Irish Ferry to Ireland
We took the Irish Ferry from Pembroke in Wales to Rosslare in Ireland to start our journal around Ireland and Northern Ireland. The ferry was good and we had smooth weather for the trip. The ferry was very well appointed, with plenty of eating and drinking places, as well as a Duty Free shop. The process was easy to navigate and pulling up to the terminal, by the time we reached the ticket box, they already had our tickets ready – this is because I had registered our licence plate number of our car before the sailing date. On of the good things when I booked the Ferry was being able to put “To Be Advised” under the licence plate. It was then very easy to update once we had picked up the rental car.
Note that as we were taking the rental car out of the UK – we did ensure we had a VE103B Vehicle on Hire Certificate – this was to confirm the rental company knew we were taking the rental out of the country. While we were not asked to produce it as proof, we still recommend you ensure you have the documentation required.
On arrival we were expecting to have to provide our passports and go through some sort of customs check. However we pass straight through and out of the wharf. We are not sure if this is because our vehicle was registered as belonging to people with NZ passports who can travel reasonably freely or if they just didn’t care – but we were not stopped.
Waterford
Once we were out of the port we drove straight through to Waterford which was our stop for the night. The next day we checked out the Waterford Crystal shop. We would have done the tour but the times available didn’t suit us so we just took a look around.
The crystal really is quite spectacular – but is very pricy. For example the plane in the photos below was worth over €18K! The cheapest thing we saw was a ring dish on special for €40 – in AUD that would have been around $85.00 – so still not cheap. Of course, if this is your thing you could spend a fortune there! And then hope it made it hope :). Click here if you want to check out what they have.
While we were at Waterford Crystal, we wandered down the steet and noticed that there were several museums and tours you could do. We popped in to check them out and decided to have lunch there as well. Of the museums available we decided to have a look at the Medievil Museum which gives a history of the Medievil times in Waterford, along with old statues and cloaks from around that time. If you want to see what other mueums and tours you could do click here.
A couple of other points of interest in Waterford was the Christs Church Cathedral- a lovely example of a smaller cathedral which is all in the same area as the museums and is free to look inside. Within the same Square is also a statue of Strongbow and Aoifie – who were figures in a pivotal event of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. We also learned more about these two in a tour of Trim Castle when were were in Dublin!
Cork
Moving on from Waterford, we carried on to Cork – again we were only here for one night. Just enough time to get there and have a look around at whatever point of interest we picked. In Cork we decided to check out Cork City Gaol. The Gaol is a lovely looking building, despite what it was built for and you can tour one of the restored wings to see what it was like back in the day – there is even a reported ghost there is you are interested in that!
The site also offers some ruins of the Gaol including the hospital that was onsite. Make sure you take a walk around the outside to see them! To check out what the Gaol has to offer you can check out the site here.
Blarney Castle
Leaving Cork and making our way to Killarney we stopped first at Blarney Castle – famous for the Blarney Kissing Stone. Blarney Castle is nestled on a large expanse of lawns and gardens and rise up overseeing the area. The climb to the top where the Kissing Stone is, is narrow and a steep spiral stone staircase. It is worth the climb though, if only for the views from the top. If you wish to kiss the stone you will be joing hundreds of others that have also done it before you! We opted out of that tradition and just kept walking around the top for the view before making our way back down again.
Whether Blarney Castle is worth it – I think I can give or take it, but it is one of the most famous castles in Ireland and we added it to our list simply because of that. Obvioulsy if your goal is to kiss the stone to get the gift of the gab then you will definately want to add it to your list. There are just so many castles that you can visit in Ireland and you don’t want to miss out on ones that are just as good, or better, later on.
Parking was available but you do need to pay for it – it was €2 so not expensive. To check out information on Blarney Castle you can click here.
Killarney
We were at Killarney for one night as an overnight stay before we went on to our next attraction on our list – the Ring of Kerry.
Ring of Kerry
The Ring of Kerry typically starts and stops in Killarney. However as we were moving onto our next town once we had competed the ring, we didn’t go back to Killarney and carried on to our next destination. However, we did see basically all that the Ring had to offer. There is so much to see that you might find it beneficial to plan what you want to see. They say it takes around 2.5 hours to drive around the circuit without stopping, but you should plan on driving round over a day to see as much of the sights as you can. If you want to find out more click here.
