July 19, 2024

July 19, 2024

From Dingle Town, we set out to explore the Slea Head Loop of the Dingle Peninsula. It is an easier drive than Kerry, because of the lack of big tour buses. Yet we are finding the sites not as compelling. The first stop at an Iron Age Stone Fort was disappointing. Half of the cliff-side fort has washed into the sea and the rest was behind steel fencing for safety. We totally skipped some Beehive Huts. Yet the coastal scenery was nice.

The wind is almost gale-force so we ducked indoor and spent some time going through the Great Blasket Centre about a group of hardy Irish that lived a tough existence for centuries on the nearby island. It became famous because many of the residents turned to writing to describe their life to the outside world. Aimee was shocked to see her family name among the small number of residents.

Our last stop was at the Gallarus Oratory, a small early Christian stone rubble church. It is so small it is hard to believe it could hold very many people.

After circling back to Dingle Town, we left the Peninsula climbing over Conor Pass. From the top we see several glacier lakes below. It is a long descent down to the valley. We stop at a small waterfall fed by one of the lakes, Lough Doon. We scramble up the rock embankment to the hanging lake perched into the cliff. Very Cool.

We spend the next two hours driving north, past the town of Tralee, till we hit the Shannon River Estuary. Twelve miles east we visit the Foynes Flying Boat Museum. A few years ago I watched a series of documentaries on Pan Am Airlines and their development of transoceanic passenger service using Yankee Clipper Flying Boats. None of these airplanes have survived but a full-size replica sits in this museum because the Shannon Estuary was the landing spot for Clipper flights to Europe. The museum sits inside the original terminal building. Clipper service to Europe only lasted a few years from 1937-1945.

We start our visit touring the Boeing 314 Clipper. Because the airplane was slow the flight time from NYC to Shannon was an excruciating 25 hours. It was luxurious service only for the rich. Seating was spacious, and turned into beds. There was a full restaurant aboard. I am sure it had its downside. It was probably very noisy and bumpy.

We quickly toured the rest of the museum. There is a large section on Irish actress Maureen O’Hara. She was married to a Clipper pilot, supported the museum, and donated her memorabilia to it. Besides her dresses, shoes, and honorary Oscar, it has the Jaunting Car used in the local movie The Quiet Man with John Wayne.

From Foynes we head west along the Shannon till we reach the Tarbert Ferry. We are just in time to board and cross to County Clare on the north shore. Six miles later we are looking for our accommodation in the cute town of Kilrush. I am thinking I didn't do my normal due diligence as we have trouble finding parking. We have a long conversation with the Polish owner of the hotel about politics and living in Ireland.

For dinner we have an excellent meal of Curried Monkfish. The Thai flavoring was outstanding. We stayed for the ganache dessert.