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

Hiking and Set Dancing

Sean Leahy and Jeremy Spencer at An Droichead Beag :



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)


Hiking and Set Dancing

Wednesday, November 10

We got up just before 9:00am today to another gorgeous morning. It's wonderful that views like this are right outside our window:





Our updated list-of-things-to-do:

Gap of Dunloe in Killarney National Park
Tomies Oakwood in Killarney National Park
Peddlar's Lake/Loch an Duin near Conor Pass
Ring of Kerry ( Valencia Island, Fogher Cliffs and Geokaun Mountain)
Glanteenassig Forest Park and Lakes.


We had a quick breakfast and coffee with milk today because the cream was now butter. At 10:00am we were on the road to Conor Pass hoping to find Loch an Duin which came recommended by both Sean Daly and Michael's friend as offering a gorgeous view of the valley below, and to see Peddlar's Lake which we knew was just past the narrow part of Conor Pass.

The route from the cottage to Conor Pass:




The route from Conor Pass to Loch an Duin:



The weather at Conor Pass was the mildest it's ever been for us. In the past, the wind has been so strong I could barely stand up, but today I didn't even need my hood. It was also the first time we've seen sheep on the hills.

Sheep on the hill at Conor Pass Lookout:





Behind the parking area we saw a path up the mountain and assumed it was the one leading to Loch an Duin. We followed it as far as we could. It petered out fairly quickly so we wandered around off the path for about an hour but there were several small rivulets, the ground was very wet, and we weren't wearing our waterproof boots.

From the path, looking back on the car park at the lookout point:




Looking for Loch an Duin:




The weather was changing, too. The sky was overcast and the fog was so low that even if we had found the lake, we wouldn't have been able to see anything!

The fog closing in on us:





While we were on this mountain, in this fog, KC's phone rang. It was a colleague, asking to reschedule a conference call which had been planned originally for noon our time, or now. Could they reschedule the call for 3:30? KC gladly agreed to the change! Look where he was! (If the call had not been rescheduled, KC would have participated, here on the mountain, as we made our way down, and I would have had another story to tell.)

Right after that, we decided to give up our search for Loch an Duin and went back to the car. We drove on, through the narrowest part of the pass, to Peddlar's Lake.

Low-lying fog on Conor Pass:



When we got there, there was another car there and we could see 4 people making their way down. They didn't have walking sticks, were wearing street shoes, and they didn't seem to be having any trouble but they were much younger than I am. Although it looked very steep, I agreed to give it a try.

Looking up at where we were going:



I went very slowing and relied heavily on my sticks. The only time I fell was when one stick collapsed: it hadn't been tightened securely enough when I adjusted the length. KC re-tightened it and didn't have a problem after that. But, it took me a long time to get up there because I really did take baby steps.

Making my way up to Peddlar's Lake:




Almost there…it's just over that ridge….:




When I finally got to the top I knew it had been worth the effort: the lake is beautiful! But I don't think the view we had was as good as it could have been because of the low-lying fog which obscured the top of the surrounding mountain.

Peddlar's Lake (Loch an Duin):




I stayed at the base of the lake while KC went on up and around to the right. The photographs he took looking down on the lake are gorgeous but the lake was too big for our camera to capture in one frame so KC took several shots and I stitched them together in Photoshop. You can see where they are joined but you can also see what the entire lake looks like! What looks like a white camera malfunction at the top of each shot is actually cloud cover.

Looking down on the lake:




Making my way back down (backwards was easier somehow):




The waterfall at the bottom:



According to www.dingle-peninsula.ie: It's been only 10,000 years since the last of the ice melted here, and the signs of alpine glaciation are everywhere, from the mega-scale classic U-shape valley of the Glenahoo to the micro-striations on the corrie walls surrounding Peddlars Lake.

KC had a conference call at 3:00pm so we drove back to the cottage and had a quick lunch. KC took his call while I updated my journal, then I read my book while he sent emails via his phone. There is no Internet connection in the cottage – and there shouldn't be, we come here to get away. We lost track of time and suddenly it was 6:30pm, time to get ready for tonight's music experience: Set Dancing at An Droichead Beag !

We drove down to An Droichead Beag and played cribbage until the music started. We were thrilled to see that it was Jeremy Spencer, the young fiddle player we'd heard at John Benny Moriarty last Saturday, and his partner on the CD we'd bought, Sean Leahy ! They were so good, I was thrilled to be able to listen to them again. In fact, I'm listening to them as I'm writing this page!

Sean Leahy and Jeremy Spencer at An Droichead Beag :



There were some set dancing lessons being given in the back of the bar, with recorded music, but we didn't watch them. Sean Daly came in around 10:00pm and KC went to the back to chat with him and his son, Shane Daly, and his second cousin, an attorney who works in Waterford.

Around 10:30 a group of 8 set dancers gathered in front the musicians and started dancing! They were normal people, not professionals, but they were very good! Set dancing is a lot like square dancing but with more intricate footwork, quite a bit of jumping, and a lot of stomping/tapping. I want to learn set dancing now!

Set Dancing:



I have a wonderful film clip of them dancing but I have not yet figured out how to upload a movie.

They only danced for an hour because the musicians wanted to go home. I bought another CD (to give as a gift), bought them a round of drinks, and then went to the back and spent the rest of the evening chatting with Sean, Shane, and ???. I was surprised (and pleased) to learn that Shane is a long distance runner and might be coming to the US for the next Chicago Marathon . We offered to put him up but we doubt he'll take us up on it. He's an attractive young man and I'm sure he wants to be close to the big city bar scene. Although there are plenty of attractive young women in Naperville we don't normally hang out with them.

I had some basic questions about life in Dingle and this was the perfect time to ask them. Here are the answers:

1. The closest hospital is in Tralee which is over an hours drive away!
2. Emergency services number is 999.
3. The closest cancer treatment facility is in Cork.
4. Christmas week is a HUGE tourist time for Dingle.
5. Last year it snowed on Christmas.
6. The Half Door Restaurant on John Street is a great place to eat.

When we told Sean about our hiking experience, guess what he told us… Peddlar's Lake and Loch an Duin are one and the same! No wonder we didn't find a lake at the end of the trail across from the Conor Pass Lookout!

At midnight, An Droichead Beag closed the bars in the front and back of the room and moved everyone into the room next to where the live music had been. There was a DJ there now and he was so loud we truly couldn't talk. We kept moving further and further towards the back but it didn't make much difference so we left at 1:00am.

When we got back to the cottage KC grabbed a bite to eat and we played another round of cribbage which KC, again, won. I am getting creamed!

When I was creating this webpage and looking for information on Peddlar's Lake I found these pictures of the area taken by a Shane Daly. I suspect he is the Shane Daly we met that night. Even if he isn't, you should look at the photos – they will take your breath away.
Shane Daly's pictures of Peddlar's Lake

EOD cribbage score: KC=10 BH=6



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.


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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
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