TJ Camper Girl

Walking day, we parked up at Castlegregory after driving the long way round as motorhomes are advised against travelling the Conor Pass out from Dingle.
Castlegregory was in the main closed, so we had home made sandwiches. Magherabeg beach was full of surfer dudes in their hip vans. We chatted with them before heading out on a 10 mile, 4 bay walk, part of the Dingle Way. We headed out around Garrywilliam Point, Scraggane Bay, Tralee Bay and Brandon Bay. Nice to stretch the legs but was well ready for a rest at the end.

We stayed the night at Seaside Caravan site, Tralee Bay, not really set up for tourers but let us stay for 10 Euros - as the shower block was full of spiders we had use one of the static caravans for showers and toilet facilities. We were right on the beach and watched the sunset and had a walk at sunrise - magical Bay.

The site owners are looking to build on the land so the site may not be there for much longer, they had just bought a fire engine and were having training on how to use it - all in an attempt to reduce their insurance premium.

Next morning a drive up to the Shannon Estuary ferry, great crossing on a beautiful day - landing in County Clare, 21 euros. Coffee is available on board but it is only a 20 minute crossing.

We intended to wild park for the night at Spanish Point, but barriers and signs have gone up. We moved onto a second marked car park on the beach at Doonbeg, but alas it had been taken over for staff parking at a Trump Towers Golf course. We moved onto White Strand, where there were a few campers and a bonfire on the beach. Great spot for the night but we arrived in the dark.

We woke to some mixed weather sunshine and blustery showers in a lovely bay, we set out for a walk along the cliff top, but we had only gone 10 steps when we got blasted with sideways hale, we were drenched after making a run back to Ela. And low and behold more signs saying no motohome parking, oh well too late now.

Inch Beach

I am stretching reaching out to the mountains
Mountains protect my gentle soul
Protection from the sea winds that look to take
To steal from me, steal my vulnerability
I am tranquil within my comfort

Placid I rest with my grass armour veins
Softly laying behind, veins that gently roll
The wild and roaring sea ceases its tumble game
It approaches now with uncertainty
To ebb and flow along Inch shore

We arrived at Inch Beach - stunning 4 miles long finger of beach with sea on either side and the Kerry Hills to surround - Drung Hill catching the sun as it sets. We were the only camper on Inch Beach site for the night, the location is outstanding, the shower block in the process of being updated. The campsite is not much more than a field, but with some hard standing, it is opposite the entrance to the beach car park, on the opposite side of the road.

We walked out on the sands as the sun was setting, a wonderful beach, cars are allowed on the beach and the surfers were out catching the waves in Dingle Bay.

The next morning I set out to run the beach and managed the full length out and back. We made a great discovery of Sammy's cafe for breakfast, you will see the wonderful bacon and pancakes that I decided I had earned after my run. We charged up our phones and took advantage of outstaying our welcome with breakfast and coffees. We highly recommend the cafe and the location. The campsite owners are at the B&B up the road, which is an outstanding B&B for anyone looking for more comfort.

We watched Ryan's daughter film in the night and it was amazing to see the beach we had just walked on actually there on film. Great film. Actress Sarah Miles, of Ryan's daughter fame, came back to visit the beach recently and stayed at the B&B previously mentioned - there are signed photos on the wall from the visit.

We carried on the next morning to drive the loop at the end of the Dingle Peninsula which is made up of Mount Eagle, Croaghmarhin, Ballydavid Head the road is narrow and really out on the edge, but I loved driving it, with scenes stretching out over the Atlantic and the Blasket Islands. There are plenty of stopping places on this route to stop and take photos. We particularly loved the sleeping man island, see photos.

Dawn recognised many places on this route from the time she was here before - 20 years ago. We stopped at a little cafe that had a weaving loom, there was no one there but the door was open, spooky as Dawn had visited 20 years ago and just the same door open but no one around.

We looped back for a night on the harbour car park, wild camping at Dingle.

Night out in Dingle - oh what a fantastic place, we had fish at The Fish Box, we had so much food we took away half for another day - wonderful, they have their own trawlers. We went to Dick Macks and Foxy Johns bars - Dick Macks is half bar and half cobblers and Foxy Johns half bar and half hardware store. They are fab, there is a bar with a haberdashery too. We loved Dingle.

