DAY THREE
Wow! What an action packed day we have ahead of us. Before jumping right into the day, we wake up to the killer views of the Dingle Harbor and another homemade breakfast. The day will begin with a crystal cutting demonstration, then we'll load up for arguably the most beautiful road of Ireland. From there, we'll stop at my dad's favorite excursion-- Great Blasket Centre; with a stop at Gallarus Oratory Church at the way back. And if you're lucky like we were, your tour guide in training (thanks Gearoid!) might take you out on a boat tour of the harbor. So, take a journey with me and see what this day holds. Or, jump straight into my favorite experience.
Bus and Walking Time
3
0 hours
5 hours
2-6
0 miles
8 miles
Surviving the Bus
While the time spent on the bus may seem long, our wonderful guides make the most of our time through entertainment. Not only do they give wonderful insight into our surroundings, but they also shine light on the culture of Ireland. From Limerick, Ireland, the famous band The Cranberries is a topic of discussion. Dara plays us "Dreams" while detailing the origin and significance to Ireland. Of course, Dara doesn't stop there. We hear songs from a variety of bands, popular and not, on our bus journey. The music makes the time fly.
FUN FACT:
The origin of the word "limerick" comes from the 19th century, popularized by Edward Leer. It is said to originate from the chorus "will you come up to Limerick?," a nonsense Irish song.
lim*er*ick
/'lim(É™)rik/
noun
a humorous, frequently bawdy, verse of three long and two short lines rhyming aabba
This crystal cutting demonstration, done by a family and local business, will make you appreciate the price tags on the crystal items in their shop. Seán Daly demonstrates in shop how he intricately carves the designs on glasses, vases, pitchers, and more. He has a set number of unique Celtic designs, and personally signs each piece. With this practice dating back to the 18th century, masters of the art are few and far between. Seán and his staff have it down, though! He apprentices his sons to learn the trade and help with the demonstrations. After watching in awe with our tour group, we head back to town where we have the option to visit their shop for purchases. With a deal on shipping, my mom could not resist! Four glasses and one colored vase later, we would leave the store with assurance that our crystal would be safely delivered to our home in Colorado. We still drink orange juice out of the glasses to this day!
DINGLE CRYSTAL
On the drive to the Gaelic Blasket Islands, the bus pulled off at the side of the road for a wonderful photo opportunity. My dad's favorite part of the tour was today's visit to the centre. Within the center, you have a chance to both watch and read about the community that slowly became abandoned in 1954. Reluctantly over the course of many years, the islanders were ordered out by government officials for purposes related to the extreme weather experienced on the island. Many books and novels also came from the inhabitants.
The Gaelic Blasket Community
Bang-wearers beware of the weather!
"I think that it is utterly unbelievable that people could live in such a harsh environment for such a long time."
John McGrath
That's me!
Gallarus Oratory Church
This site, dating back to possibly the 7th or 8th century, is one of the best preserved churches in Ireland. The stone work on the structure is a technique developed by tomb makers of the Neolithic age. It is legend that if you climb through the window on the far side, you will gain automatic access to Heaven. It is also a great place for a group picture!
The Falconry Experience
If I could only choose one activity to go back in time and do, I would choose the Falconry experience. While my buddy chose not to partake due to her fear of birds, my family and I had a blast. The experience began with meeting and lightly petting a baby falcon, and then we were off. With the help of two trainers, leather gloves, and a little bit of meat, we were able to safely catch the predatory bird on our arm. The experience was like no other. After the falcon, the most beautiful owl (with shockingly bright orange eyes) had its turn to land on our arms for a snack. The force of their land was so great that it was hard to keep your arm level. We were fortunate enough to meet an array of birds in their cages just behind the bed and breakfast. The group also stood in awe as the falcon was let loose to fly over the harbor (where he immediately chose a perching spot on an adjacent roof to intimidate the other birds). He eventually came back-- an impressive feat as falcons do not have homing instincts.
Who are you looking at?
Dingle Boat Tour
Thank You Gearoid!
One of the best parts of our visit to Dingle was having a tour guide from the area. With a house central to where we were staying, Gearoid blessed us with knowledge of Fungie-- the Dingle Dolphin. Fungie, known for always staying close to the coast and for his miraculous old age, was a famous male bottlenose who drew in tourists from all around to visit. Unfortunately, Fungie disappeared in 2020, but that did not stop Gearoid from taking us on his family's tour boat for a trip around the harbor. The bright and warm sun, and Gearoid's humorous commentary made for an amazing close to the day.
