Well here we are in Killaloe and who would have known that this place is famous !
All to do with “The Life of Brian” !
No, not the movie – but significant in the life of 2 other Brians !
In about 941 AD, an Irish King, Brian Boru, was born in Killaloe – and he ruled as High King of Ireland between 1002 and 1014. During these times, with a population of under 500,000 people, Ireland had over 150 kings, with greater or lesser domains and as a result there were ongoing conquests to outdo the other 149 ! And it was in 1014 that Brian met his match when he was killed at the Battle of Clontarf.
A lot closer to home though – fast forward 750 years, give or take, and the Great, Great Grandfather of one Brian Clancy – Adrienne’s dad ! – was born in Killaloe as well ! Quite a coincidence, heh 😂😂😂
Unfortunately our weather has been making up for the good run we had and we woke to clouds again this morning. After another good breakfast – though I think our B&B hostess might have been a bit stressed with the numbers this morning – we did okay but she seemed more intent on making sure everyone had slept okay. The poor couple on another table must have been asked 5 times if they slept okay but only had their breakfast order taken just as we were finished – and they were there before us ! Anyway, it was a nice place to stay !
With the poor weather we decided to take the “quick” route instead of the “scenic” route back through the national park as it was likely under fog. We were heading for the Dingle Peninsula today. We weren’t expecting to see much with the weather however as we headed west onto the peninsula, we managed to get one spot of sunshine – around a town called Inch – and some cloudy and windswept views of the coast.
The beach and coast near Inch – with today’s patch of blue sky !
There was no escaping the buses today – basically everyone had to take the same route – the Slea Head Drive. And the roads just aren’t built for the number of tourists ! There are literally thousands of miles of these basically single lane roads and whereas in Scotland the “passing places” are clearly signposted, in Ireland they aren’t and many are really just a spot where the road happens to be a bit wider than usual. So you have all shapes and sizes of cars, campervans, buses, trucks, farm machinery, motor bikes, push bikes – you name it – all trying to drive in each direction !
Two way traffic – I don’t think so !
And the speed limits are generally a joke – except on the motorways and through towns. Many of the 100 kph roads you would be lucky to be able to reach 75 kph as either the road is too narrow, too many bends, too undulating or any combination of these ! All part of the experience though ! I forgot to mention we are driving a Renault Captur in Ireland – another small hatch/suv type diesel. It’s boot is about as big as a glovebox so we’ve almost had to unpack our bags to fit things in !
This is a bit wider – but not when buses and tractors are passing !
Slea Head Drive basically starts and finishes in the town of Dingle – which is just a bottleneck of traffic coming and going. We decided not to stop here – in either direction. The drive itself is quite impressive, even in poor weather. As I’ve said previously, the grey weather seems to add to the atmosphere and add its own character to the views. We stopped at some “bee hives” – actually small domed houses which are doted all over Ireland. They are Neolithic – smaller, more domestic versions of the forts we have seen previously. They are completely made of stone, without any mortar to hold them together and the delicate stonework around entrance doors is very precise.
Spectacular coast in any weather !
“Bee Hive” houses
With more traffic on this route we found it more difficult to get parking spots at any overlooks which did actually exist – with the narrower roads they are fewer and more crude generally with only the “major” sights having any significant parking available. We did manage a couple of stops along the way. One stop was the Great Blasket Centre. The Blasket Islands are located just off the coast and were abandoned in 1952. In the early part of the 20th century the islands were one of the very few areas in Ireland where the Irish Gaelic language was still spoken. Many academics and writers came to the islands to learn the language and encouraged the islanders to keep records in order to preserve it. The long term residents of the island had lived an isolated life, supported mainly by fishing and the island’s resources and by the time it was abandoned they had basically worn out what could be used to survive – including the all important peat reserves for heating.
Rugged coastline near the Blasket Islands
After completing the loop back in Dingle, we started northeast heading for our stop in Killaloe. The weather was a combination of drizzle and rain most of the way and we stopped in a little town along the way to stretch our legs and have coffee. It was 3.30pm when we arrived in Killaloe and checked in to the Lakeside Hotel. After dropping our bags we set out on foot to explore the town. Killaloe is right on the border of 2 counties – Clare and Tipperary – and the river / lake acts as the boundary. The town also splits – known as Ballina / Killaloe. The single lane bridge across the river is a bit of a bottleneck as it needs to cater for traffic coming from 4 directions as well as pedestrians. Traffic lights operate to control the flow in directions. The bridge dates back to the 18th century so it is likely that Adrienne has followed in her great, great grandfather’s footsteps crossing the bridge !
Old Killaloe bridge and docks on the riverbank
Looking across the river at our hotel – nice spot ! New hotel apartments being built right on the river.
Inquisitive ducks below the boardwalk – until they realised we had nothing to feed them !
It is only a small town with a very quiet main street. We walked to the top of the hill and followed a walking path back down to the river. The area is a very popular summertime location and along the river on both sides there are attractive boat moorings and public boardwalks. We battled the bridge traffic back to the otherside again and enjoyed a quiet dinner in the bar overlooking the river at our hotel.
Despite the weather, we had made the most of the day !
Today’s Tour Trivia – Ronald Reagan (Former US President and B-Grade actor) has had his history traced back to Killaloe, to Brian Boru’s father – Cennetig mac Lorcain. Who knows, Adrienne might be related to Ronald Reagan ! 😂😂
And having driven through Limerick today I couldn’t help myself –
A circus performer named Brian Once smiled as he rode on a lion. They came back from the ride, But with Brian inside, And a smile on the face of the lion !