It was very windy and rainy in the night on the harbour, I did not sleep - in fact the wind managed to move a curtain truck sideways during the night, we were okay in Ela - she is holding up quite well to gusty Ireland.

A change from the coast road to start and my favourite drive, well a close call with the drive on the The Ring of Beara - the N71 to Kenmare stunning mountain road - known as the Caha Pass, going through tunnels cut through Turners rock, we checked first to see that we were not too wide, wonderful experience loved it.

We stopped off at Molly Callivans, which is a preserved farm and cottage of Molly who over 200 years ago raised 7 children in poverty conditions and to make ends meet started to sell home brewed liquor made out of potatoes - Poitin. Great place in a stunning location. We bought a dvd of Ryans Daughter as we will be heading to Inch Beach once we get to the Dingle Peninsula, this is where the film was shot. Also bought a milk jug from a local potter - its beautiful in blues and greens.

The Ring of Kerry -
First stop at Sneem, a nice place, river running through, surrounded by mountains, there is a campsite here but we are booked in at Wave Crest campsite at Rath Strand (Strand means beach). We ate at a lovely bar called D O'Shea.

We stopped overnight and had a great pitch looking out across the sea, with stunning sunset followed by an equally stunning sunrise. Got out washing done.

We drove the Coomakesta Pass, which was a wee bit scary but fab, overlooking the Ballinskelligs Bay and the Skellig Rocks - Skellig Micheal being the most famous one with the lighthouse build into the rock.

We stopped off at Ballinskellig bay, where we walked out to McCarthy Mor castle on a spit of land and then onto an Abbey which was the home of the Skellig Monks, that came in from the Skellig Islands to take up residence in the deserted Abbey, as the weather on the Islands was too severe.

We did a litter pick on the beach.

The Kerry Cliffs were spectacular, we had lunch in Portmagee a small fishing village, we had great chowder and the best Guinness so far at Fishermans, worth seeking out if you ever get there. The Portmagee Ferry boat is on display here, that ran until the mighty bridge was build over to Valentia Island. To attract the Ferry Boat operator customers stood on the harbour and whistled for attention (see photo of the ferry boat and bridge in the background).

Rang through to Creveen Lodge campsite on the Healy Pass, Beara, spoke to Mary, 'To be sure to bring food' said Mary, so we stocked up on food before we got.

We arrived late after many stops to admire the coast and ancient monuments along the way along with seals basking on the rocks, we drove down the Healy pass, narrow mountain pass that squiggles around hairpin bends and along lumpy spines - It was dark, foggy and raining - felt like an 8 mile toboggan run. Luckily we only met two vehicles coming the other way but had to slow several times for sheep - who did not expect vehicles on their road. We could see the spectacular rock and the many vertical waterfalls - but not the view or the drops off the side of the road. I was quite pleased it was dark. The Healy pass was constructed to aid the delivery of food during the potato famine.

When we woke we found we had a most outstanding view across the glen, framed by mountains looking out to sea, wonderful. Our camp site is set in the Caha Mountain range on the Healy pass, spectacular.

The campsite has three lovely collie dogs that are there as working dogs as it is a sheep farm, they came rounding up anyone that a--rrived onto camp and came around making sure we were tucked up for the night and then again that we were awake the next morning. We had a lovely robin with us for the two nights, the dogs ate the bread we put out for the robin. Ela was actually parked mid dog run - high speed dogs shooting past whenever a delivery or car arrived on the site - luckily we escaped being swept off our feet.

We drove the full ring of the Ring of Beara, apart from a narrow pass road that we were too wide for. The orange of the landscape and the turquoise of the sea was stunning. Eyeries on the pass is a lovely village on the rugged rock landscape, the house all pastle colours, to aid the husbands finding the right house after last orders. We had lunch in Castletownbere at McCarthys bar, which also doubled as a store, fantastic place, Guinness and Crab Sandwich.

Castletownbere is a working harbour (Berehaven Harbour) - and is the largest fishing port in Ireland. Many, many large bright coloured trawler fishing boats here with their catch, they are used to foreign visitors from far and wide. It is the 2nd safest natural harbour in Ireland. The area is the setting of Daphne Du Maurier's Hungry Hill book, which is the name of the highest peak in the Caha Mountains.

Next stop is Dantry, for a good night out, parking in the port - where it is 10 Euros per night with electricity and water, showers at the nearby hotel - right on the waters edge listening to the clang of the sailing yachts - lovely.