We are so happy to have discovered this little spot of paradise. It was spotless, cozy, the woodstove has double glass doors which is a special and rare thing for woodstoves. All the little touches in the place were just so delightful and unique and intentional. You feel like an honored guest in a place like this, being cared for by people who know how special of a place they have made, you can tell they want you to feel special in it. Besides the expert craftsmanship that is obvious throughout (the hands that rehabbed this place are truly skilled) there is a clear aesthetic that made me smile at every turn. Note how the lights are covered for ambiance with fabric that matches the duvet covers - these folks picked out the fabric for their own duvet covers! There is beautiful tile work, preservation of the old stone hearth and of another in the bathroom, the installation of a sauna, it's just amazing. They also made their compost bin available to us when we asked, which helped us keep it tidy for our eight day stay.
It's easy to get to with double-lane roads leading to it. Days out are full of adventure, and days in you can still get a nice walk down to the beach through a wide open space with mountains in the distance. You can come back to have a sauna, make elaborate, home cooked meals in the very well stocked kitchen (I had prepared flour mixes for various pastries and treats and brought lots of veg, and was able to store extra veg outside as it was plenty cool enough).
On the walk to the sea there is a beautiful ruin of an old church. The stone walls along the road are covered with unmistakable, bright green navelwort, which is edible and very interesting. The beach is remote and very long, with stunning mountains in the distance (Brendan Point, we think).
The sound of the river outside the cabin is clearly audible when you open the cabin door, which we loved, and inside you hear nothing but the wind at times, and whatever music you brought.
Going to Dingle via the Connor Pass affords some wonderful lookout points. At one point we chose to go the (15 min) longer, flatter way back as it seemed too foggy for the Connor Pass, at just one point, but the way back from Dingle via the Connor Pass is a bit easier than the way there - every time.
Dingle has a sweet co-op and a herbalist, and the gardens behind St. Mary's Church have a walking labyrinth in the grass for meditation and a gorgeous old copper beech tree that is not to be missed. There is a church with Harry Clarke (art nouveau inspired art deco) stained glass, he was such an interesting artist and I'm excited to see the gallery in Dublin soon.
The binder of info at Garry and Suzanne's outlined many lovely ruins and we saw many of them in one day of touring, the beehive huts were incredible (although those that advertise themselves to be the most dramatic are not so very, on account of all the ugly wire fencing they have erected around themselves, although there is a very sweet tabby cat who guards them and it was worth it to meet her) - keep going and definitely don't miss those that are a little further down the road and up the hill.
One of the ruins of a 12th century church is near a section of a pilgrimage trail and we made a lovely walk of hiking a section of it, up a great hill and over, through the suspicious but very sweet sweet sheep, past the curious ponies.
At Brendan's Point (after maybe 20 minutes hiking uphill?) there is a circular low wall in a circle, and if you stand in this circle, you can somehow get a feeling for all the humans who have gone there to recharge. There are certain places in the earth that just seem to sing with a vibratory power, and this is one of them. No wonder humans often build things around and on such places. I went back before we left just to make sure I hadn't been imagining things. I hadn't.
Don't miss Glanteenassig Wood - very nearby to the cabin - bring a picnic lunch and walk around the lake Lough Slat and don't miss Lough Caum - the silence in this place is just dreamy. There is maybe nothing more stunningly beautiful than the crystal clear water of these lakes, high in the mountains and edged forests. There are little stream tributaries and in one of these, my husband's eye was caught by bright green stone shining in the cold clear depths, which I decided is probably a magical amulet that blesses all who find it and leave it in peace.
You can have as magical of a time as you want in this haven of absolute glory that is the Dingle peninsula of Kerry. Don't miss the chance to stay at Garry and Suzanne's!