I’ve been home from my trip for three full weeks. In some ways the trip feels like it was eons ago, in other ways I’ve barely left…
This entry will cover my ten day stopover in Ireland, April 30-May 9. If you fly AerLingus to Europe (from the US), I recommend booking your flight over the phone so you can add a stopover in Ireland if you have time. I booked my trip online and had to pay extra to add the stopover when I did call, but it was worth it.
I’ll format this entry as a summary of the whole trip, with memorable moments and tips for cyclists.
Daily Destinations
April 30-May 2: Cork (the city): Hosted by Arthur, Niamh (pronounced Nay-ev), Felix, & Róisín (pronounced Ro-sheen) (from Warmshowers)
—April 30: No cycling, just adventures with my host family 🙂
—May 1: Cycled around Cork (didn’t track distance)
—May 2: 71 km/44 miles (to Kinsale)
May 2-3: Kinsale: Hosted by Naomi, Adrian, & Tristan (Arthur’s sister and family)
—May 3: 64 km/40 miles (to Leap)
May 3-4: Leap: Payed 60€ for a room and breakfast at the Leap Inn
—May 4: 50 km/31 miles on May 4 (to Durrus)
May 4-6: Durrus: Hosted by Gitte and Peter (Warmshowers)
—May 5: 87 km/54 miles (to Crookhaven, Mizen Head, Three Castle Head, back to Durrus)
—May 6: 72 km/45 miles on May 6 (to Dzogchen Beara)
May 6-7: Allihies: Stayed at Dzogchen Beara, a Buddhist monastery with a 30€ hostel
—May 7: 93 km/58 miles on May 7 (to Killarney)
May 7-8: Killarney: Hosted by Fiona (Warmshowers)
—May 8: 11 km/7 miles on May 8 (to the Killarney train station and a bit around Cork)
May 8-9: Cork: Hosted by Arthur & Niamh again
Total Distance Cycled: 445 km/277 miles
“Must-See” Spots
If you cycle through County Cork – or use another mode of transportation – here are spots I recommend, mostly in geographical order (starting in Cork, following the coast, eventually heading up to Killarney):
- Marina Market in the city of Cork
- Great for lunch and coffee, cool art, free book library
- The bluebells of Courtmacsherry
- I was fortunate enough to arrive on the day that Arthur and Niamh were taking the kids for the annual visit to a bluebell forest. The bluebells only bloom for around three weeks each year, so if you are in the area in May, go visit!
- Timoleague
- I joined Niamh, Arthur, and the kids for fish and chips along the water outside an old abbey. I stopped here again to munch on a snack when I passed on bike. Beautiful spot for a picnic 🙂
- Kinsale
- Many Irish towns are surprisingly colorful; the houses are vibrantly painted and there is fun street art (especially in Cork). Kinsale however, has the brightest buildings. It’s touristy, but it’s a fun place to spend an afternoon enjoying the colorful vibe.
- Arundel Grain Store
- This isn’t exactly a “must-see,” but if you cycle through the town of Ring, this is a cool place to explore. It’s a 16th century grain store (and later potatoes and coal) built for the nearby Arundel flour mills.
- Drombeg Stone Circle
- I did not know there were so many stone circles in Ireland, so when Peter mentioned this wasn’t far off my route, I had to detour. In 1957, according to a sign on site, “excavation revealed a compact gravel surface within the circle and a central pit which contained an inverted pottery vessel covering the cremated remains of a youth. More recently, radiocarbon dating has placed the burial in the period c.1100-800 B.C., i.e. the later Bronze Age.”
- The Drombeg Stone Circle area includes the remains of what are thought to have been two stone huts from the Bronze Age. One has a fulacht fiadh inside, probably used for boiling food or bathing, which could hold 70 gallons (318 liters). The other hut has a stone-lined featured interpreted to be a roasting oven. Really cool to sit in the ruins of the hut imagining people in the Bronze Age using these structures.
- The Leap Inn
- I was going to stay at a B&B in Glandore which Naomi recommended, but they only accepted cash. I didn’t have enough $$ and my debit card didn’t work at the ATM (which I had to cycle to another town for!), so I decided to continue cycling until I saw something. Less than an hour later, the Leap Inn (pronounced “Lep”) was the winner! This is a rare gem in Ireland; an inn run by the same family since 1826 – almost 200 years! Please visit this place if you pass the town of Leap; even if you don’t stay overnight, you can get a meal or beer, support this family business, and check out the photos on the wall showing the inn through the years. If Ann is still working there when you go, send her my regards!
