An Itinerary of Ireland for Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Rider

Day 1  Weds July 19th    Arrive Shannon.

Askeaton	Foynes 1941	De Vere's House

 

Shannon to Killarney without stops is just over a 2 hour drive.
Take the road along the River Shannon towards Glin.  Stop in Askeaton, home in the 18th century of The Hell Fire Club.  On the River Deel, Askeaton was of great importance during medieval times. Desmond Castle dominates the town. The tower rising from Deel island, the fine windows and fireplace, and to the west of the tower, a great banqueting hall are all from the 15th century. The Franciscan friary built in 1389, was plundered and burnt in 1579 by Sir John Marbie. Some friars were also massacred. Saint Marys Church is a 13th century building, whose ruins are the Protestant Church. Nearby is the grave of the poet Aubrey de Vere.  
 
During the 1930s and early 1940s, the port of Foynes, the next village,  was the fulcrum point for air traffic between the United States and Europe. The famous flying boats were frequent visitors, carrying passengers who ranged from celebrities to refugees. The Foynes museum recalls the era with a comprehensive range of exhibits and graphic illustrations. It also includes a 1940s style cinema, the original terminal building through which many VIP's passed, war years' radio and the weather room. Irish coffee was "invented" here in 1943.

 

Carry on to Killarney to overnight in The Killarney Park, a 5 * hotel in the centre of the town with an excellent spa

 

Far and Away	Gallarus	Slea Head

 

 Day 2    The Dingle Peninsula
 
For a trip to the heart of the Kerry Gaeltacht, travel around the Dingle Peninsula, the most northerly of the hilly promontories of County Kerry. Take the road to Dingle town along the southern shores of the Peninsula via Milltown, Castlemaine, Inch and Annascaul. From Dingle travel on and visit Slea Head, Dunquin, Ballyferriter and back into Dingle. There is magnificent coastal scenery at the Western end of the peninsula.  Dingle is the main town on the Dingle Peninsula, the westernmost point in Ireland. It is just big enough to have all the necessary services for tourists.The harbour is always busy with fishing boats and yachts, and its few streets are lined with brightly painted shops, pubs and restaurants. In 1970, Dingle was introduced to the world through the film Ryans Daughter, and Dingle fans from all over the world flock to the small town every year. In the 1990's, the town has gained fame in the world of music, history, gastronomy, scenery and not least it's friendly dolphin.

 

Overnight Killarney Park

Day 3  
 
The Ring of Kerry is a circular route around the Iveragh Peninsula.  It is best to do it in an anti clockwise direction - Killorglin, Glenbeigh, etc.
 
Hightlights are :
 
The Killarney National Park, Muckross, Torc Waterfall and The Lakes
 
Killorglin situated on a hill overlooking the wide and graceful River Laune, a river offering salmon and trout angling. Dominating the landscape to the south are the MacGillycuddys Reeks. It is the location of the famous "Puck Fair" festival - On the bridge into the town is a salmon smoke house called The Fishery.
 
The Bog Village is situated half way between Killorglin and Glenbeigh on the main Ring of Kerry route. It is a must for you to stop off and enjoy a step back in time to the early 18th century to recapture the way life would have been at that time. Peat, or turf as it is usually called in Ireland, is harvested from bogs and is still used as domestic fuel. The village is here to preserve the past for your enjoyment. This is a most worthwhile and historic visit to see the real Kerry life as it was, in the heart of Kerry's bogland. The Bog Village is adjacent to the Red Fox Inn Bar and Restaurant, which is open seven days a week.
 
Glenbeigh is a popular holiday base nestled at the foot of a well-wooded mountain and close to the head of Dingle Bay.  It is dominated by the strange ruin of Wynn's Folly, or Hedley Towers, once home of the Winns, Barons Headley. The Title dated from 1797. Wynn's Folly was burnt down in 1922. The view from 'Wynn's Folly is superb, and provides a breathtaking view of the village and surrounds of Glenbeigh.  After Glenbeigh you will pass through Kells Bay where a local shepherd gives demonstrations of working sheep dogs
 
From Cahirciveen you can divert to the right and take the car ferrry to Knightstown on Valentia Island.  Be sure to visit The Slate Quarry, Glanleam Gardens and The Tetrapod Trackway -   In 1993 an undergraduate geology student (Iwan Stossel) made the discovery of a lifetime. While examining rocks on the island's coast he came across a rock platform containing a set of ancient animal footprints. The tracks have since been dated to almost 400 million years ago and are regarded as among the earliest footprints known to science, and certainly the oldest known footprints in Europe.
 
