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Ireland 2023

May 2023
  • The Brown Peacock
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  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    Even though we went early to the stone circle, we were not the first to arrive!
    1I told Richard he couldn't try to use the portal stone! hahahaOpening the gate to leave the stone circle. These gates are supposed to keep the sheep in...hahaha!The lambs are just adorable!Driving through the Black Valley.The roads get quite "bendy" in the Gap of Dunloe, as they say here.The Gap of Dunloe and yellow gorse we see everywhere.Torc Waterfall in the Killarney National Park.2The 400 year old Yew tree in Muckross Abbey.Meet Louis and Francis, our jaunty team. The wind was howling off the lakes we were passing.1Lake views of Ross Castle.3This HUGE beach is called Inch Beach. Seriously.Had me some Scurvy Dog at the South Pole Inn.Binban Beach came highly recommended. We agree.Perfect end to a perfect day.

    A busy day - and our 15th Anniversary

    May 10, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    ❗️Ooops ... if you were here before I finished updating everything...I have finally finished!

    _____________☘️☘️ ________________

    We were up early and out the door to see a stone circle and hoping to wake up the fairies! 🧚 I even got to open and close the gate in the rain so Richard could drive through.

    Driving through Moll's Gap, the Black Valley and the Gap of Dunloe was full of wonder and awe. The Black Valley was called this because it did not get electricity until the 1970's!! 😳

    Torc Waterfall in Kilnary National Park was outstanding. We were headed for a jaunty ride through the park, but I had to get a photo at Muckross Abbey. Richard did not want me to go to the abbey as he was sure we would be late for the jaunty ride. So, I hoofed it out there and back while he waited for me...and it was worth the huffing and puffing! We loved our jaunty ride (which we were on time for!!) with young Louis and horse, Francis. Louis is just 16 but is a 6th generation jaunty driver. When asked if he had a girlfriend, he said he likes the "catch and release" method. 😆

    We then went out on a boat tour of the lakes. There are 3 loughs (lakes) in the park. The most fascinating part was the copper mine that went between 2 small islands and connected under the lake!!

    After skipping over Kerry Peninsula, we headed for the Dingle Peninsula. First stop, Inch Beach, which is over 3 miles long, extending into the North Atlantic.

    Tom Crean was a member of 3 Antarctic expeditions starting in 1901 under the cammand of Capt. Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton. He was from Annascaul, a small village near Inch Beach. There is a great pub there called The South Pole Inn. Met some folks there who recommended a nearby beach. Bin Ban Beach was spectacular!

    After getting settled into our B&B, we headed out for dinner at a Michelin Star restaurant for our 15th anniversary dinner. We popped into Dick Mack's, a "famous" local pub for a pint for heading back to our B&B to wrap up our day.    Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    Tickets, please!
    1How adorable am I?The Pied PiperSitting on the cliff's edge is the Prehistoric 500 BC Fort Dunbeg.Wool hats are a must for the cold wind!A beehive hut, minus the roof, are simply made of stacked stone.A winding, narrow road to the pier below for the ferry to the Blasket Island.Star Wars used a number of sites around Ireland for filming.Dumore Head was used in Star Wars "The Last Jedi".Skellig Michael, in the distance, was Luke's island sanctuary.Is it windy on the west coast? Ask these hut owners.A pint at the western most pub in Ireland, Krueger's.Gallarus Oratory, built between the 9th and 12th centuries.A view of the cute little town of Dingle.Who can resist fresh, locally made ice cream?Traffic jam!A little bit hardware store, a little bit pub. 🔨🍺Listening to the locals play TRAD music.

    Things don't always go as you plan...

