Dublin excursions

Ireland

The Irish get more courteous, sincere and helpful the further we get from Dublin. On the west coast they greet passing drivers with a hearty wave. Everywhere people try to help strangers and involve them in conversations. The best way to get around with freedom of movement is to rent a car. The road network is extensive, and quite good B&Bs are all over the country.

Ireland is mild and green. Most roads are lined with trees and surrounded with pastures for cattle and sheep, horses and goats. Farmhouses and villages, manors and palaces, fit naturally in the pastoral scene. Only at the west and north coasts does nature get harsher and wilder. On this trip we concentrate on nature and on historical monuments which dot the countryside.

Ancient monuments tell a story, especially from the first centuries of Christianity, when Ireland was for a while the center of the new religion. We visit monasteries, where beautiful manuscripts were made and from where monks went on missions over the oceans. We visit castles and palaces and manors, some of whom double as convenient hotels or restaurants for travelers.

We are going to thread all this up on a necklace of jewels, reaching in a circle around the country. We may use a week for the trip as distances are short or we may spend more time. We start and end in Dublin and go counter-clockwise through the country. We drive on N3 north out of Dublin and at Black Bull turn left into R154 to the castle of Trim.

Trim Castle

Trim. (I7).

The Medieval ruins of Trim castle are the most extensive ones in the country, covering nearly an hectare. English occupiers built it in Norman style. The central keep is from 1220-1225 and the outer walls from 1250.

The entrance to the castle is now from the western part of the middle of the town. The keep contained two banquet halls and bedrooms over them. The main part of the castle was on its eastern side where the original entrance was, with two drawbridges, a barbican and a prison. Henry IV was imprisoned there by Richard II, but escaped and went on to win the throne of England.

From Trim we drive on R161 in the direction of Navan and find a road sign to Tara on our right.

Tara

Tara. (I7).

Tara was the holy hill of northwestern Ireland in pagan times. There is now a church and extensive pastures, where can be seen the contours of mounds which are the remains of a Pre-Christian temple, royal palace and a parliament.

From the access of the Nialls to power as High Kings in Ulster in the 6th C. Tara was the political and religious center of Ulster. After the advent of Christianity it continued as a holy shrine until 1022, when it disappeared from the scene, continuing only in stories and tales.

We return to R161, turn right and continue to Navan. From there we take N51 through Slane in the direction of Drogheda, until we arrive at the road sign to Newgrange on the right.

Newgrange

Hours: Open in summer 10-18:30, in spring and fall 10-13 & 14-17, in winter Tuesday-Sunday 10-13 & 14-16:30. (I7).

An impressive burial temple from 3000 B.C., one of the most important in the world of the type. It is a man-made and grass covered stone mound, sheathed in white quartz. It is 80 meters in diameter and 12 meters in height.

It is enclosed in an inner circle of horizontal stones, some of them inscribed with signs, and an outer circle of vertical stones. The building is an engineering feat in an age of primitive technology, bearing witness to intense religious belief and strong political power.

From the concave entrance there is a 20 meters corridor into a burial chamber with three nooks, probably altars. At winter solstice the sun shines almost horizontally through the corridor into the burial chamber and lits it up for a few minutes.

We return to N51 where we turn right, and almost immediately turn left, following a sign to Mellifont Abbey.

Mellifont Abbey

Hours: Open in summer 9:30-18:30, in spring Monday-Saturday 9:30-13 &14-17:30, Sunday 14-17:30. (I7).

Well-preserved ruins of a Cistercian monastery from 1142. The foundations are visible of the church, which was consecrated in 1157. Remaining are mainly a gatehouse to the right, an octagonal lavabo in the middle, both original, and a chapter house from the 14th C. to the left. The monastery was closed down in 1556.

We continue on the road and follow signs to Monasterboice.

Monasterboice

(I7).

A large Round Tower from the Viking period is almost intact in the graveyard. Irish monks built such towers to defend themselves and the treasures of the church against the raiding Vikings. The tower was burned in 1097 and its treasures scattered.

Three High Crosses, monoliths from the 10th C. are also in the graveyard. The largest of them is 7 meters high. These are among the best-preserved and most beautiful High Crosses of Ireland, richly sculptured with scenes from the Bible.

High Crosses with a long leg and an orb in the center were a characteristic feature of Irish Christianity from the 8th to the 10th C., at the Golden Age of Ireland as the world center of Early Christianity. They varied from 2 to 7 meters and were sculptured first with abstract signs and later with episodes from the Holy Scriptures.

From here we go directly to N1 in the direction of Dundalk. We pass the city center in the direction of Belfast, cross a bridge and pass a graveyard on the way out of Dundalk, still on N1, and soon arrive at a signpost to Ballymascanlon hotel to the right.

Ballymascanlon

Dundalk. Phone: 42 71124. Fax: 42 71598. Price: £75 ($117) with breakfast. All major cards. 36 rooms. (I6).

An old manor converted into a cozy hotel with a golf course and a gym.

The dining room has large windows to the grounds. Fly-baiters hang in the chandeliers. Service is good, also the cooking, even if old-fashioned French. Dinner is £40 for two, excluding beverages.

Room no. 30 is small and well equipped, including a coffee machine and a trouser press.

We continue on N1 over the border to Northern Ireland, where the road continues as A1 all the way into Belfast center. From King Street we drive into a car parking house adjoining the Castlecourt shopping center. From there we walk 600 meters on King Street and then left on Wellington Place to City Hall.

Belfast

(J6).

Belfast started as an English castle in 1177, when John de Courcy invaded Ulster. The castle was destroyed by Edward Bruce in 1315 and the area was then held by the Niall High Kings until 1603.

This is mainly an industrial city, built up in the Victorian period, and has stagnated in the 20th C., partly because of its position as a battleground between Protestant Unionists and Catholic Republicans.

City Hall is the main landmark of Belfast. We are standing in front of it.

City Hall

Donegal Square, Belfast. Phone: (232) 320 202. Hours: Open 10:30, book in advance. (J6).

The most impressive building in the city, a white palace at the intersection of the main streets. It was built in 1898-1906 in a Neo-Classic wedding-cake style with a large copper dome over the middle. It is open to the public.

Donegal Square in front of City Hall is the main square of the center and its bus center. Opposite City Hall on the other side of the square there is a pedestrian shopping district.

We walk the same way back, through Wellington Place and King Street. If we take a detour to the left into Fisherwick Street instead of turning right into King Street, we will after 200 meters arrive at the most famous hotel and the most famous pub in town, in Great Victoria Street.

Crown Liquor

Great Victoria Street, Belfast. (J6).

A Victorian pub, richly decorated on the inside and outside, with porcelain tiles on the outside, stained windows, gas lights, semi-closed compartments for groups of guests, and carved wood in pillars and ceiling.

This haven of tired travelers is possibly the most remarkable monument in Belfast. We would not dwell for long in this city, were it not for the Crown Liquor.

Opposite Crown Liquor there is Hotel Europe, recently renovated and sparkling at present.

We drive out of Belfast, first on M2, then M5 and finally A2 a short way to Carrickfergus by the sea. We stop in a car park between the boat harbor and Carrickfergus Castle.

