Off to Ireland, and the Dingle Way (Sli Chorca Dhuibhne)

This trip has been under discussion for over a year. For a time, all of the members of the Carolina Breakfast Club (our backpacking and breakfast bud’s) were considering going. For a while, our wives were thinking about going. The trip itself has been defined as narrow as a quick trip to hike the Dingle Way over spring break week , and as broad as a three week trip to include Ireland, Scotland, and a visit to Sizergh Castle in England, the historic home of the Strickland clan.

In the end, the participants are the two of us, Alan Strickland and Marty Szabo. And the heart of the trip is an eight day, seven night,  100 odd mile trek of the Dingle Peninsula in SW Ireland. 

The Dingle Peninsula is one of the most scenic and historic areas of Ireland, with hundreds of ruins of buildings and castles going back to the Stone Age.  The trek is over a combination of country lanes, moors and fields, beaches, and back roads. Tailor Made Tours (www.tailor-madetours.com) has made the arrangements for our overnights. Overnight we’ll be staying  in B&B’s in villages along the Way. Our bags will be transferred to the next B&B’s for us, so we’ll be hiking in hiking gear and daypacks. And Tailor Made has noted locations of pubs along the Way for lunch and other refreshments as required. Pubs in the villages we overnight in are up to us to find.

Marty and I both think the best part of this trip is going to be meeting the people along the Way. In many of the villages we go through, Gaelic is the preferred language.  Maps and road signs are bi-lingual. And everyone says we can expect to see warm Irish hospitality.  Needless to say, we’re pumped!!

It looks like the weather right now is roughly 60 degree highs, and 50 degree lows,  and we should expect rain along the Way.  We’ve waterproofed our hiking boots, and we’ll be carrying some pretty good (read: expensive, so it damn well better work) rain gear with us.

After living through this summer in Charlotte, that’s perfect weather.

Hey,  did I mention that along with everything else, this is the land of Guinness and some fine local Whiskies?  And that there are pubs along the Way?

We’re leaving Wednesday afternoon for Dublin (via Phila), and driving to the village of Camp  (in Gaelic: an Cam) on the Dingle Peninsula. We’ll overnight in Camp Thursday night, and start our hike Friday. The hike is a loop of the peninsula and ends in Camp seven days later. From there, we’ll drive to Galway for two nights. Turns out the International Oyster Festival is taking place in Galway that weekend. And we do love a good Oyster Festival.  

After Galway, we’ll go to Dublin for two nights, then back to CLT.

I’ll try to post regular updates on this blog along with verbose comments from the two of us.  I’m not sure if we’ll have Internet access every day on the Dingle Peninsula, so hang in there.  And, the blog is open for comments. Frequent comments are welcome – and expected from all.