Day 2

After a delicious breakfast served from the kitchen in line with Covid rules - not a buffet in sight, we departed for the pier to board a ship to Garnish  Island. 

Social distancing was being observed. En route, we were treated to an informative talk, pointing out a reference to the late Hollywood Star Maureen O’ Hara’s home 

the seals 

and a hawks nest 

On arrival at the island, we alighted and were informed that the  entrance fee was reduced to €2 pp and that we had 90 minutes to tour the island. It is small so the timeline proved to be sufficient. 

The island sports an Italian garden, 

a Greek Temple 

and a Round Tower

Though the day was cloudy, the views from the island were spectacular

We completed  our tour and returned to the hotel, where we picked up our car and commenced a tour of the Beara Peninsula - a 220 km circuit. It is lesser known than the Ring of Kerry and therefore normally quieter. On these pandemic times it was to prove even quieter 

We left Glengarrif and travelled west along picturesque Bantry Bay. 

En route, we saw Whiddy island where a major fire in its oil terminal occurred in 1979, but it had an earlier use as a terminal for the US during WW1, as they attempted to combat the German U- boats. Ironically, the OS map of Whiddy had been selected for the State Geography Examinations that year - it had to be quickly replaced. 

We reached Castletownbere -

a major fishing centre in the SW of Ireland. The town was barely functioning what with many shops and pubs closed. We got into conversation with a fisherman who informed us of the frustration of the local fishermen who were banned from fishing in the early days of the pandemic while the Spanish continued to fish the waters and wished to land their catches at the port, much to the chagrin of the local fishermen. 

He was very despondent about the future of the Irish fishing industry. He advised that his 15 year old trawler was worth €1.5 million and his license cost c. €400,000 p.a. His father and himself once employed two others but now it was just the two of them. They fished for monkfish and prawns only, as hake afforded  €1 per kilo. I informed him that I pay between €17-19 per kilo at my local fishmonger. It did not surprise him! 

As we made our way further west -  the scenery even in this dull day was breath taking as we arrived at 

This was the only place where we saw throngs of people - there were cars everywhere and at 16:30,  there were no further trips available to the island. 

On the island were the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey and the vault of O’Sullivan Beara

We reached the Allihies, where a thriving copper mine once stood. 

We returned via the R457, 12km of hairpin bends traversing the Cork / Kerry border and passing two of the highest summits in the Caha Mts, rising to a height of 334m the Healy pass, with breath taking scenery from the summit, as the sun peeked out. 

The Healy pass was a famine relief work, designed to help the starving locals as the potato crop failed during the Great Famine of 1845-1848. It was named after Michael Healy, a Cork politician who served as first Governor General of the Irish Free State, who improved the route. We  passed under a tunnel at Lyre 

and arrived back at the Eccles. It had been a hard drive!  The roads were quiet. I am glad that we chose to take this drive during Covid as I cannot imagine the difficulties one would encounter on a normal July day as the narrow roads were difficult to negotiate, having to reverse and pull in to allow the odd car to pass. 

Later that evening, we had a drink in the bar overlooking Glengarrif bay and unlike our previous experience, we had a most delicious dinner in the hotel. 

Until tomorrow..... as we leave West Cork for Clare