After carefully inspecting our rental car, we pointed out some scratches to the dealer. Apparently unfazed, he responded with a deep Irish accent, “Aye, don’t worry about those things. You will probably add a few of your own!”. Then, amused by our puzzled expressions, he added with a grin, “First time drivin’ in Ireland is it? Well, let me tell you ’bout our roads. They are different here. Quite narrow, you know. And lots of branches sticking out. But you’ll get used to it. And really, it’s just beautiful!”.
So on our way we were, with mixed feelings of apprehension (narrow roads? branches sticking out?), disbelief (can it really be that bad?) and excitement (wow, we are finally in Ireland for two whole weeks!). Plus a good dose of vigilance, because driving on the left side of the road doesn’t come naturally when you’ve been driving on the right side for most of your life!
Our journey began on a cloudy and drizzly September afternoon. After landing in Dublin, we immediately headed northwards to the tiny town of Trim for our first overnight stay. Trim proudly boasts the ruins of a Normand castle, which dates back to 1170, and was used to film scenes in Braveheart. More importantly, Trim is the location of my first, truly authentic Irish experience… a pint of freshly poured Guinness! Patrick had informed me beforehand that Guinness in Ireland is unlike Guinness anywhere else in the world. One sip of the dark, smooth beer and I understood. No wonder Guinness is Ireland’s best-selling beer… it tastes like dessert!
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The Irish insist that
Guinness is good for you
and makes you strong.
(notice the sign above my head)
Well- from my first beer
at The Bounty Bar in Trim...
I felt stronger already! |
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 Make no mistake about it-
Guinness is to the Irish…
like chocolate is to the Swiss! |
Onwards from Trim, we headed northwest to Donegal, with the intention of looping around the Emerald Island counterclockwise. During our first day of driving, the weather seemed typical of Ireland, oscillating between heavy mist and showers. However, as perfect timing would have it, the clouds started dissipating as we approached our first anticipated destination on the west coast. The coastline road eventually turned to dirt, slowly winded upwards and suddenly, there it stood in front of us. Slieve League, with its glorious and majestic cliffs plunging dramatically into the sea. Terribly excited, we piled on sweaters, laced up hiking boots, grabbed our cameras and took off to explore.
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The wind was fierce,
but saved the day
by blowing away
the clouds! |
Patrick at Slieve League. At 300 metres, the impressive Cliffs of Bunglass are the highest in Europe.
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| Living on the edge... |
Do not be fooled…
I am skinny underneath! |
On the other side of Slieve league is the district of Donegal where the sea meets gentle, rolling hills in a peaceful setting seemingly untouched by modern times. As you can see below, this picturesque region of Ireland is truly a treat for the senses!
Here is a riddle for you...
Oh where, oh where does the green clover grow?
Surprise, surprise,
look under below! Throughout August and September, Heather covers much of Irland in delightful hues of purple and pink. If you look underneath the flowers, there is Shamrock growing everywhere! |
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As our journey continued, and on our way to the next destination, we followed the coastline southwards and witnessed stunning views such as this castle by the sea. Countless times we had to stop the car, jump out and ofcourse... take more photos!
While in Ireland, one of our major accomplishments involved climbing a mountain in Sligo county named Ben Bulben. WHY we were determined to climb this freestanding limestone “hill” of 526 metres I still do not know for sure. Perhaps because it was unlike any other mountain that we had ever seen before? Or maybe because our guidebook made it sound like there was an easy way up? In any case, it was on our list of things to do... so we did it!
The Ben Bulben is an unusual and rather mesmerizing mountain that was formed during the Ice Age. It was originally a large ridge, but when the moving glaciers cut into the earth, they left behind a distinct formation now called Ben Bulben. Hence the limestone rocks which form this mountain date back to approximately 320 million years ago. During our hike, we picked up a few neat samples of smooth limestone rocks... some of my best souvenirs!
According to Wikipedia, the Ben Bulben hosts a unique variety of plants, some found nowhere else in Ireland. Many are actually artic-alpine plants, due to the mountain's height, which allows for cooler temperatures than normal. When we reached the summit, we found the top of the mountain to be flat and mostly covered in thick, very dark peat. Naturally, there were also sheep scattered about enjoying access to their exclusive territory.
Above, the West face of Ben Bulben in Yeats Country. Notice that there is no obvious path to the top, which means that we had to find our own way up. Mmm, come to think of it... no wonder we didn't meet any tourists on this mountain!
When challenged to climb a mountain, Patrick is always happy and eager to go!
On the way down, some curious sheep seemed to be wondering what I was doing on their hill. From the top, we were rewarded with fabulous views of the agricultural lands below. As a bonus, we were able to observe the sheep upclose in their natural and undisturbed habitat.
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A well deserved break… wouldn't you agree? |
Look, I found some sheep’s wool on a branch. Can someone knit me a sweater?
You would think that climbing the Ben Bulben would suffice to make us happy. To be clear, it made us happy indeed... but did not suffice! Since there are so many gorgeous mountains throughout Ireland, why stop at one? Hence we chose Connemara National Park as our next destination.
As Oscar Wilde once wrote, "Connemara is a savage beauty". It is an area of bogland, lakes and forests dominated by the Twelve Bens, a mountain range which provides excellent walking opportunities. The mountains are not particularly high (730 metres is the highest peak) but the scenery is wonderful!
This region is also known for its lovely green marble, unique to the area. Connemara marble was formed over 500 million years ago. It varies in shades of green from one quarry to another, from a light yellowish green to a rich, dark green. There is also black marble that can be found in the area, which is full of fossils from when Ireland was a sea. Neat, eh?
Patrick on Diamond Hill. Connemara is wild and untamed, one of the main reasons we were attracted to this area.
In this area, hikers are encouraged to stay on designated trails since there are bogs all around. Otherwise... it's sink at your own risk!
As we drove through Connemara, the road was completely deserted, although we did meet a few "locals". When came time to negotiate right of way... guess who had priority!
After a mere few days of exploring Ireland, we had already experienced more breathtaking landscapes than ever expected. The first part of our trip was mostly spent enjoying the stunning wilderness of Ireland. In the following days to come, we would also encounter the dramatically barren Aran Islands and witness ancient Celtic ruins.<