- Ballydehob
- I love this town. I only stopped to escape the rain and find warm food, but it quickly revealed its charm. It’s a bit of a musical haven, with many festivals and artsy-folksy events I wish I could have stayed for (I just missed a jazz festival and a fiddle festival – drat!). I had a great conversation with some locals at our shared cafe table about how Appalachian music in the US took so much from the Irish, but didn’t take the jig, and instead made something in 4/4. I also read a folktale about Fionn Mac Cumhaill (pronounced Fee-own Mac-Cool) and the Feathers from China at the cafe (Irish people love their folklore) and a local woman told me I should move to West Cork and get involved in the music scene. You never know!
- Crookhaven
- On bike you have to go a little out of the way to get to Crookhaven, but it’s worth it to visit O’Sullivan’s and drink “the most southerly pint in Ireland.” Pair that with fish chowder and a waterside table and you’re golden!
- Crookhaven – and the Crookhaven Marconi Station – played an important role for ship communication. Guglielmo Marconi created a wireless communication system (the Marconi radio) which was on board the Titanic and allowed the ship to send a distress call as it was sinking. Those who survived the wreck did so because of that call.
- Mizen Head
- Not far from Crookhaven is Mizen Head, a beautiful place where some of The Last Jedi was filmed. You have to pay to visit the signal tower, but in my opinion it’s worth the price; you’ll see some interesting museum exhibits and explore beautiful landscape that you can’t reach otherwise. However, if you’re short on time, skip this and instead visit this next place:
- Three Castle Head
- This was the my favorite stop of the entire trip. I would not have known to go, but luckily Arthur, Niamh, Gitte, and Peter all said I couldn’t miss this. It’s not on tourist maps, nor the EuroVelo 1/Wild Atlantic Way cycling route, but it’s worth it to take your bike down the rocky road to a seemingly deserted parking lot on the edge of the water, walk 25 min. through grassy paths and rugged, rocky terrain near the cliff, until the ruins of the medieval Dunlough Castle and nearby lake appear out of nowhere. In my 70 days in Europe I saw many old castles, but this one had a sense of magic and intrigue like none other.
- Important to note: This is the only ancient castle I saw with a sign specifically asking guests to treat the castle and surrounding area respectfully. There is a rare species of bird, called Choughs, that nest in the castle, and the castle is eroding more rapidly because of increased visitors and disrupting the stones. Be respectful if you visit; this gem is worth preserving.
- Another sign taught me more about the castle. It was built in 1207, soon after the Norman invasion, on the site of an ancient Celtic promontory fort. The castle has three towers, hence the name “Three Castle Head,” and the rampart wall is ~20 feet high, making it one of the highest intact medieval walls in Ireland. The sign also mentioned some folklore:
“Many legends abound concerning the ‘Three Castles,’ not only because of its haunting atmosphere and desolate stillness of the lake, but also due to its violent history. The last family to have allegedly resided there were the O ‘Donohue’s, all of whom apparently died tragically in suicide or murder. A drop of blood supposedly drops daily in the tower by the lake because of this, as well as the appearance of the enchanted white ‘Lady of the Lake’. If one sees her then one will die imminently, according to the stories. Others maintain that gold lies hidden in the lake, the bottom of which has never been found, with buried treasures below the castles that if discovered bring only misfortune.”
How’s THAT for lore!
- Glengariff
- This is such a lovely town. I visited the Bamboo Garden and an area where a bunch of food trucks set up for the weekend. Ate one of my favorite cycling meals: Vegetarian burrito and ice cream!
- Dzogchen Beara
- If you have time, I recommend staying at this Buddhist monastery more than one night. I was only there one night, but it would be great to stay longer and attend meditation or drum circle events. You can stay in the hostel for 30€ or rent a cottage (I think 70€, a good deal splitting it with travel buddies).
- If you happen to see an orange and white cat waiting to greet you, definitely follow. The human who checked me in didn’t provide much information, but this cat was an amazing guide, leading me to the shrine, making sure I sat on a bench to reflect on life and enjoy the peaceful surroundings, leading me to a cottage, the pagoda, and the animal sanctuary for injured wildlife, where I saw cool slugs and a beautiful horse that seemed to be standing on the edge of the world. If you’re lucky the cat will see you off the next morning and lead you almost as far as your bike, then sit and watch as you wave goodbye and thank your guide for the tour. 10/10 recommend.