Carrickfergus Castle

Carrickfergus. Hours: Open in summer Monday-Saturday 10-18, Sunday 14-18, in winter Monday-Saturday 10-16, Sunday 14-16. (J6).

The castle dominates the main street in town, standing on ocean cliffs, originally separated from the mainland. It is a Norman castle from 1180, one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Ireland. The castle is now a museum, showing the history of itself.

It defended the entrance to Belfast harbor and was for a long time the main English fortress against Irish rebels. In spite of its apparent invulnerability it was taken three times, once by Scots in 1315, by Protestants in 1689, and by the French in 1760.

The oldest part is the keep, surrounded with two outer and younger walls. The castle is a very good example of the defense engineering technology of the French-Nordic Normans in the Middle Ages.

We cross the main street to the old hotel pub in town.

Dobbins Inn

6-8 High Street, Carrickfergus. Phone: 9603 51905. Price: £60 ($94) with breakfast. All major cards. (J6).

A typical Irish hotel in an old building, famous for Maud the ghost, who haunts the hotel. From the hotel there is a subterranean corridor to the castle across the street.

We can stay here or have a lunch or a pint at the pub before continuing. Lunch is £10 for two, excluding beverages.

The road is straight on A2 and we next stop at Ballygally castle hotel.

Ballygally Castle

Ballygally. Phone: 574 83212. Price: £60 ($94) with breakfast. All major cards. (J5).

Built in 1625 in Scottish style, with a view to Scotland on a good day. It has been preserved in the original condition. The hotel itself is mainly in an adjoining building.

You should book a room in the old castle. The rooms have modern conveniences, such as a hair-dryer and a trouser-press. And the plumbing is not original, for certain.

We continue on A2 to Glenariff, where we have two choices. We can turn left for a detour on A43 through Glenariff wood and past Glenariff falls and then on B14 to Cushendun. Or we can go directly on the B92 coast road to Cushendall and on to Cushendun.

Cushendun

(J5).

Cushendall and Cushendun are romantic coastal towns. The latter is as a whole protected as a national heritage. White and peaceful houses nest between large trees and broad streets.

From Cushendum we drive on to A2 and continue on that road to Ballycastle, where we turn right on B15. We soon come to a car park at the beginning of the half an hour path to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.

Carrick-a-Rede

(I5).

A robe bridge with a span of 20 meters, 25 meters above the sea, connecting the mainland with a rock, where fishermen catch salmon in summer.

The bridge sways under steps of passers-by. The walk over the bridge is not for the faint-hearted. But there are no documented accidents in the whole 200 years history of the bridge.

We continue on B15 to A2 and soon come to a tourist center, from which small busses drive people down to the coast to the hexagonal basalt columns of Giants Causeway.

Giants Causeway

Bushmill. (I5).

An extensive formation of groups of basaltic lava columns, created in the aftermath of volcanic eruptions sixty million years ago. Such columns are created when lava cools very slowly, making it possible for the stone to crystallize into multi-sided, often octagonal columns. There are about 40,000 such columns at Giants Causeway.

We continue on A2 a short way to Bushmill. When we enter the town we arrive at Bushmills Inn to our right.

Bushmills Inn

Bushmill. Phone: 2657 32339. Fax: 2657 32048. Price: £74 ($116) with breakfast. All major cards. 11 rooms. (I5).

A cozy, old lodge from the beginning of the 19th. C. in good condition.

There is an open fire in the lobby. Narrow stairs, corridors and steps are all over the house. A quaint library is above the lobby. The restaurant is partitioned by unpolished furnishings. The cooking is unusually good. Dinner is £27 or £35 for two, excluding beverages.

Room no. 24 is rather big and well equipped, with flowery wallpaper, rough furnishings of wood, creaking and carpeted floor and a parquet in the bathroom.

From Bushmill we drive on A2 and soon arrive at Dunluce Castle on the coast.

Dunluce Castle

(I5).

An enigmatic castle with a haunted look, perched on an outcrop on the coast. The oldest parts, the eastern towers and the southern wall, are from the 14th C. and the rest mainly from the 16th C. In 1639 the kitchen collapsed into the ocean with the people inside and the castle was abandoned for good.

We continue on A2 to Derry or Londonderry and drive into the old center inside the city walls.

Derry

Derry. (I5).

The city wall from 1613-1618 is the main attraction of Derry, originally with four gates but now with seven gates. It is the best Irish example of city wall so well preserved that it is possible to walk on it in a full circle around the city center.

The area inside the wall is 500 meters and 250 meters in diameter. In the middle is the main square, Diagonal. From it Bishops Street leads south to the Gothic St Columbs Cathedral from 1628-1634, the first cathedral to be built after the Reformation, Gothic in style. The shopping Shipquay Street leads steeply down and north from Diagonal.

We can go straight from Derry on A2 and then N13 to a side-road on our left to Grianan of Aileach. We can also take a 160 km detour around the mountains of the Inishowen peninsula, leaving Derry on R238 through Moville, Carndonagh and Malin head, and back on the same road through Carndonagh, Ballyliffin and Buncrana to turn right into N13 to the north of Grianan of Aileach.

Malin Head

(I5).

Between Moville and Carndonagh is a side-road to the left to two High Crosses and a Cross Slab at Carrowmore. A little farther on there is a side-road to the right to the ruins of the Clonca church and a High Cross.

Malin Head is a small fishing village nestling under ocean cliffs.

On the road back is an 8th C. High Cross a little farther than Carndonagh and a Cross Slab in the graveyard of Fahan. Cross Slabs are from the 7th to the 12th C., flat and irregular stones, with hewn crosses, other religious signs and inscriptions in Latin, put over graves.

We arrive at N13 and turn right on N13 and then left on a side-road up the hill to Grianan of Aileach on the hilltop.

Grianan of Aileach

(I5).

A complete restoration from 1870 of a circular fortress originally built in the 5th C., at the beginning of Irish Christianity. It was the royal residence of the Nialls from that time to the 12th C. and was destroyed in local wars of Irish kings in 1101.

The circular hilltop fortress is 23 meters in diameter, 5 meters high and 4 meters thick. On the inside there are steps in walls to facilitate the movement of the defending forces. There is a good view from the walls, including Derry.

We go back the side-road and continue on N13 to Letterkenny, where we change to N56 and can continue until we come to a side-road to the left to Glenveagh Castle. We can also take a detour from Letterkenny on first R245 and then R247 to Rathmullan, if we want to dine and stay at Rathmullan House before we go to Glenveagh Castle.

Rathmullan House

Rathmullan. Phone: 74 58188. Fax: 74 58200. Price: £121 ($189) with breakfast. All major cards. 23 rooms. (I5).

A beautiful and remote country manor in Georgian style from the beginning of the 19th C., with comfortable antique furniture, a library, open fire, a swimming pool, a sauna and peaceful gardens.

Dinner is served in the garden pavilion of the manor. The starters trolley is one of the best in the whole country and the cooking is generally superior. So many people dine here that it is advisable to book a table in advance. Dinner is £60 for two, excluding beverages.

Some of the rooms have a view over beautiful gardens to the Swilly bay.

We leave on R247 and then R249 until we arrive at N56 where we turn right. Then we turn left on a side-road to Glenveagh Castle.

