The Dingle Way: Camp to Tralee

Friday, 23 September 2022 (14.0 miles)

On our last day on the Dingle Way we retraced our steps from Camp back to Tralee. Familiar territory. This was the only day we had to walk in rain.

Rainbows greeted us frequently as rain showers passed nearby - and eventually over us.

First we had to return to a familiar point. This time, of course, we turned towards Tralee.

Overnight rains meant the River Finglas was higher than on our way out, but the stepping stones were still fully above water.

Looking back at the road to Annascaul.

We weren't expecting any surprises on today's walk, but a small herd of cattle (and one goat) proved otherwise, as they completely blocked the trail ahead.

Fortunately, while cows are large animals, they are pretty docile, and let us pass without too much fuss.

The cows were backed up against a gate. We crossed via the stile on the right.

Rain shower over Tralee.

Rain shower approaching Camp, and a rainbow at the right.

Crossing a small river over a foot bridge.

Coming down the final part of the moor. The last four miles were along paved roads.

Overnight at the very welcoming Ard na Coille B&B in Tralee.

On Saturday we took the train back to Dublin, and caught our flight back to the US on Sunday.

Great trip!

The Dingle Way: Fahamore to Camp

Thursday, 22 September 2022 (13.9 miles)

More beach-walking today, but this time with the tide coming in. We started the day with a transfer back to Spillane's Pub. From there we continued walking around Scraggane Bay, down to Castlegregory, and on to Camp.

The beach around Scraggane Bay is mostly rocky.

Lots of horses today.

The beach along Tralee Bay leading to Castlegregory.

Kelly-green algae covers a rock in the tidal zone.

Waves of the incoming tide.

A straight road through the marshes.

Another place where the road we were walking along forded a creek, but pedestrians had the advantage of a bridge to cross the creek.

Dogs abound in Ireland, but this house was the only place we saw lots of cats.

While the official Dingle Way had us walking the beach, we left the beach here and finished our day along a busy road because high tides left little room between the rocks and the water.

Overnight at Sea View House B&B in Camp - a welcoming repeat from 10 days earlier.

The Dingle Way: Cloghane to Fahamore

Wednesday, 21 September 2022 (10.8 miles)

A glorious day of walking along a wide beach.

Looking back up the River Owenmore towards the pass we crossed yesterday.

Oystercatchers were commonly seen birds.

This gate-in-the-wall reminded me of The Secret Garden (which I read as a child).

Dead birds were a common sight on the beaches for the last two or three days. Avian flu is a huge problem this year.

At low tide, Fermoyle Strand is a very wide beach. We spent most of the day (10 km, 6 miles) walking along this beach.

The wind was very strong today, and wind-surfers were plentiful.

The wind was strong and spray from the waves was significant. By the end of the day my glasses were almost opaque from salt deposits.

More waves and spray.

Ditto.

While we never encountered rain, back on the mainland it looked quite wet!

More rain behind us.

Sandpipers.

An interesting wood figure along the top of the dunes. It was next to a geodesic dome that served as a private shelter on the beach.

This area was the only place where we saw Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum). It's easy to see how it got its common name.

A great way to end the day - a rainbow at our evening's B&B in Castlegregory.

We had an arranged transfer from Spillane's Pub in Fahamore to our B&B in Castlegregory with Mary, the taxi driver.

Overnight at the Castle House B&B in Castlegregory. Good room. Fabulous breakfast. Thank you, Sheila!

The Dingle Way: Glin North to Cloghane

Tuesday, 20 September 2022 (7.4 miles)

Today we "wimped out" and took the short route into Cloghane. We had to make a choice between a 13-mile over-the-mountain-pass route, or a 7-mile over-the-lower-pass route. While I thought I could make the 2500-ft climb on the official Dingle Way, it was the steep descent over stone steps that made me re-think that route. Even so, we had a 875-ft climb to get over the pass.

 

Looking back on our ascent up to the pass.

Lon near the pass. As you can see from these photos, we followed a power line most of the way.

From the top of the pass to Cloghane, we followed a valley that was popular with fishermen for having both lakes and streams.

A small stream near where we connected with the road into Cloghane.

Rock and heather.

These impressive horns must be impeding his eyesight!

Cloghane is a village at the base of Brandon Point.

Overnight at the O'Connor's Pub & Guesthouse, where Micheal, the proprietor, will tell many entertaining stories and exhibit a real Emmy statuette. The room is fine and the food is good.

The Dingle Way: Ballyferriter to Cuas

Monday, 19 September 2022 (13.3 miles)

Nary a hill to climb today!

After returning to Smerwick Harbour from Ballyferriter, the first part of the day was more beach walking.

The beach along Smerwick Harbour is not entirely sandy.

We opted to visit the Gallarus Oratory - about 1 mile each way off the Dingle Way. Along the way we passed Gallarus Castle - under restoration and not open to visitors.

Gallarus Oratory is the best-preserved oratory (small church) in Ireland. It has stood intact for over 1200 years.

Sue in the east-facing door.

The inside of the oratory showing the stone work and the small, east-facing window.

After returning to the Dingle Way, we continued to walk along the shore, most of which was rocky cliffs. Lon thought that this striking patch of algae looked like a green waterfall.

All roads lead to Dingle. You can get there directly, or you can take the scenic route. We walked about 20 miles to get here from Dingle, but by road it's less than 8 miles!

We turned inland at Feohanagh to get to Cuas. The farm road we were following clearly forded the creek here, but fortunately, we could follow a path alongside the creek for a short distance to get to ...

... a road bridge, where we could cross the creek without getting our feet wet!

Overnight at the lovely Imeall na Mara B&B (Seashore House) in Ballydavid, which we passed about a third of the way into today's walk. After having dinner in Cuas at the An Bothar Pub, we got a transfer back to Ballydavid.