And in County Kerry (where I spent way less time):
- The Doorus Loop and Cashelkeelty Stone Circle
- I found this by accident. I was cycling along, enjoying the ride despite some rain (seems impossible not to appreciate the rain when you know it’s responsible for the glorious green everywhere), when suddenly I saw a sign for a stone circle. Scrreeeeek! I braked, did a 180, parked, and proceeded to trek through what I can only describe as a fairy land. I’ve never seen so much moss in one place, plus shamrocks growing on top of the moss! The ground, trees, logs that were once trees…everything was sparkling with moss and shamrocks. “If I don’t make it back, it will surely be because I was kidnapped by fairies…” I thought to myself.
- In retrospect, I’m not sure the path I took was actually the trail. I never saw signs, so I followed what was the most evident route, in what seemed to be the direction the map in the parking lot suggested. Eventually I connected with what I think was the Doorus Loop, which led me to an open, rocky field where some sheep were grazing. Later when I watched a YouTube video to confirm, I discovered that I was very close to the stone circle, but in the moment I didn’t realize. The trail seemed to have disappeared, there were no signs, and all I could see were sheep and some rocks that might have once been a stone circle-ish thing. Since I was already racing to get ahead of the rain, I decided to turn back. It would have been nice to see another stone circle, but I was already happy to have trekked through fairy land.
- Killarney National Park
- I loved cycling through this park! When I was there the road was nicely paved, and I had the pleasure of getting the climbs over with at the beginning, and coasting down through the second half of the park. There will be tour buses on the road with you, but that also means you can get someone to take your photo at the beautiful vista points, like Ladies View (see photo below).
Memorable Moments
I loved my entire trip in Ireland. Here are a few highlights that shaped the experience:
- Niamh, Arthur, Felix, & Róisín
- I am eternally grateful to Niamh and Arthur for their hospitality and kindness. I sent requests to multiple Warmshowers hosts in Cork asking if I could stay while figuring out where to rent a bike. Arthur responded saying that not only could I stay, but also I could borrow a bike! It turned out to be the nicest bike I’ve ever ridden, and it fit perfectly!
- When I arrived, I was greeted by 5 1/2-year-old Felix with a hand-picked bouquet of flowers from the garden. He went back and forth picking flowers for me about a dozen times. He gave a detailed tour of the garden, and at some point I was able to go back out the door and pretend to arrive again so 3 1/2-year-old Róisín could give me her bouquet of flowers. What a wonderful welcome; this was absolute confirmation that I was in a good place and would enjoy my stay with this lovely family.
- I could go on and on about this family; they made my trip wonderful. I joined for an outing to a bluebell forest and a beach, sang songs and played ukulele with Felix and Róisín (Felix gave me many songwriting assignments), learned the story of Fionn Mac Cumhail and the Salmon of Knowledge while eating a salmon dinner, drew pictures of moths with Felix, compared favorite Pokémon, etc. Arthur and Niamh were so supportive of my trip and gave not only route advice, but also daily inspiration as they followed my adventures, recommending places to stop and cheering me on from afar when I reached giant hills. It was so nice to share my daily progress with them, and I’m grateful that they connected me to Arthur’s sister Naomi in Kinsale, who was also awesome. I really hope to meet up with all of them again.
- I have to give another shoutout to Felix, who was a great assistant grading student work (especially when I had no motivation to do so) and writing some of this blog. Thanks for all your help, Felix!
- The Bull
- One day I was walking the bike up a steep hill in a light drizzle when I saw what I thought was a black cow in the road ahead. I stopped, not wanting to frighten it, then realized…this cow has a muscular body…and long horns…that’s not a cow! I stood in the rain with my red bike debating what to do; was it best to continue walking toward the bull? If it charged, would I jump on the bike and speed back down the hill, in the direction? As the bull munched on grass, I slowly inched forward. He raised his head to stare at me many times, so I approached very cautiously. When a car passed from the other direction, I waved it down and asked the driver to confirm what that animal was ahead. “I think it’s a bull,’ said the driver. “If you’re nervous, just approach slowly. Bulls in Ireland are very calm…you should be okay.” Easy for someone to say who is shielded by a car! It took me probably thirty minutes to pass the bull; I moved a few steps every time it moved to a new patch of grass, and eventually it wandered to the side of the road and up a hill in another direction. Phew!
