IRELAND
Coastal road on the Dingle Peninsula
ESSENTIALS a
Blasket Islands
l Dingle
CO. KERRY Killarney
u
Skellig Islands
Derrynane Dursey Island IRELAND Limerick Cork DUBLIN 10 Miles
Sheep’s Head Mizen Head
E A N
Lough Hyne
CO. CORK Bantry
Getting there & around
Ireland’s south west can be accessed via Shannon Airport in County Kerry or Cork Airport in County Cork, both of which are typically served from the UK by airlines including Ryanair.
ryanair.com Average flight time: 1h30. Car hire is essential unless joining a group tour.
When to go
residents — men, women and children of the O’Sullivan clan. Some were thrown from the cliffs, others jumped. This sobering story stays with me, but I
pick up brighter ones, too, first at Garinish Island — home to the historic Bryce House and its Italianate gardens, which hosted some of Ireland’s great 20th-century thinkers before becoming a museum — and later in Bantry. I stay in the little town’s crowning glory, Bantry House, a stately home with plush guest rooms, still run by descendants of its 18th-century founders. Aſter the house closes to day guests, I wander through the drawing rooms admiring the collection of art, gilt mirrors and tapestries before curling up by the roaring fireplace (with a tipple from the honesty bar) and reading about its former residents. The final flourishes of West Cork take me
through the wildest landscapes I’ve seen yet, to places that feel unmoored from the rest of Europe. Driving the precarious coastal tracks towards the tip of the Sheep’s Head peninsula, I’m reminded of one of Ciarán’s sayings: ‘There are no straight roads in Ireland, or straight answers’. Astonishingly, at the tip of the headland is a cafe — Bernie’s Cupán Tae. Bernie Tobin’s improbable establishment is oſten called ‘the teashop at the end of the world’, and aſter my bumpy journey it certainly
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nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
feels like I’ve reached a remote outpost. Scones slathered with homemade jam set me up to cruise back down the peninsula and follow the south west’s pinky finger up to the forlorn signal station at Mizen Head. On my final evening, I meet Jim Kennedy,
of Atlantic Sea Kayaking, beside the saltwater inlet of Lough Hyne. There are gutsy swimmers taking a late-summer dip as we paddle out in kayaks, the heavens darkening. “There’s depth to West Cork; once you peer beyond the top layer you can feel this whole other world,” Jim says. “It’s the best place to taste Ireland, but it’ll never be touristy — for one thing, you saw our roads.” My guide is a champion kayaker who’s been running tours in West Cork for 25 years but still ranks as a ‘blow-in’, according to local standards. We pause and float in the darkness,
listening to the heavy breaths of a nearby seal. “Look closely at the water,” Jim says soſtly. I see that my moving oar is glittering with blue sparks. How had I not seen this before? I look closer still and see the reeds and fish are dancing with light, too. I plunge my arm in and bring up a glittering gauntlet. I thought you had to travel to the Caribbean to see bioluminescence like this, I say. “Well,” Jim says, laughing kindly, “maybe you’ve heard: there’s a little magic here.”
Ireland is a year-round destination but summer and autumn offer the best weather (July and August average 15C). Boats to the Skellig Islands typically run from May-early October; booking ahead is essential. Due to coronavirus, Skellig Michael won’t be open until 2021. The island has no toilet or cafe facilities, and it’s advisable to bring study shoes, a packed lunch and waterproofs.
Places mentioned
Skellig Tours.
skelligtours.com Dingle Way.
dingle-peninsula.ie Caifé na Trá.
facebook.com/caifenatra South Pole Inn.
southpoleinn.com Beara Coast Hotel.
bearacoast.com Dursey Island.
durseyisland.ie Bantry House.
bantryhouse.com Mizen Head Signal Station.
mizenhead.ie Atlantic Sea Kayaking.
atlanticseakayaking.com
More information
Ireland Tourism.
ireland.com How to do it
WILDERNESS IRELAND offers the week-long Hiking & Island Hopping Cork and Kerry from €1,870 (£1,675) per person. Includes guided hikes along the Wild Atlantic Way, a visit to Skellig Michael and two other islands, visits to local craftspeople, and six nights’ accommodation in local hotels, all B&B. Group and bespoke tours available.
wildernessireland.com
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ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
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