Dingle Peninsula 2014

Ireland 2014

We spent our main holiday for 2014 in Ireland. Our first stop was West Cork, Baltimore to be precise. The trigger factors for Ireland were West Cork Whale Watching (Nic Slocum and his team) and the IWG Annual Seminar that we've attended for the last few years but just for the weekend until now. As usual for one of our multi centre holidays, there are a few pages so please click below for where you'd like to visit.

West Cork

West Cork, page 2

Dingle Peninsula

Dingle Peninsula, page 2

Kildare

Sligo

We were now in County Kerry for a few days. No whale watching trip because of the forecast heavy rain. However, we risked the weather and went on a one hour boat trip round Dingle Harbour to see if we could see their resident Bottle Nose dolphin, Fungie.

view

fungie

You can see that it was a very grey day. We were drenched by the time we got back to the harbour but we did see Fungie for a little while. he was enjoying playing in the waves of another boat. He didn't hang around though - probably fishing so a bit busy!

fungie

From the photos you would think it was drier and clearer on the way back in to harbour. I'm not convinced but we soon warmed up with carrot and coriander soup and a chat to some friendly Canadians!

blue cafe

It faired up a bit in the afternoon so we went for a drive to Slea Head, enjoyed the views then found a cafe to sit in for a while and enjoy the views some more!

gull

The gulls had no fear of humans - obviously used to us.

birds

The telegraph wires outside our guest house - seems the birds like it there.

The highlight of the day was a great folk concert in St James Church, Dingle. Eoin Duignan on whistle and pipes, Tommy O'Sullivan (guitar and voice) and Greenshine (Mary Greene, Noel Shine and their daughter Ellie) on various instruments and voice.

boat

Saturday arrived and it was a much brighter day albeit still breezy, but the boat was going and we were on it!

island

First stop, Great Blasket Island, a wonderful place.

The donkey above has a bit more hair than I'm used to but the one below was really hairy. I've never seen a donkey like that before.

As on most islands we visit, there were plenty of sheep around. Some of them were getting blown about a bit but the one on the right had a good sheltered spot.

sheep

wren

There were a few ruins near where we were dropped off and a couple of properties that looked about habitable but no sign that anyone lived there. The cafe was shut - the man arrived to open it just as we were leaving!

seals

The grey seals were enjoying a sun bathe when we arrived but a few of the human visitors went on to the beach and the seals scrambled into the sea. They still hadn't come back out when we left.

bell and boot

Back on the boat and we went for a trip around but it was too breezy to go north and that's where the whales and dolphins would normally be so, needless to say, we didn't see any. It was a good boat trip though and we saw plenty of marine birds to keep us occupied (when Jonathon wasn't asleep that is!)

You can see how windy it was from the wind battered gull on the left (taken on the beach on the island).

gull

guillemot

Not sure if this is a Guillemot?

gannet

Giving Jonathon the evil eye.

gannet

Jonathon managed to catch him just as he dived.

ventry

Back to Ventry and a quick turn around to get to Dingle for a delicious dinner at An Canteen followed by an excellent concert at Siopa Ceoil (Dingle Music Shop). There was Michael Herlihy on accordion, Dr. Maire Breatnach on fiddle, viola, piano and vocals, Dr. Cian O Morain on guitar, low whistle and piano (and story telling). They were joined by young guest accordionist, Aron Bresnan. We also enjoyed a couple of amazing Irish dances by David Geaney.

concert

Cian telling a story

concert

Cian, Maire and Michael

concert

Cian, Aron and Maire

concert

Cian and Michael

I seem to have run out of space again so please click here for the next couple of days in the Dingle Peninsula.

West Cork

West Cork, page 2

Dingle Peninsula

Dingle Peninsula, page 2

Kildare

Sligo

Back to Holiday index

Ireland 2014
We spent our main holiday for 2014 in Ireland. Our first stop was West Cork, Baltimore to be precise. The trigger factors for Ireland were West Cork Whale Watching (Nic Slocum and his team) and the IWG Annual Seminar that we've attended for the last few years but just for the weekend until now. As usual for one of our multi centre holidays, there are a few pages so please click below for where you'd like to visit.
West Cork West Cork, page 2	Dingle Peninsula Dingle Peninsula, page 2	Kildare Sligo
		We were now in County Kerry for a few days. No whale watching trip because of the forecast heavy rain. However, we risked the weather and went on a one hour boat trip round Dingle Harbour to see if we could see their resident Bottle Nose dolphin, Fungie.



		You can see that it was a very grey day. We were drenched by the time we got back to the harbour but we did see Fungie for a little while. he was enjoying playing in the waves of another boat. He didn't hang around though - probably fishing so a bit busy!
From the photos you would think it was drier and clearer on the way back in to harbour. I'm not convinced but we soon warmed up with carrot and coriander soup and a chat to some friendly Canadians!
		It faired up a bit in the afternoon so we went for a drive to Slea Head, enjoyed the views then found a cafe to sit in for a while and enjoy the views some more!

		The gulls had no fear of humans - obviously used to us.
The telegraph wires outside our guest house - seems the birds like it there.
The highlight of the day was a great folk concert in St James Church, Dingle. Eoin Duignan on whistle and pipes, Tommy O'Sullivan (guitar and voice) and Greenshine (Mary Greene, Noel Shine and their daughter Ellie) on various instruments and voice.



Saturday arrived and it was a much brighter day albeit still breezy, but the boat was going and we were on it!	First stop, Great Blasket Island, a wonderful place.

The donkey above has a bit more hair than I'm used to but the one below was really hairy. I've never seen a donkey like that before.



As on most islands we visit, there were plenty of sheep around. Some of them were getting blown about a bit but the one on the right had a good sheltered spot.

		There were a few ruins near where we were dropped off and a couple of properties that looked about habitable but no sign that anyone lived there. The cafe was shut - the man arrived to open it just as we were leaving!

The grey seals were enjoying a sun bathe when we arrived but a few of the human visitors went on to the beach and the seals scrambled into the sea. They still hadn't come back out when we left.


Back on the boat and we went for a trip around but it was too breezy to go north and that's where the whales and dolphins would normally be so, needless to say, we didn't see any. It was a good boat trip though and we saw plenty of marine birds to keep us occupied (when Jonathon wasn't asleep that is!)

	You can see how windy it was from the wind battered gull on the left (taken on the beach on the island).
Not sure if this is a Guillemot?	Giving Jonathon the evil eye.	Jonathon managed to catch him just as he dived.


Back to Ventry and a quick turn around to get to Dingle for a delicious dinner at An Canteen followed by an excellent concert at Siopa Ceoil (Dingle Music Shop). There was Michael Herlihy on accordion, Dr. Maire Breatnach on fiddle, viola, piano and vocals, Dr. Cian O Morain on guitar, low whistle and piano (and story telling). They were joined by young guest accordionist, Aron Bresnan. We also enjoyed a couple of amazing Irish dances by David Geaney.
Cian telling a story	Cian, Maire and Michael
Cian, Aron and Maire		Cian and Michael
I seem to have run out of space again so please click here for the next couple of days in the Dingle Peninsula.
West Cork West Cork, page 2	Dingle Peninsula Dingle Peninsula, page 2	Kildare Sligo
	Back to Holiday index