Not long ago, I was fortunate enough to give the sermon of a given Sunday at my “home” church, South Church Unitarian Universalist in Portsmouth, New Hampshire – this accomplished, of course, by Zoom and YouTube. Perhaps not surprisingly, I was asked to speak about Ireland, what brought me here, what spiritual nourishment I find here, what keeps me here. I was lucky to have as a partner that Sunday our director of music ministry, a former music teacher in my hometown who directs two very successful regional choruses. Joanne sings like an angel – perhaps an overworked metaphor but no less true for the choice – and used that lovely voice to perform a sweet ballad, “Song for Ireland.” As I listened, I realized this is not a song for all of Ireland, not about Dublin or the Midlands or the ‘sunny south’ (such as it is); it is a song for my Ireland, the gritty, damp, rugged, unapologetic, sublime west of Ireland. “Living on your western shore, saw summer sunsets, asked for more,” the lyrics beckon. “I stood by your Atlantic sea, and sang a song for Ireland.”

I have stood by that Atlantic sea – in Donegal, in Mayo, in Galway, in Dingle and the Ring of Kerry and the Ring of Skellig in County Kerry, the Beara Peninsula in Cork and, of course, along the depth and breadth of Clare, my home county. I count myself a neophyte, a pretender even, as each town, each inlet, each beaten and not-so-beaten path, each resident in every kilometer of coastline and inland realm has a story to tell. If I were a freshman in college, I would be enrolled in the broadest of all possible survey courses, a dabbler. As such, pretender or not, I give myself full permission to be agog at the majesty of the west coast just like every visitor who has stepped upon her shores. And I am deeply grateful that I live in the ‘hood and can go back tomorrow and tomorrow if I choose.  

I have not been to the tippy top, to Malin Head, nor have I yet explored Connemara, the Aran Islands or large swaths of County Mayo; but I’ve traversed a fair amount of territory. And I thought I’d share some of the more meaningful experiences I’ve had. This, now that you can finally dream of coming over here yourselves.

County Donegal

Let’s start up north, in County Donegal. This was not exactly a leisurely day trip for me. In fact, it took 5 hours to get to Donegal town from here; and I only really explored the southernmost part of the county. But oh, do go there, it’s so worth it. I traveled there specifically to find Donegal weavers. You’ll find weavers everywhere in Ireland, but Donegal has a cultural corner on the market. I stopped at three or four along the coast, but my favorite by far was Studio Donegal https://studiodonegal.ie/ in the small town of Kilcar. I was invited upstairs to the weaving room, where I could watch the man who likely wove the throw I bought for my daughter and her partner. Tons of yarn, too, if you are a knitter. Follow along the coast road to Slieve League, and bring your hiking boots. If the West Coast is sublime, and it is, Slieve (mountain in Irish) League is proof. Its cliffs are among the highest in Europe, three times higher than the Cliffs of Moher. Expect to be walking among the clouds, a surreal and otherworldly Irish experience. This is truly a wonderful place. FYI, there is a very good and well-marked hiking trail. My advice: park in the second, higher lot, not the first. I did not, and I added a lot of steep walking that could have gone into the hike. For more, visit http://www.sliabhliag.com/ (That’s its Irish name.) I also highly recommend taking the Glengesh Pass from Glencolmcille to Ardara, a stunning 15-mile drive that cuts through the Glengesh and  Mulmosog mountains. Hairpin turns are common as peat in Ireland, and Glengesh Pass has its fair share. This, while driving up and down a mountain range. But take heart! You can do it! Ardara (don’t pronounce the first ‘a’) is a great town with more wool shops and several delightful bakeries. I stopped for a coffee and scone there. And by the way, Donegal is one of the Gaeltacht regions of Ireland. You will see no English language signs there; everything is in Irish. So bring a map or an app.

County Mayo

Westport, County Mayo: I felt compelled to check out Westport, so many people had recommended it to me. On the way, I stopped in the small village of Cong to stretch my legs and wander around the well-preserved 12^th century Cong Abbey. While taking a walk, I turned the corner and found myself staring at the seemingly impossible sight of the 800-year-old Ashford Castle. Turns out, this is one of the most luxurious hotels in Europe, with room rates heading upward of $750 a night. Go dream for a bit: https://ashfordcastle.com/ Westport is a delightful small city on the banks of the Carrowbeg River. A good friend of mine who has traveled Ireland for years and knows much about its ins and outs tells me there are 23 pubs in Westport which were, alas, shuttered when I was there. But a reason to return, for sure. I stayed on the Quay Road, overlooking the harbor and Croagh Patrick, unmistakable for its very distinctive pencil-tip peak. It’s about a 2 hour hike up and down, and on the list for next time. Read more about it here: https://www.croagh-patrick.com/ As you may know by now, I am a history nut and couldn’t pass up a visit to Westport House, a beautiful early 18^th century home which was in the Browne family from 1730-2017! It was built on the ruins of a castle belonging to the badass pirate queen Grace O’Malley. Her great-great granddaughter would later marry a Browne. Read more about Grace here: https://www.historyireland.com/early-modern-history-1500-1700/grainne-mhaol-pirate-queen-of-connacht-behind-the-legend/.