Glenveagh Castle

Hours: Park open all year, castle in summer 10:30-18:30. (H5).

The Glenveagh National Park covers nearly 10,000 hectares of woodland and bogs around a fake castle in Walt Disney style, built at Beagh Lake in 1870 to create a romantic atmosphere for the lord of the castle and his guests.

This is a conventional country manor disguised as a castle. It is now a museum with the rich furnishings of the former owner.

We are here in the Donegal hills.

Donegal hills

(H5).

This is the most remote part of Ireland, a narrow part of the Republic to the west and north of Northern Ireland. This is Gaelic country as we can see from many signs. The landscape is rough and rather naked.

Formerly this district was called Triconnaill, now Donegal, which comes from the Gaelic: “Dún na nGall”, meaning the Fortress of Foreigners, that is Vikings.

The best beer of Ireland, Poitin, is brewed in the Donegal hills.

We return on the side-road to N56, where we turn left and then turn right at a sign to Doe Castle, just before we come to Creeslough.

Doe Castle

(H5).

The ruins are relatively well preserved, standing on a promontory on the ocean. The age is unknown and the buildings are from several periods. The castle has obviously been damaged in several attacks over time. Many famous generals are connected with its history, either in defense or attack. At the end of the 18th C. it got more or less its present appearance.

We return on the side-road and turn right into N56 to Bunbeg.

Bunbeg

(H5).

As in many other Irish seaside villages the dwellings face inward to the country, not outside to the ocean. The harbor is lonely, quite a distance from the scattered inland dwellings. It gives the impression that people were afraid, either of pirates or of the natural powers of the ocean and wanted to live out of sight.

The harbor is peaceful and almost romantic and does not witness to much fishing nowadays.

We continue on N56 through the bogs of Rosses.

Rosses

(H5).

The Rosses means the promontories. There are few habitations and few trees, but lots of bogs and small lakes.

Peat is made here in abundance and used for heating and in electric plants. The topsoil is cut and put again in place when several shovel-layers of bog underneath have been removed for drying. Long lines of cuttings are an attribute of peat bogs country.

We continue on N56 past Dungloe and Gwebarra. When we have just passed Ardara we turn right at a sign to Glengesh Pass. From the pass we have a good view back to the valley we were coming from. We continue all the way to Glencolumbkille.

Glencolumbkille

(H5).

The landscape surrounding Glencolumbkille is wild and majestic and mainly incidental, just like it has been thrown around by the gods.

Saint Columba or Columbkille is said to have settled down here in his advanced years, far away from the commotion of the world. There are also remains of a Pre-Historic habitation.

To the south of the river outside the town the Glencolumbkille Folk Village is in a few simple houses in the farmhouse styles of 1720, 1820 and 1920, showing old tools and utensils, furnishings and furniture from those years.

We drive to Carrick and there turn left to Teelin and follow a sign to Bunglass, where an extremely narrow one-lane road clutches the steep mountain slopes and cliffs, reaching an end at an observation point from where we can see The Cliffs of Bunglass.

Cliffs of Bunglass

(H5).

Steep cliffs of 600 meters on the southern slopes of Slieve League Mountain, an impressive sight in bad weather and sparkling with colors in good weather, as there are several varieties of rock in the cliffs.

We return from Bunglass to Teelin and Carrick and continue to Killybegs.

Killybegs

(H5).

A lived-in and active fishing town with modern fishing vessels in the lively harbor. The town is on slopes above the harbor. The Killybegs hand-made carpets are made here and have been famous since the middle of the 19th C. The Irish wool industry has its center in this area.

We continue onwards from Killybegs and soon reach N56 which we follow all the way to Donegal city. We try to park in the center, near the main square, Diagonal.

Donegal center

(H5).

Founded by the Vikings and carries a name that means the Fortress of Foreigners. It is the center of the tweed-wool garment industry in Ireland.

The triangular main square was laid out in 1610. An obelisk in memory of four Irish artists and scientists is in its center.

We walk to the nearby Donegal Castle.

Donegal Castle

(H5).

Partly an old castle and partly a manor from the first half of the 17th C., as is the gate house, which is nearest to the central square.

From Donegal we take N15 in the direction of Bundoran and turn right to the Rossnowlagh strand where we come directly to Sand House.

Sand House

Rossnowlagh. Phone: 72 51777. Fax: 72 52100. Price: £80 ($125) with breakfast. All major cards. 40 rooms. (H6).

Standing alone on the beach, a bright, modern house with a crenellated roof. It has solemn furnishings and quality furniture. An open fire is in the lobby.

The service is excellent, even by Irish standards. The restaurant is top class. It offers several choices from a menu of a fixed price, £40 for two, excluding beverages.

Room no. 33 faces the ocean and listens to the comfortable lullabies of the ocean waves, when the windows are open. The quality furnishings are very beautiful.

We return to N15 and turn right, continuing south, through Bundoran and Sligo. Having passed Sligo we turn right on N59 to Ballina. We can continue on the same road to Castlebar or first make a detour to the right on R314 to a side-road to the right to Rosserk Abbey.

Rosserk Abbey

(G6).

Ruins of a Franciscan abbey from the middle of the 15th C, relatively well preserved, even if it was burned down in the 16th C. when the English drove the monks away.

Some original decorations are sill visible on the western door, in the eastern window and the southern transept.

This remote part of Ireland is Mayo, known for extensive bogs and scant habitation inland and sand beaches and rocky promontories at the seaside.

We return to Ballina and from there on N59 and then N5 to Castlebar. From there we can drive directly to Newport on R311 or take a detour from Castlebar to the left on N60 in the direction of Claremorris. On this road we soon come to Breaffy House.

Breaffy House

Castlebar. Phone: 94 22033. Fax: 94 22033. Price: £76 ($119) with breakfast. All major cards. (G6).

A quaint mixture of old and new. A modern building of concrete and glass with regular contours has been added to an old and an irregular palace. The hotel is in beautiful gardens, offering fishing, hunting and riding.

The public rooms are imposing, except the rather common dining room.

The guest rooms are modern, well furnished, including coffee machines and bathrobes.

We return the same way to Castlebar and can continue from there to Newport on R311 or make another detour, this time to the left on N84 to Ballintubber Abbey.

Ballintubber Abbey

Ballintubber. Hours: Open 9-24. (G6).

Mass has been sung daily in the Gothic abbey church for almost eight centuries since the Augustine abbey was built in 1216. Even in times of trouble not a single day was missed. The church was partly rebuilt after a fire in 1265. In 1653 Cromwell vandalized the abbey and burned the roof of the church. A new roof was added in the original style in 1966.

Inside the church there are some items from the 13th C., including an altar.

We return on N84 to Castlebar and go from there on R311 to Newport.

Newport

(G6).

A nice little resort, popular with anglers, dominated by a disused railway viaduct, converted into a pedestrian bridge.

In the town center we cross the motorists bridge and immediately turn left through a gate into the grounds of Newport House.

Newport House

Newport. Phone: 98 41222. Fax: 98 41613. Price: £87 ($136) with breakfast & dinner. All major cards. 18 rooms. (G6).

A Georgian country manor, beautifully sheathed in red creeper, almost covering the windows.