    May 11, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Things don't always go as you plan...the Sea Safari was cancelled (rough seas). 😢 The up side to that is we had lots of time for the Slea Head Drive! The morning started out a bit cool, gray, and windy - some real Irish weather. 😀

    First stop - Fairy Fort and critters. 🐑🐎🐐🦙 We had so much fun with the animals we kinda forgot about the fort. Stop two was Dunbeg Fort and no critters so I could focus. This fort, from 500BC, is nearly falling into the ocean as erosion wears away at the cliff. I hiked up to see some of the abandoned famine houses while Richard checked out the building that housed a restaurant. When I got back, he had found us some real Irish headgear to help complete our conversion. 😆☘️

    Somewhere between the 8th and 12th centuries, dry stone stacked huts called "beehive huts" were built. They were used mostly by monks and Star Wars film crews.

    Onward...Dunmore Beach and Dunquin Pier. This is where the less than 175 inhabitants of the Blanket Islands would row across to unload their sheep and other items to sell on the main island. This island's people were instrumental in helping the Irish language not go extinct. Today, Irish is now a required to be taught in schools and is growing in use. Learn more: blasket.ie

    Stopped for a pint at the western most pub in Ireland, Kruger's. We then continued our loop around with a stop at the Gallarus Oratory. Also built using the stacked dry stone method, it stands today exactly as it was built over 1000 years ago. There has been no need for any renovations! Amazing! 

    Back in town, we popped into Murphy's for some locally made ice cream. Oh my goodness!! Such great flavors - Brown Bread Crumble, Chocolate Whiskey, Dingle Sea Salt, and Honeycomb Caramel. 😋🍦 I know, brown bread ice cream sounds really weird, but it was delicious!

    We had enough time to drive Slea Head a second time...hoping for a little more sun. We didn't get the sunset we were hoping for, but we did stop back at Kruger's for a pub dinner. Learned about Sheep Dog peanut butter whiskey. Delicious!

    After a few hundred more photos, we arrived back in Dingle in time to hit a couple of pubs. Foxy John's is half pub, half hardware store. 😂 Then, down the street to Nelligan's for some TRAD (traditional) music to end our day.     Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    So many choices!
    200 year old Beech tree beside the nunnery,Stunning stain glass.Green fields + white clouds + blue sky = MagicConner Pass at the top just beneath the cloud cover.Blennerville MillThe mill's interior was fascinating.Eating morning treats for lunch.First view of Kilkee Cliffs and Pollock HolesLayers of rocks and ocean.Swimming holes come and go with the tides.Tidal Pools with extremely clear water.Layered rock shoreline with Richard in the distance.Is it still a "selfie" when there are two people in the shot?1Tiny flowers and huge cliffs.700 ft. from top to bottom.A view from O'Brians Tower built in 1835.Classic shot of Cliffs of Moher.Best buds.Gorgeous sunset at our lodging overlooking The Burren.

    Starting the morning right!

    May 12, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Starting the morning right. The local bakery, Courtney's, came highly recommended. Spot on! Scones, fresh cream filled donut, cinnamon donut, and an apple tart. 😋 No! We did NOT eat them all right away! Saved some for later. 😆

    Stopped in the church gardens across the street. Just lovely. They have a 200 year old beech tree according to Paudi ("not Paulie" we were told), the grounds keeper. Many nuns are buried under this tree as the building that now has a Catholic school was once a nunnery. The chapel has stained glass windows by Harry Clarke (1889-1931), an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator whose works are considered national treasures.

    We left a sunny Dingle to drive into the clouds covering the Conner Pass on our way to the Blennerville Windmill. What we thought was a photo op turned into a really interesting stop. The port here is where the Jeanne Johnson famine ship departed from for other lands (remember we saw this ship on Day 1). At 5 stories tall, this stone windmill is the largest working windmill in Ireland. The mill has been refurbished and is again operational. The miller gave us a tour and demonstrations about how it all functioned. Quite amazing. Even Richard learned something new! 🤓

    The ferry system has been grand.  We took a second car ferry trip today to cut over to the Kilkie Cliffs and Pollock Holes. This was yet another of the amazing "like another world" sites. 

