Goleen

Mizen Head is the most southwestern part of Ireland. Looks out over the Atlantic Ocean. It’s another must see! The bridge to the lighthouse is very substantial and nothing like the rope bridge in the beginning of our trip but the hike to the lighthouse and different vantage points were steep. We had the picture perfect day as some walkways are closed off, depending on weather conditions - so we did it all. Pictures are from multiple views, we will try and label them. On the drive back to town, we were determined to find a beach and wade in the Atlantic. Barley Cove had a few people on it so we parked and assessed the situation. To reach the beach we had to climb down a gentle rock slope. It was more challenging than we anticipated, with a few stops to breath, say a prayer and move on. The trip was worth it. Ocean water temperature was similar to our June temperature. It felt good to walk the beach.
We rewarded ourselves with a late lunch/early dinner in the harbor village of Crookhaven, Larry had Mediterranean Seafood Soup that was a collection of fish and shellfish in a light tomato sauce, more like a blush sauce. Eileen had a local favorite of linguine with crab. It was good but not like eating our local MD/DE crabs!
Each evening, after supper at the Inn, we walked up the hill into the village. The Lobster Pot Pub has been the perfect spot for a nightcap. The owner’ daughter helps run the place and they have apartments above and behind the bar. Anna has been welcoming and talkative. She talked about the little bit of assistance the government gave to pubs during Covid, differentiating them from pubs that also serve food. Several businesses on the Main Street are for sale and Anna and her dad are worried that tourism is still slow. Ireland has now stopped all subsidies for businesses and the tourism forecast doesn’t look promising. Rental car prices are through the roof. Anna has been asking everyone what they paid to hire a car. We were fortunate that our companies we dealt with - CIE and Celtic - both honored our prices from 2 years ago when our trip was originally planned. The only thing that was not part of the original package we planned was the airfare. So we were very lucky. The board of tourism needs to figure this out - public transportation is spotty and limited, as is railway options.
All the above happened yesterday. Today was a bit of a lazy day, we explored Bantry and part of the Ring of Beara, smallest of the peninsulas in the southwest.
Tomorrow we head to Dingle for a 3 day stay and our last weekend in Ireland. Hoping for some music and shopping!Read more