The interior is grand, especially the staircase in the hall. The dining room is superior and the food is mediocre. Coffee and confectionery are served in the drawing room after dinner. Service is outstanding. Dinner is included in the room price.

Room no. 1 is large, furnished with antiques. The bathroom is also large. There is a good view over the grounds to the river.

We can leave from here on N59 to the south to Westport. We can also drive north on N59 for a detour to Achill Island. In that case we soon turn left at a signpost to Burrishoole Friary.

Burrishoole Friary

(G6).

A Dominican friary, founded in 1486, converted into a fortress in 1486. The remains consist of a broad and squat tower, nave, chancel, south transept and parts of the friary.

We return to N59, turn left and continue a short distance to another signpost on the left to Carrigahowley or Rockfleet Castle.

Carrigahowley Castle

(G6).

A four-storeyed tower house from the 15th C, similar to several others in the country, this one especially well preserved.

Edward VI of England subsidized the building of such towers to strengthen the rule of his vassals over the unruly Irish. The ground floor housed stores and the top floor the living quarters of the masters of the tower.

We can return from here to Newport if we have little time. Otherwise we turn left on N59 and continue to Mulrany, where we turn left on R319 to the towns of Keel and Dooagh on Achill Island.

Dooagh

Dooagh. (G6).

The island of Achill is connected by a bridge to the mainland. The landscape is bare and weathered. The coast is suitable for sunbathing and the sea is suitable for surfing and fishing. Sand beached and rocky outcrops dot the coastline. Treeless villages, painted in white, rest on the beaches.

We return all the way back, first R319 and then N59 to Newport and continue on N59 south to Westport.

Westport

Westport. (G6).

A friendly tourist town, planned and built in 1780. It has a well-known manor, Westport House.

The best part of town is the Quay, where old houses have been converted into hotels and seafood restaurants. The Quay offers a good view to Croach Patrick mountain.

We take R395 out of town and drive on the coastline past Croach Patrick.

Croagh Patrick

(G6).

The 763 meters mountain on our left side has been a holy mountain since heathen times.

The story goes that Saint Patrick killed all snakes in Ireland by tolling his bell. Since then there have been no snakes in the country.

Last Sunday in July, tens of thousands of pilgrims climb the mountain, some of them bare-footed, to sing a mass at the chapel on the top. The western side of the mountain has become visually polluted because of that yearly attack.

We continue on R395 until it reaches N59, where we turn right and drive through Leenane to the fairy palace of Kylemore Abbey.

Kylemore Abbey

Hours: Open 9:30-18, closed in winter. (G7).

The abbey with all its crenellated towers rises suddenly from the wood on the far side of a lake, just as a dream or a prop in an animated Disney film. In fact the building is not especially old. It is a Neo-Gothic castle from the 19th C., a convent school of the Benedictine order. Parts of the castle are open to the public.

We continue on N59 a short way and turn left at a signpost to the Connemara National Park.

Connemara Park

Hours: Visitors center open in summer 10-18:30. (G7).

More than 200 hectares of heath, bog and wood, the home of the red Irish deer and the Connemara pony. The peak of Diamond Hill, 445 meters, dominates the view from the visitors center. The peak offers a good view over Connemara.

Connemara is a desolated and varied country with countless lakes and ridges, brooks and bogs, outcrops and sand beaches. Population is sparse in this barren country and people still speak Gaelic. The district is sometimes called Gaeltacht, the Country of the Celts.

We continue on N59. Soon we come to Letterfrack, where we have some choices. We can press on to Abbeyglen or we can turn right on a side-road to Tullycross and Renvyle. We drive to Currath Castle on the Renvyle coast.

Currath Castle

(G7).

One of many tower houses in Ireland. This one is special, as the ocean waves have broken one of its corners so that we can see the interior from the outside, including the staircase of stone.

We return the same way up to N59 and turn right. Soon we arrive at Rosleague Manor to the right.

Rosleague Manor

Letterfrack. Phone: 95 41101. Fax: 95 41168. Price: £90 ($141) with breakfast. All major cards. 20 rooms. (G7).

A country manor on a small hill in a large garden near Letterfrack, loaded with antiques and art.

Service is exceptionally friendly. The grand and beautiful dining room is one of the better ones in Ireland. Dinner is £40 for two, excluding beverages.

The guest rooms are generally large and well equipped.

We continue on N59 to Clifden center, and find the main road up the valley to Abbeyglen Castle on the slopes of the hill on the other side of town.

Abbeyglen Castle

Clifden. Phone: 95 21201. Fax: 95 21797. Price: £99 ($155) with breakfast. All major cards. (G7).

The hotel is designed as a mock castle with pointed windows, corner towers and a crenellated roof. There are large gardens near the hotels and woods farther on.

Service is very good.

The rooms are rather large and well equipped and most have good views. The best rooms are in the main building.

We continue on this side-road up the slope. We are on the Sky Road which covers the peninsula out of Clifden town.

Clifden Bay

(F7).

This road offers good views to peninsulas, islands and the ocean. This is the beautiful country of Connemara.

After the Sky Road circle we are back on N59 and drive again through Clifden. Next we turn right either on R341 or R340 and follow signs to Cashel Bay.

Cashel Bay

(G7).

Typical Connemara coastline with lots of peninsulas and islands.

We continue on the road to either Zetland House or Cashel House for an overnight.

Cashel House

Cashel Bay. Phone: 95 31001. Fax: 95 31077. Price: £127 ($198) with breakfast. All major cards. 32 rooms. (G7).

A unique hotel, most famous for being a retreat of President de Gaulle. It is a beautiful, old building in a garden, that is almost botanical, with horse stables in the back.

The lay-out of the hotel is old and accidental and mainly warm and personal. It has several nooks on the way to the bar. Drawing rooms, libraries and retreats alternate with narrow corridors. The dining room is in an adjoining garden house of glass. The cooking is first class, but the boring waiter spoke French up his nose, with an Oxford intonation. Dinner is £64 for two.

Room no. 18 is stylish, rather small, but recently and well furnished, with a good view to the garden. It has a thick carpet on the floor.

From Cashel we drive on R341 and then turn left on R340 and then turn right on N59 all the way to Maam Cross.

Maam Cross

Maam Cross. (G7).

A popular angling village in a district of extensive peat bogs, with the typical peat piles dotting the roadside.

Arriving in Maam Cross we turn left on R336 to Maam and from there to the right on R345 to Cong, where we quickly find Ashford Castle.

Ashford Castle

Cong. Phone: 92 46003. Fax: 92 46260. Price: £256 ($400) with breakfast. All major cards. 83 rooms. (G7).

This is a chapter on its own. The stone gray hotel of dreams is a quaint combination of a 13th C. castle, an old manor in the French Renaissance Chateau style and new buildings in mock-castle Neo-Gothic style. All this makes an irreal pile in spacious gardens with the hotels own golf course. As a hotel this pile is also a gem of quality and service and gastronomy.

Inside there is a perfect atmosphere of richness and grandeur. The wooden furnishings are heavy and the antiques numerous. There are good conference facilities for the mandarins of the European Union. The cooking is among the very best in Ireland. The smaller and more royal and expensive Connaught Room is in the manor, with large windows and tons of wood. Dinner is £80 for two.

