Dingle!
Today we left Kinsale and headed to Dingle. The route took us through Killarney National Park. It was lovely! The second half of the drive brought us to a sheep farm where we had a demonstration of the dogs herding sheep followed by a sheering demonstration. (Check out my YouTube channel for videos.)
By late afternoon we reached Dingle and our group split up into two B&Bs. They were next door to each other and had amazing views of the water and town center. We would spend three nights here.
Our guide, Declan, had a surprise for us and he teased us all day. Well, it was worth the wait. We had a delicious group dinner prepared by one of the B&B chefs and two local musicians performed for us. It was an intimate setting and beyond amazing!
Each night in Dingle we had a different musical experience and it was incredible. First night, private show at our B&B, the second night was show at St. James Church, and the third was a local traditional show held at a music shop that also included young arts learning their craft. One younger musician played the accordion and one was a dancer. Our guide also surprised us with a performance. One tour member was celebrating a birthday, so he got a special song from the audience.
During our visit in Dingle we also had a crystal cutting demonstration, had a local guide take us on the bus for the Slead Head Drive, which included a stop at the Great Blasket Centre. So many great spots for photos, so little time.
Our last day in Dingle included a bonus optional walking tour with Michael. (He was also the owner of the B&B where we stayed.) Following that morning walk, we took a cab and headed out to find the South Pole Inn (about a 30-minute drive away on the Dingle Peninsula). This was something my husband really wanted to do. Why you may ask? Well the South Pole Inn was started by adventurer Tom Crean. It is still a working pub but now also a museum to Crean. We had some lunch and checked out some of the memorabilia. Crean was an adventurer who joined the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica in the early 1900s. Our taxi driver told us it was a busy day and we may want to take the local bus back to Dingle and gave us tips on where to buy tickets, so that was our plan! The bus eventually showed up (was a little late due to a breakdown on the road) and we chalked it up to traveling like locals and sometimes the buses have issues.
"Wow" Moment: Our surprise musical guests at dinner on our first night in Dingle was amazing. It was a simple and intimate setting and so wonderful.
Today we left Kinsale and headed to Dingle. The route took us through Killarney National Park. It was lovely! The second half of the drive brought us to a sheep farm where we had a demonstration of the dogs herding sheep followed by a sheering demonstration. (Check out my YouTube channel for videos.)
By late afternoon we reached Dingle and our group split up into two B&Bs. They were next door to each other and had amazing views of the water and town center. We would spend three nights here.
Our guide, Declan, had a surprise for us and he teased us all day. Well, it was worth the wait. We had a delicious group dinner prepared by one of the B&B chefs and two local musicians performed for us. It was an intimate setting and beyond amazing!
Each night in Dingle we had a different musical experience and it was incredible. First night, private show at our B&B, the second night was show at St. James Church, and the third was a local traditional show held at a music shop that also included young arts learning their craft. One younger musician played the accordion and one was a dancer. Our guide also surprised us with a performance. One tour member was celebrating a birthday, so he got a special song from the audience.
During our visit in Dingle we also had a crystal cutting demonstration, had a local guide take us on the bus for the Slead Head Drive, which included a stop at the Great Blasket Centre. So many great spots for photos, so little time.
Our last day in Dingle included a bonus optional walking tour with Michael. (He was also the owner of the B&B where we stayed.) Following that morning walk, we took a cab and headed out to find the South Pole Inn (about a 30-minute drive away on the Dingle Peninsula). This was something my husband really wanted to do. Why you may ask? Well the South Pole Inn was started by adventurer Tom Crean. It is still a working pub but now also a museum to Crean. We had some lunch and checked out some of the memorabilia. Crean was an adventurer who joined the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica in the early 1900s. Our taxi driver told us it was a busy day and we may want to take the local bus back to Dingle and gave us tips on where to buy tickets, so that was our plan! The bus eventually showed up (was a little late due to a breakdown on the road) and we chalked it up to traveling like locals and sometimes the buses have issues.
"Wow" Moment: Our surprise musical guests at dinner on our first night in Dingle was amazing. It was a simple and intimate setting and so wonderful.