DOOLIN
Riverside camping, Doolin was, all in all, a bit of a blast in more ways than one. Trying to maintain electricity to the campervan was one of our biggest challenges. The campsite was hectic, this is obviously a "must see" place in Southern Ireland and we can probably see why........but ......to overload the electricity supply boxes by running extension wires and cables for great distances over wet grass was bound to cause problems somewhere along the line. Many times Gary had to sneak out in the dark and swap cables at the power box, believe me we were not alone in this skull duggery, and a request for management to sort the problem out was met with the answer " I'll be over in 5 minutes to have a look"!!!!!! Mmmmmm.....did we see anyone and was the problem fixed? Their code of ethics we realized was to just fit anyone in anywhere and they provided the extension cords to enable this to happen. Oh...and they only took cash?? Oh and the receipts were all hand scribbled??? Oh.....I smell a tax dodge here. We resorted to gas in the end.
Doolin is quaint though. There is a very narrow road, passing many a pub and brightly painted cafe, down to the harbour where ferries leave to take you to see the Cliffs of Moher. (We thought the cliffs were beautiful enough from vantage points along the road so didn't bother). Dolphins play there and touts from the competing ferry companies try to get you to go with their tour. They do offer incentives but no one seems to know what they are - the gullible hope they find out during the boat journey.
As I say the road is narrow and bends sharply to the right over a really cute stone bridge and then sharply to the left once the bridge has been successfully manouvered across - huge coaches access the harbour through here and the road is always busy. Strolling down this road one day we happened upon a commotion; not only was a coach stuck on the bend in the bridge but a car, with four people in it had bellied over the top of a small wall. Some people were watching and some were trying to lift the car back onto the road. Personally I felt sick - I am a "what if" person and could visualise all sorts of tragedies happening but Gary being Gary rolled up his sleeves to help (cold day again) and finally the rental car was lifted of the wall and back onto the road with very little damage. When the bus finally got round the bend onto the bridge, once again with guidance from Gary at the front and another bloke at the rear, everyone drove off as though nothing had happened!!!!!
We carried on our way to the harbour stopping at the iconic O'Connors pub for lunch - they did a mean Seafood Chowder with Beer and Treacle home-made bread - but the weather was really cold and windy so we headed back to Molly/Wilson/Barney. (As you have undoubtedly realised by now we are having trouble naming this van).
Most evenings were spent in the tavern listening to Irish traditional music - so talented - and meeting people, good and bad. We would recommend Doolin whole heartedly but not if you want electricity!!
DUBLIN
From Doolin we decided to cut across country to Rush just outside of Dublin. Travelling through Ennis, Tumgraney, Scarriff, Mount Shannon, Portumna we stopped at Offaly for the most beautiful chicken lunch. Driving through County Laois we headed through the forest and once more onto the Highlands - these jolly one lane roads again with passing places - and dense mist. Mountrath, Port Laoise whizzed past as did County Kildare and then we were in the thick of Dublin City in pouring rain. Spitting us out of the city into Fingal we continued our journey to the campsite in Rush - 3 very tired bodies, Gary, me and whatever our campervan is called.
RUSH
Planning to stay here for just one night we finished off staying for eight. Rush was a lovely little village with easy access by bus to Dublin City. Having what we considered to be the best site in the caravan park obviously helped - A camper on our blind side and an uninterrupted view across the beach, sea and harbour on the other - perfect. Electricity was good too.
Another plus was a bank holiday festival which gave us front row seats at the most thrilling airshow from the comfort of our own arm chairs, live music and singing, bouncy castles, traditional food and much much more. Oh....and a hovering helicopter but we were not too sure what that was all about.
The village of Rush was just a five minute walk away where we met some extreme local characters including the double of Buster from Mrs Browns Boys and an old boy who drank too much, looked 90years old but in fact was the same age as me and lived happily in the past!!!! But the village was great and had everything we needed - including a Thai takeaway.
Taking an Hours bus ride into Dublin City we spent a day looking round seeming to find all the right places that tourists are supposed to visit and had a ball of a day. we actually were pleased we used shanskys pony to get around rather than the hop on hop off bus - felt we saw more of the true, old Dublin that way. Once again a bar was the feature - the famous Temple Bar! - where there was live music and singing all day long. It was pretty hectic in Dublin though and, exhausted, we beat a hasty retreat to the quietness of our Rush beach.
