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Ireland - Cork and Dingle Peninsula

Pauline

Pauline

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We are thinking of going to Ireland in May or June. We were last in Ireland in September 1992 when we spent a week on the west coast near Galway (my father was from this area) and a few days in Dublin. We have never been to the southern areas. I think we will visit Cork for a few days and then spend a week on the Dingle Peninsula with the plan of going hiking/walking most days.

We live in Dorset, on the south coast of England. It looks like there are two ferry routes to Ireland, both from Wales. The one from southern Wales would be closer to us and closer to Cork, but the ferries don't run as often. We will take our car over. Irish Ferries. From the ferry we will drive to Cork.

Cork population 119,000. Famous vegetarian restaurant Cafe Paradiso. Also Hedgehog Fibres, a popular yarn producer (I am a knitter). I checked and they sell yarn from their shop.

Dingle Peninsula. This website has some good information about walking and sites.

I am looking for advice from anyone who has been to these areas, or if there is another part of southern Ireland that we might enjoy more.
 
We are planning a holiday to Dingle early autumn, meeting friends at a cottage we have already put a deposit on. Having been in that part of Ireland a few times but not in several years, I did remember being quite taken with Ventry. Pauline--I was going to post and ask re the ferries.

Booked a hire car on the Fishguard to Rosslare StenaLine ferry but as we are unable to get there for the 2:30 pm boat, will have to hang around Fishguard to get the 2:30 AM boat the next morning--and this after a 5 hour drive from LHR and jet lag. Will be taking return ferry which doesn't arrive until 12:30 am 8 days later. SO--big question is are there any places to grab a few hours sleep near Fishguard that is cheap? My OTH thinks he will be just as happy propped up in a pub but as we have another 5 hour drive the next morning...

I have done a lot of research into both Sail Rail and getting a hire car from LHR and taking it to Ireland if anyone goes that route. \\

Thanks

Pauline said:
Dingle Peninsula. This website has some good information about walking and sites.

I am looking for advice from anyone who has been to these areas, or if there is another part of southern Ireland that we might enjoy more.
Click to expand...
 
Dingle was my favorite stay during our visit to Western Ireland in 2010! I loved the town itself-- lots of good places to eat and have tea and baked goods (Goat Street Cafe was a favorite-- looks like they have moved and become Grey's Lane Bistro)-- and the Slea Head Drive and Gallarus Oratory. We enjoyed a stop at the Stone House for lunch on our way out to Slea Head for sandwiches. I hope you have an amazing time!
 
Thanks for the replies.

Those are not good ferry times. They are more frequent from Holyhead. Have a look at driving times but it might be better to go to Holyhead. There are some cheapish hotel chains, like Travelodge, which would let you get a bit of rest.

Our travel plans this year are changing but I am still thinking of doing this trip, but in July.
 
Archie said:
We are planning a holiday to Dingle early autumn, meeting friends at a cottage we have already put a deposit on. Having been in that part of Ireland a few times but not in several years, I did remember being quite taken with Ventry. Pauline--I was going to post and ask re the ferries.

Booked a hire car on the Fishguard to Rosslare StenaLine ferry but as we are unable to get there for the 2:30 pm boat, will have to hang around Fishguard to get the 2:30 AM boat the next morning--and this after a 5 hour drive from LHR and jet lag. Will be taking return ferry which doesn't arrive until 12:30 am 8 days later. SO--big question is are there any places to grab a few hours sleep near Fishguard that is cheap? My OTH thinks he will be just as happy propped up in a pub but as we have another 5 hour drive the next morning...

I have done a lot of research into both Sail Rail and getting a hire car from LHR and taking it to Ireland if anyone goes that route. \\

Thanks
Click to expand...
Holyhead is a considerably longer trek but amazingly our luck, Stena have just changed both the Fishguard and Rosslare times to much more reasonable hours. Stena even gave us a £20 voucher to spend onboard for our "inconvenience"!Went ahead and booked a car hire with Kendall's which does not charge for extra driver, allows for 9 days in Ireland and only asks for AA coverage while there. So it's a leisurely drive, a walk around St David's Head and back to Fishguard for a 23:00 load time. We can manage that. Arrival at 4 am though means looking for nap and food by 8 enroute to Dingle...
 
