What rain? It’s 21C and zero rain in West Cork today.
Seriously, looking at your photographs and your maps, which between them tell a pretty comprehensive story of a great adventure in the back of beyond, I couldn’t help thinking of the old truism: In Ireland, even if isn’t raining, you’re never far from running water.
You caught the West of Ireland at the best time. Anyone who wants to emulate you would be well-advised to do it before the end of August or to wait until next year. Some years September is glorious, but it’s by no means guaranteed, and the alternative is misery. October is definitely too late.
That whole West of Ireland, the Wild Atlantic Way, is for hard men. Further south, from Cork City around the coast and the Ring of Kerry to Killarney and then the Dingle Peninsula, and back to an international airport at Cork via Limerick, is generally two or three degrees Celsius warmer, with less and more bearable wind, and is as pretty. Smart people give Killarney itself a miss — it is a huge tourist trap where you’ll be sick within the hour of hearing Danny Boy inescapably blared from innumerable loudspeakers.
Super photos, Ian, especially the ones that show how roughly the landscape and flora have been shaped by the water and the wind, something that I miss in places like Switzerland where fields look like they’ve been manicured with nail clippers.
Like Dan, I look forward to your description of your tour.