The roads were good, with pretty much all of them being two laned. There were some places where they were a bit narrow, but still passable and most cars were sensible and accommodating. The only times the roads could be a single lane or a bit narrower were if you went of the main Ring of Kerry circuit. We did do this a couple of times, but again we found most drivers sensible. The weather for our trip was wet in the morning, which is a bit of a shame as the Ring of Kerry is known for its stunning views of the coast and the landscape of the area, which has a lot of large sand stones etc. The weather made this difficult for us in the morning, but it wasn’t something we were too worried about. I suppose when you come from a country which. has similar stunning landscapes you become a bit less inspired by the views, but it truely was lovely. We did stop at a few places, and the ones we did stop at are below.
Kenmore – Circle of Stones
The Stone Circle just out of Kenmore was erected some time in the Bronze Age and was probably used for rituals or ceremonial ceremonies. There are 15 stones with one central boulder stone which is thought to be a potential burial stone. There are also two Hawthorn Fairy Trees and people who visit are encouraged to write there wish on a tag and tie it to one of the Fairy Trees. If you could like to find out more you can click here.
Sneem Falls
Sneem Falls are in the small town of Sneem. Sneem was a pretty wee town with colourful houses and businesses. On the bridge that leads into town you can look down on the Sneem Falls. The water goes under the bridge and then travels through some rock that has been eroded over time and then falls downwards and onwards down the river.
Ballycarbery Castle
Ballycarbery Castle was off the beaten track a little, which meant we were going down a narrow road to get to it. The Castle is not open or accessible to the public but you can get photos of this castle covered in Ivy, from a few different spots in front of the castle.
Cathergal Stone Fort
Cathergal Fort was not far from Ballycarbery Castle, and was a better example of this type of Fort than Staigue Stone Fort which is similar but does not have the stones in the centre. You can climb up and stand on the wide 3m ridge of the stone fort and walk around it. It is thought that this fort was built in 600AD. There is another fort close by however this fort was closed and we did not see or go there.
Limerick
While Limerick is the area we were going to we actually stayed in Banratty. And while we stayed in Banratty for our travels we went to Tipperary to the Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle. Both of these attractions were interesting in their own way and we learnt a lot about the history of the area during our visits to these two places.
Cahir Castle
Cahir Castle was built in the 13th century and remains one of the best preserved castles in Ireland. There is a cost to enter and you will also have to pay for parking while you are there. It stands on the bank of a pretty little river and if you look on the other side of the bridge you can see a nice little waterfall, and if you carry on along the river there is a lovely church as well as the Cahir Rail Viaduct. If you want to find out more about the Caslte click here.
Cahir River and Cahir Rail Viaduct
Just down the river from Cahir Castle a lovely small “waterfall” and the Cahir Rail Viaduct.
Rock of Cashel
When you drive into the town of Cashel, the Rock of Cashel can be seen sitting on the hill overlooking the town – it looks imposing and huge!. The Rock of Cashel consists of many medievil buildings, including an Abbey, a Chapel and the Tower House to name a few. There is a cost to enter the Rock of Cashel, and if you want to go inside Cormac’s Chapel, there is a further small charge as well. They are worth the money to enter and walk around, and the chapel is also interesting to go inside. If you would like more information on the Rock of Cashel click here.
Athassel Abbey/Priory
In some ways Athassel Abbey was a highlight of this day. The Abbey is in ruins and is located on the side of the road between Cashel and Tipperry towns. The priory dates back to the 12th centery and covers 4 acres of medievil ruins. Google will take you to it and there is a small area across the road where you can park. Then you can climb the fence (or climb through the metal gate if you are short enough like we were) and then a short walk over the paddock takes you to the ruins. It was peaceful and simply stunning to wander around the ruins.
Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher were always on our list of attractions to visit and they certainly didn’t let us down. Leaving the Limerick area heading to Galway, we stopped at the cliffs to take in the stunning clifftop scenery. The weather wasn’t the best but we managed to see the cliffs in between rain showers. The windy was blustery, but you expect that in coastal areas. The shops that were set into the hillside were a nice touch to the visit.
There is a large parking area – and bascially the cost you are charged is to cover the cost of parking your car. It is a small walk from the parking area to the Clifftop walkways to enable you to take in the views.
