings we had enjoyed up to this point. The Westwood was another 4 star hotel, but not as pricy as the one in Killarney. I knew I had to give my Mom a break periodically from B&B's and this was another excellent place for it. As it happened, there was a Debutante's Ball that evening so we enjoyed watching all of the dressed up couples arrive as we were eating dinner in the restaurant of the hotel.

The next morning we had planned a cruise on Lough Corrib and as the company normally stops this particular cruise at the end of August, they occasionally run it if the weather is good so I got online and emailed to see. The next morning I received an affirmative response so we were off to Oughterard to catch a boat. Without knowing it, I had placed us in the perfect hotel for this as the Westwood is on the road that goes to Oughterard which meant that we didn't have to go back through Galway first and we were driving against the rush hour traffic heading INTO Galway. Once in Oughterard, we managed to find the road (marked Corrib Ferries) and trusted we were in the right spot and the road went on, and on, and on with no sign of the lake. Finally we got there and there were a few boats at the pier, but only one that MIGHT have been the one we needed. It was (whew!) and we waited for the arrival of the captain. I highly recommend this cruise if you enjoy relaxing on the water. The captain of our boat (the Corrib Queen) was David Luskin and his knowledge of the lake and the area is extensive. He and his brother Patrick operate this little company with two boats. The Corrib Queen sails from Oughterard to Cong and back (with a stop at Inchagoill Island on the return trip) and the Isle of Inisfree sails from Cong to Inchagoill Island and back to Cong. The company is Corrib Cruises and is very easy to find online. The cruise from Oughterard to Cong takes about an hour. Once in Cong you have about 2 1/2 hours to wander and have lunch. We left my father at Ashford Castle (where the boats dock) and my Mom and I walked around Cong, returning to the Castle for lunch. After the high prices in Dublin, the Castle's lunch prices were very reasonable and you can't beat the view or the ambience. After lunch we boarded the Isle of Inisfree and headed to Inchagoill Island where we had a tour guided by David. You can see the first church built in Ireland by St. Patrick.

In addition to St. Patrick's church, his nephew and navigator, Lugna, is buried there and his gravestone inscription is the oldest in Europe other than one found in the catacombs in Rome. There is also a 12th century tomb of the Archbishop of Tuam and the 12th century Church of the Saints. The cemetary next to St. Patrick's church on Inchagoill boasts burials spanning from the 5th century (Lugna) to the 20th century. After the guided tour, we re-boarded the Corrib Queen and returned to Oughterard and from there, headed towards our final stop on the trip, Bunratty. Other than Dublin, this was the only place we had reservations. We stayed at Ashgrove House on the Low Road (the road that runs between the Castle and Durty Nellies). Upon arrival, our hostess Sheila Tiernan offered us Irish coffees and recommended we have dinner at the Creamery (across the main road from the Castle). This was an excellent recommendation. My mother and I shared a seafood platter which we expected to be fried, but it wasn't! A pile of small shrimp, a salmon filet and a crab salad were excellent. Dessert for me was Banoffi Pie. Very good! One of the best meals of the trip. Too tired to go to Durty Nellies for music, we returned to Ashgrove House for the night. The next day we drove out to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. The exhibition at the visitors center for the Cliffs can be given a miss. The cliffs are the real attraction. The Burren was fascinating, but I wish I'd had a book of the plants found there. We got back to Bunratty in time for "happy hour" at Durty Nellies before going to the Bunratty Folk Park Corn Barn for the Traditional Night which includes dinner and a show (traditional Irish music and dancing). While "touristy," this is an excellent production and worth the cost. Book it through your B&B host to save 15 euros per person rather than walking up to the box office.

Speaking of B&B's, Ashgrove House is wonderful and Sheila and her husband, Frank, are terrific hosts. I loved hearing them singing as they prepared breakfast. Frank even stayed up very late our second night as he was concerned when some guests weren't back from Durty Nellies. He was afraid they might have had an accident and even drove down to make sure they hadn't ended up in the ditch or the hedgerow. Breakfast was fantastic both days (excellent scones) and my Mom loved learning that Bailey's isn't just for after dinner when she discovered that Sheila offers it in the morning to pour a bit on the porridge she serves. I think that was my Mom's favorite breakfast.

As for me, I am already planning my next trip to Ireland to see all the things I missed this time around and to re-visit my favorites along the way.

And how did it work for you and your parents as far as handicap access?

Is there a website for the St. Augustine Serviced Apartments? How did you make your reservations? Phone number? Thank you for any assistance you can give me.

How was the weather. I'm leaving Thursday your post was wonderful to read!

How was the weather? I'm leaving Thursday your post was wonderful to read!

Handicap Access: Excellent to most things, Dunbeg fort and the Beehive huts being exceptions because of the narrow, steep and rocky paths. There were curb cuts throughout Ireland and handicap parking was in good places when we needed it.

St. Augustine Serviced Apartments: http://www.staydublin.com/apartment-augustine.php?gclid=CNznuKurhZ0CFRshnAodtC5tbg

The weather: We took the sun with us from Texas (which in turn got Ireland's rain which we desperately needed) and it was warm and sunny the majority of the time we were there. In fact, I was wishing I had taken a pair of capris with me because it got so warm. Mind you, this was pure luck. Normally it is a bit cooler and according to a native Dubliner, September is rainy in the mornings and sunny in the afternoons. It is an excellent time to go, however, as the heather is beginning to bloom and the crowds are significantly smaller.

I had seen posts on Tripadvisor about the noise at St. Augustine apartments. I'm glad we opted for townhouses through Brookman townhomes instead.