WEXFORD
We reluctantly departed Rush with the owner saying "Oh she does move then, thought you had lost your keys!" in search of a gas refill which we thankfully found in Fingal where Tommy, over a long period of time and much talk, finally filled both tanks. God forbid we had electricity problems again but "be prepared" we were.
Our idea was to freedom camp in Wexford in a car park Gary had seen on google maps overlooking the River as we headed back West but when we got there the park was full, was pay and display and also had height barriers on it. We seem to be coming across this all the time which tends to indicate the Irish have become cautionary regarding freedom camping in their country. The town looked lovely but every carpark was chocker so we drove through to get the feel of it and decided to just keep going. A short while down the road we found Mary Jo's Tavern!!! Quite isolated, big carpark and very inviting. Long story short we had a drink - Gary is quite taken with Guinness - and stayed the night in the carpark with an electric hookup!!!!! We couldn't believe our luck. Once again met some amazing, crazy people in the bar that night but what a find. Waking up in the morning after a peaceful nights sleep I noticed the low wall dedicated to the FORBIDDEN MCC. "What's that?" I ask Gary. "Oh, that is the Motorcycle Club's drinking leaner. They are a patched club and this is their pub but they are not allowed in with their patches on so they drink at the leaner". OK glad I didn't know that earlier!!!!
We head for Killarney feeling refreshed. We have been covering a lot of kilometres and were getting quite tired.
KILLARNEY
We are still heading West across country to Killarney where we can park up and travel to the Dingle
Peninsular and circumnavigate the Ring of Kerry. We also need to do some washing.
Stopping at New Ross we spy a tall ship in the harbour and because it is early there are parks!!!! Fabulous old boat but nothing and no one to tell us what it is about but we believe it is a permanent fixture there. It is a replica of an immigrant ship which took immigrants to America.
We have a long journey ahead and we travel through many Counties. County Killkenny with Killmacow and Moon Coin. County Tipperary with Carrick on Suir and Kilsheelan. We experience very high winds and torrential rain as we hit County Cork and Maikow and then we are in County Kerry and Killarney where we book into a campsite for our last 3 nights in Ireland. We are knackered and this campsite is full of Irish kids with toy guns running around shooting each other????
The following day we drive to Dingle along the Dingle Peninsular via Knockavota and Inch where a surf thingy is happening and the bay, which is very scenic and dramatic, is very, very busy and every park is taken.
Dingle is lovely though and well worth the trip even though it is "pull in the left hand mirror stuff" and twigs constantly scrape along the side of the van. We just wander through this hilly, old, fishing village taking in the sights and smells. On one street alone there are 6 pubs and there is always an O'Conner's and a Murphy's plus this time a Dingle Tavern. We decide to have lunch at Murphy's and meet an interesting couple from Switzerland who are on a 7 day coach tour. How do they do that???!!!
They think we are Irish, because my hair has gone so red and my skin so pale (their words not mine)
- guess it's a change from being Australian!!!!!
We decide to do the Ring of Kerry loop on the way back and because the weather was not too bad. We were slightly underwhelmed by this after all the hype we have been hearing. Don't get me wrong it was worth the effort but the roads were atrocious and we were shaken to pieces. The road was so narrow we drove with the right hand wheels bumpety bump over the raised cats-eyes in the centre of the road and the left side doing likewise on the road edge ones. What a noise! Then the left hand wing mirror, which sticks out 350mm, was scraping the bushes! For such a major tourist attraction it was a nightmare. In places the roads were very narrow and the scenery much the same as elsewhere until we hit the last quarter where the vistas were more spectacular and craggy, the woodland was magical and enchanting and the small villages very endearing but.........and I have said this a few times now,,,,,,,the Irish are definitely capable of making something out of nothing, obviously they have all kissed the Blarney Stone!!!!!!!
Today we spent washing and cleaning for tomorrow we head for Cork and the ferry to Roscoff, France. Our last evening in Ireland the sun is shining and the weather is calm. Apparently it is going to be a "scorcher" tomorrow according to Kathleen - wonder if she has kissed the Blarney Stone too?????
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