    The Cliffs of Moher are one of the most famous sites and images of Ireland. The sheer cliffs are 700 ft high - second highest in Ireland and has one of the major bird nesting colonies. They are stunning to see!     Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    The village of Doolin
    Richard enjoying his time on the water - ferry trip to the Aran Islands.Arriving at Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran IslandsMichael and his horse Murphy giving us an island tour.The right side of green grass used to look like the left side of stone.2Having the best time!!!Love this little cottage on the hill.The stunning Cliffs of Moher from below.2My prize photo of the trip! 😂 I was determined to see a PUFFIN!This describes the Burren so very well.The amount of stone makes it feel like another world.The purple orchid, mountain avens (white) and Bird's-foot Trefiol (yellow)2Bloom where you land!The blooming blue Spring Gentian, an Artic-alpine species.Sitting amongst the glacial erratic - a rock that was carried here by glacial ice!Doonagore Castle on the way to Doolin for dinner.The "blue" European lobster was extremely tender and sweet. Yum!After dinner drinks. When in Ireland, a Guinness and a Jameson Old Fashion.

    Boats, Birds, and Burren Blooms

    May 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    We woke to beautiful blue skies for our trip to the Aran Islands (think Aran sweaters). The ferry ride was about 30 minutes out to the smallest and closest of the three islands. We toured in a "pony and trap" featuring Michael and Murphy. English is a second language for Michael as Galic is the spoken language of the island natives. He was a fisherman until he had to give it up by about 70 years old. Aran sweaters were designed and worn by the fishermen and each family had their own pattern. 

    Michael taught us about the fields and rock walls that are seen throughout the island (and much of Ireland)! The green fields we see were once full of stone that had to be sledgehammered into smaller bits. These rocks then needed to be moved someplace, so they used them to build fences. On the island, after the rock was busted up and the fences were built, they had to prepare the land for planting or grazing as there was little soil. In order to create soil, they hauled in sand and seaweed for years while slowly turned into useable soil for growing. 

    After our time on the island, we rode by the Cliffs of Moher for a "closer look" tour. We weren't as close as I had hoped to be able to see the nesting birds on the cliffs. So, I decided to focus on the birds I could see out in the water. My goal was to spot a puffin! My ability to spot a bit of orange from quite the distance paid off. 😂 PUFFIN SPOTTED and photographed! I know, this image is not going to be winning any prizes except in my own mind, but I am good with that. 

    The afternoon was spent in The Burren. This is an area that was formed millions of years ago and is "a vast cracked pavement of glacial-era limestone". It also is home to "an incredible array of flowers, from native species to Artic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants"!! They use a form of farming here called "winterage" where they allow cattle to graze these hills in winter. This clears the ground of tough grass and allows flowers and such to bloom come spring. Who knew such rocky terrrain could bloom so beautifully. 

    Back in Doolin for the evening, we had an amazing dinner of blue, European lobster that was caught that morning! They are not as common as the American lobsters due to the fact they grow slower, and that leads to a tasty, more tender lobster. Best one we have ever eaten! 

    It was another really great day.     Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    Ruins of castles seem to pop up all over!
    Us...with a bit of an arial view of the Burren behind us.The stones of the dolem are massive. How did they get the one on top?The tomb sits atop the high spot on the hill.It was so great to be able to meet up with my niece, if only briefly.The Pinnacle Well. An impressive building for a well.1We named this guy E2D2 - Eyore 2, Donkey 2.Apparently, the lighthouses are quite short here!Views of the landscape with the martello tower in the distance.The martello tower and out building.Good boy cruising the wall and patrolling his territory!Dunguaire CastleA staged Banquet Hall in the castle.The spirl staircase. These things are so narrow and steep!Moran's Oyster Cottage is a wonderful old thatched building.Watching the swans on the inlet after dinner.Our neighbors. They were quite chatty! Mooo!

    Portal Tomb, Donkey and Cows

    May 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    After driving through some of The Burren, we decided to stop in the Burren Center to learn more about the landscape we had seen yesterday.  This moon-like looking area was created millions of years ago and is one of the six national parks of Ireland. The Irish name is An Bhoireann, which means a place of stone. In spite of this, the landscape boasts 23 of the 27 types of wild orchids that are native to Ireland!