(Before I head to County Clare, I feel that I’m failing in my tour guide duties by leaving you in the lurch from Westport all the way down the coast to my home turf. But there you have it. I haven’t spent enough time in Sligo or Galway, and I’ve yet to visit Connemara. Fodder for another post, for sure.)

County Clare

I have traversed nearly all of the coastline of this, my home county, so it is impossible to compress my thoughts and experiences into a pithy paragraph. So here goes:

*I guess the first thing I want to say is please do go to the Cliffs of Moher, the part of the Clare coastline that is so well known, but please also realize there is so much more to see and don’t shortchange yourself if you have the time to explore further. But to begin with the Cliffs, these are truly not to be missed. My suggestion is to avoid entirely the crowds that throng to the official Visitor’s Center stretch of the cliffs. Access them from the northern terminus in Doolin (this involves a bit of a walk along a winding meadow path) or southern terminus at Hags Head in Liscannor. Google maps will take you to both. Just before you arrive at Hags Head, for a couple of euros you will find a place to park in a lot created by an enterprising local property owner. Be sure to check out The Rock Shop https://therockshop.ie/ on your way up. It’s a trip! As for Doolin, what can I say? It’s just picturesque as all get out. If you’ve been there, you know. Just be prepared to walk a long distance as a parking spot is nigh on to impossible to find. Don’t forget to have a pint at McDermott’s Bar while you are there. Doolin is also the place where you pick up a ferry to the Aran Islands. I am itching to head out to head out there; just waiting for my brother to come visit. https://doolinferry.com/

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* I strongly suggest that you consider a leisurely drive along the coast north of the Cliffs of Moher, not least because my beloved Burren meets the sea here. My suggestion is that, from Ennis, you go actually past Corofin, my town (of course getting in touch beforehand so we can meet up), and up Route R480 to Ballyvaughan. This is one of the most stunning roads I’ve seen in Ireland. You are in the heart of the Burren with simply spectacular views. Along the way, take the time to visit the Poulnabrone Dolman https://www.burrengeopark.ie/discover-and-experience/geosites-discovery-points/poulnabrone/, the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland! This is a country that has sites dating back 5,000 years or more. Time permitting, head north from Balleyvaughan to the Flaggy Shore. If not, simply follow the coast road south to Doolin, with a stop along the way at Fanore Beach. Words fail, really. Just do it.

*South of Liscannor are the beach towns of Lahinch and Spanish Point, both beautiful and best avoided on summer weekends. You will pass through Ennistymon on your way to Lahinch, which is well worth the stop. It’s the center of northern Clare in many ways, with many unique shops and restaurants. I really love Ennistymon.

*The southern tip of Clare is also charming – head south from Spanish Point, down to Kilkee and the absolutely stunning Loop Head Light. https://www.loophead.ie/ I mean really, even as a person who hails from a state known for its lighthouses, I found Loop Head pretty spectacular. (BTW, on the way to Kilkee, you’ll pass Doonbeg, which happens to be home to Donald Trump’s Irish golf resort. This may or may not be of passing interest to some of you.) Here is something I haven’t done yet, but only because COVID has precluded it. Head over to Kilrush from Kilkee and then down the coast road to Killimer. There, you can catch a ferry across the River Shannon to the Kerry town of Tarbert and cut out hours of travel on your way south. This ferry only takes 20 minutes, and it’s been recommended by several people. https://www.shannonferries.com/

County Kerry

Really, how is it that one county is allowed to have both the Dingle Peninsula AND the Rings of Kerry and Skellig? I am simply agog. There are so many amazing sights to see just on Dingle or just on the rings that I am hard pressed, once again, to be pithy.

Dingle town is delightful and a great home base from which to explore, but the peninsula itself is the drawing card. Plan to spend the day on Slea Head Drive. Every twist and turn is a revelation. As you proceed west from Dingle town, you will see a great number of beehive huts, or clochans; there are records of some 400 in this part of Dingle, and the first of them were believed to have been built as early as 700CE by monks. Similar construction was also used by farmers. So on one side you are agog by the dramatic ocean views and on the other, your neck is craning at the huts. Meanwhile, you are on a very narrow, windy road! Perhaps not surprisingly, a lot of locals try to make a few extra quid showing off the huts on their property – some more blatantly touristy than others. I’d recommend stopping by a farmer’s land if you have the time. BTW, if you are a Star Wars fan, the area around Ballyferriter was used as a backup location to Skellig Michael (more in a minute), which was filmed as Luke Skywalker’s island planet in the last several films. Of course, there are tours and a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CeannSibealviii/ . For more on tours and about Dingle generally, visit https://dingle-peninsula.ie/ Finally, there is Conor Pass. When I went to Dingle in my 20s with my brother, we took this frighteningly narrow, breathtaking road. Older and wiser, I opted not to do so the second time around. But now that I have my left-hand driving fairly down pat, I may attempt it next time I go.

