dangerous connor's pass, the blarney castle, and a last-minute change of plans!

The Connor Pass is the tallest mountain pass in Ireland. It is located in County Kerry on the Dingle Penninsula. The road bridges the gap between Dingle, the town, and the coast on the other side of the mountain.

We had been warned that Connor's Pass is very dangerous and NOT recommended for tourists... we were even told that many locals avoid it for the treacherous set-up. The travel books and websites we'd Amanda had scoured before our adventures also all warned against it... 

I'll be honest... I was nervous. 

Amanda was confident that this would be  the thrill of a lifetime.

It's a good thing I trust her. :)

We had a blast.

As you can see, we were up close and personal... and going a bit too fast for me to capture the full sign.

Remember how I mentioned Ireland had been going through a drought in 2010? I'd say it's still quite beautiful.

I don't believe any of the danger lie in the winds, apparently they were a bonus just for us. Amanda and I were (as always) avid photo-takers, eager to document each and every sweet memory we encountered on this grand adventure. We found a scenic carpark where in one direction, we were able to see as far as the Aran Islands off the coast of County Galway, and in the other direction, we were able to see the beautiful backdrop of all the memories we'd just made in Dingle town. 

We stepped out of the car and found ourselves in a wind tunnel. As you can see by the photos, we nearly blew away! We could not stop giggling. It was unlike anything either of us had ever experienced. Unfortunately, the photos do NO JUSTICE. It was really super intense!

Tour buses, trucks, campers, and caravans are not allowed on this road due to the lack of view (and space) allotted while driving. 

See what I mean?

Amanda did an incredible job driving through the pass. Only once did I truly fear at the sight of this face, merely because it was followed by the sight of this vehicle:

I so wish there was something in this photo to gage how crazy narrow this road really is! We did work up a sufficient amount of nerves and fear prior to the drive, but both agreed that it was well worth the risk. I can't wait to try it again on my next visit... hopefully not during a drought!

SO much of the beauty of Ireland, and much of Europe in general, is the romantic history that lies there in their many castles that accessorize their roadsides and rolling hills. I guess when you know the history in detail, it's a lot less romantic with all of the captives and slaughterings and lack of freedom... but the princes and princesses and the fight for freedom! Now, that is romantic. 

We came to a fork in the road. We could follow the path laid out for us, follow the traditional tourist trap, and continue onto the big city of Cork... OR we could find something new.

We took the blue pill.

We followed the plan. 

I just wanted to build a little anticipation for ya. ;) (You're welcome!)

Beautiful Blarney Castle!!

One of my favorite 'games', if you will, is the 'Small World Game'. Some may know it as the 'Sixth Degree', but it's basically meeting people and finding that you already have a connection with them through a mutual friend, location, or experience (I typically start with people and I love it, it's just so great.) Well, as soon as we stepped out of our car, I saw a group of gals walking our direction with an Okoboji sweatshirt on. I really doubted there were more than one Okoboji in the world and asked the young girl if she was from Iowa. Sure enough, she was from Spencer, Iowa and knew a sweet girl I grew up with from elementary school. They were visiting for Spring Break and were going the opposite direction of the path we'd so recently covered.

We were told daffodils were typically EVERYWHERE by St. Paddy's Day... that they normally took over ditches! This was the first we'd seen and they were clearly manually placed there for aesthetic reasons by the people of the Blarney Castle.

Irish wit never ceases to amuse me. :)

Amanda told me this was the only reason she agreed to come to this silly stop (she's not a huge fan of tourist spots -- a lot of times, I'm not either, I definitely most enjoyed the locals we met and following their suggestions). She's got a good point. It's an incredible view.

Thanks to this kind lad, I survived kissing the Blarney Stone and we were able to carry on our merry way.

The original plan took us back to the city of Cork where we'd landed just a week earlier. We arrived and found our B&B with little to no problem. We put our things in there and drove a little bit into town. 

It was that moment where it dawns on you that you're just not quite where you need to be but that you're very close and you actually do know what comes next... we looked at each other and said, nearly simultaneously, "I don't like the city! I feel claustrophobic! Let's drive back down to Kinsale and see if we can find anyone we met last week!"

And simple as that, we were a mere 20 minutes from the most beautifully, magical pub in the world.

We parked the car in the carpark overlooking Kinsale Harbor and marched inside. We found the same table we'd started our journey at and made ourselves comfortable. 

Before we knew it, the bartender and others were coming over to our table, recognizing us as 'The American Girls, John and Danny's friends'. Over the course of the night, we learned everything we needed to know about exploring Ireland (too bad they ALL weren't there a week prior!) If only I could find that napkin I'd taken notes on!! They informed us how to find the house where Def Leppard stays when they're in Ireland, where to find Sinead O'Connor and Bono, they told us about where the end of P.S. I Love You was filmed and how to get there - seriously, conversation packed with vital information for one (or two) looking to explore Ireland and all it has to offer... I wish I could find that napkin!!

Anywho. Just being a part of the local scene was magical. They filled us in on their personal lives and asked us about ours. They asked our favorite part of our trip and we responded that obviously it was Kinsale, which was why we decided to make one last stop before leaving. 

It felt as if we'd always been a part of their community. It was gorgeous.

Amanda tracing our trails to share with our new friends.

John enjoying a traditional pint.

Local, incredible Irish duo.

