Ring of Beara

Two nights and no blogs.  The first evening was due to the massive storm we had in Bantry and last night it took me so long to send ten emails, with photos attached, to myself.  I had forgotten to take my camera with me so had to use my telephone, hence the emails.  Of course I now have to use the room by the office, due to the data running out on my little dongle thingy.  So it now has to be a concentrated effort rather than sitting in the luxury of the caravan.

I have just knocked Walter's glass of beer over him, so perhaps it is better that I am not in the caravan.  I will leave him in a caravan, smelling of beer.  Even non alcoholic beer smells terribly.

The trip from Killarney to Bantry, first along the N22, and then on a narrow road from Macroon to Ballylickey, was very slow due to the narrowness of the road, winding up over a low pass, and the high winds and torrential rain.  The road was corrugated plus covered in water.  But we managed very well, with me driving and Walter navigating.

I have not mentioned the interesting driving habits of truck drivers, and in fact anyone who may be driving a slower vehicle.  They use the 'stopping lane/cycle lane' to drive on, allowing faster traffic to pass them.  Great for the motorists passing them but no one really slows down on this lane.  Too bad if there is a stationery vehicle or a cyclist around the corner.

The narrow and wet road.

When we arrived at the camping ground, a huge 4 star affair, the storm was at its peak.  High winds and horizontal rain.  Even with wet weather coats and trousers on we were drenched trying to set the caravan up.  As always, something untoward happens when the weather is awful.  So one wheel lodged in a small drain and the caravan mover was not powerful enough to move it out.  So it has stayed, and the caravan has been perfectly level.  It needed to have one wheel in a small drain.

Yesterday, the Ring of Beara, which is the peninsula to the east of the Kerry peninsula.   We travelled through the town of Castletownbere, the bere part of the name belongs to the island opposite, and the villages Allihies, Eyeries, Ardgroom, Collorus and Lauragh.   We also came back over the Healey Pass.

The colourful houses fascinated me.  I cannot find out why people paint them such bright colours, but apparently it started about 1958.  They certainly brighten up the buildings.

They are everywhere, even out in the countryside, and I could spend my whole time photographing them.

The villages of Allihies and Eyeries were especially colourful.   These villages are used in films, and photos of them appear on calendars and on covers of books.

The lavender and dark purple colours together made quite a statement.

The harbour at Castletownbere has the second deepest harbour in the world.  Sydney harbour has the deepest one.   Although it is a fishing town it still has plenty of other attractions for visitors;  boating, sailing, cafes and shops.

The Sacred Heart Church standing above the town.

The Kilcatherine Church, a few minutes from Eyeries, on the rugged west coast.  It is an ancient monastic site, with a ruined medieval church, named after the mysterious St Caithighearn.  Apparently there is a stone head above the doorway which looks like a cat.  We missed seeing it, sadly.  It also has one of the earliest stone crosses in Ireland.   A very atmospheric churchyard and ruin though.

Sheep everywhere, covered in very long fleeces.  The ones that are shorn have very thin bodies.

More narrow twisty roads.

The turnoff to the end of the peninsula, where there is a cable car to Dursey Island.

The cable car.  A very rickety cable car, built in the early 1960s.  It also carries lifestock as well as people, although not at the same time.  However this was not for us, even Walter declined, and he likes heights.  But there were plenty of people there waiting to board it.

Dursey Island.  There was once a monastic site on it, but its biggest claim to fame was the 'Dursley massacre'.   In 1602 the island was the garrison of the O'Sullivan Beare family and their castle was destroyed during the Nine Years' War and the family murdered.

Now the island has stock on it, and people can walk around it, or seal and whale watch from it.  It is possible to camp on the island.

Some views of the mountain ranges and coastlines.

The views from the ranges were spectacular.

The rock formation totally absorbing, as the rockwalls were almost vertical, and snaked backwards and forwards across the slopes.

The rugged cliffs.   The coastal route between Eyeries and Aardgroom, was especially lovely.  And plenty of time to admire the scenery because the road was a very narrow track much of the time.

The drive across  the Healey Pass had breathtaking views of the valley below, and the ranges of the Kerry ranges in the distance.

Houses dotted everywhere, mostly fairly new too.

We thought the Beara peninsula was very beautiful, and more so than the Kerry peninsula, but that could be due to the fact there were only a few tourists driving their cars around the Beara Way.

The good news is that our caravan fridge is now working all the time, and the hot water system is working about 75% of the time.  Quite an improvement.