Kenmare
~ The Wild Atlantic Way~
This morning we said good-bye to Kinsale and headed on the road to today's destination of Kenmare.
It was a beautiful drive. We have now started the portion of the trip known as the "Wild Atlantic Way".
The drive from Kinsale to Kenmore was beautiful!
Along the way, we stopped at Timoleague to see the Timoleague Abbey.
The Timoleague Abbey was built on the site of a monastic settlement founded by Saint Molaga in the 6th century! A few centuries later, the Franciscan order built the abbey in 1240 AD.
Over time this area thrived. Timoleague emerged as a bustling port until the 1755 tsunami (from the earthquake that leveled Lisbon). The tsunami changed the shape of the land here and the harbor silted up forming today's tidal estuary.
Then there was the exodus from the area after the Great (potato) Famine of 1845-1849, and many emigrated to North America. A surprisingly (at least to me) high number of Irish from Timoleague settled in Nevada. Records show that relatives left behind waited anxiously to receive their loved ones' letters home. Two brothers, Michael and Denis Hurley, who headed for Nevada in the early 1870's, wrote to relatives in Timoleague over the next 77 years. Those letters, along with their relatives, are also buried in the abbey's graveyard, as are those from the early years of the abbey's existence.
One of the most distressing and horrific historical items we read there was about the Lusitania. Timoleague's adjacent area of Courtmacsherry was home to Ireland's first RNL lifeboat station. In 1915 when the Lusitania was torpedoed, the lifeboat crew immediately left to row to the scene. With no wind to fill a sail, the crew heroically rowed 12 miles of open ocean in 3 hours. Tragic to say, that when they arrived, all that was there was the horrific sight of bodies floating in the water.
The 2015 photo below taken from Lusitania's Centennial showcases this heroic effort of the lifeboat crew's 12 mile row out to help as they reenacted the attempted rescue event.
We left the past behind and headed off down the road to Kenmare.
We soon arrived at Kenmare.
Kenmare is a thriving tourist town and a regular stop for the Ring of Kerry route. Lots to see and do for sure!
We stayed at the lovely Hawthorn House BnB
It was a tad difficult to find with our GPS navigating us to the clubhouse at Kenmare Golf Course! When we asked directions, and the kind employee pointed to the 18th green. He said, It's a wee waze over there. Ye can see it from here. That's hilarious!" And it was! The Hawthorn House, one narrow street over, was literally right next door.
It was well worth the effort to find, for we absolutely enjoyed each moment of our stay here mainly because the owner, Molly O'Brian was a kick. She looked at us and said with a perfectly straight face, "Ahh ye travelin' the world are ye? That must mean the kids are grown and the dog has died!" We laughed because it was indeed true!
We explored the town and passed some memorable business signs such as this one for "Kenmare Tours and Travel" sharing space with "Finnegan's Funeral Directors". As I was taking this picture, the gentleman who owns the funeral facility walked up to open the door. We chatted a while. He was so funny for he ended our conversation by saying, "If ye ever need to come back and book a trip or if after your trip you need to bury the dead, come back and see me."
Kenmare is a town full of energy, lots of excellent gourmet restaurants and wonderful pubs filled with great food and fabulous traditional Irish music.
It was a beautiful drive. We have now started the portion of the trip known as the "Wild Atlantic Way".
The drive from Kinsale to Kenmore was beautiful!
Along the way, we stopped at Timoleague to see the Timoleague Abbey.
The Timoleague Abbey was built on the site of a monastic settlement founded by Saint Molaga in the 6th century! A few centuries later, the Franciscan order built the abbey in 1240 AD.
These two photos below will show you how short the Franciscan friars were in the 1300's.
Over time this area thrived. Timoleague emerged as a bustling port until the 1755 tsunami (from the earthquake that leveled Lisbon). The tsunami changed the shape of the land here and the harbor silted up forming today's tidal estuary.
Then there was the exodus from the area after the Great (potato) Famine of 1845-1849, and many emigrated to North America. A surprisingly (at least to me) high number of Irish from Timoleague settled in Nevada. Records show that relatives left behind waited anxiously to receive their loved ones' letters home. Two brothers, Michael and Denis Hurley, who headed for Nevada in the early 1870's, wrote to relatives in Timoleague over the next 77 years. Those letters, along with their relatives, are also buried in the abbey's graveyard, as are those from the early years of the abbey's existence.