Valentia is an island of unique scenic beauty, tropical vegetation, breathtaking cliffs and magnificent seascapes. The island is an excellent centre for sea angling and diving in unpolluted waters. The bridge was built at Portmagee in 1970. The island, about 11km long by 3km wide is one of the most westerly points of Europe. The surface is bold and rocky, two prominent features being Geokaun Mountain 268 meters on the north and Bray head 180 metres on the south, both are splendid vantage points for the sightseer. The Skellig Experience is located here. This is where the story of the Skelligs is told. The themes include the monastic settlement, the lighthouse, the bird and underwater life.
 
Head on to Ballinskelligs via St Finans Bay.  In Ballinskelligs is the Cill Rialaig Centre - once a deserted and almost forgotten pre-famine village of thatched stone cottages situated on the Bolus road near Ballinskelligs, it is now an international artists' retreat .  Nearby is the Skellig Chocolate Factory - total indulgence!
 
On through Charlie Chaplin's Waterville and Cagerdaniel where, by golden beaches, stands Derrynane House, the ancestral home of Daniel O'Connell, lawyer, politician and statesman. Today some 120 hectares of the lands of Derrynane, together with Derrynane House, make up Derrynane National Historic Park. Plantations and garden walks were laid out in the 18th and 19th centuries, principally north and west of the house. Some features of the demesne are strongly associated with Daniel O'Connell, including the old Summer House. The main area of the gardens, set inland and to the north of the house, can be reached through a tunnel under the road.
 
Between Waterville and Derrynane you will see a Neolithic Stone alignment on the ridge above the LHS of the road.  Outside Caherdaniel is a ruined Iron Age fort on the RHS.
 
Near Castlecove, some distance to the left off the main road, is Staigue Fort - probably the finest example of a stone fort in Ireland, and is about 2500 years old. It is built of local stone and is almost circular, 27m in diameter. The walls are almost 4m thick at the base, and 2m thick at the top. The north side is still perfect with some of the old coping stones still in position. There are two small chambers in the wall, one on the west side and one on the north side. The stairways are probably the most interesting feature of the fort, and run inside the wall almost to the wall's full height. They lead to narrow platforms on which the fort's defenders stood.
Through Sneem and back to Killarney
 
Good eating places en route are  The Bianconi in Killorglin, , The Ballinskelligs Inn or The Cill Rialaig Centre, Waterville Golf Course Club House,  The Skellig Inn (but arrive late after the coaches have gone).

 

Day 4 
Morning coffee in  Adare, a very pretty village and well worth a stop. There are some lovely shops and three medieval abbeys here as well as the Desmond Castle and the Trent Jones golf course surrounding the neo-gothick Adare Manor.  Through  Ennis and by way of Thor Ballylee, the tower house in which the poet W B Teats did much of his writing, and continuing the literary experience with a visit to Coole Park, outside Gort, which was the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, dramatist and co-founder with Edward Martyn and W.B. Years of the Abbey Theatre.   Along the shore of Galway Bay and on to the village of Cong where Pierce Brosnan was married,  and was also the setting for the movie The Quiet Man. Nearby are the stone circle of Cong and the pagan Gods of the Neale. Overnight Ashford Castle.

Day 5

 

From Ashford explore Connemara.  Connemara is a region which is often described as the heartland of Irish culture. It is rich in tradition and is famous for it's warm hospitality. The area offers a dramatic mix of scenery from lakeland to rugged coastline, from bogland in the South to lush woodland in the North.  On the east side of Lough Corrib are the impressive remains of Ross Friary. On the way back towards Galway, travelling through the heart of Connemara, you'll pass Gowla Mine, where you can actually go down a mine shaft;  In Galway itself you should explore Shop Street and Quay Street (being sure to visit the Kenny Gallery), have a look at the old city wall in the Eyre Square shopping centre and, like Columbus, visit the church of St Nicholas.
 Overnight Ashford

 
Day 6 

 

Explore North Connemara, Westport and Clew Bay.