- The Sheep
- When I was walking my bike up the hill to Dzogchen Beara (I didn’t walk up every hill on this trip, but I am not ashamed to admit that I definitely walked a few), I came across a herd of sheep. I stopped to observe them and take photos. I heard someone calling them, and the sheep all began to run toward what must have been their shepherd. I started filming and providing commentary, which one sheep overheard. The sheep stopped in place, turned to look at me, baa-ed, and then the entire herd turned and trotted toward me! “Wait sheep, go the other way, I wasn’t calling you!” I exclaimed, but it was too late. I laughed as they all ran up, stopped, and stared at me, reminding me of the little green aliens in Toy Story waiting for directions. I walked further up the hill and the sheep all baa-ed and followed, going as far as they could up to the gate. I laughed a long time after that!
- The Cows
- Another animal that made me laugh was a herd of cows. I stopped to film the largest amount of cows I’d seen on the trip, and zoomed in on one who seemed to be the leader. “You’re the star,” I said. Then, just I said these words, a cow jumped on top of another one in the background of the video, and then another followed suit! Silly cows.
- The Gorse
- In an Irish children’s book, gorse (the yellow flower that grows on a bushy plant sometimes considered a weed) is known as the “golden wonder flower.” I felt so cheery seeing all the yellow blossoms dotting the hills. It certainly is a wonderful flower in my book!
- Three Castle Head
- I already mentioned this castle, but it’s worth repeating. This place was amazing. Don’t miss it.
- Fleur, Manu, & Philias
- When I stayed with Gitte and Peter, I met a French couple and their 17-month-year-old child. They were traveling long-term, having started in France a few months prior and continuing up from Ireland to Scotland, with no plans of stopping any time soon. They were taking a rest day at Gitte and Peter’s place in Durrus when I arrived soaking wet from the rainy weather. We shared meals together and Manu – who used to work at a crêperie – made some delicious crêpes. Imagine my surprise when two days later, once again dripping wet from another day riding in the rain, I arrived at Fiona’s house in Killarney to find them taking a rest day! We joked that this is our tradition now; we will encounter each other always when they are taking a rest day and I am dripping wet from riding in the rain. 🤣
- Side Quests
- Part of the charm of cycling is being able to pull over to explore at any moment. Take advantage of this in Ireland; you’ll find fun adventures like I did with the Arundel Grain Store, the Kashelkeelty Stone Circle hike, and the company and conversation at the shared cafe table in Ballydehob. There were plenty of times when I pulled over to watch birds, have a snack with a beautiful view, or examine some of the many intriguing ruins of Ireland. I saw abandoned schools from the 1800s, a house completely covered in moss, another castle, cool bugs, plants, and plenty of sheep and cows.
- General Friendliness
- I met such wonderful people on this trip. Local people in Ireland just have such wonderful hearts and spirits; I enjoyed the company of everyone I met.
- Familial Feeling
- I’m part Irish, with distant relatives from the Cork region, so I was happy to discover that I felt so comfortable in this country. I saw many people with the same tiny tints of “strawberry” in their hair that I have, some of the older people I spoke to reminded me of my grandma and great uncle, and at the Leap Inn I saw an old photo on the wall that reminded me so much of my grandma and her siblings. I don’t know if I was just projecting an imagined familial feeling because I wanted to feel it or if there was actually something there, but regardless I felt at home in this country.
I highly recommend riding a bike through Ireland if you can. It’s not as bike-friendly as the Netherlands (is any place?) but the scenery is gorgeous and it’s lovely to ride through the Irish countryside, coastal areas, mountains, etc. Even in the rain it’s nice; it’s so apparent that this rain falling on you is the cause of all the lush green scenery everywhere, so how can you complain?
Although I wish I’d booked my stopover from the start and avoided paying so much for it, I am so glad I did this 10-day trip. Out of all the countries I visited on this 70-day adventure, Ireland was absolutely my favorite. I plan to return to all through countries I explored on this EuroTrip, but Ireland has now joined Canada and New Zealand on the very short list of countries that touch my heart in a special way. Thank you to every one I met on this adventure for helping to make my trip so special; I appreciate you greatly and I’ll definitely be back!
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