    There are a huge number of ruins here - castle, churches, forts, you n1ame it. It is not unusual to drive by ruins on a daily basis. Today, we happened across the Leamenh Castle Ruins on the way to the Poulnabrone Portal Tomb. The dolmen was constructed from slabs of limestone some time between 4200 BC and 2900 BC.

    You will wonder why I am telling you this next bit......but, our neice, Anna (Rhonda's middle girl) decided to do a study abroad program with ECU - to Ireland! As fate would have it, we were in Ireland at the same time. Rhonda really liked knowing we were here for Anna if needed. (You know, mom's can't help but worry about their babies). Today, we figured out we were really close to each other and worked out to meet up briefly at the Portal Tomb. 😊💜

    After the brief reunion, I met another donkey when we stopped to see The Pinnacle Well, a Gothic revival well house built in the 1860's. It was originally considered to be a holy well, but now is just a spot for people like us to stop and visit. 

    We then added a martello tower to our list of sites. A martello tower was a small defensive fort. They were built mostly along the coast by the British Empire in the 19th century. We next stopped by Dunguaire Castle, which was built in 1520 as a tower house on the shores of Glaway Bay. It was bought in 1924 by Oliver St. John Gogarty (surgeon and literary figure) who repaired the property. He then turned it into a meeting place for literary greats like George Bernard Shaw, Lady Gregory, J M Synge and W. B. Yeats.

    On our way to our next B&B, we stopped at Moran's Oyster Cottage, so Richard could enjoy some more Irish oysters. This place sits back along a weir in a quiet little inlet and has been around for 250 years! After a few wrong turns on the small rural roads, we found our B&B and met our neighbors for the next 2 nights.  Mooooo! 🐂hf    Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    Blue skies to start our day!
    "The Quiet Man" statue of John Wayne and Maureen O'HaraThe remains of a small church across from the abbey.Remenents of the cloisters at Cong AbbeyThe Monk's Fishing HouseCozy way to fish in the cold...sitting by a fireplace.Walking among the yew trees.The views of Lough Corrib.Driving through County Galway1This dude has some seriously fancy head gear!Easy version of a selfie taken in Hamilton's Pub in LeeannFjord Killary offered some beautiful views.1This may not look so grand but grand it is...a 1000 year old yew tree!These gals were great "moo"bors!

    "The Quiet Man", a fjord and bog lands

    May 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Flexibility can have great rewards! Mary, our hostess, recommended we drive out to see more of the countryside rather than spend time in the city. So, we decided to head into the country and just pop into Galway for a quick peak in the evening. Wow, are we glad we listened to Mary! 

    First stop, Cong. This is where John Wayne filmed "The Quiet Man". The town also had an abbey and a fishing house used by the monks over the Cong River. The tranquility of the place is hard to put into words. 

    The abbey was built in the 12th century, where a 7th century monastery had been. There are a few remanets of the cloisters still standing. The fishing house was built in the 15th or 16th century. Fish were a staple in the diet of the monks, so this little house made fishing in the cold a bit easier. They could use nets or the hole in the floor while they sat by a fire to keep warm!

    Heading toward the Killary Fjord, we spotted some amazing critters! The black faced Connemara Mountain Ram. Just look at those horns!! On to the fjord...created by a massive glacier. We stopped in a cute little pub in the villag of Leeann at the fjord for a pint before heading on to do more exploring!

    Our next stop was a "find". We noticed the bog fields were being cut for peat. This is essentially dead plant material that is cut into "logs" that are dried out and used for burning to heat homes in the winter. Rising heating costs are turning more people back to the use of peat to help cut their electric bills. The problem is peat is a very low oxygen, high carbon material. The bog is great for absording the carbon and only becomes a negative when used as fuel. It is an age-old tradition in rural areas. 

