We arrived in Kinsale yesterday evening, drove through the town on roads so narrow that we could touch the people on the sidewalks, hunted desperately for a place to park, and finally found our guest house, only to find that there was nobody to let us in! Oh no! We found a note, but the problem was that our phones did not work. Denise went across the street to a restaurant and called, and eventually someone came to let us in. Tierney's Guesthouse was very clean, but had tiny rooms. The beds were the worst we had slept on, but the showers were the BEST! Probably our least favorite place so far. But the location was perfect, and we loved our breakfast next door at the Lemon Leaf Cafe! And because we didn't come to Ireland to stay in our rooms, it didn't matter at all!
We settled into our rooms last night, then walked through the town to find a place to eat, finally deciding on fish and chips from Dino's! The food was delicious, and the view was the BEST!
This morning we explored this beautiful coastal town a bit, then headed toward the water. We walked up a road overlooking the harbor and town. It was SO very quite and peaceful, and once again, we didn't want to leave.
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| So many charming homes! |
We left Kinsale and made our way to the Wild Atlantic Way, and some of the most beautiful scenery EVER. We pulled over on the side of the road to look at the map, and a woman came over to the car and asked if we were lost. WE WEREN'T--just getting our bearings. But she encouraged us to travel to Mizen Head, the most southern part of Ireland, and we decided to follow her advice. And we are SO glad that we did.
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| We had been waiting to see sheep since we arrived in Ireland, and couldn't resist pulling over to take pictures. We didn't know at this point just how many we would see during our two weeks in Ireland. |
We visited the Mizen Head Signal Station, which was erected in 1906 to help prevent shipwrecks on the rocks. The station was manned by three keepers until 1993, when it became automated and a visitor attraction was created. We walked down a long path along the cliffs, and then crossed a bridge to get to the station. Scary! (But not as scary as Carrick-a-Rede!)
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| One of the gorgeous views from the path leading to the signal station |
We left Mizen Head and traveled on the Wild Atlantic Way towards Kenmore, the next place that we would spend the night. We were not expecting the curvy mountain roads, nor the breathtaking scenery. We stopped at Molly's Old Tea Room (Molly Gallivan's Cottage and Traditional Farm) and met the nicest man. He answered our many questions, pointed out his home-place across the valley, and sold Art a GREAT hat!
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| Planning a trip to Ireland? Stop here! |
He asked where we were headed, and when we told him that we were going to Kenmare and spending the night at the Lissyclearig Thatch Cottage, he laughed and said that he would give the owners a call and let them know that we were on our way. It just so happened that they were friends of his! He was able to give us excellent directions, and we were on our way!
Lissyclearig Thatch Cottage
The Thatch Cottage was by far our favorite place to stay at this point in our journey. It was charming--so many wonderful details! The cottage was built by the owner himself, and had beautiful window boxes, flower gardens, hand-made furniture, and such friendly hosts.
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| The view from our bedroom window |
This was may favorite day so far!
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