Ireland - Downpatrick Head and Connemara

Dun Briste Sea Stack

Day 3 was a long drive from Portstewart to Connemara with a planned detour to Downpatrick Head.  Drive time alone would be 6 hours without stopping. We didn't realise that 3 June was a bank holiday and had some difficulty getting lunch. Eventually we resorted to sandwiches and wraps from Tescos.

Downpatrick Head

The journey  to Downpatrick Head reminded me of our drive to Mont Saint Michel last December. We drove through some small roads which made me wonder if I was going the right way. But it was well worth the drive. As you walk towards the cliffs, you will see tassellated pavements along the shore. This place would be a golfer's nightmare because the grass grows in clumps. On the way up you will see a statue of St Patrick, who established a church here, hence the name of this place. When you get close to the edge of the cliff, you will see Dun Briste, a majestic sea stack. Simply stunning. 

We arrived at Leenane Hotel

 Room view of Killary Harbour

at around around 5pm. It is Ireland's oldest coaching inn and is located next to Killary Harbour, which is not harbour at all but a fjord. We had a lovely view of the fjord from our room.

Kylemore Abbey

On Day 4 we visited Kylemore Abbey, a huge estate which included a neo-Gothic cathedral and a Victorian walled garden. After breakfast at the lovely cafe, we headed to Diamond Hill to hike up the moderate trail. The heavy downpour left us soaking wet. The view would have been a lot prettier on a clear day.

View from Diamond Hill

Our drive back to the hotel passed through some of the most picturisque parts of Connemara National Park. I spotted a sign for Ballynahinch which reminded me of an article I read about the hotel. It prompted me to make a reservation there for dinner later that evening. It gave us the opportunity to drive through the amazing landscape again and dinner at the Ranji Room was well worth the effort.

Picturisque Connemara

This is a short holiday and we were already more than half way through. Next stop is the Cliffs of Moher and the Ring of Kerry.

Ballynahinch

Ireland - Causeway Coastal Route

We recently visited Ireland for the first time. By that, I mean Northern Island as well as the Republic of Ireland. It wasn't an obvious choice for us just because we didn't know enough about it. My mind was made up after my wife sent me some Instagram posts #ireland.

We landed in Belfast early Saturday ready for our drive out along the Causeway Coastal Route (CCR). When we got to the Hertz counter, I found out that I had book the car based on our departure date rather than the arrival date. Ok, so I paid for 1 extra day, no big deal right? Well, it doesn't quite work that way. The no-show condition says that they can give the car to someone else even though I have fully paid for the car in advance. Lovely. It gets lovelier. They had no other cars available, and neither did the 2 adjacent car rentals. Avis had a long queue and it did not look hopeful but the prospect of spending the next 8 days in Belfast flashed through my mind. Even though it seemed impossible, I prayed for God's help. The Avis manager made a number of calls, and offered me a manual car. It has been more than 20 years since I drove one and didn't like the prospect of balancing the clutch in hilly Ireland. So he made more calls and finally found me a suitable car. Praise God!

Giant's Causeway 

We set off on the CCR. It starts getting pretty very soon. We made short stops at Kinbane Castle and the Ballintoy Harbour before stumbling upon The Fullerton Arms for lunch.  They had a table for 5 but they needed it back within 1.5 hours, which was absolutely fine because we are quick eaters. It turned out to be the table in the Game of Thrones Room. 

Carrick-A-Rede

After lunch we headed to the Giant's Causeway. Fascinating - Over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed by lava flows about 60m years ago. We didn't spend as much as time there as we would have wanted to because we had tickets for Carrick-A-Rede at 4.30pm.  The walk to the Carrick-A-Rede rope suspension bridge was long but well worth the effort. After that, we drove to Portstewart, where we stay for 2 nights.

Malin Point

The next morning we drove to Magilligan Point to catch a ferry to Greencastle, crossing the Irish border.  We drove along the Wild Atlantic Way to Malin Head, greeted by at least a hundred tractors doing a fundraiser for cancer. Malin Head's rugged coast is the most northerly point in Ireland and you can catch a glimpse of Hells Hole.  

Grianan of Aileach

Our next stop was also something circular, in a literal sense - Grianan of Aileach. A giant stone fort on top of a hill that looks like a donut from the bird's eye view.  We could almost lean against the wind when we were there. 


We drove back into Northern Ireland after that and visited the Mussenden Temple and the gardens in full bloom at the Bishopsgate entrance. As we were leaving, we saw a brilliant rainbow, the sort that conjures images of a leprechaun with a pot of gold at the end of it. 

Harry's Shack, Portstewart

We ended the day with dinner at Harry's Shack, known for "beach food made good", watching the sunset. 

The first 2 days in Ireland  could have turned out quite differently if God hadn't help us with the replacement  car.