Dingle Town

Yesterday was our very first day of bad weather, and it wasn't that bad--just extremely DREARY.  We couldn't even tell where the water ended and the sky began.  But after beginning our day with a cheery fire, cheese toast and lattes, we left to explore Dingle Town, stopping at the Famine Cottages on the way.

Slea Head Famine Cottages

 

For the generations of families who lived in The Famine Cottages life was very hard, especially during the Famine years. One story tells that during the mid- to late-1800s, the family living here had six of their children die at birth, possibly because of the poor health and living condition of the time.  Nobody really knows.  Because the children had not been baptized before death, the Catholic church would not allow them to be buried in a graveyard of the church. The parents had no choice but to bury all six children on their own land. They were all laid to rest just a few hundred yards from the cottage, and a simple stone cross marks their grave.

The potato famine took place in the mid-1800s, when a blight killed all the potatoes for several consecutive years.  Irish tenant farmers struggled to provide for their families, and at the same time provide the land owners and the British government with a cash crop.  When crops failed, many land owners evicted their tenants, and the British government did little or nothing to alleviate the pain and suffering of the Irish farmers and their families.  The people of western Ireland were especially affected.  Many died, and many emigrated to other countries.  I had always heard about the Great Famine in Ireland, but I didn't understand the horrors of it.  I'm sure that I still don't fully understand, but my eyes were certainly opened.

Dingle Town

This was a bank holiday weekend, and we headed into Dingle Town to celebrate.  We were delighted to find a Feile na Bealtaine, or May Festival, in progress, complete with a parade of school children depicting famous artists.  So much fun!

We celebrated with a "chocolate biscuit" from the Farmer's Market (the Farmer's Market which turned out to be four food booths--maybe five).

After walking around town in the cold drizzle, and ducking into a few shops, we were ready to warm up with lunch at Murphy's Pub.  Hot chowder, toasted sandwiches, and chips (fries) hit the spot.

And THEN we went to Murphy's  Ice Cream (not the same as the pub) to sample their famous ice cream.  I had brown soda bread ice cream, which I heartily recommend!  All of the ice cream is made right there in Dingle with all Irish ingredients.

While it seems that all we did was eat, we LOVED exploring this little town so full of charm.  It was the perfect way to spend such a cloudy, dreary day.

The sun came out just a little bit on our way back to the farmhouse, and we stopped at the beach in Ventry.  So beautiful. 

When we planned our trip, we knew that Dingle would be our half-way point, and that we would probably want to rest and relax some.  So on our last night on the Dingle Peninsula, we settled in at our farmhouse, ate carry-out pizza, and did just that.

This morning we left our wonderful Dingle Farmhouse and headed towards Lahinch, where we would spend the next two nights.  Because we have eaten at so many fabulous pubs, cafes and restaurants, I thought I would mention our breakfast.

We ate in the grocery store in Dingle Town!  And it was good!

And then we traveled over the Conor Pass.  Oh my.   According to one account I read, it "offers to drivers the breathtaking, cliff hanging experience of navigating through Ireland's highest mountain pass, in a road tight and precarious, weaving its way around the sharp cliff faces."  And it was rainy.  And yes, this is for two-way traffic!  This was taken through the windshield, but you get the picture (literally).

A little bit of sun peaked through the clouds though, and the views truly were breathtaking.

As beautiful as the Conor Pass was, I was relieved when we reached the end!

On to our next destination - County Clare!