How can I possibly condense the Ring of Kerry into one graph? It defies logic and beggars imagination. Three different mountain ranges, among the tallest in Ireland, are the stars of the ring. Each turn and twist of road brings a different view, a different angle, a different moment to be thankful and amazed at the wonder of this island country. While it takes only 3.5 hours to drive the ring, do yourself a favor and take at least two full days. Day 1, I left Killarney at 9am and I arrived at Portmagee at 5pm, yet it’s only 1.5 hours away. Day 2, I left Portmagee and traveled to the Beara Peninsula, a 2 hour drive, in 8 hours as well. And let me tell you, I could have taken longer on both days. I recommend getting off the ring as often as you possibly can, when you see a sign for a beach or a lake or an archaeological site. The Gap of Dunloe is pivotal, although I marvel I took that exceedingly narrow, exceeding twisting two-way road, with exceedingly glorious views at every turn, by myself. I was at once mesmerized and terrified! http://gapofdunloe.com/  Rossbeigh Strand is worth the side trip – an endless, deserted (at least when I was there) beach on Castlemaine Harbor surrounded on all sides by mountains. Not too far down the Skellig Peninsula is the delightful town of Portmagee, with a bridge over to Valentia Island. I should have taken an extra day here, and did not. But I will when I return to take a ferry over to Skellig Michael, home of the ancient monks, home of the puffins, home of Luke Skywalker. The ferry was closed but looks like it’s starting up again. https://www.skelligmichaelcruises.com/ I also recommend going to Derrynane House, home of the great 19^th century politician Daniel O’Connell. It is also the childhood home of his aunt, Eibhlin Dubh Ni Chonaill, who wrote a lament for her slain husband that was called the finest poem in the Irish language. This in a country full of poets. She is, unfortunately, mentioned only in passing. The house is wonderful, the beach is amazing, and I’m very, very glad I stopped. Finally, plan to spend time in the town of Kenmare. Sadly, Skellig Chocolate in Ballinskelligs was closed when I was there, but my chocolate urge was more than compensated by Lorge Chocolatiers in Kenmare. Lots of woolen shops there as well. And if you can, stop by Kenmare Lace, nearly a small museum, where a delightful woman will explain the history of lacemaking there, and work on her current project if you ask. My eyes hurt just watching that intricate threading! https://kenmarelace.ie/

OKAY, enough is enough. This tour guiding business is not as easy as it looks! I know this wasn’t as poetic, perhaps, as some of my other blogs; but it might be useful to some.

BTW, my advice for any of this travel is to avoid July and August and the weekends from May to October entirely if you can. Due to COVID, I’ve yet to experience the clog of tour buses on some of these narrow, winding roads; but driving on the left side of the road is challenging enough without adding THAT to the mix. June and September have my vote. It is also heartening to know that getting here is about to become much less fraught. The government on May 28 lifted the mandatory hotel quarantine requirement for people traveling from the US. I would check the US State Department and the Government of Ireland websites before traveling, but it appears that from now until July 18, you will be required to undergo a two-week, non-hotel quarantine as long as you have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of ARRIVING IN IRELAND (not 72 hours of departure; this is crucial), with or without proof of vaccination. From July 18 onward (the date Ireland joins the EU Digital Covid Certificate program), if you are fully vaccinated, and can prove it, no further testing or quarantine is required. If not, the PCR test and quarantine is in effect. Another bit of information: it is very unlikely that you will be able to fly into Shannon Airport, the west coast airport hub, any time soon. Aer Lingus has just permanently pulled its cabin crews from Shannon, and it was a ghost town even before that. More is the pity. I sincerely hope that it rises from the ashes like the phoenix, as it has been a lifeblood for the region. Unfortunately, until that happens, you have to essentially add a day on either end just to get from Dublin over to the west coast now.

But don’t let a little inconvenience stop you from heading west. The Wild Atlantic Way is calling!

Addendums:

• Here’s Mary Black singing Song for Ireland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqhncaC9FHI
• If you enjoy hiking and walking, I highly recommend that you download the alltrails app, good for anywhere in the world you happen to be. I like it because it gives specific driving directions to some of the more obscure places in the Burren. https://www.alltrails.com/
• If you need to catch a taxi, say from Dublin Airport to the train station to hightail it west, or anywhere in Ireland, really, download the app Freenow. I’ve researched this, and it’s the best one for taxi service on the island. Uber is not allowed here, so you want a good taxi app, depending on where you’re staying.
• Here’s a video of the service in which I participated at South Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53hO8QW622c