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Our trip to Antrim and the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
April 9-23, 2013

Loch a'Dúin, Doyle’s with Michael & Caitriona, Courthouse

Tuesday, April 16


Loch a Duin f-i-n-a-l-l-y:



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Page 09: Wed – Cottage, An Canteen Restaurant, Michael & John at Mighty Session
Page 10: Thu – Fenit Pier and Bana Beach
Page 11: Fri – Inch Strand, Sammy’s Cafe, An Canteen, Music at John Benny’s.
Page 12: Sat – Dingle, Dinner at Michael & Dara’s, Music at Courthouse.
Page 13: Sun – Cottage, Global Village Restaurant, Dick Mack’s Pub.
Page 14: Mon – Dingle, An Canteen Restaurant, Pack and Return Home.
Page 01: Tue – Prep and Travel to Dublin.
Page 02: Wed – Drive from Dublin to Barbican Gatelodge in Antrim.
Page 03: Thu – Giant’s Causeway.
Page 04: Fri – Bushmills, Dunluce, Waterfall in Glenarm Forest.
Page 05: Sat – Drive from Antrim to Dingle, Murphy’s Pub.
Page 06: Sun – Dingle and Music at Courthouse
Page 07: Mon – Shopping in Dingle.
Page 08: Tue – Loch a'Dúin, Doyle’s Restaurant, Music at Courthouse.
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Loch a'Dúin, Doyle’s with Michael and Caitriona, Courthouse

Tuesday, April 16




Wow, what a beautiful day! When we woke up, just after 9:00 am, the weather had cleared and the sheep in the field behind the house were making a racket. I ran to the window to see what was bothering them, all I saw was a tractor, hidden behind the trees next to the shed, and the sheep were running towards the gate by the road. All of a sudden the racket stopped and they returned to grazing.

I went downstairs and out on the patio to take a picture of the gorgeous view and was nearly knocked over by the wind. It wasn’t a noisy wind but it was definitely a strong one.

KC brewed coffee and we looked through the Kerry guide to see whether there was any info on Fenit. There was, and it’s an area we will definitely visit this trip, including Bana beach, right next to it, which is supposedly one of the best in the world.

In Listowel, which we have passed through many times on our way to-and-from Dublin, is a 7-storey 12th (15th?) century Norman castle. Another option.

In Foyne, between Listowel and Limerick, there is a Flying Boat and Maritime Museum containing the only replica of the B314 Flying Boat. Until a few minutes ago, I didn’t even know these planes existed, but now I really, really want to see this museum. Foyne is also, supposedly, where Irish coffee originated.

After all that, we decided to attempt Loch a'Dúin (may also be spelled Lough Adoon) . If we couldn’t find it, we’d have many more days to try again.

KC made some boiled eggs, hens eggs, which were delicious even though they weren’t quite as soft as we like them. The yolks were dark orange.

We cleaned up the breakfast dishes, bundled up, and went in search of Loch a'Dúin . After driving past three trails, we determined that the first must be the right one; we backtracked, and drove up to investigate further. There was a farmhouse at the beginning of the trail but there didn’t appear to be anywhere to park and there was no one around. While we were debating what we should do, a car drove into the house next door so we drove down and asked. Yes, he said this was Loch a'Dúin, and we should just park by the house. So we did!

Bundled up and ready to go!



The beginning of the trail:




This part of the Lough Adoon valley is called Ballyhoneen. There was a well-defined path until we came to the first gate.

It couldn’t be opened easily so we climbed over (me with difficulty). After that the trail became harder and harder to pick out and was very wet in places. There are markers but they’re quite far apart and many of them are just wooden posts that blend into the landscape.
The first gate:




We crossed over two ladders:



We were heading towards the waterfalls that feed the lake. The terrain was very grassy and was very wet in places so we strayed off the track looking for dryer ground.

The terrain:



There were also a lot of brambles. In order to avoid the water, you had to walk on the tufts of grass, which were rounded and not very stable, or on the brambles which were very sharp. I felt like a Weeble, wobbling from one mound of grass to another trying to avoid both getting wet and getting pricked. (When we got home my legs were covered with pinpricks and KC had a splinter imbedded in his thumb. It took him days to get it out so next year we will bring thorn-proof clothing!)

The inch-long brambles:



The incredible views (and water on the path):





Finally, we were able to see the lake!





Copied from The Loch a'Dúin valley webpage:

The Loch a'Dúin valley near Cloghane contains the most remarkable series of monuments from the Bronze Age. In this valley of 1,500 acres, there are 90 stone structures dating from 2500 BC up to modern times. Running like a web throughout the landscape are several miles of stone wall, hidden by peat which has accumulated over the past 3,000 years.