Dingle is our Irish "home". We have spent as much as six weeks at a time there. It is wonderful. On a sunny day Slea Head Drive is the most beautiful drive on earth. It's best to start our early to beat the inevitable barrage of tour buses that hit the road starting at around 10 or 10:30. ALWAYS go clockwise so you are not meeting up with tour buses coming the other way on the narrow roads. And get a good map that shows all the little roads. There are several different routes to follow on your circular drive back to Dingle town. Do the drive several times and find new places to stop every time. As you head out from Dingle there are many touristy places to visit along the way - a prehistoric woolly mammoth museum, a fort, bee-hive houses, famine cottages, etc. They are all worth a brief stop. Stop for a walk along Ventry Beach and probably see people riding horses on the beach. Find the delightful Clogher Strand (not well marked, thus the need for the good map) - good spot for a picnic. Find Brandon Creek for a great picture. There will be no one there. From the overlook, walk down the road to the pier. (You can drive down easily but it looks scary). Stop at the "Ryan's Daughter" beaches. There is a great lunch pub at Ballydavid that opens irregularly. There are good spots for lunch in Ballyferriter but they tend to be booked for tour buses most of the time. Slea Head drives are, thus, perfect for picnics. I find the the Blasket Island Center wonderfully informative, and they have a great cafeteria that is often not too busy. Taking the boat trip to the Blasket Islands is a great adventure. They look so close, but the little boat is often grounded because of rough seas.

A trip across Connor Pass to the other side is fun. Tour buses and campers not allowed! You'll see why. Go early. And come back the other way, a much easier ride through the town of Camp. Stop in Annuscul for a pint and/or lunch in the South Pole Inn which was created by Artic explorer Tom Crean. The pub is full of Tom Crean memorabilia. Oh, and definitely try Tom Crean lager while in Dingle. Fairly new, it's brewed in Dingle and is an excellent beer. A side trip in Annuscual on a very narrow road will take you to beautiful Annuscual Lake.

Dingle is full of wonderful restaurants. Our favorite is the Chart House (no connection to the US chain) - reservations almost mandatory. Ashe's Pub in town is very good as is Fenwicks. Out of the Blue offers fresh seafood only, no reservations, and great dining. Doyle's has changed hands several times of the years but is reliably good. There are pubs galore. We are good friends with Tom Geaney at the Dingle Pub - no nonsense foods and a friendly crowd of locals and tourists with good music every night. If you're lucky Tom's son David will be dancing - he is five-time (at least) Irish national dancing champion and someone to see! Don't miss O'Flaherty's Pub on a night when Fergus O'Flaherty is performing (most nights). It's an old style no frills experience with great music performances. There are plenty of other pubs including Murphy's, Dick Mack's, Foxy Johns, the Old Bridge, and so many more, and you be welcome in all of them. John Benny's has great food down by the harbor and we like it for lunch.

There is so much more. The longer you stay, the more you will discover. This year we are going back in December for Christmas and New Year's, a first for us.

Have fun!
 
Thanks so much for this. We have visited Dingle, staying near the harbor for a week, but that was a few years back, and only remember a few of the things we did. Your list is very welcome. I'm hoping the Dingle woolen shop that sold me a lovely bluebell merino cardigan is still there? Looking forward to music and seafood so thanks for the recommendations. We tried the Blasket ferry --sat on the rock waiting for them to decide re weather (not) so will give that another go. Ventry beach is lovely but the riding stable less so, last time I went out with Dingle Horse Riding and they were excellent.

We hiked up Mt Brandon (hoping to do the Range Walk this time) but drove up the Connor Pass (there was a harpist playing at the top!) and were amused by the van filled with bike riders who got out where we did--and "rode" down. Thank you for all the Slea Head tips!
Given the changes in our ferry time, (return boat gets in at 9 pm) we booked into the Manor Town House/Fishguard which came recommended, before going on the next day to the Gower.
 