The rooms are very spacious, offering good views in any direction and every imaginable luxury as can be understood from the price.

Before we leave Cong, we can make a detour and continue on R345 to Cross and then to the right on R334 a short way to Ross Abbey.

Ross Abbey

Ross. (G7).

The best preserved Franciscan abbey in Ireland, built in 1351, enlarged and restored in the 15th C. It was an cloister until 1753. From the church tower of 1498 there is a good view over the abbey buildings and the neighboring country.

Frescos and 15th C. windows are in the church. Parts of the cloister have been preserved, including a sacristy, lavatorium, refectory and a scriptorium.

We return on R334 and R345 to Cong, then continue on R345 to Maam and R336 to Maam Cross, where we turn left on N56 to Oughterard. Soon after entering the town we see Sweeneys Oughterard House on our left.

Sweeneys Oughterard House

Oughterard. Phone: 91 82207. Fax: 91 82161. Price: £70 ($109) with breakfast. All major cards. 21 rooms. (G7).

A 200 years old house covered with creepers, with a guest-rooms extension to the back.

Antique collector items are tastefully arranged in the public rooms and some of the guest rooms. The atmosphere is very comfortable. Dinner is included in the room price.

The guest rooms are simple and well appointed.

We continue to the center of Oughterard, where there is as side-road to the left with a signpost to Currarevagh House. We take that detour through woods on the banks of Lake Corrib.

Currarevagh House

Oughterard. Phone: 91 82313. Fax: 91 82731. Price: £90 ($141) with breakfast. No cards. 15 rooms. (G7).

An old country manor peacefully nested in a private wood. It does not resemble an hotel, rather a country manor. It is mainly frequented by anglers, which is evident from some of the furnishings.

Guests all dine at the same time. The host serves the main course and chats with the guests. After dinner the guests congregate in the drawing room for coffee and conversation. This is very manor-like and pleasant. People go early to bed and rise late. Breakfast is served at nine oclock. Dinner is £38 for two, excluding beverages.

Room no. 1 is an excellent corner room with big windows with a good view to Lake Corrib. The ceiling is high and the room is spacious, the furnishings old-fashioned. The floor is covered with a carpet all the way to the bathtub. All the amenities are there, excluding a TV set and a phone, as guests are expected to be trying to forget the outside world.

We return on the side-road to the center of Oughterard, again passing the shores of Lake Corrib.

Loch Corrib

(G7).

The second largest lake in Ireland, 58 km long has several islands. It is a famous angling resort. The road between Currarevagh and Oughterard gives us a glimpse of the charm of this lake.

We continue on the side-road to the center of Oughterard, and turn left on N59. Soon we take another detour on the left, signposted for Aughnanure Castle.

Aughnanure Castle

Hours: Open in summer 9:30-18:30. (G7).

A well conserved and tower house with outer walls and the ruins of a banqueting hall. The tower has six storeys with a staircase of 73 steps. On the two topmost floors are bedrooms and a sitting hall with a fireplace. From the top there is a good view to Lake Corrib.

We return to N59, turn left and drive to Galway. We cross the bridge and drive from the roundabout to the center and find a parking place.

Galway

Galway. (G7).

The largest city on the western coast and the linguistic center of the Gaelic language. The old center with narrow streets and low-rise houses is the main attraction for tourists.

Shop Street is the main shopping street of the center and could be made more convenient by excluding cars and making it pedestrian.

Lynchs Castle is midway along Shop Street.

Lynchs Castle

Galway. (G7).

A tower house from the 16th C., with decorations on the outside. It is still functioning, nowadays as a bank office.

A little further on, at the same side of the street, we come to St Nicholas Church.

St Nicholas

Hours: Open in summer 9-18, in winter 9-17:30. (G7).

Built in 1320 and enlarged in the 15th and 16th C., a simple and powerful church.

We leave town, first on N6, then on N18 and finally on N67, where we soon arrive at Dunguaire Castle on the coast.

Dunguaire Castle

Kinwara. Hours: Feasts start at 17:45 and 21. (G7).

A tower house of four storeys, with an outer defense wall, built in 1520 and renovated in the 20th C.

The ground and first floors are now used as a venue for banquets for tourists twice a day. These amusing feasts include a medley of short plays, witty limericks, sentimental ballads, ribald dances, all very well-done, accompanied with a food that is supposed to be as it was in the olden time.

We continue on N67 and turn left on R480 where we arrive at the Aillwee cave.

Aillwee Cave

(G7).

A long and narrow cave of 1034 meters, found in 1940 in a porous limestone mountain, the remains of a subterranean river. It has many small stalactites and stalagmites and even a small waterfall.

The atmosphere is enhanced by intelligent floodlighting.

In this area a whole system of caves and subterranean streams were found in 1987.

R480 continues up to The Burren.

Burren

(G7).

A naked, arid and stony limestone highland of 260 square km., that is being declared a National Park.

Near the road, mainly on our left side, are several megalithic tombs from the Stone Age, 4000-2000 B.C. Large and heavy, flat stones have been raised on edge and other flat stones put on top as a roof.

We continue on R480 and turn left into R476 at Leamaneh Castle.

Leamaneh Castle

(G7).

An impressive building of four storeys with large windows from the 17th C., adjoining an older tower house with small windows from the 15th C. There are 88 steps to the top.

We drive on and keep to R476 to Kilfenora. In the center there are ruins of an abbey.

Kilfenora Crosses

Kilfenora. (G7).

The cloister ruins are partly from Early Christianity in the 6th C. Three high crosses from the 12th C. are in the graveyard. The church is mainly from 1190, but renovated in the 15th C. It is mainly intact and is used for mass. This was formerly a bishopric.

We continue on R476 to Lisdoonvarna, where we turn left on L54 (R478) to the Cliffs of Moher.

Cliffs of Moher

(G7).

Dark sandstone cliffs, 182 meters high, almost vertical, stretching for 8 km.

An easy pedestrian path leads up to OBriens Tower with a good view to the cliffs. The tower was built in 1853.

A tourist information center is at the start of the path, giving information on walks in the area.

We drive on, first on L54 (R478) to Lahinch and from there on N67 to Ennistymon with quaint, old shop-fronts at the main street, and from Ennistymon on N85 to Ennis. We stop in the center at Ennis Friary.

Ennis Friary

(G8).

Once a powerful Franciscan friary. 350 monks and 600 students were there in the 14th C. The friary was recently acquired again by the Franciscans.

The church is from the 13th C., except the southern transept and the central tower from the 15th C. It has no roof but is otherwise relatively intact. Its main attribute are high and narrow windows in the chancel.

We take the R469 from Ennis to Clare, Quin, Knappogue and Craggaunoven and soon come to our first stop at Clare, where we stop at the right turn in front of the railway station to inspect Clare Abbey.

Clare Abbey

(G8).

Extensive ruins of an Augustine cloister from 1189. The nave of the church is still standing, its central tower and parts of the cloister.

We continue on R469 to our next stop at Quin Friary to our left.

Quin Friary

(G8).

Extensive ruins of an imposing Franciscan friary from 1430. The cloister is mainly standing, including the central tower and the southern transept of the church.