    As our trip continued, we passed by beautiful countryside and lots and lots of sheep! We stopped to tour Aughananure Castle, which was built in the 16th century on Lough Corrib out from Galway. There is a 1000 year old yew tree on the property! 

    We finished up our day with a drive through the City of Galway. While there is much to do and see in the city, we have enjoyed the countryside SO much more! Back to visit with our neighbors for the evening. 😊🐂    Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    Views from the morning drive.
    The Aasleagh Falls at the head of the Killary FjordWhen this is what you see out the car window!!These views just do not get old.Sheep on the beach! 😉Richard skipping rocks on Doo Lough in the Doolough Valley.Crough Patrick. Named for St. Patrick's time on top of the mount.The National Famine Memorial - a sculpture of a coffin ship.Near Doogort Pier on the north side of Achill Island.2Sure, just park in the road at the crest of a blind hill so you can take your photos! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️Keem Bay is stunning.The green and the blue are prefection!This guy. Nothing like living on the edge!Checking out the White Cliffs of Ashleam.All those little houses give you an idea of scale here. I'll take one of those houses!The clocktower in Westport.Town Square. We stayed in the yellow building.An interesting car park! Wonder what this building used to be?

    Stunning coastal sites

    May 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    We said goodbye to our "moo"bors and retraced a few of our steps from the previous day. Not a problem for us to see this landscape twice!! 

    Once we arrived back at the fjord, we did a  short hike up to the Aasleagh Falls where the Erriff River meets the fjord. This is a salmon river, but we did not see any. 😔

    Have you ever seen sheep on the beach? We did today. Well, sorta. Driving through the Doolough Valley, there were some beautiful lakes and sheep strolling the rocky lake beaches. Richard practiced his rock skipping skills out there...lots of super thin and flat rocks on this beach.

    Murrisk, a village on the southside of Clew Bay, sits at the foot of Croagh Patrick (Mt Patrick). History says St. Patrick spent 40 days atop the mountain, thus it is now seen as a holy site for many. Each year, there is a pilgrimage where thousands make the hike to the top. 

    In addition to the Crough Patrick, the National Famine Monument is here. It is a sculpture of a "coffin" ship. These were the ships that took up to 2 MILLION Irish to N. America during the famine. They called them coffins due to high death rates that ocurred on the voyages - apparently aveaged around 30%!! 😢

    We had read and heard a lot about Achill Island but had not figured out how to get there in our limited time. However, with the changes in our schedule yesterday, we had some "extra" time today to make the drive. It was quickly clear what the "hype" was all about . The water out there was some of the most beautiful shades of blue. WOW! Keem Bay is magical!

    After leaving Keem Bay, we stopped to see the White Cliffs of Ashleam Bay. I was quite distracted at this stop by the sheep who looked like he was gonna fall off the edge of the earth!

    Time to head to the lovely town of Westport for the night.    Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    Dun Briste (the sea stack) dwarfs the WWII lookout tower.
    The blow hole -- be cool to see it in action!Richard standing in the "R" of "EIRE". Note the interesting, lumpy ground.The penguin looking guys nesting on the cliffs are gillimonts.Zoom in...the layers of rock are simply fascinating!Cliff flowers - hearty yet beautiful.Cottage views of Downpatrick HeadThe 4300 year old bog pine.Statue of Yeats covered by his own words.First sites of Ben Bulben, an icon image of Ireland.High cross and round tower at Drumcliff, location of W.B. Yeats grave.Castle Classiebawn with Ben Bulben as a backdrop.A fairy bridge. 🧚‍♀️Most local pubs are typically pup friendly!The cute stone cottage we stayed in for the night.

    Yeats and Fairy Bridges

    May 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Today began with a stop at Downpatrick Head to see Dun Briste, a sea stack with nesting seabirds, a blowhole, an old WWII lookout post, the remains of the stone aerial marker, EIRE 64 (letting WWII pilots know they were flying over Ireland) and a the remains of a church founded by St. Patrick. It was a busy stop!

