Many years ago, I visited Northern Ireland and hoped one day I would return to visit the Republic. I had heard so much about the beauty of the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher.
Of course, my thoughts were always that they would be more wonderful places for Dave.
After spending a few days on our own, we joined a tour to take us along the Wild Atlantic. Not all, however, was wild. Some places were simply serene and beautiful and ever-so-green. Such a place was the Killarney Valley. The highest mountains in Ireland, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, form the backdrop of the many lovely lakes and sweeping countryside. We cannot forget the comical scene of a dog resting atop a donkey along the roadside with a picture perfect view of Caragh River and rolling hills behind them.
We traveled on to the lovely, peaceful Dingle Bay (pictured above) and Dingle Peninsula. This 25 mile bay empties into the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the westernmost places of Ireland.
We visited the little village of Portmagee. It is the departure point for the adventurous to visit Skellig Michael (Michael’s Rock), which is eight miles off the coast of Ireland. The seas are very rough and climbing the rock stairs can be quite tricky. (I could definitely see Dave doing this!) A Gaelic Monastery was founded between the 6th and 8th centuries on a twin-peaked crag. It is here the monks found the solitude they sought. (More recently, it was the location of the final scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.) We were quite content to be able to see the island from the picturesque shore.
We were able to see all of these beautiful places with perfect weather. Our guide said, “We are very lucky, indeed. I haven’t seen such beautiful weather in a long time. It is especially perfect to see the Skellig Islands.” (He didn’t know about my “weather angels.”)
Once we finished the tour, we took a day trip to the Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-rede Bridge. Dave’s ashes were already in these places so I felt like I was visiting him. Dave’s ashes are in all of the places that I mentioned in this post, as well as the Cliffs of Moher. (My weather angels took a day off that day!)
Just before Dave died, we had agreed to do some traveling together. We each mentioned places we’d like to go. One of the places we both agreed on was Ireland.
Now I feel there’s a little bit of Dave in some of the most beautiful places in Ireland; north AND south.
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