The friary was built on the ruins of a Norman castle that again was built on the ruins of an earlier cloister.

We continue on R469 and turn right to Knappogue Castle.

Knappogue Castle

Price: £60 ($94) for two. (G8).

Built in 1467 to defend against Norman invaders and has since then been lived-in for most of the time. It really is a beautifully designed palace, built around a castle.

Now Medieval banquets for tourists are held in the grand banqueting hall twice every day, at 17:45 and 21. The food and table service are in Medieval style. Included is a program of ballads and poetry, plays and dance, which give a vivid picture of the history of Ireland and its music.

Again we return to R469 and stop at the Craggaunoven Centre.

Craggaunoven

Hours: Open in summer 10-18, in winter 9:30-17, -16 on Friday. (G8).

A kind of a museum on Irish prehistory. It is housed in a tower house from the 16th C.

The ox-hide boat or “curragh”, Brendan, is on show, a replica of the boats that Irish monks used to roam the North Atlantic from the 6th C. up to the Viking period in the 9th C. and onwards. It was built to sail to America in 1976-1977 to prove that it would have been possible for Saint Brendan to reach America in the 6th C. as has been speculated.

Below the tower is a replica of a Bronze Age village of round huts or “crannóg”, on an islet in a small lake, connected by a bridge to the mainland. The style of the huts is similar to those we see in Africa.

We return on R469 to Ennis and from there we drive on N18 to Newmarket-on-Fergus where we arrive at Dromoland Castle.

Dromoland Castle

Newmarket-on-Fergus. Phone: 61 368144. Fax: 61 363355. Price: £252 ($394) with breakfast. All major cards. 73 rooms. (G8).

The majestic castle from 1570 was owned by one of the main royal families in Ireland, the Brians, until it was converted into the primary luxury hotel in Ireland. Its main attribute is the round corner tower. The castle sits in an extensive private parkland with a famous golf course.

Inside the hotel is very cozy and comfortable, with open fire in fireplaces, lots of antiques and works of art. The library bar is a perfect venue for a drink or two. The Thomond Room restaurant is one of the best in Ireland. Dinner is £90 for two, excluding beverages.

The rooms are variable, but all are beautifully designed.

We continue on N18 almost all the way to Limerick and stop at Bunratty Castle.

Bunratty Castle

Limerick. (G8).

An unusually large and majestic tower house from 1460, recently renovated into its 16th C. form. It houses a museum of furniture and carpets from the 14th to the 17th C.

Alongside the castle is Bunratty Folk Park, exhibiting old houses and replicas of old houses, which together make a convincing village street with a 19th C. atmosphere.

Adjoining the castle is also a banquet hall, where tourists congregate twice a day, at 17:45 and 21 to have a Medieval dinner and enjoy an historic program of song and dance.

There is a short way from Bunratty Castle on N18 to Limerick. Just before we enter the town we arrive at the Limerick Inn hotel, clearly signposted.

Limerick Inn

Limerick. Phone: 61 326666. Fax: 61 326281. Price: £73 ($114) with breakfast. All major cards. 153 rooms. (G8).

A low-rise modern hotel in standard hotel style, comfortable though. It is a busy airport and convention hotel.

The food is better than can be expected at such hotels. The menu is extensive and varied. Dinner is £50 for two, excluding beverages.

Room no. 404 is large and well equipped, including a hair dryer and a trouser press. The bathroom is excellent.

We continue on N18 into Limerick, turn left, when we come to the river, and drive on the river bank to cross the river at the next bridge. On the other side of the river we arrive at King Johns Castle.

Limerick

Limerick. (G8).

Limerick is the main city of the Middle West, situated near the formerly important Shannon airport. It was founded in 922 as a Danish Viking town, its name derived from a Viking name meaning Rich Land. It was repeatedly attacked by Irish kings and finally captured by the Viking-French Normans in 1194. Little remains from this turbulent history.

A part of central Limerick has mainly an English character, including King Johns Castle and St Marys Cathedral, the oldest building in town.

Another part is more Irish in character, including the area around St Johns Cathedral and Limerick Museum.

We are in front of King Johns Castle.

King Johns Castle

Limerick. Hours: Open in summer 10-17. (G8).

An extremely well conserved Norman castle from 1200, majestic and powerful. It has repeatedly played a role in Irish history and is now fittingly an historical museum.

Next to the castle on Nicholas Street in the direction of the city center we come to St Marys Cathedral.

St Marys

Limerick. Hours: Open in summer 9:30-12:45 & 14:15-17:30. (G8).

The oldest building in town, from 1168, Gothic in style and crenellated.

We continue on Nicolas Street and Mary Street, cross a bridge, and continue on John Street to St Johns Cathedral.

St Johns

Hours: Open Monday-Friday 9-18:30, Saturday 9-20:30, Sunday 8-20:30. (G8).

A Neo-Gothic cathedral from 1861, with the highest church spire in Ireland, 85 meters.

John Square is in front of the church. Limerick Museum, a museum of city history, is in a 18th C. house on the square.

We leave Limerick on N20 and then N21 to Adare.

Adare Manor

Adare. Phone: 61 396566. Fax: 61 396124. Price: £220 ($344) with breakfast. All major cards. 64 rooms. (G8).

A Neo-Gothic country manor with several small towers in a large garden at the river Maigue. The hotel is beautifully furnished in an old style.

Dinner is £65 for two, excluding beverages.

The guest rooms in the main building are especially desirable.

We continue on N21 until we are near Castleisland, where there is a side-road to the left, leading to Crag Cave.

Crag Cave

(G8).

A limestone cave more than million years old, found by accident in 1983. It is almost 4 km, of which 350 m are accessible to the public. There are untouched stalagmites and stalactites, most beautiful in the floodlit Crystal Gallery.

We drive back to N21, turn left and continue through Castleisland to Tralee, where we change over to R559 to Blennerville, where we stop at a windmill on the other side of a long bridge.

Blennerville Windmill

Hours: Open in summer 9-18. (G8).

A windmill for grinding floor, 18 meters and 5 storeys, built in 1800 and still going strong. A museum on the grounds shows the history of windmills and floor-grinding and the history of Irish settlers in America.

Here is also a railway station for a narrow-gauged train with three wagons from the 19th C., all original, used for tourists today. It goes between Tralee and Blennerville.

We continue on R559 and then R560 in the direction of Connor Pass. Finally we turn into a side-road signposted to Connor Pass.

Connor Pass

(F8).

The highest road pass in Ireland, 456 meters above sea level. The road cuts through steep cliffs into a narrow slit in the mountain edge.

There is a car park at the top. From there we have good views in both directions. The landscape is naked and majestic.

We drive down the winding road on the other side, leading down to Dingle.

Dingle

Dingle. (F8).

A mixture of a fishing town and a tourist town. The outer and inner harbors shelter the ships against the fury of the Atlantic Ocean.

Every other house in the center is either a pub or a restaurant.

In the center we find Doyles Seafood Bar.

Doyles

4 John Street, Dingle. Phone: 66 51174. Fax: 66 51816. Price: £48 ($75) for two. All major cards. 8 rooms. (F8).

Situated in an house from 1830. The guest rooms are furnished with antiques and beautiful bathrooms.

