It has been a long time since my previous blog - it is amazing how work gets in the way of life and travel. Despite that, I have been able to cross off one of the places that I wrote about in my Travel Bucket List for 2018 .... Ireland! Despite originally expecting to go to Northern Ireland to see Giant's Causeway, the decision was made to take a road trip along the Wild Atlantic Way in western Ireland. With over 1000 km driven over 4 days, we certainly took a big chunk out of the route and saw some fantastic scenery while being blessed with good weather (for Ireland!). We even managed to enjoy some lovely typical Irish folk music in Galway. Here are some highlights from my trip.
Day 1 | Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula
This was by far the day with the most driving: nearly 500 kilometres which saw us driving both the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula. When you decide to plan your trip along the Wild Atlantic Way, I recommend that you do it from south to north - this way you will be on the right side of the road (which is the left in Ireland) to pull over easily for those stunning viewpoints, and you are going against the main stream of traffic making the roads that little bit quieter.
Connor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula was probably the highlight of my day. I loved the drive and the scenery was incredible - it isn't for the fainthearted though! If you do not like driving, then I would recommend that someone else drive or you take an alternate route. For those driving campers or caravans, there is a width and height restriction on this pass, and for good reason! The road is wide enough for one vehicle with passing spaces along the route. An overhang from the cliffs above means that high-sided vehicles would get stuck.
Day 2 | County Clare & the Cliffs of Moher
What a stunning section of the Wild Atlantic Way, and this was my favourite date. It is worth taking time with this section as there is so much to enjoy. The Loop Head Lighthouse is worth a visit where you can walk all around the peninsula and enjoy the various aspects of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Cliffs of Moher are impressive and you can enjoy a lovely coastal walk right along the cliffs, but make sure to expect a lot of people. A big downer for me on the day was the parking situation at the Cliffs of Moher. I recommend that you do not park in the Cliffs of Moher car park. The extortionate price of £8 per person for access to the visitor centre and to park the car is out of proportion with what you actually get, plus they don't even bother to check tickets. - there are plenty of other parking places along the coast and the coastal path is free to walk. That being said, it is still worth taking some time out to walk along the cliffs. If you are afraid of heights, then there may be some sections which will be a bit uncomfortable for you as the coastal path is literally along the cliff face with no barriers preventing a fall.
Day 3 | Connemara National Park
This was a slightly more relaxed day along the Wild Atlantic Way and was very much a scenery only sort of day. The weather was not as kind on this day as the previous day though we did get some lovely intermittent sunshine. There are a number of pretty little bays and beaches along the route, and one in particular was particularly picturesque.
If you have time, then a detour to Kylemore Abbey is worthy of a visit. It looks pretty spectacular from the lake, and I imagine that the inside is just as picturesque. The abbey is set in acres of land with walks around the lake also possible. We simply ran out of time to see if inside.
Day 4 | Rock of Cashel and the Glen of Aherlow
On the final day of the trip, we took a detour from the Wild Atlantic Way to go to the renowned Rock of Cashel. It was worth the drive, though I recommend that you join the free guided tour. If you are an English Heritage member, then you can visit the Rock of Cashel for free, so be sure to remember your membership card. The story of this castle is fascinating, and what you see is actually the remnants of the church priory. It is thought that this is the site where St Patrick visited and converted the Kings of Munster to Christianity. The site is very much ruins in the truest sense of the word, but it is still worthy of a visit and a moment to walk all around the Rock and take in the majestic viewpoint. No wonder that the Kings of old chose this as their seat of power.
Check out my future blog on the Galway scene and why it should make your itinerary. Where do you think that I should visit next time I hit the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland? I look forward to your comments below!