# Our Irish 'roadtrip'



## 1302

Having got the Irish bug four years ago we have returned to do the 'ring of kerry' following:

Trip 1 South 10 days
Trip 2 North to friends and then tour 10 days
Trip 3 Return to Donegal for four days
Trip 4 Roscommon and then Portslade for a party with friend 3 days
Trip 5 Londonderry for a concert two days

and now we have been here since last Monday (I have been keeping my pals on the VW site posted as to our trip but thought that I would edit that and put some of it here.

We stared out our travels via Malvern (VW rally) and decided to go to Roslere via Pembroke










Saturday night BBQ at Malvern - it didnt stop raining all night! Sunday wasnt too bad...

Tuesday - Here's me, posting to you , from Clonakilty in County Cork 










I'm off for a Guniness in the town now to De Barras bar famous for appearances from Noel Redding

Wednesday - Today we went down to Glengariff in Bantry Bay for a nosy - whilst all the tourists are paying 10 Euros each to go on boat trips to see seals from 40 metres....










...we walked around the headland edge and found this lovely little pup - he's lost his Mummy (as he's probably a twin and she's abandoned him  but he's survived so far )

He shook hands  and played up for the camera (about 100 photos!)

Al wanted to bring him home but the small sink in our camper might be a bit cramped with him and the pots and pans in it!

We left him waiting for the 'rescue' people who were coming to get him...

...next week he'll be balancing a brightly coloured football on his nose and clapping for fish 

Thursday and Friday - Today - from Cahersiveen (Daniel O'Donnals birthplace but dont hold that against them ) - later we found it was Daniel O'Connels birthplace thanks to an earlier misprint in a holday guide Mr O'C was a political rebel in the 1770 and somewhat more useful than the chubby irish crooner from 1970 !!

The view from our windscreen...









And that from behind 










Lovely drive from Killarny this morning about 35 mile - going to stay here for a couple of days rather than keep moving as the weather is tipped to get a bit hotter


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## CaGreg

Glad you are enjoying our lovely country and hope that the weather has improved where you are now.
Lots of people make the mistake about Daniel O' Connell and D O' D.
Did you visit Caherdaniel and Derrynane?? A must see in Kerry.

Take care
Ca


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## 1302

Still Friday

We saw this castle from the van today and thought we would cycle up to it. About 7 miles there and back and not too bad.










Came back and fell upon 'Mike Murts' Pub (more when I get back with big pix etc but for now just a few words) as it sells hardware, fishing tackle and 'beer' 









That above my head are light bulbs from the seventies, covered in dust, with the old price of 2/6 scribbled out and changed to 18 pence or so and then 50 cents  He hasnt sold '****' other than beer for years but wont change the place. A guy guy did come in and but bait/hooks for fishing - I asked him if he knew where I might fish and it turned out he was the Angling Association Maafia Bigwig (ie the best guy to ask) so we are off to Valencia Island tomorrow on his recommendation to see what that is abot and to try and catch tomorrows supper  (didnt happen - bought meat from butchers!)

SAturday now...
Earlier today we visited one of the most beautiful places I can imagine









Just a couple of snaps 









How often do you see sheep grazing against a background like that?

Valentia Island, Kerry near Cahersiveen  Could become my favourite Irish place 

Tonight we went to Sean Ogs (Drinking Consultants) in the town (Trallee still) for some 'fiddly diddly' music

These two guys are brilliant









They go under the name 'Hurry the Jug' and are simply wonderful 

I've had a few Guinness


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## 1302

CaGreg said:


> Glad you are enjoying our lovely country and hope that the weather has improved where you are now.
> 
> Did you visit Caherdaniel and Derrynane?? A must see in Kerry.
> 
> Take care
> Ca


The weathers been better than back home so there you go. Its warm and dry at the moment as we have just arrived in Roscrea heading back in the general direction of Dublin for a Wednesday ferry - but we aint done yet 

Glad we missed the other two places which as a must see as that means that we will have to come back 

Update later - cheers


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## whistlinggypsy

J99Dub, great pitures and sounds like a really good trip. We leave for a month around N.I. coastal route soon after the Southport Rally, hope to meet up with lpdrifter around Donegal area.

Any tips on wild camping around the coastal regions or around Donegal, got a few tips from Nora+Neil but some more will be welcome.

Regards

Bob


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## 1302

whistlinggypsy said:


> J99Dub, great pitures ...
> 
> Any tips on wild camping around the coastal regions or around Donegal, got a few tips from Nora+Neil but some more will be welcome.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Bob


Ta - glad to share - I've got 500+ so far 

We havent wild camped this time as we preferred the luxury of showers/electricity however we did stop at Esky three years ago higher up the coast from Donny

STopped at Dun Lagoire in the harbour before now and a place out near Waterford plus a few up in the higher northern parts of Sth Irelad.

Usually just have to like the feel of the place befoe we make a decision about whether its clever to do so


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## Nora+Neil

J99Dub

Glad you are enjoying Ireland. We want more of your beautiful photos.
You will have to do Connamara next.

whistlinggypsy
Are you coming anywhere near Galway?


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## 1302

We are at Roscrea now and about 90 miles or so from Dublin so a bit of culture from down the road  at the Abbey








shame it wasnt a bit sunnier outside so the colours could shine against the wall more 

Ever wondered how to re-cycle those old tyres...?








Well here is the solution in Roscrea at the campsite :lol:


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## 1302

One more then... 