Doyles is primarily a seafood restaurant, the best one on the west coast. The daily changing menu offers the fresh catch of each day. Dinner is £40 for two, excluding beverages.

This is the perfect place for a dinner and overnight.

We drive west out of town on a road signposted as Slea Head Drive. We go through Ventry, stopping at a sign for Dunbeg Fort. There is a footpath leading down to a Pre-Historic seaside fortress. A little further on we start to see signs to Fahan huts. We stop at the first one.

Fahan beehive huts

(F8).

There is a short walk from the road up to the first of over 400 Fahan stone huts on the slopes of Mountain Eagle.

These beehive huts or “clochans” are Pre-Historic, all built up of stones in the form of half a sphere, without any gluing or binding material, many of them in perfect condition. They are in small groups all over the mountain slopes. Most of them are from the 6th to the 10th C.

We continue on this scenic route around the peninsula and look for a sign to Gallarus Oratory, when we have driven through Ballyferriter.

Gallarus Oratory

(F8).

One of the most important historic monuments in Ireland. It is a stone church from the 8th or 9th C., built from stone slabs all the way up to the ridge, without the use of any glue or binding material.

The structure is very well done, watertight and has been preserved in perfect condition during all these centuries, while other such churches have collapsed under their own weight.

We follow signposts to Dingle. From there we take the R559 to Annaschul, the R561 to Castlemaine, N70 to Milltown and finally R563 almost all the way to Killarney, but look for a signpost to Aghadoe Heights hotel on our right.

Aghadoe Heights

Killarney. Phone: 64 31766. Fax: 64 31345. Price: £145 ($227) with breakfast. All major cards. 60 rooms. (G9).

A modern and excellent hotel on a hill outside Killarney, with a good view to Lake Leane and the mountains around Dunloe Pass.

Service is perfect, combining German efficiency and Irish hospitality. The dining room combines good views with good furnishings, excellent service and excellent food. Dinner is £60 for two, excluding beverages.

Room no. 227 is very large and majestic and mainly stylish, with a good view and all amenities.

We follow signposts to Killarney, find R562, which we drive on to Killorglin, where we change to N70 and drive a scenic route to Glenbeigh, Cahirciveen and finally Waterville.

Waterville

(F9).

A famous summer holiday resort with pleasant, old-fashioned atmosphere. The main street is on the seaside, with hotels and restaurants on the land-side and a well-tended garden on the ocean-side.

We continue on N70 up Coomakista Pass above the town, offering good views in both directions. The grand landscape of Iveragh peninsula is particularly obvious from this observation point. Then we continue on N70 and look for a signpost to Staigue to our left.

Staigue

(F9).

A 2000 years old circular fortress which has mostly withstood the ravages of time. The walls are 5 meters high and 4 meters broad.

The fortress has probably been built as a sanctuary for the local people in raids by pirates. Other fortresses have been discovered in this area, but Staigue is the largest and the best preserved one.

We continue on N70 to Sneem.

Sneem

Sneem. (F9).

A nice little tourist village with two central squares connected with an old bridge.

We continue on N70 almost all the way to Kenmare, but turn right at a signpost to Dromquinna Manor.

Dromquinna Manor

Blackwater Bridge, Kenmare. Phone: 64 41657. Fax: 64 41791. Price: £70 ($109) with breakfast. All major cards. 28 rooms. (G9).

A beautiful old Victorian manor in romantic oceanside surroundings, with its own boat harbor.

The hotel is very cozy, with creaking floors, open fire in the fireplace and several drawing rooms. This is a good place for relaxation. Dinner is £40 for two, excluding beverages.

Room without a number, named Robertson, is very large and very grand, with a royal bed and large windows to the garden. The bathroom is also elegant, with parquet on the floor.

We have a short way on N70 to Kenmare, where we stop at the main square or in its immediate vicinity.

Kenmare

Kenmare. (G9).

A quaint tourist town with an old-fashioned shopping street, Main Street, with several interesting shop-signs.

We drive Market Street which runs parallel to Main Street from the central square up to the Kenmare Stone Circle.

Kenmare Stone Circle

(G9).

Probably laid out and built by Spanish copper miners 4000 years ago. There is a big stone in the middle, surrounded with 15 smaller stones in a circle.

We drive from Kenmare on N71 through beautiful landscapes and through a 726 m mountain tunnel and arrive at the other side of the mountain in Glengariff, where we see the Eccles hotel on our left.

Eccles

Glengariff. (G9).

The best known building in this tourist town, built in 1833. It still has the same featherlight and charming look as it had when Queen Victoria stayed there. Inside as outside the hotel preserves the charm of the 19th C.

We continue on N71 to Ballylickey, where two excellent hotels are side by side to the left of the road, Ballylickey Manor House and Sea View House. We drive to the latter one.

Sea View House

Ballylickey. Phone: 27 50462. Fax: 27 51555. Price: £132 ($206) with breakfast. All major cards. 17 rooms. (G9).

A white summer manor on the hillside, very comfortable, best known for the excellent cooking.

There are antiques all over the building. Dinner is served in several adjoining small rooms. The excellent dinner is £46, excluding beverages. Breakfast includes boxty pancakes made from potatoes, an Irish specialty.

Room no. 4 is of a medium size, tasteful and old-fashioned, with a very small bathroom with a sitting tub and a shower. It has a good view over the garden down to the ocean.

We continue on N71 a short way to the 19th C. town of Bantry. When we have crossed the main square we turn left through a brick gate and drive through formal, Italian gardens to the hotel entrance of Bantry House.

Bantry House

Bantry. All major cards. 10 rooms. (G9).

A palace from 1740, now a hotel and an art museum, showing what the owners have collected through two centuries and a half.

Dinner is £40 for two, excluding beverages.

The museum has a few rooms for travelers.

We continue on N71 to Skibberen. Then we turn right into a side-road to Glandore, a small town at a small harbor. We drive on R597 through the town and look for a signpost to Drombeg Circle.

Drombeg

(G9).

One of the best preserved stone circles in Ireland. Fourteen stone slabs of up to 1.5 m each stand upright in a circle of 9 m in diameter.

The purpose of such stone circles is unknown. Possibly they are religious structures.

We continue to Roscarberry, where we take N71 and drive to Clonakilty, where we change to R600 for Timoleague.

Timoleague Friary

(G9).

The ruins of a Franciscan cloister from 1320, destroyed by Cromwell in 1642. Near it are the ruins of an hospital and the 13th C. Barrymore Castle.

R600 brings us to Kinsale, where we can park at the port.

Kinsale

(G9).

For a long time considered the gastronomic capital of Ireland, a little overstated nowadays. Its restaurants specialize in seafood.

Sailing boats dominate the harbor of this oldest town in Ireland. The streets are narrow, almost undriveable in cars. The white houses are neat and well maintained. This was such an English town that Irish were not allowed to live there until at the end of the 18th C.

We drive through town and follow signs to Charles Fort.

Charles Fort

Kinsale. Hours: Open in summer 9:30-17:30, in spring Tuesday-Saturday 9-17, Sunday 14-17. (G9).