From Ashford first visit Ballintubber Abbey, pausing at Glebe Stone Circle, a prehistoric place of worship. The road from Ballintubber to Westport is the old Pilgrim trail and passes an ancient round tower. Westport is a charming 18th century town with lots of shops and a fine stately home that can be visited, the home of the Marquis of Sligo. Lunch on the harbour in Westport at one of the many bars - The Asgard is my favourite. Westport also has a couple of very well known antique shops.Follow the road through the mountains of North Connemara to Killary Harbour, a deep fjord, and then at Leenane, where the movie The Field was shot, swing inland and travel along the banks of Lough Nafooey back to Cong. In Cong explore some of the caves (but be careful - they can be slippery) or take a horse drawn tour of the sites of the John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara 's movie The Quiet Man.

 

Day7    

 

Spend the day exploring The Burren.  Head  to The Cliffs of Moher. Natural ramparts against the might of the Atlantic, they rise in places to over 215m and stretch for almost 8km. It is here that the visitor can most easily get a feel for the wildness of the terrain over which the Celts wandered. O'Brien's Tower, constructed in the early 19th century as a viewing point for Victorian tourists, is located on Mohers highest cliff. From its vantage point you can view the Clare coastline, the Aran Islands and mountains as far apart as Kerry and Connemara. 
 
Lisdoonvarna, Ireland's premier spa and a popular holiday resort in its own right, is in the hilly Burren country of north Clare. Only 8km from the sea, the town is surrounded by an interesting district with varied scenery. The Lisdoonvarna waters are sulphurous and chalybeate springs, all of which contain the valuable therapeutic element of iodine. Much of the efficacy of the waters especially the sulphur water is ascribed to their radioactive properties.  On the edge of the town is an excellent salmon smokehouse. 
 
Though not a garden, the Burren District of County Clare is so unique it is a "must visit" for those interested in flora. It is a karst limestone region, and presents the most distinctive landscape in Ireland. The area is noted for its wide variety of ancient monuments and also for its wealth of places of geological, botanical and speleogical interest.  Home to some of the rarest of Irish wild flowers, it is the place to see Dryas octopetala, Potentilla fruitcosa, Pinguicula grandiflora, Gentiana verna, and the Adiantum capillus-veneris. The last is unknown elsewhere in Ireland and grows in clefts of limestone rock sheltered from the wind. From April to July this strange landscape is a centre for botanists and gardeners from all over the world.

 

Overnight Dromoland Castle

 

 

   

Day 8

 

There are several options, depending on the weather.
 One is to explore Limerick city.  The Georgian House on Pery Square recreates the life of the 18th century city and in the mews there is an exhibition of Limerick’s most famous book, Angela’s Ashes.   St Mary’s Cathedral was built in 1172 by Donal Mor O'Brien, King of Munster, and  contains many fine antiquities. The main points of interest to be seen are the pre-reformation stone altar. The Lepers Squint, the Reardos of the high Altar, and the misericords which are mercy seats used by the clergy during services.  King John’s Castle was built between 1200 and 1210 and was repaired and extended many times in the following centuries. The Visitors centre at the Castle contains and imaginative historical exhibition which tells the story of the Castle. Archaeological excavations from the traumatic siege of 1642. The courtyard and castle display some of the trades and traditions of the 16th century with the aid of costumed characters. The castle offers panoramic views of Limerick City.  Nearby is the Hunt Museum, home to one of Ireland's greatest private collections of art and antiquities. Generously donated to the 'people of Ireland' by John and Gertrude Hunt who collected the objects from the four corners of the world. The Collection reflects our Celtic past as well as masterworks by Da Vinci, Yeats and Renoir. The elegant 18th century Custom House provides an ideal setting.  In the immediate vicinity of Dromoland is the remarkable and unknown stone age fort of Moohaughan,  the village of Quinn with its abbey and 15th century Bunratty Castle and the folk museum in its grounds, where traditional houses that were to be demolished in other parts of the country have been re built with their original furnishings.

 

Overnight Dromoland castle