Days 11-12
The Dingle peninsula ends in the most Western spot in Europe – where there is, of course, a pub acclaiming its significance. There is also a South Pole Inn founded by Tom Crean who helped save the Shackleton Expedition in Antarctica. But more memorable are the huge crashing waves along the rocky coast, with inlets of beaches with dramatic settings among green sheep-filled fields above. We walk above Clougher beach at the edge of a field with horses and watch and hear the rough water meeting black land in great sprays at this edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
There is a fierce wind blowing on Inch beach as we walk its shore where a solitary long tree stands guard over very clean brown sand. The waves are high and rough and this is not a place to swim, although earlier we passed a smaller beach where some brave souls were dipping into the water and then running to a barrel shaped sauna nearby.
I had never heard of the Blasket Islands but now have an appreciation for them after visiting the new Blasket Islands Center. On the main Blasket island, there was a self-sustaining community without electricity or power, dependent upon hand-rowed boats of about 6 hardy men to connect them to the mainland. They maintained a healthy lifestyle far from modern conveniences until 1953 when immigration to the U.S. by the younger generation forced the remaining aging population to move away as there was not enough manpower left to make the journey over the water. Their history is well represented in literature produced by the last home-grown generation which reflects the shift from agrarian to commercial society.
Inland we visit an “oratory” or ancient church site built in the beehive structure style entirely of stones and still standing in its original form since the 8th century. It is in a beautiful location, with hedges of fuchsia plants leading to the site with an old Celtic burial marker. There is a couple of small birds flying in and out from a crack in the stone front and we watch to try to identify it. John says it is a yellow tit and eventually after giving up on a photo of such a fast moving spirit, I catch its song for a moment on my iPhone dMerlin bird identifier and it says it is an Eurasian Blue Tit. Right species just wrong color — maybe the songs are the same or the AI needs some upgrade.
We visit and stay overnight in the charming town of Dingle, lined with brightly painted pubs and stores from the mid 1800’s, with old stone houses and, as always, an old stone church. Fish and chips places abound as this was founded by fisherfolk, and there are several large fishing vessels waiting perhaps for better weather in their harbor. We stay in an old hotel from the early 1800’s with charming rooms and a bar and restaurant. They advertised a vegan menu which is not that unusual as we have seen special vegan offers at many places. In addition, every menu has indicated by specific numbers what allergens are found in each dish and I am told this is compulsory by law. They obviously take their food composition seriously.
So when we all sat down for dinner, I ordered off the vegan menu a linguini and vegetable dish. It arrived and was delicious, rich and creamy with steamed broccolini on top. After a few bites, I called the waiter over and asked whether this was really vegan as it was of an usual consistency and taste for a cheese-less recipe. He replied yes it was and I thought, well, in this land of high fat milk and cheese, they have managed to develop amazing plant-based alternatives. A little while, and a number of forkfuls later, the head waiter came over to apologize to me and say it was not vegan! It was replaced after a while with a far less tasty vegan version, which they gave me without charge. The strange thing was that there was no other linguini dish available on the entire menu so I am not sure where the chef came up with the delicious creamy version!
See list of allergens below. Who knew that celery or mustard was an important allergen!
After dinner, we walk down to the pier to Murphy’s of Dingle’s ice cream store, with a long line and expensive scoops (6.5 Euro for a small scoop or about $7) – founded by brothers from New York who moved back to their parents home town and established this store along with several others throughout Ireland. Dairy-free was clearly marked but I am now suspicious of whether people here know what vegan means.
There is music coming out of the pubs across the street from our hotel when we return but they are crowded and we are all tired and retire for the night.
The Next Day: Our drive today brings us around the peninsula with several stops along the way to the small town of Adare which still has straw-thatched houses along its main street. Right off the main street is a beautiful public park, with a lone groundskeeper mowing the grass, and a natural play area for kids and a charming rose arbor. The Irish know how to put a town together.
The Cliffs of Mohar are the leading tourist attraction in Ireland and they are indeed magnificent, but the walkways up and down are crowded. We are lucky as the sky cleared up and there is some sun and we enjoy the fresh air around us.
We thought we were going directly to Doolin but John insists he take us first to an area called The Burren, great slabs of limestone rock which goes for 25 miles up the coast, coating the sea shore with interesting stone designs.
We arrive in the town of Doolin, known for its music, and it is so small that if you blink you pass it by. Our hotel is a little ways down the street from the few stores and restaurants that make up the area. In the evening we head out for the main event we came for – a night at the Doolin Music House, basically a home concert that a musician and his wife and neighbors organize a few times a week. John managed to get us into tonight’s concert and he is attending for the first time himself. We sit in a living room and are well entertained by the piper, fiddler and accordian player and one of the women even danced a little at the end.. It was an old-fashioned evening of music and talk with some food and drinks and well enjoyed by us all. A good day’s end.
