Ireland: Day 1 (Lough Derg)

Well jeez, didya miss me? Really, in my travels around Ireland, I did not have a chance to do the blog - even had I had a decent internet connection (of which more to follow). So, bear with me - my connection wasn't good enough to upload the photos I have, and I'm waiting for Helen to do something with them when she gets a chance (but you know how that four-letter word called "work" can get in the way). I do have a few - but they're worth waiting for; we got spectacular weather (!) and there are some spectacular photos to match. I'll get them to you when I can. As I'll get the write-ups done when I can.

Well, we flew on the Thursday and Helen had to meet someone in Foynes on the Saturday, which meant we couldn't really get started on the Wild Atlantic Way until Sunday. Friday 3rd, then, was to be spent locally, and I'd planned ahead: the wet weather plan was for Ennis, the dry weather plan was to head for Lough Derg. And wouldn't you know it - after all my dire warnings to Helen about bringing wet weather gear, we spent almost the entire week in glorious sunshine!

Sunset at the airport on landing

Lough Derg it was. Armed with small water bottles and sunshades, we set off - bought peaked caps on the way: in the county colours. I had a vague plan to head for Mountshannon and grab a boat trip to Holy Island, if we could. I'd never been on one of these, but had often seen them advertised, and thought it would be a lovely thing to do on a hot, sunny day.

So, after a stroll at the lakeshore and a few photos, we moseyed on over to the trailer parked by the harbour, which prominently advertised tours on the side. The door was open, displaying rows of guidebooks to the island, stacks of fliers - a girl hovering nearby asked whether we wanted to go on a tour, and when we said we did, she rang the boatman. A local historian, whose book on Holy Island is available for purchase, he also runs boat trips to the island, ferrying people back and forth all day, as required. He was at the island just then, but came right back in - it isn't more than a few minutes' trip - and took us out, for a price of €10 per hour.

Good choice! We were on a small boat, not high above the water, and on a hot, sunny day I don't think there's a better place to be. We had a terrific - if brief - trip out, under a scorching sun, and as he dropped us at the small pier on the island, he said he'd be back in an hour. He's written a guide, which you can take with you, returning it to the trailer afterwards - but he doesn't accompany you around the island. It's a small one, and the guide contains a map, so that's not a problem.

Holy Island is an old monastic settlement, now uninhabited. It was denoted a "Notable Shrine" by the pope in 1608, and the island is still richly populated with ruins of churches, a round tower, and other monuments of note:

When I say uninhabited, I am neglecting to mention some regular residents..

..who were most curious about us. Apart from them, though, we had the place to ourselves - a group had been leaving as we arrived, and a man came on his own as we left (just over an hour later): but other than them, the OPW people cutting the grass, and the guy looking after the cows - just birdsong to keep us company. And really, there is more than enough here to keep you occupied for the hour - we had to pass on some of the further-flung sites. We were taken back on a faster boat, the spray splashing our faces, and when we returned to dry land, we bought a guidebook..

Lunch beckoned, and I suggested Nuala's, a short way down the lake. We sat in the restaurant proper, surrounded by pictures and texts on the theme of Holy Island, and had starters and mains. Which were excellent, as ever - but I'd forgotten to warn Helen about the portion sizes, and the poor lass was stuffed for the rest of the day! We skipped dessert.

On down the Lough Derg drive, and to Killaloe, another fine place on a sunny day. I was lucky to get just about the last parking space by the water (beside a fortune-teller's van) and after a stroll around there, we headed to the ancient cathedral of St. Flannan's:

There's an even more ancient oratory next door, not open to the public:

The cathedral itself is open, but although you can walk around the entire churchyard, there is no direct access from there - you have to enter via the main door:

..and it makes a lovely, cool retreat on a hot day. On to the University of Limerick, with its striking murals in the Foundation Building (sorry, we do have plenty of photos, but currently I don't have access to them!).. and that was it for the day. Exhausted, we got a takeaway from An Teach China (literally, The China House) in Tulla that evening. And collapsed to bed, ready for a trip to Foynes next day..