    We were able to see some of the birds nesting on the cliffs here. The gillimonts look kinda like little penguins. Notice they are mostly facing the rock in the photo in order to shield themselves from the winds. The ground here was interesting as well....very "bumpy" and spongy feeling.

    We stopped by the Ceide Fields to learn more about the 5500 year old stone walls, the oldest known walled fields on earth. The site was found when a local school teacher, Patrick Caulfield, was cutting turf (peat) in the 1930's. The bog held many secrets, including a bog pine tree that fell over 4300 years ago! The low oxygen nature of the bog preserved the underground treasures. 

    We made it to Sligo for lunch. This is W.B. Yeats territory where there is a cool statue of him. North of town, we see the first sightings of the mountain Ben Bulben. This is actually a large flat topped rock formation that was once part of a large plateau. Ben Bulben sits in the background when you see W.B. Yeats' gravesite. He is buried in Drumcliff at St. Columba's Church of Ireland, where his great grandfather had once served as rector. There was a monastery founded in about 575 that used to site on the grounds. The high cross (circa 1100) and a round tower from the 10th or 11th century are now all that remains.

    As we headed out of Drumcliff, we passed Castle Classiebawn, summer home to Lord Mountbatten (great uncle of King Charles, III). He was there spending time on his boat in 1979 when the IRA planted a bomb onboard, killing him and several members of their family. 

    I got to see a few of the smaller fairy bridges. 🧚‍♀️ We were not able to work in the Bridges of Ross earlier on our trip, so I was thrilled to find these to check out. Just amazing to see they way the water shapes the earth and rock over time. 

    We saw a little of the town of Donegal before heading to Glenties for a bite of dinner, then to our little stone cottage for the night.     Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    Assaranca Waterfall
    Julie discovering coins in the carved post.Glengesh ViewpointLough Croaghballaghdown with blackface lamb in foreground.I'm ready for my close-up.Slieve League Cliffs - the highest in Ireland even though it is hard to tell with the fog!Julie walked this trail to the top. Richard's knees said not today.Starting to get really cloudy. Time to move on.The Donegal Castle with the manor house addition.Richard put this photo in...he likes the dead birds hanging on the wall.😂That is quite the fireplace and surround!The Derry Guildhall suffered damage many times during the Troubles.The organ in the Guildhall was quite impressive!Having a pint at "the Gainsy" as the locals say. The Gainsborough was est 1729This looks just like our Boone! It was hanging in the lobby of the Bishop's Gate Hotel.A view of the Bogside from the wall. This area is mostly Catholic/Irish republicans.The promenade atop the city walls. You can see 3 of the 22 cannons from the 16th - 18th cen.Fun with the Derry Girls in DerryBishop's Gate, one of the original entrances to the city from early 1600's.

    Cliffs in the Clouds

    May 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    After leaving our little nest of a cabin, we stopped to enjoy some early morning time at a waterfall, a drive through the mountains on our way to the highest cliffs in Ireland...the Slieve League.

    The Assaranca Waterfall flowed into a small pool below. The thing that caught my attention was a post/log that has some fairly detailed carving on it. People had shoved coins into the slits of the wood, but we have no real idea why as, we could not find anything to tell us about the post.

    The Slieve League cliffs are twice the height of the Cliffs of Moher. Good thing we went early as the longer we were there, the foggier it got, and more and more people showed up. UGH! Tourists! 😂😉 We weren't able to see the tops of the cliffs due to the fog, but it was still worth the drive out to see it.