Here's me spoiling a perfectly good view









...and spoiling a perfectly good tune  Fields of Athenry if a remember correctly but we were miles away in Caherciveen, now my second favorite Eire place


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## 1302

So you are barreling down the motorway at 70 making good progress and then suddenley youare back down to 20 










God Bless the Irish roads


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## whistlinggypsy

Nora+Neil, sorry we will not be going south on this trip, we arrive at Larne from Cairnryan and we will be heading north around the coast and hopefully catching up with LPDrifter around Donegal area and over to Ballyronan to visit friends as well.

Maybe next year we will be heading south through Longford were my dads family come from and the to Wexford for more family visiting, my wife still remembers the 4 weeks we spent around Kerry and Cork many years ago when we where tuggers and it rained every day except the days we where travelling, as the saying goes, "its a lovely part of the world but God forgot to put an umbrella over it" :wink: 

Slán

Bob


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## b6x

Nice pictures. We must have just missed you at most of these places. We also stayed in Roscrea site with the tyre hanging baskets, and the same site in Cahersiveen (and also made the O'C / O'D mistake - well, the wife did as she glanced at the "Welcome to..." sign on our way into the town). We also drove the ring of Kerry. 

Overall, shocking quality of roads, pretty bad rain, but great Guinness and great fun.


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## 1302

Last day....

We stopped at Camac very near Dublin for our last night 










A holiday wouldnt be right without at least one foul up would it ???


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## 1302

Three years ago that lamp post was 'bent' - maybe its just there for our amusement and 'comedy' photos 










Ahhhh my old green danbury


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## 1302

Just a as a round off:

Cost of our 12 days

Samp site fees £250
Ferry abou the same at £250 return
and fuel was for our petrol 2.0 litre VW at 1087 miles was about £150 so a total of £650 all in. I havnt included booze and food as our outlay with the BBQ/cooking in the van was much as it would be at home. We visited a pub every day for a proper Guinness but had wine/cider in the van too as you would do at home :

Not bad for a two week holiday if you ask me


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## 1302

...and finally 

My 'most irish' photo 









My most favourite EVER pub

Mike Murts in Caherciveen


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## blokarter

whistlinggypsy said:


> J99Dub, great pitures and sounds like a really good trip. We leave for a month around N.I. coastal route soon after the Southport Rally, hope to meet up with lpdrifter around Donegal area.
> 
> Any tips on wild camping around the coastal regions or around Donegal, got a few tips from Nora+Neil but some more will be welcome.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Bob


We are just back from 8 days around Mayo, Sligo & Donegal.

For wild camping in Donegal

1 :try the carpark at Murvagh Beach (a few miles north of Rossnowlagh). Follow the signs for the Murvagh Golf Club from the N15 & then the signs for the beach.
When you reach the bottom of the lane and think you can go no further turn to your right. If you travel along the lane under the trees there is a carapark and grass laybys which are used for overnights all the time.

The are is very quiet and I dought you will see anyone all night.
Check out the beach just over the dunes.

2: The lane past the beach at Falcarragh is ok too providing there is not too much wind coming off the sea.
Just on the south side of Falcarragh follow the signs for the beach.

f you are going as far a Sligo send me a PM for some down there ! I also should have GPS references for them.

Mark


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## 1302

I had forgotten how good that trip was


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## aldra

Got me wanting to go more than ever

Still not decided where to go Sept

or would Ireland be better in the spring

Always leave it till last minute so the weather doesn't have advanced warning
Seems to know though and always rains :lol: :lol: :lol:

Aldra


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## krustyhoor

aldra said:


> Got me wanting to go more than ever
> 
> Still not decided where to go Sept
> 
> or would Ireland be better in the spring
> 
> Always leave it till last minute so the weather doesn't have advanced warning
> Seems to know though and always rains :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> Aldra


The kids all go back to school next week so September is usually one of the better months for fine weather


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## krustyhoor

And a link which you can add to your collection of bookmarks if you don't already have it is this one :

http://www.discoverireland.ie/

The national tourist board site - handy for checking out events and so on.


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## Nora+Neil

Aldra.

As we had such a bad summer we usually have a nice Sept. 
In recent years the months of April/May and Sept are the best months.
The campsite closed the end of Sept you can check them out here.

http://www.camping-ireland.ie/parks.html

Also we have Safe nights which you pay €10 to join and you will get a list of places to park in a safe environment. You just ring the number and see if they have space and pay them €10 per night.

http://www.safenightsireland.com/

Hope this helps, we live in Galway, but are away for most of Sept.


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## krustyhoor

Oh and just one more link 

Independent local radio stations are looked down at a little bit by the national stations but are a good resource to know whats going on in the area you decide to stop in. Not too long ago we only had national radio based out of Dublin. The local stations pride themselves on looking after the local market so local festivals, sports, music, get a better look in and are promoted on these stations.

The various stations have links from this wikipedia page regarding frequencies and content.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_in_Ireland


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## Jean-Luc

As a first stop consider Dunmore East N52°08'03" W06°59'33" (the headland above the fishing harbour)
The local Harbour Master welcomes motorhomes (free of charge), as do the local shops, pubs and restaurants where excellent seafood is available straight from the local fleet.
On the ground floor below the Harbour Masters office are toilet facilities which are open 24/7.

As this location is one of a very few Aire type facilities where motorhomes are 'officially' welcomed please make your presence felt 'in a financial way' by spending some of your hard earned locally.


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