And last, but certainly not least, Danny, our new bar-tender!

through the Skellig Ring and on to Dingle

While bidding adieu to lovely Kenmare was bittersweet, we were excited for what the day had in store for us. Amanda had organized an extra special B&B for a couple of days - we each only spent an extra €5, but this place was phenomenal... just you wait.

Farewell, Kenmare! Until next time!

While we were beside ourselves with excitement for some serious R&R, the drive from Kenmare, through the Skellig Ring, and on to Dingle, was anything but a let-down. 

Much appreciated reminders!

Thankfully, we were on the same page when it came to cemeteries... both so intrigued by them! We made plenty of pit-stops to see the incredible detail and different Celtic knots. We were also so fascinated by the length of time many of these markers had been there -- some were HUNDREDS of years old!

Just LOOK at that incredible detail! It's so beautiful!

Quick pit-stop to stretch our legs!

Even through a drought, this land is gorgeous.

There are view points all along the drive on Skellig Road. Actually, pretty much anywhere there's a road near water, you're bound to find a view point within 30 km or so. We stopped to check out these incredible cliffs. From our point, we were able to see the Skelligs and Puffin Islands. Honestly though, I was more amazed that you can literally see forever. FOREVER. It's a wonder to me that people once thought the world was flat... I'd fear we'd sail right off if I were them! 

Apparently these cliffs are not only an incredible treat to the eyes and ever-so majestic, but according to geologists, are also approximately 400 millions years old... you know, give or take a few million. As I said earlier, you can see forever over the Atlantic. The smell and freshness of the air is indescribable. And though, I don't care much for heights, they probably wouldn't be quite as awesome if they weren't 1,000 feet high (300 meters). Definitely worth the stop.

I loved the commentary signs all over the place. ...not to mention the incredible views EVERYWHERE.

Right there, huh?

Oh, that's what those sharp wires mean?? I had no idea.

Just to build the anticipation a bit (and because I don't want to make the format on here all wacky and my photos downloaded just a few out of order...) I'm going to let you in on our stop at Portmagee. That's right, Portmagee. :) 

The welcoming committee.

So, as I mentioned a few posts ago, Amanda and I were determined to find the very best Fish and Chips in the south of Ireland. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure EVERY place we tried really was delicious, but we made the mistake of trying Wharton's first and NOTHING measured up in comparison. We did try another spot here in Portmagee, but again, just didn't quite make the cut. We also stopped at a cute little Nautical trinket shop. Otherwise, we just enjoyed the view, fresh air, and the opportunity to stretch our legs!

Our darling first sight of Portmagee.

Sometimes I just can't help myself.

We left Portmagee with one goal in mind: to make it to Dingle before sunset.

On our way, we not only saw some unbelievable gorgeous sights, but also a life-altering event...

Just across the bay from Portmagee -- you can see just a smidge of it on the left of this photo!

So, we parked the car and set out to take a few photos. The sun was high, the temperature was just right, and o man, EVERYTHING was absolutely beautiful. While exploring and capturing what we could, we heard this pitiful, borderline scary cry. A wail, if you will. Then we heard it again. We followed the sound and found a heard of sheep and one was giving birth! What a treat?! So, not only was the day and everything about it perfect, we were able to witness the birth of sheep, only the sweetest creature around. Ah, I was ecstatic. 

If you can see the people in the left of this photo, they're the ones that physically helped the mama sheep give birth. Amanda and I were mere bystanders watching from a distance. 

The sheep are colored for a number of different reasons. One reason is for ownership - if a farmer sees a sheep with a marking that doesn't match his sheep, he knows it's not his. They're still tagged for legal reasons, but the marking makes it easy to quickly identify that they aren't yours.

There is also coloring that is a result of mating... tups and rams are often either put in a harness that leaves a color on the ewe when mounted, or the ram has been marked prior to mating on his belly that will also leave a mark on the ewe so farmers are able to keep an eye on them and see which ones might be preggo. Later in the season, yet another color is thrown into the mix and the ewes that are re-mated gets that extra 'flair' so that the farmers know she'll be a late lil mama.

Unfortunately, the wind shield didn't help, but the sunset was breath-taking!

It looked like there was a fire on Dingle.

So close! Wait... Palm trees in Ireland?!

The Greenmount House.

This was, by far, the most wonderful and relaxing couple of days I think I've ever experienced. Ever.

As you can see, the room and entire facility was absolutely gorgeous. They didn't skimp on anything. We had views over looking the peninsula and a HUGE jacuzzi and lovely shower. We had room to spread our things out and a designated place to kick up our feet. 

Our room at the Greenmount House.

Pizza at the Blue Zone.

It had been a while since our fish and chips in Portmagee, so we were ready for a bite to eat when we decided to venture into town. It was a Sunday, so food was hard to find, but we made our way to an upstairs restaurant called, Blue Zone. The ambiance they had created was very different. They had couches and coffee tables in their main room and a bar in the same room. We got a courgette and spinach pizza that was absolutely delicious. (It was as good, if not better, than it looks in the photo above.) We sat in the blue lit room and geared up for a night of fiddle hunting. 

Fiddle hunting we did and fiddles we found. :) We also ran into a few couples we'd seen elsewhere on our journey. This small pub was packed to the point that we hovered and nearly fought over our tree stump seats. The music was magical. The cidre and stout were everything we'd hoped they'd be. 

It was, yet again, a near-perfect day.