Hiking Day 5 Dunquin to Boherboy (Dun Chaoin – Boherboy) 12 miles

Warm and sunny

Today was supposed to be a 17 mile day, but we are following Justin’s advice and splitting it in two, ending at Boherboy (pronounced Boor BUOY, which means yellow road). Because we got off the trail to get to last night’s B&B, we have a long walk back on a paved road this morning.


This is a mixed blessing – we are staying on level ground, but the road is hard on the feet an it’s not much fun to walk with cars whizzing by in both direction on a very narrow road, with the traffic coming from the wrong direction (for us Americanos)!














By midmorning we had walked down to the beach and got to admire some lovely views over the sand dunes at Chogher (the G is silent – pronounced Clo HAIR).


















































We stopped at the studio of Louis Mulcahy – beautiful pottery and woolen scarves. Too bad we backpackers don’t want to add any extra weight to our packs!




This is the road to the Mulcahy Studio.









Our afternoon was a long walk on the beach all around Smerwick Harbour, watching the birds, the tourists with babies and dogs, and one brave swimmer.










Even though it was very sunny, it was still breezy and too cool for swimming as far as this Southern Belle was concerned. This was the second day in a row we stopped to put on sunscreen, and I was very glad for my little orange cap.












Leaving the harbour, we got back onto a paved road where a construction crew was laying new asphalt, so our footprints are enshrined in Ireland forever…

We were looking for the Tigan Phoist Hostel at Boherboy, between Murreagh and Feonaugh, which eventually came into view over my apprehensions (whenever we leave the trail now, I feel insecure if I don’t see the Dingle Man).

The hostel was clean, although there was only one bathroom / shower for 8 bedrooms. Luckily, only one other room was occupied, so sharing was not an issue. There was a convenience store adjoining the hostel, so we purchased microwave dinners, in addition to tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch. We had the kitchen and dining room to ourselves, and really enjoyed a hot shower (this hostel provided soap and a towel!) One learns to be thankful for simple things…

Hiking Day 4 Dingle to Dunquin (An Daingean - Dun Chaoin) 12 miles

A beautiful sunny day – Happy Third Anniversary, Jim! Thank you for this trip!

Our host Justin arranged our stays for the next two nights, in places not in our guidebooks, and told us of a halfway stop so that we won’t have to hike 17 miles in one day. That sounds like a very good idea to me!





At another lovely breakfast that included sweet little strawberries (Jim's still having the full Irish, and I'm very happy with yoghurt, Meusli and fruit), we met three young Germans traveling in the same direction. Although we started out earlier, I’m sure they’ll catch up and pass us before too long!

We picked up some fruit and sandwiches for our eventual lunch, and headed down to the water to pick up the trail. Dingle is a fisherman’s town, although these days the main industry is tourism.

We passed many “no vacancy” signs, and saw many rental cars at the waterfront, as well as the first tourist shops we’ve seen, selling all manner of things embossed with shamrocks and leprechauns… it's the first time we've seen touristy stuff, and it reminds me that we have not heard one person say, "top o' the morning"...



We had a lovely morning walk and were overtaken by the friendly Germans by 11:00.




The trail took us down to the beach at Dingle Bay, and we walked at the water’s edge for nearly and hour before heading back inland.



























After crossing a few stiles, we began to climb into an area with many stone walls. The walls are built without mortar, just stone on stone, and stand in all weathers for hundreds of years.






Here we saw our first clochan (little stone hut built by the Druids) and were soon to see many more. No one knows what the huts were used for. They are one of the things I have been waiting to see.

I've never seen so much stone upon stone as on this side of Mt. Eagle!

The views were spectacular and the sheep were abundant.





We also saw two ring forts overlooking the beach below at Slea Head.
















We descended until we reached the tarmac road at Dunmore Head, the most westerly point of mainland Ireland.




We went past the Dunquin Pier, and continued on the main road to find the B&B that Justin had recommended. It was a long walk on a busy road at the end of a long day, and I was very glad when the B&B came into view.

























Cleann Dearg is small and neat, run by Lilia, who decorated it with items brought home from Bali, which interested Jim very much. She served all of us (the Germans were here too) tea and biscuits on her sunny lawn, and we played fetch with her two dogs Jessie and Pippin.




The Germans are Daniel (on the right), an engineer who speaks excellent English and has been to visit the US, his girlfriend Kirsten, a doctor who is studying psychiatry (you can guess what she and Jim talked about), and their friend Timor, an engineer.


Because we weren’t near a town or a restaurant, we also ate dinner here, on a beautiful veranda hung with live grapevines growing inside. I’d love to be here in the autumn when the grapes are ripe!

Zero Mile Day in Dingle (An Daingean)

Clear / Partly cloudy



Our primary goal today is to stay off our feet, what hikers call a Zero Mile Day.




However, we are in the lovely seaside town of Dingle, the biggest (really only) town on the Dingle peninsula, and we need to get our clothes washed, some money changed, some postcards sent, and to find some food sources – all things that are contrary to our primary goal!





Our host Justin gave us directions to the laundry (turn in at the red door - we're still not used to how directions are given around here!), so that was our first order of business.

We thought it would be a Laundromat, but there is no such thing here, so we handed over all our worldly goods to a laundress, and hope to get them back by 2 this afternoon. No one seems to have clothes dryers here – even at the B&B, they hang all the sheets out on the line!

We found a bank to cash in some travelers checks, and a Post Office / Hardware store to mail our cards. (There is also a Bar / Hardware store...)



Went into a chemists (drug store) to find some Dr. Scholl’s pillow inserts for my poor feet. Family please note that it is an O'Keeffe Dispensing Chemist (our family name). Had lunch at the Goat Street Café, which boasts a wonderful seafood chowder. Sent an email home from the Library.






In the afternoon, we walked around town, which is dominated by St. Mary's church.










The church has lovely gardens, and an an extensive graveyard where only nuns are laid to rest.










The garden also boasts the Trinity Tree, carved and dedicated on Lady Dingle Day (Mary's birthday) in 2000.



Its three branches represent the Trinity (like the shamrock) and contains the face of Jesus, Mary, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, along with their symbols, man, lion, ox and eagle, as well as other Christian symbols including a heart, a fish and a pelican. (The pelican was a new one on me...) The carving must be rubbed with olive oil every five years if it is to survive in this climate.



Quite a lot accomplished for our day of rest!