One of the most distressing and horrific historical items we read there was about the Lusitania. Timoleague's adjacent area of Courtmacsherry was home to Ireland's first RNL lifeboat station. In 1915 when the Lusitania was torpedoed, the lifeboat crew immediately left to row to the scene. With no wind to fill a sail, the crew heroically rowed 12 miles of open ocean in 3 hours. Tragic to say, that when they arrived, all that was there was the horrific sight of bodies floating in the water.
The 2015 photo below taken from Lusitania's Centennial showcases this heroic effort of the lifeboat crew's 12 mile row out to help as they reenacted the attempted rescue event.
We passed the stunning pastoral landscape on our drive.
We soon arrived at Kenmare.
Kenmare is a thriving tourist town and a regular stop for the Ring of Kerry route. Lots to see and do for sure!
We stayed at the lovely Hawthorn House BnB
It was a tad difficult to find with our GPS navigating us to the clubhouse at Kenmare Golf Course! When we asked directions, and the kind employee pointed to the 18th green. He said, It's a wee waze over there. Ye can see it from here. That's hilarious!" And it was! The Hawthorn House, one narrow street over, was literally right next door.
It was well worth the effort to find, for we absolutely enjoyed each moment of our stay here mainly because the owner, Molly O'Brian was a kick. She looked at us and said with a perfectly straight face, "Ahh ye travelin' the world are ye? That must mean the kids are grown and the dog has died!" We laughed because it was indeed true!
We explored the town and passed some memorable business signs such as this one for "Kenmare Tours and Travel" sharing space with "Finnegan's Funeral Directors". As I was taking this picture, the gentleman who owns the funeral facility walked up to open the door. We chatted a while. He was so funny for he ended our conversation by saying, "If ye ever need to come back and book a trip or if after your trip you need to bury the dead, come back and see me."
Kenmare is a town full of energy, lots of excellent gourmet restaurants and wonderful pubs filled with great food and fabulous traditional Irish music.
We ate at Packie's which had incredible food.
For a number of reasons, Packie's soon became one of our favorite restaurants with its small room, beautifully appointed cozy, comfortable tables, and deliciously fresh food.
Our waitress, Lucy, was fantastic and had a subtle comedic delivery. She deserved to have her own comedy special. When we asked her if she had lived here all her life she said, "No but me dad has." She then proceeded to tell us that her dad lives very near here, in fact right by the restaurants.
"Me father drives a garbage truck you know (we didn't) and if ya see him coming, do what I do when I see him a-comin' down the street, I cross myself and ye should do the same. He's blind you see.
She continued, "In Ireland, you just tick off the boxes to say you can see just fine to drive a truck and ye gets your driver's license. So he just makes one big tick and off he goes. If I'm on the road, I'm a beeper (uses the car horn excessively) ya' know, (we didn't) and if I'm in my car and I see him a-comin, I cross myself real quick and I'm a beepin' like mad to help others a-know he's a commin'. Ya can't miss him. It's a big garbage truck..." and on she went. Her service was impeccable, the food phenomenal and we had an amazing, memorable time!
Kenmare is a beautiful town and its name from the old Irish "Caenn Mara" meaning "Head of the Sea" refers to the head of tranquil Kenmare Bay. It was founded in 1670 by Sir William Perry and today is a designated heritage town. Its original settlers were from Scandinavia and their heritage can still be felt here today..especially in the local bakeries! In fact, the bakery selection in Kenmare is impressive with multicultural choices. We opted for the french cafe with its delicious coffee and host of tasty treats to enjoy.
One, final fact about Kenmare which is quite an amazing force of nature. There's a nearly 20,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge, called Des Lacs, which lures bird watchers from around the world with over 300 different species of birds. In the fall, the refuge is host to over 400,000 snow geese as they pause on their migration!
Animals also abound in the water. Daily boat trips which take tourists to see seals and dolphins on their bay cruises.
We greatly enjoyed our time in Kenmare
but tomorrow is another day and we'll be on our way to the Beara Peninsula!