From archaeological excavations and pollen studies, it has become clear that the Loch a'Dúin Valley was used for intensive agriculture, both pastoral and arable, from 1600 BC to the beginning of the Iron Age. During this time habitation huts, fulachta fiadh, standing stones and enclosures were erected to house both humans and animals.

Even earlier are the wedge tomb and the cup and circle rock art (of which there are nine examples), making it the largest concentration on the Dingle Peninsula.
The level of preservation is due to the protective cover of the bog which completely covered the landscape. It is during modern turf cutting that the ancient remains are uncovered.

The peat preserves all organic materials to a remarkable degree. Birch wood found during the excavation of a section of pre-bog wall was preserved perfectly. The bog also holds all of the pollen which was released from the vegetation over the past several thousand years, enabling the botanist to discover what grew in the valley in the past.

The Loch a'Dúin Valley today has been marked out with a walking route, along with a guide book, and is accessible to walkers of all abilities.


(The website quoted above is itself quoting Steve MacDonough’s book, The Dingle Peninsula: History, Folklore, and Archaeology, which I have just purchased because, based on the excerpts above, I’m sure it will come in very handy on future trips. If it’s available in Dingle, I will also purchase a copy for the cottage.)

We made our way down to the water’s edge to look at the remains of what was probably a fort, on the edge of an island in the lake. The water was so clear, you could see the stones at the bottom.

Stones at the bottom of the lake:



We also saw a large group of school kids walking along the other side of the lake, the eastern side. They dogged us the entire way to the waterfall and we had to plan our photos to exclude them (I don’t like pictures with people in them).

We passed a small ruin that was once a bee hive hut and several stone walls:




The island in the middle of the lake is Dooneen Island, according to this website, fortified with a drystone wall over 2m high in places and 2.5m thick set back 3 to 5m from the shore line:







Our first good shot of the waterfall:



The kids got to the waterfall before we did – the other side must be an easier hike – and then settled in for lunch, so we found a large rock and had a small snack ourselves; chocolate for KC and walnuts for me. We tried to text Michael but it wouldn’t go through. Sending a picture to Kevin, in the US, did go through. What’s up with that? I’ll have to ask Dara.

KC’s new hat:



Our stone stopping place with the lake and waterfall in the background:



After a ten-minute break, we started walking again because I was getting cold just sitting around. When we got to the waterfall they were just starting to leave and we noticed them clambering over the rocks to our side. That was what we had planned to do so we watched them to see which route was the safest and there didn’t appear to be any spot where no one crossed without getting wet!

Kids, picnicking by the waterfall:




The waterfall:






We were able to get halfway across easily; but were unable to find a spot to cross to the other side so we returned to the western side and returned home the way we came. We’ll come back another day and explore the eastern side.


Barb, triumphant at having crossed the waterfall halfway:



Looking back on the lake from the waterfall:



We seemed to see much more on the return and, of course, it went much faster, partially because we could see the trail markers better. We stayed on the upper path this time and saw another beehive hut, this one intact, and several larger stone ruins.

Intact Bee hive hut and stone walls:





Lone tree:



Terrain:



All of a sudden, we were back at the car! We can now say, with certainty, that WE HAVE HIKED LOCH A’DUIN!

HOWEVER, according to this website. The wedge tomb mentioned in Steve MacDonough’s book, The Dingle Peninsula: History, Folklore, and Archaeology, is sited on the summit of a low hill rising from the east bank of the Scorid river. That is also where the fulacht fiadh. is. Unfortunately, we were on the western side, so we will have to return, and stay close to the river even if the ground is wet.



The end of the path:




KC managed to get through to Michael on the phone while we were on our way back to the car. He confirmed our date tonight: 8:00 pm at Curran’s followed by dinner at Doyle’s at 8:30. On our way home, we stopped at Clogher Beach to take pictures in the wonderful light reflecting off Inishtooskert.

Inishtooskert seen from Clogher Beach:



Our cottage seen from Clogher Beach:




We got home around 4:00. I downloaded the pictures while KC read one of his new books - The Irish Famine. He found it to be so disturbing that he had to put it down and started his other new book, The Civil War in Kerry.

At 5:30 I went up to wash and when I came out of the shower Declan was outside taking care of his sheep. They obviously knew him and gathered round but not close enough to be caught, just close enough to grab a nut if he happened to have them. One sheep appears to be shorn in the front only.

I came down at 6:30 and finished processing the pictures while KC got ready. We left the cottage at 7:15, parked in front of The Courthouse , and ran into Michael and Caitriona on our way up to Curran’s.

We decided to go to The Courthouse for a pre-prandial drink, instead of Curran’s, because Dara was working there tonight. On the way, Caitriona greeted a young man who was the current and 4-time World Champion Irish Step Dancer in his age group, David Geaney. He dances occasionally at the open sessions at Dingle Music Shop and that alone would be reason to come here during the summer.

