Walk 20/2007 – the Dingle Peninsular, Ireland

Friday 21st September 2007

12 of us all met up at Stansted Airport for a very early morning flight to Kerry but the first of a number of calamities during the day was experienced on route. Graham lost his wallet including his passport and all the travel details and only realised whilst on the airport transfer bus. Luckily on return to his car, he found it lying under the adjacent parked car, but we sure did have some anxious moments whilst he returned to the car park on the bus.

On arrival at Kerry we hired 3 vehicles of differing size and comfort! It was difficult for us to get the ‘Astra’ moving on route, it was an automatic and the foot needs to be on the brake pedal for starting up (Ed – it was slightly worrying that Barbara, having volunteered to drive the automatic, didn’t know which the brake pedal was!). There was no access to a manual which did not help matters, in addition Nigel’s reference to why– ‘the risk of it being stolen’ caused much confusion; Nigel and Cathy were talking at cross–purposes as Cathy understood manual to mean a car with manual gears!

We stopped at Dingle for lunch at the Apple Tree café, we enjoyed a variety of foods from cooked breakfasts to jacket potato and soup, and it was our first experience of the relatively high cost of eating in Ireland. Graham also had the second calamity of the day; he split his trousers and almost lost his car keys through the large hole. – Oh dear.

Our plan for the afternoon was to visit the Blasket Islands and walk around Great Blasket. Unfortunately the ferry was cancelled for an indefinite period due to the rough seas. Instead we relaxed in the brilliant hot sunshine and all took a gentle stroll around the ferry jetty and across the grassy fields to the cliff edge – there were good photo opportunities as we took in our first sightings of the spectacular scenery. We also enjoyed watching a solitary seal bobbing along in the seas.

Later, most of us took a second short walk up a rocky outcrop with good views over the surrounding area and sea; the group sat at the top for a rest in the hot sun and Diane was dreaming of the delivery of an ice cream. Simon, Andy, and Judith on the other hand found their own little stony outcrop on which to rest and were labelled by a true friend as ‘the three chimpanzees’.

Frequent rests and quiet moments were caught when required. The early morning start of 2:30 am was difficult to endure for 20 hours and individuals were amusingly observed to flop at differing intervals throughout the day, whilst some were nodding others would experience a manic spurt of life and energy. Then a matter of an hour later there would be role reversals!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing in Krugers bar with one or two drinks. Cathy was introduced to the value of Pernod to assist with the third calamity of the day and if you didn’t have a pint of Guinness then it was a pint of Smithwicks, a mid brown and flavoursome pint but complaints were around it’s fizziness.

Our return to the hostel was accompanied by an energetic terrier dog that I named Skippy as he dangerously dodged the traffic; certainly sharing the 9 lives of a cat! A field full of sheep was also not too impressed with his antics and passing visit! Our hostel had an exquisite setting, well situated in the small remote village of Dun Chaoin with great views overlooking the Dingle Peninsula and the Blasket Islands. We were warmly welcomed in the very clean hostel with home cooked roast chicken and mashed protates served with chips; another observation of living in Ireland was that you get 2 – 3 different potato servings in one meal; but lets remind ourselves that it is the “land of the Spud”.

Report – Cathy

Photos – Alan unless indicated otherwise

Walk rating – only a stroll but excellent views.

We arrive at Dun Chaoin and take in the views and fresh air. (Andy)	View of the Blasket Islands from the road down to the harbour.
An alternative view. (Owen)	Dun Chaoin Harbour.
What’s this? A study of soles? (Owen)	More of the spectacular scenery.
And again.	More standing around in the sun.
The Youth Hostel.	The view from the front of the hostel.
There were lots a fushias along the road side. Combined with the odd palm tree, you could be in Spain.	View from the rock we decided to climb with the Three Sisters in the distance.
Views from the rock.	Noelyne, Diane and Judith reach the top. (Andy)
Another view from the top. (Owen).	CAPTION COMPETITION – who can come up with the best caption? Send entries to Alan.
Pretty pictures of the rock.	Pretty pictures of the rock.