Home Gallery Salesroom FAQ Links Email

Our trip to the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
Nov 4-14, 2010

Dingletown and music at John Benny's

Musicians at John Benny Moriarty (lightened drastically due to camera deficiency)



Page 1: Prep and Travel to London.
Page 2: Fri – Drive from Shannon to Dingle and Cottage.
Page 3: Sat – Dingle, Michael, and John Benny's.
Page 4: Sun -Storm.
Page 5: Mon - Storm.
Page 6: Tue – Inch Strand.
Page 7: Wed – Climbing and Set Dancing.
Page 8: Thu – Glanteenassig.
Page 9: Fri – Shopping.
Page 10: Sat:Mon – Return Home via London.
Original, all-on-one-page version.
Press here to return to personal picture menu.

Press here for 2009 Dingle travelogue (a new window will open)
Press here for 2008 Dingle travelogue (a new window will open)
Press here for 2007 Dingle travelogue (a new window will open)


Dingletown and music at John Benny's

Saturday, November 6

We still had a touch of jetlag and slept fitfully so we were up early which is unusual for us. The sun was shining and the ponies were frolicking in the pasture so KC went out and took some pictures.

The cottage, seen from the street




The shore, seen from the cottage




The back of the cottage, seen from the shore (look how green the grass is!)




A shepherd and his dogs herding sheep




The ponies, Shasha and Timmy:




When KC came in, we went through the guide books and made a list of the things we might want to do this trip, agreeing that we would play each day by ear. Neither of us wanted to rush around or adhere to schedules or plans. We would do whatever seemed like a good idea at the time even if that was staying in and reading.

On the list, in no particular order, were:
Gap of Dunloe in Killarney National Park
Tomies Oakwood in Killarney National Park
Beach on Inch Strand
Peddlar's Lake/Loch an Duin near Conor Pass
Ring of Kerry ( Valencia Island, Fogher Cliffs and Geokaun Mountain)


It rained while we ate breakfast and then the sun came out. We decided to go into Dingle town. While KC showered I texted Michael and told him we'd be there in one hour. We drove to Michael's Siopa Ceoil an Daingen and, while we were there, met two of his friends: Jim, a former teacher, and ???, a biker and the former owner of An Droichead Beag . Both of them were uproariously funny and had some good suggestions on things to do in the area. It is encounters like this that would never happen if we travelled during the tourist season.

Earlier in the year, I had sent Michael and Caitriona a list of the music I wanted and they had managed to find 8 CDs for me, which I bought. Michael then went over the week's music schedule and made recommendations. Since he was leaving for the Canary Islands the next morning we agreed to meet him at John Benny Moriarty that night – Pauline Scanlon would be singing!

From there KC went to the Internet cafι across the street, to download his email, while I did a bit of shopping. First, I bought a gorgeous sweater at Lisbeth Mulcahy , and then I went to Dingle Crystal . KC met me there. Sean was in and we discussed the Star Trek decanter stoppers I was hoping he would be able to make for us. He said he couldn't do them (he only cuts crystal, he doesn't pour it) but would see whether some friends of his could cast them for us. We arranged to meet him at An Droichead Beag during the week for a pint.

We walked down to Garvey's Market for kleenix and aspirin; then on to the chemist for hydrogen peroxide (I use this as a mouthwash); and then drove back to the cottage. KC had a beer and we shared a Devil's Bit strong cider brewed in Tipperary. I preferred it to the Bulmers we usually buy – it was less sweet – so I will look for it here. The Kopparberg pear cider pictured below was also very good, even though it's made in Sweden.

Two ciders that we like more than Bulmers



I started listening to the CDs I'd just bought (so far, my favorite is Sean O'Se) and made a list of my favorite songs to give whoever was playing tonight if they asked for suggestions.

