EIS – To Killarney via the Dingle Peninsula (Day 14)

EIS – To Killarney via the Dingle Peninsula (Day 14)

(8/31/2010) We left Ennis this morning at about 8:30am. Our route today takes us to Killimer for a ferry ride across the River Shannon (Ireland’s longest river). From there we drive along the Dingle Peninsula and the 32-mile Slea Head drive. On our way we pass the typical lands that, we have seen so far including stone bridges.

We reach Killimer and get on the ferry, while still on the bus, then cross the Shannon River to Tarbert.

During our crossing we pass a lighthouse, not the first we’ve seen, but the closest we’ve been to any.

We pass peat bogs and more fields. We also pass by an old Holland style windmill which is still used to grind grains.

Following route N86, we get to Dingle. It seems that we may be one of the first coaches to arrive in the area; we skip lunch for the ride around the Dingle Peninsula loop road. The coast road out to Slea Head, sheer cliffs by the way with very little in the way of guard rails, is pretty spectacular.

As you can see, the cliffs are not as high as those of the Cliffs of Moher, but we get some pictures through the coach windows. Again, we still have reflections and glare, but you can still see the coastline.e

We stop at one spot where old Beehive huts are by the side of the road.  Called Beehive because of their look and were created in 200-300 BC. And they are still standing, well some of them anyway.

More cliffs.

And, off shore an Island in the shape of a sleeping giant.

And a nice beach area, although like most of the beaches we’ve seen, no one is sun bathing or swimming.

We continued along the coast seeing more of the shoreline and other peninsulas in the background and other smaller beaches.

We make it back to Dingle and stop for lunch. This is a fishing town and it is apparent they fish with large and long nets.

Not long after we pass more hills with squared farming parcels as we have seen many times and too soon we are at our hotel in Kilarney and settle down for the night.



Until later, Bob and Carmen – EIS.