    We returned to Donegal to see the castle and get a bite of lunch before leaving the Republic of Ireland for Northern Ireland. The city of Derry (per the Rep of Ire) or Londonerry (per Northern Ireland) is a city on the border. This is the Derry in "Derry Girls" for anyone who watched the show. Let me just say the accent from the show is for real!! As "Derry Girls" show, The Troubles (think U2's "Sunday, Bloody Sunday") were fought here as well as in Belfast. You can learn more here: https://www.history.com/news/the-troubles-north…

    Derry's history goes back long before The Troubles began, of course. It was the last fully walled city to be built (1613-1618) in Ireland and the only Irish city whose ancient walls are completely intact. The walls were built by the Irish in defense of the early settlers coming in from England and Scotland. We walked all the way around atop the wall - about a mile. A stop was made to take a selfie in front of the "Derry Girls" mural, which can be seen from the city wall. Our walk and our day wrapped up at Bishop's Gate (see photo), one of the four original gates to the city.    Read more

  • The Brown PeacockTravelerIreland 2023
    The PEACE mural in the Bog Side.
    Even the children were fighting...Mussenden TempleHorse and driver on the strand.Enjoying Bushmills!Viewing the vally and strand from above.Dunluce Castle - on the edge of cliff.Inside DunluceA view of The Wishing Arch from Dunluce.Our "hitchhiker"!Crossing over Carrick-a-RedeRazorbills have cool white lines on their bills.Crossing back to the mainland.The Guinness murals are great fun!The Game of Thrones door.💜 ECU PIRATES 💜Another view of DunluceJulie and AnnaSuch an unbelievable coastline!

    Whiskey and a Hitchhiker

    May 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 63 °F

    Before leaving Derry this morning, we drove through the Bogside and looked at some of the political murals. Murals like the ones in the photos are numerous in Derry and Belfast and were all painted to educate those who did not live through The Troubles.

    We headed toward the northern coast and made our first stop at Downhill. Julie wanted to see Mussenden Temple built on the edge of the cliff. Stopping in the small village of Downhill, we were entertained by some harness racing horses and their drivers. The strand of beach offered a training ground for the horses. Still looking for breakfast at 9:30 AM and the coffee shop not opening until 10, we took the horse trainer's advice and drove up to a lookout point.

    After a lovely tea and scone bite to eat, we were off again! Arriving at Dunluce Castle, we encountered parking issues and were facing some time constraints as we soon had a tour booked to get to. Julie jumped out to go on in and get photos while Richard dealt with the car. Not realizing it, Julie entered the castle grounds with a tour group and failed to pay. 🤦‍♀️ Oops.

    Built on an outcrop of basalt rock, you reach the castle via a small bridge. It is easy to see why this spot was chosen given the views. This castle has quite a tale to tell - including the legend of part of the kitchen falling off one night and into the ocean below! This was one of the filming sights for Game of Thrones.
    More here: https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/dunluce-castle…

    That booked tour we had to get to was at Bushmills Distillery - the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery. Records date to 1608!! The tour was very interesting. The difference in Irish Whiskey and Scottish Whiskey is the number of times it is distilled. Irish = 3 for a smoother finish. Scottish = 2 for a smokier finish. Enjoyed the tasting room at the end of the tour. 🥃

    Heading back through the town of Bushmills, we found a cute little hitchhiker and decided to invite her to join along with us. 😂 Anna, our neice, had spent the morning traveling up from Dublin to Belfast to Bushmills via train and bus. The first item on our list was the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge. This is a rope bridge 100 feet above the sea below that crosses a 60 ft chasm. The original bridge used only a single rope for fishermen to hold onto as they crossed. The views were beautiful, and we had a closer view of some of the birds nesting on the cliffs. Got a few good shots of some razorbills!

    Time for a pint! The Fullerton Arms fit the bill as we left Carrick-a-Rede. It sports a great Guinness mural on the end of the building. It also has a very special front door. In 2016, there was a storm that felled a couple of trees in the Dark Hedges, a location closely associated with The Game of Thrones. HBO and Tourism Northern Ireland decided to have the trees turned into 10 doors. They are beautifully carved doors, and one is at the Fullerton Arms.
    More info: https://discovernorthernireland.com/blog/read/2…

    After finding our B&B for the night, we had an early dinner at The Smugglers Inn. It was an appropriate stop for a couple of ECU PIRATES! 💜💛

    The coast line was so beautiful we stopped for a few more photos on the way back to our B&B.    Read more

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