I believe the Woolen Shop is still there. Yes, there is often a harpist at the top of Connor Pass. Did you drive down the other side? That's the challenging part of the drive. The Chart House I mentioned is just outside of downtown at the little traffic circle you hit just as you enter Dingle. An easy walk from any B&B in town. Have fun!
 
There is also the lovely ruined Kilmalkedar Church (not the easiest of places to find so you do need a map) with its old crosses, Ogham tone and old sundial.

There is also the Gallarus Oratory. Give the visitor centre a miss as it isn't worth the money and contrary to what they might tell you, you don't have to go through here to visit the Oratory. Instead there is a layby down the side road that runs at right angles to the visitor centre and a public footpath from here goes past the Oratory. Again check this out on the map.
 
An update on #10 above. Christmas and New Year's in Dingle was a blast! We loved it. Chilly, of course, and frequent rain, but we have decent periods of sun as well. EVERYTHING is closed on Christmas day. We were in a self catering apartment, so we cooked for ourselves. Luckily though, before we left we did find the one place in Dingle that was open for Christmas dinner - one seating. It was at the Dingle Peninsula Hotel (formerly the Smerwick Harbor Hotel), about a 15 minute drive outside of town. The old Skipper Restaurant in Ventry has closed, and the owner/chef has taken over the dining room at the Dingle Peninsula Hotel. Christmas dinner was grand! Wren's Day (the day after Christmas - Boxing Day or St Stephen's Day elsewhere) is a blast. Google it as it is almost impossible to describe - my best description would be that is a one-day Mardi Gras, costume party, and musical festival. New Year's Eve in DIngle is a BIG thing. Little Dingle is overflowing with visitors who come for the pub parties and wonderful fireworks at the harbor. On January 2nd, Dingle returns to its winter doldrums with nary a tourist to be found.

As we usually do, we overnight in Boston on our way to and from Europe - a chance to catch up with friends and family as we originally from Boston. Alas, we got stuck in Boston for four extra nights because of a huge snowstorm, but we put the time to good use. We fly from Phoenix on American to and from Boston using first class. Alas, business class on Aer Lingus is too expensive for the BOS-SNN round trip so we suffered in economy which on Aer Lingus is now pretty dreadful even though we paid extra for bulkhead seats.

My wife agreed to go as a gift to me as I had always suggested it as something I wanted to do. She was not excited about Ireland in the dead of winter. Well! She loved it and we going back this coming Christmas and New Year's. This time we are flying premium economy on British Air (non stop PHX to London LHR with a connector on BA to Dublin. The drive from Dublin to Dingle is only just over four hours, and we will spend a night each way in a hotel at Dublin Airport.
 
I am heading to Dingle from June 3 to June 14! Searching my email inbox for something and this popped up from last year! --yes I'm very bad at cleaning my inbox :D. All this info will be so helpful! I thought I looked on the forum already but I will go back in case there is more. We will have a self-catering on the Mall Rd close in town and a car. My husband is worried that there won't be enough to do, I feel like just being there is doing. Just so I have some additional ideas to calm the waters are there any trips off the peninsula you think are doable in a day? I'm going to get the smallest car we can fit in but there are four of us and my husband and son are big guys 6' 2" and 250 so a tiny car could be problematic :D. If you can suggest what type of car that would be so helpful, it will have to be an automatic if I do any driving.
Thanks!
 
crayzathomemama said:
I'm going to get the smallest car we can fit in but there are four of us and my husband and son are big guys 6' 2" and 250 so a tiny car could be problematic :D. If you can suggest what type of car that would be so helpful, it will have to be an automatic if I do any driving.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

You will need a larger car because of luggage too. We usually rent a compact size, not the smallest but the next up, comperable to a VW Golf, and that is for the two of us. You might want a bit bigger. When you book your car they will give you an idea of number of people and number of bags and usually an example of the car in that size. AutoEurope is a good rental car broker. I've been using them in Europe for years.
 
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