When we woke to our only full day in Dingle, we couldn’t understand why the area was so crowded with people, until we learned there was a marathon planned that day.

We got up early (around 7am) to move to better spots, I didn’t even get dressed. Linda and Steven decided to mostly hunker down for the day, as it was loud during the night and hard to sleep due to the noisy people milling about. I couldn’t go back to sleep after moving, but Bill did for a couple of hours. We then walked around town, checking out the little shops. We went into the Visitor Center and picked up some of their literature and a couple of maps. We also found the post office so I could mail Tommy a couple of post cards. The marathon runners were finishing, so we watched for a little while. We really needed a quieter day after all the busyness, and Dingle was an excellent place to relax.

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Day 14: Thankfully, we were all able to get a better night sleep. I woke feeling rested and relaxed – ready for what was next. Ahead of us was one of our longer drive days to Milltown Malbay. We were stopping in this small little town so I could show Bill the town my fathers family was likely from. Unfortunately it can’t be 100% confirmed because the records were kept in a church and the church burnt down a long time ago. When my father first visited Ireland, almost 30 years ago, he went to Milltown Malbay to see what he could find out. Somehow, he ended up at the post office, where the man there knew people with his grandmothers last name – Cahill and Markham. He got invited to the home of someone the postman knew and even though they couldn’t confirm he was related, they invited him in and called others to come meet him. He ended up staying a couple of hours and having a meal with them. Irish hospitality at its finest.

We toured the town on foot, which has changed a lot since I first visited back in 2004. We snapped some pics. Bill and Steven went into one of the pubs for a pint while Linda and I relaxed in Bijou (their RV). Another great day in the books.

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Day 15: The iPhone alarm sounded at 7:30am and we were pulling out of Tom Malones Pub Campground by 9. We had about a 40-minute drive to the town of Doolin. It’s one of the more well-known towns because it is there you will find the (literally) world famous Cliffs of Moher. Since Linda and Steven had visited our next “home” before, there was no issue getting there and getting checked in. The Nagles Camping and Caravan Park allowed us to arrive early and park because Steven called ahead and told them we wanted to hike the cliff walk before the expected nasty weather hit. We got parked and set up quickly. I packed us water, snacks, and rain gear before we hit the trail. I truly cannot adequately describe in words what we saw as we hiked – so I’ll just show you in pics.

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We completed the 7.3km (4.5 mile) hike in about 3 hours. Why so long? Well, we were walking along side a cliff edge on what reminded me of what a goat trail would look like.

We arrived at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center just as the rain began in earnest, ready for a snack and rest. After we munched on some nuts and wet our whistles we walked through the Visitor Center. The helpful Information Desk called us a taxi to “carry” us back home. Since the taxi said he would be about a half hour, we had plenty of time to check out the gift shop before walking to the pick-up location.

We arrived home exhausted but also exhilarated – what a great hike! And what made it even better was the rain held off until the very end. It was quite windy though so our rain gear still came in handy.

A long hot shower in the bathhouse helped warm me up – but I did have to wait out a burst of rain when I was done.

Day 16: We were up and ready to go by 9:30 the following morning. Linda decided to stay home while Bill, Steven, and I walked 5 minutes down to the ferry terminal, to catch the 10am ferry to Inis Oirr a.k.a. Inisheer. Inisheer is the smallest and closest to the mainland of the famed Aran Islands. The seas were calm, completely unlike the last time I visited the tiny island 18 years ago with my Dad. That day the seas were rough and mostly everyone on board was sick, most of them throwing up into little barf bags. My Dad and I were supposed to go all the way out to Inishmoor that day, but at the first stop – I looked at him and told him I would not make it and I needed to get off the boat NOW. We ended up having a great day that day once my tummy calmed down.

Back to the current visit, the 15-20 minute ferry ride was smooth thankfully. As soon as we had disembarked and were walking along the pier, a gentleman approached us to ask “Would you like a horse and trap tour?” We discussed it for a moment and decided yes – we’d love to!

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Rain was threatening, but held off, during our one-hour tour, which took us past the school, medical center, and out to the shipwreck, before dropping us off at the bottom of the very steep hill to the church. We wandered around taking it all in for a while and then the guys decided a pint was in order. I opted for a Baileys, since you guys know I don’t drink beer, not even Guinness.

We caught the 13:45 (1:45pm) ferry back. It was a quick, but fabulous visit!

Since we were back with plenty of afternoon left, it was a good time to get laundry done, and we just relaxed for a few hours.

Later on, we walked into the little town of Doolin; O’Connors Pub was our destination. Linda and I chose the same things for our dinner – a starter order if garlic mussels and lamb shank as our main. YUMMY!

Day 17: Steven and Linda had to leave to attend a funeral in Dublin, so Bill and I were on our own for a few days.

The weather was looking iffy at best, but it was our last day in Doolin, so we decided to walk a bit to see at least part of The Burren. This area in County Clare is basically limestone rock that covers the ground, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen anywhere else.

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We stayed out for about an hour and then went back to our MH to get warm, before walking into town.

I had hoped to get breakfast, but they stopped serving at 10am (it was now about 10:30) so we shopped a bit then walked back to make our own brunch. The rest of the day we packed up and got ready for leaving the next day, planning our route, etc.

Bill’s Lingo Lesson:

cheeky = somewhat impolite or rude

knackered = tired

pasties = pastries

skip = dumpster

lift = elevator

Dash Cam Footage:

Previous Post: Kilkenny, Cashel, Cobh/Cork, and Killarney – Ireland/Scotland #3

Looking forward to: Galway, Donegal, and Giants Causeway

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