Me with WORLD Champion Irish Step Dancer, David Geaney,
wishing I was watching him dance, not taking his picture:



Write-up in West Kerry Live :



Video of David Geaney’s Jig Gig winning performance in 2011:



Video posted in October of 2012 that I think shows his talent more than his winning performance
especially at about 1:30 in:



OK...back to our dinner date…

Caitriona ordered a gin and tonic which reminded me that I wanted to try the new Dingle gin so I had one, too, and that gin is delicious! We’ll have to bring back a bottle.

Dingle Gin:



We walked over to Doyle’s just before 8:30. It was steps away, on John Street, next to the Half Door Restaurant.

Doyle’s Seafood Restaurant :



The ambience in Doyle’s is wonderful: the interior is all stone and there is a large wooden bar just inside the door.

We had a delicious dinner – carrot-coriander soup and turbot for KC, chili-garlic shrimp and black sole for me. Michael and Caitriona shared the crab claw appetizer, then she had the lamb shank and he had the ribeye. We shared two bottles of Sancerre.

Carrot and Coriander Soup at Doyle’s :


Gambas (large prawns) with Chili, Garlic and Coriander Butter at Doyle’s :



Crab Claws at Doyle’s :



The presentation was fabulous. Look at the green onion garnish on Caitriona’s lamb.

Lamb Shank at Doyle’s :


Turbot with Champ and Roasted Red Pepper Cream at Doyle’s :


Black Sole with Scallion Mash and Parsley Butter at Doyle’s :


Rib Eye at Doyle’s :



Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert, as I’m sure it would have been excellent. We walked back to The Courthouse around 10:00 pm and the session was in full swing – Pauline Scanlon and Donogh Hennessy. The good seats were all taken so Michael pulled a bar stool over for me and I squeezed in-between a young man and a young couple.

The young man turned out to be 40 years old and I know that because he kept reminding me that today was his birthday. Was he expecting me to buy him a drink? Right in front of me were John Benny and Eilis Kennedy! When he got up to get a drink, he recognized me from past years. I told him we’d be at his place on Thursday but I had the date wrong – we’ll be there on Friday.

KC hung out at the bar with Michael and Caitriona while I listened to the music. Pauline sang a few songs – she really has a beautiful voice – then Riona joined her for a few, and then Pauline invited Eilis to join her. I was in heaven – finally, I was hearing Lumiere LIVE!

The only picture I got, and it’s a bad one, but it’s proof it happened:



Caitriona left about half an hour later, and Tony came in. Tony! I’m so glad we got to see him this year! When the music ended, I went back to join them. Tony told me the stone ruins we’d seen earlier today were over three thousand years old.

Dara introduced us to Riona Madigan, the young girl who had sang a few songs with Pauline earlier. What a nice young lady she is. We told her how much we enjoyed her singing and wished her luck in her career. We’re looking forward to buying her CDs once she starts recording them. At 11:00 pm Dara flashed the lights for last-call and at midnight everyone else was gone.

Sitting at the bar, I noticed the flyer for Dingle Music Shop and it reminded me that they need to remove the coffee shop from their website. I mentioned that, which started a heated discussion about whether the website was necessary. I offered to show Dara how to maintain it, and he accepted the offer, so we will spend tomorrow afternoon in the shop.

KC and I left around 12:30 and it started to rain as we were driving home. I hope that doesn’t foil tomorrow’s plans. We were hoping to return to Loch a'Dúin and check out the path on the other side of the lakes. I downloaded the pictures while KC went up to ‘read’. When I came up half an hour later he was sound asleep! It was almost 2:00 am now and I was asleep minutes later as well.


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Page 09: Wed – Cottage, An Canteen Restaurant, Michael & John at Mighty Session
Page 10: Thu – Fenit Pier and Bana Beach
Page 11: Fri – Inch Strand, Sammy’s Cafe, An Canteen, Music at John Benny’s.
Page 12: Sat – Dingle, Dinner at Michael & Dara’s, Music at Courthouse.
Page 13: Sun – Cottage, Global Village Restaurant, Dick Mack’s Pub.
Page 14: Mon – Dingle, An Canteen Restaurant, Pack and Return Home.
Page 01: Tue – Prep and Travel to Dublin.
Page 02: Wed – Drive from Dublin to Barbican Gatelodge in Antrim.
Page 03: Thu – Giant’s Causeway.
Page 04: Fri – Bushmills, Dunluce, Waterfall in Glenarm Forest.
Page 05: Sat – Drive from Antrim to Dingle, Murphy’s Pub.
Page 06: Sun – Dingle and Music at Courthouse
Page 07: Mon – Shopping in Dingle.
Page 08: Tue – Loch a'Dúin, Doyle’s Restaurant, Music at Courthouse.
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Last Revised: May 27, 2013
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