Here is my list:

01. I'll Tell Me Ma
02. Galway Girl
03. Sligo of Bulben
04. Nil Ni La
05. An Po car Buile
06. Baidin Fheilimi
07. Newry Highwayman
08. Big Strong Man / My Brother Sylvest
09. Iniskillin Dragoon
10. The Spinning Wheel

Around 5:00pm it sleeted! It felt really wonderful being inside this sturdy cottage while the weather raged around us. KC brewed coffee and then loaded the dishwasher. We added Michael and the ???'s suggestions to our list of possible things to do – Glanteenassig Forest Park and Lakes.

At 7:00pm we left for John Benny Moriarty. KC had shepherd's pie and I had pan-fried sea bass. His pie was good, as was my fish, but my fish came with skin (I don't like skin on my fish – why do I keep forgetting to ask about this before ordering!) and everything was mercifully low in salt. The warm apple cake with cream and berry sauce was delicious, as was the Irish coffee. I also forgot to take pictures.

We played cribbage until the music started at 9:30. There were FIVE musicians: 2 fiddles, 1 guitar, 1 accordion, and Pauline. Pauline sang some of my favorite songs but the instrumentals were all reels. Michael arrived around 10:30 with his son, a very nice young man. He (Michael's son) didn't stay long though. John Benny turned his accordion over to Michael for the last two tunes, some very lively barn dances.

Musicians at John Benny Moriarty (lightened drastically due to camera deficiency)



We bought two CDs: The Side Over from Jeremy Spencer , the younger fiddle player, and Red Color Sun from Pauline. We also bought the musicians a round of drinks. Even though they had finished playing, they stayed for the round!

Tony, a friend of Michael's whom we had met two years ago, popped in and stayed for one drink. He is SO INTERESTING to talk to! We bent his ear until they shut the place down, and then we drove Michael to An Droichead Beag (he lives nearby).

We drove home slowly, since it was raining again, and we were reminded that Tony had told us there was a big storm expected to blow through tomorrow. Wow! A Storm! We've been hoping for a storm for 4 years now! But … we also hoped it would hit after Michael's flight left Dublin for Cthe Canary Islands.

Back at the cottage we played cribbage. This year we decided that we would play for ‘dish duty'. Since I wash dishes every single day when we are at home I really don't want to do them on vacation so, at a minimum, KC would have to split them with me. HOWEVER, every round of cribbage that I won would be one day of my turn for dishes that he would have to do.

We went to bed around 3am.

EOD cribbage score: KC=2 BH=2



Page 1: Prep and Travel to London.
Page 2: Fri – Drive from Shannon to Dingle and Cottage.
Page 3: Sat – Dingle, Michael, and John Benny's.
Page 4: Sun -Storm.
Page 5: Mon - Storm.
Page 6: Tue – Inch Strand.
Page 7: Wed – Climbing and Set Dancing.
Page 8: Thu – Glanteenassig.
Page 9: Fri – Shopping.
Page 10: Sat:Mon – Return Home via London.
Original, all-on-one-page version.
Press here to return to personal picture menu.

Press here for 2009 Dingle travelogue (a new window will open)
Press here for 2008 Dingle travelogue (a new window will open)
Press here for 2007 Dingle travelogue (a new window will open)


A NOTE ON THE MAPS
Most of the maps I posted here were created using screen caps from MapQuest and Adobe Photoshop. I found that MapQuest had more detail, especially in the shoreline, than Google. But, neither MapQuest nor Google was detailed enough for our nature hikes so those maps I created by scanning the Ordnance Survey maps we use when we were hiking and then photoshopping the scanned images together. Please do not rely solely on my maps if you travel to this area -- buy your own Discovery Series Ordnance Survey Maps they are invaluable.


Home Gallery Salesroom FAQ Links Email
OOAKFolk, Inc., and artist Barbara Healy are not affiliated in any way with the original manufacturers of the dolls pictured in this site. No photograph, text or graphic on this site may be copied without written permission from Barbara Healy. Copyright © 2004 OOAKFolk, Inc.

Last Revised: January 14, 2011
Site Questions? Press   Tech Support to send email.