A fortress from 1670 on a promontory to the west of the entrance to Kinsale harbor. It is as extensive as a village, surrounded by a wall. The English built it after Spanish raids and used it up to 1922, when the Irish Republic was founded.

There is a good view from the fortress to the Kinsale harbor.

We continue on R600 to the center of Cork. Before we drive down the slope to the center we stop to have a look at St Fin Barres Cathedral.

St Fin Barres

Cork. Hours: Open Monday-Friday 10-13 & 14-17:30. (G9).

A Neo-Gothic church from 1865, with a central tower of 73 m. The Elizabeth Fort from 1590 is immediately to the west from the church, offering a good view over the city center, which is on an island in the river Lee.

We continue down the slope and drive into the center of Cork, looking for a parking-house.

Cork

Cork. (G9).

The principal streets of the city center are the broad Grand Parade and the winding St Patricks Street. The houses along these streets are low-rise and give a comfortable impression of the city.

From the center we drive along St Patricks Street, then straight over the bridge, turn right, not on the river bank, but next street after it, Mac Curtain Street. Then we turn a little to the left up the slope of Summerhill and its continuation in Middle Glanmire Road, where Arbutus Lodge is on our right side.

Arbutus Lodge

Middle Glanmire Road, Cork. Phone: 21 501237. Fax: 21 502893. Price: £53 ($83) for two. All major cards. 20 rooms. (G9).

A city mansion in a beautiful garden on a slope overlooking the city center. It is one of the very best restaurants in Ireland and a comfortable hotel at the same time.

Service is young and friendly. Strawberries and raspberries were included in the breakfast. Dinner is a special occasion, costs £44-£56 for two, excluding beverages. You may start with feta salad, continue with mussels and walnuts in garlic sauce, then rhubarb and ginger sorbet, go on to braised duck with duck-leg dressing and finish with the excellent cheese and dessert trolleys.

Room without a number, called Montenotte, does not have the coveted city view. It is large and quaint, furnished with antiques.

We return down Middle Glanmire Road and Summerhill in the direction of Cork center, but make a sharp left turn into Lower Glanmire Road, which continues as N25 out of town. We then turn right into a road signposted to Cobh, where we park at the harbor.

Cobh harbor & cathedral

Cobh. (H9).

Cobh was the harbor of the British fleet in the independence war of the United States of America, later the embarkment point of hundreds of thousands of Irish emigrants, and finally a port of call for the large Atlantic liners in their heyday.

The harbor is dominated by St Colmans Cathedral with a giant tower of 47 bells, built 1868-1915 for collection money from emigrants to America.

We return to N25 and drive all the way to the center of Youghal, where we park at Main Street, near the southern side of the city wall.

Clock Gate

Youghal. (H9).

There are some important landmarks in Main Street. Clock Gate is one, a four storeyed house built in 1777 across the street, as a part of the southern side of the city wall.

We walk Main Street to the northern side of the city wall.

Tyntes Castle

Youghal. (H9).

On our right side, adjoining the city wall, a tower house from the 15th C., Tyntes Castle.

Opposite, on our left side. is the Red House in Dutch style from the early 18th C.

Farther to the left, also nesting under the city wall, we come to St Marys Collegiate Church from the early 13th C.

We turn our attention to the city wall.

Youghal City Wall

Youghal. (H9).

This city wall is the best preserved one in Ireland. It is still intact, in spite of being built in the 13th C.

We leave town on N25 in the direction of Waterford, but soon turn left into R671 which we follow through beautiful landscapes to Clonmel, where we try to park in the central OConnell Street, near the West Gate.

Clonmel

Clonmel. (H8).

OConnell Street is the main street in Clonmel. In its west end the West Gate sits across the street, a 14th C. gate on the city wall.

From the gate there is a passage to the north to St Marys Church with an octagonal tower. In the graveyard is a well-preserved part of the city wall.

In the west OConnell Street ends at Main Guard, the old courts building of the city.

We drive N24 to Caher and stop at a car park between the main square and the castle.

Caher

(H8).

A nice little historic town at Suir river. Its central square is on a split level, surrounded with shops in low houses.

Caher Castle is the main attraction in Caher.

Caher Castle

Hours: Open in summer 9:30-19:30, in spring and fall 10-18, in winter Monday-Saturday 10-13 & 14-16:30, Sunday 14-16:30. (H8).

An extensive castle beside the river Suir, built in the 13th C. and renovated in the 15th C. There is a keep in the middle and three ports, surrounded with a wall with three large towers.

The castle is in good condition and is used as a local museum.

We leave town on N8 and drive to Cashel, turn right into the main street and then immediately left through a gate into the grounds of Cashel Palace.

Cashel

Cashel. (H8).

Cashel is a tourist town nested under the Rock of Cashel.

It has two cathedrals linked by a passage.

There is also a Folk Village, a reconstruction of 18th C. rural life in Ireland.

Cashel Palace is our abode tonight.

Cashel Palace

Cashel. Phone: 62 61411. Fax: 62 61521. Price: £100 ($156) with breakfast. All major cards. 20 rooms. (H8).

Built in 1730 in Palladian Renaissance style as a bishopric, now a dignified and a little tired hotel with antiques and an open fire in the lobby. Its main attraction is a beautiful garden leading up o the Rock of Cashel.

Dinner is £46 for two, excluding beverages.

Room 35 is very large and has several windows to the garden, furnished with comfortable furniture and a good bathroom, also with a large window to the garden.

We walk through the garden on the Bishops Walk for about 7 minutes to reach the Rock of Cashel.

Rock of Cashel

Cashel. Hours: Open in summer 9-19:30, in winter 9:30-16:30. (H8).

The royal seat of the Munster kings 370-1101, similar to Tara of the Ulster kings, north of Dublin. St Patrick is said to have baptized king Aengus here in 450. The rock became a cathedral site in the 12 th C. and remained so until 1749. An English barbarian, Lord Inchiguin, burned 3000 inhabitants of Cashel inside the church in 1647.

The rock is entered through a museum in a priests house from the 15th C., adjoining a dormitory from the same time.

The Gothic cathedral itself rises behind, badly damaged in the fire of 1647. It is mainly from the 13th C. It has a simple crucifix form without aisles, with high lance-windows and a massive central tower. A castle tower from 1450 is at the west end of the church, built as an archbishop seat in violent times. Behind the northern transept is a Round Tower from the 12th C.

Opposite the dormitory is the Cormacs Chapel.

Cormacs Chapel

Cashel. (H8).

The oldest part of the monuments on the Rock of Cashel, built in Romanesque style in 1127-1134, a single nave with a chancel and two towers on the sides.

We return on the Bishops Walk to Cashel Palace. If we have time before dinner we can visit the Folk Village.

Folk Village

Cashel. Hours: Open in summer Monday-Saturday 10-19:30, Sunday 14-19:30. (H8).

A reconstruction of 18th C. rural life in Ireland. It shows shops and homes with the corresponding utensils.

We leave town on R660 in the direction of Holycross Abbey.

Holycross Abbey

(H8).

Built in 1168 as a Benedictine abbey and soon converted into a Cistercian abbey. It was a cloister until the 17th C. and was considered a holy place.

It has now been renovated as a parish church. It has a nave with aisles, two transepts and a powerful central