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Blown away by the coastal charm

H
URRICANE Katia has a lot to answer for. No sooner was our itinerary in place for a tour of the islands off West Cork and Kerry then in swept the gale, scattering the best laid plans in its wake. Our disappointment was completely out of proportion considering days earlier wed never even heard of such islands as Great Blasket and Skellig Michael. But the more wed read about them, the more intrigued we were to see them. Katia, however, was having none of it. The hurricane blowing in from across the Atlantic hit northern Ireland hardest but its tail was whipping up waves up to eight metres high off the south-west coast we were told when our weather-delayed flights touched down in Cork. Down we drove anyway and spent a couple of days looking out from the

STUNNING The Dingle peninsula

secondly, the food including wonderful crab, prawns, fish and chowders is excellent; and, thirdly, youre guaranteed lots of friendly chat from the locals. And, most importantly for us, there are lots more islands to explore. After a night in pretty Dingle, a bold green, blue, yellow and redpainted confection of pubs, homes and shops where we discovered Foxy Johns half-hardware shop, half-bar where you can buy nuts and bolts at one counter and a pint of Guinness at the one opposite we made time to visit the only remains of the purpose-built Ryans Daughter set: the schoolhouse, teetering on the brink of the cliff and scene of Robert Mitchums domestic turmoil with Sarah Miles, before we hit the road with our guide John Ahern. By the time we were in Continued Portmagee, feasting on seafood platters at

Coast, countryside, chowder and plenty craic BARBARA HODGSON is blown away by the charm of Irelands islands
beautiful Dingle peninsula at the islands and learning more about what we were missing at The Blascaod Centre and the Skellig Experience. Both visitor attractions, with film and audio-visual displays recounting the story of the islands, do a good job; in the latter case so much so it made our disappointment even greater. Because these unique islands do need to be experienced first-hand. The mountainous Great Blasket Island produced three storytellers from among the hardy few who scratched a living there until it was finally abandoned in 1953 and visitors can look around the derelict former homes of people like old Peig Sayers whose Irish tales have been translated into English. But not us. High seas had made the boat trip, which involves transfer into a dingy for the final approach, too dangerous. And it was a similar story some miles on for Skellig Michael, an unforgiving, 230-metre-high steep hunk of rock, rising like an upturned witchs hat nine miles off shore. Until recently, no access was allowed to this World Heritage Site where early Christian monks, just 500 years after the death of Christ, founded a monastery atop its vertical cliff walls, believing a life of privation would bring them closer to God. So, we could only imagine what it would be like to follow in the long-cold footsteps of generations who, over 600 years, survived hardship, Viking raids and these elements. But not all could be blamed on Hurricane Katia. Its been a bad summer and any inclement weather can put paid to boat trips there. Its just the chance you take. But I reckon its still a chance worth taking as, while those trips cant be guaranteed, what this region can promise visitors is a great time anyway. Firstly, because its a beautiful area to explore, with photo opportunities at every turn: hills and green countryside reminiscent of the Lake District and turquoise waters along the stunning Dingle coast (where they filmed much of David Leans 1970 Oscar-winner Ryans Daughter);

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sea-front bar-restaurant The Moorings and being entertained by local musicians, the weather was improving. As it careered crazily between rain and, more usually, sun (the area catches the Gulf Stream), we piled on to little boats including a speedy catamaran passing seals basking on rocks and the occasional dolphin to pick up our island itinerary where wed left off. You have to cover quite a bit of road in between, following the curves of the finger-like peninsulas, but there is a fair number of islands, some with just a few inhabitants and all distinctive with something different to offer. Such as Garnish Island (or Garinish many have variant spellings), a little oasis of beauty: the result of a creative partnership in the early decades of the 20th Century that has created a cultivated Italian Garden, a lovely walled garden, all shade and sunlight, and jungle area. Then we moved on to Cape Clear, Irelands most southerly island three miles long; one and half wide where schoolchildren attend summer college to learn Irish, the first language of its 120 inhabitants. Its also a place of storytelling (theres an annual festival); bird-watching with numbers rocketing overnight to see migrating birds regularly blown off course here and leisurely walks. Here our B&B host Mary made a meal from home-grown ingredients then chatted with us around the fire before we moved from the warmth of the most southerly pub in Ireland into a night of utter stillness and blackness no street lights nor traffic here. Nor many young people in evidence on these islands either. Chat to the locals and everyone has interesting stories which spill thick and fast over pints of Guinness and youll hear about island life, a general anger at the countrys economic state, and how youngsters are encouraged to leave to find work. But many return in later life it seems and, in the meantime, harmony exists between those who have lived on an island all their life and the blow-ins now intent on breathing new life into it with ambitious business projects. Like on Heir (or Hare) Island which, when we arrived, was having a boat-load of coal delivered to last it throughout the winter. Its a peaceful little spot given over to relaxation and contemplation where we were surprised to find Ritz Paris-trained chef John Desmond and his wife who moved lock, stock and barrel here 22 years ago to open their Island Cottage restaurant. In between serving up Ritz-class dainty truffles plus more robust fare like home-made soup and fabulous local Gubbeen cheese, he paints and his artwork, a mix of styles, adorns the walls of his gallery. His next project, well under way, is a writers retreat. For now, the couple are busy catering for guests who turn up on the evening ferry for a 45 Euro feast plus good wine before the return journey to the mainland. Accommodation on our five-night trip ranged from Dingles luxurious

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TRADITIONAL The Italian

Garden at Garnish Island, near Glengarriff, and a pint of Guinness
Skelligs Hotel to basic B&B on Cape Clear, all adding to the rich mix of experiences a trip like this offers. Our last night was spent on Sherkin Island, with its Friary, colourful history of the ODriscoll clan and a population on the wane since the Irish Famine but again now looking to the future. And, during supper of fresh prawns and the most amazing apple crumble, the owner of our hotel, The Islanders Rest, set off in his boat to fetch a pair of musicians from the mainland. For a trip which didnt have the most promising start, but seduced us with lots of nice surprises along the way, we all agreed an evening of good food, music and song was the perfect end and ordered a final pint of Guinness.

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FACTFILE
Barbara Hodgson flew from Newcastle to Cork and travelled by road to Dingle and Kerry. For more information on the islands and the countrys many other attractions, visit www.discoverireland.com For details of walking tours of the area see www.southwest walksireland.com

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We could only imagine what it would be like to follow in the long-cold footsteps of generations