Part 3: Ring of Dingle
Day 7, Dingle to Tralee
The weather was drab, cold, wet and very windy when we started our day but we saw breathtaking landscapes and crawled along dramatic, rugged coast lines. We learned very interesting things along the way…
If not for my husband and ‘Rick Steves’ we wouldn’t have done The Ring of Dingle. I am so glad he saw Rick’s self-guided tour on the internet. Always remember: Google is your friend. In his self-guided tour, Rick gives distances in kilometers so that you can follow along with your rental car’s odometer. He tells you where to stop to see what, and explains the history behind each place. It works well but remember to calculate distances if you go off his map.
We reset our car’s trip meter when we left Dingle. I drove and my husband read Rick’s commentary. It really was very insightful and great to experience.
One of the Villages we drove through had this Star Wars tribute on display on the sidewalk
Beehive Huts
These huts were often attached to each other and are round, similar to a beehive in shape. All made of stone, they were erected from circular layers of stones, with each circle of stone lying a little closer to the centre. The stones have a downward and outward tilt so as to shed water to the outside.
This Fort is called Caher Conor (Cathair na gConchuireach)
Gallarus Oratory
We stopped at the Oratory just as 2 tourist buses pulled in. I almost did not go in but wow, I am glad I did. Always remember tourists in a bus usually only have a certain time they can spend at each location so we waited 15 minutes, after which we had the place to ourselves. This Oratory is an early Christian stone church and is completely made of stone. In some ways it resembles an upturned boat. It is extremely well preserved and several archaeological artifacts are to be found on the grounds.
Walking to the Oratory, you pass hedges of fuchsias. They say this flower came to Ireland from South America and is almost like a weed in Ireland because it grows so abundantly.
Kilmalkedar Church
This beautiful church ruin dates back to the mid-12th century. It’s a picturesque medieval early-Christian pastoral site. There are lots of other interesting stones and gravestones scattered among the churchyard.
The Ogham Stone
On the northern side of the pathway that leads to the church, this holed ogham stone stands 1.83 metres tall. It is said that people would use this stone to make deals; if you touched fingers through the hole your deal, no matter what it was, was binding until death.
The Sundial
Tralee
We got to Tralee much later than expected and went straight to the Blennerville windmill. It’s the only Windmill along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, and is the largest working Windmill in Ireland. The friendly, enthusiastic tour guide gave a fabulous tour around the Mill and its workings.
Blennerville Windmill
Also – look at all these different varieties of hydrangea!
Day 8, Tralee to Dublin and then home
On our way back to Dublin, we stopped in Adare. This lovely village is very beautiful and can interest you with lots to do if you have the time. We only had time for a few quick snaps.
Desmond Castle
We took a few photos from the road as we did not have time to go in, though I wish we did because the gardens around it looked beautiful.
Adare Town Park
This is a very beautiful, tranquil park. Just look at all the green!
The Holy Trinity Abbey Church
This gorgeous, peaceful church sits right opposite the park. It is said that the Trinitarian Abbey, which is now the Roman Catholic parish church, is the only example of a church of the Trinitarian order in all of Ireland.
In Trinitarian doctrine, God exists as three persons, but is one being, having a single divine nature… “The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” are not names for different parts of God, but one name for God because three persons exist in God as one entity.
Adare Friary
The Augustinian friary sits on the banks of the river Maigue in Adare and is also known as the Black Abbey.
On our way back to Dublin we met up with friends for a quick coffee and then drove back to the airport. Please remember to refuel your rental just before you arrive at the airport! We remembered, but were only third time lucky because the first pump google sent us to would not take our credit card, and the second was closed up for renovations. Luckily we were early enough for our flight back because that hiccup cost us some time. You can choose not to refuel but will be charged the local enterprise rate which is typically above the local pump price.
Also–do make sure you return the vehicle with a clean interior. They charge big bucks for sand and litter that you leave in the car. The sticker on the dash mentioned a 100 euro fine if you were to return it dirty.
Travel Snaps and (Gluten Free) Snacks 