Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
March 29th - April 5th, 2017
Road trips have always been a favorite for us. Time in the car covering a long distance seems to foster a depth of conversation that can be hard to match in other settings. It might be the absence of easy distraction or inability to work on other projects — whatever the cause, we’re fond of the time together and the conversational exploration that comes with it.
As we were planning our time in Ireland we came across a coastal drive called The Wild Atlantic Way, which winds it’s way across the entire western edge of Ireland. The route seemed interesting enough and included highlights like the Cliffs of Moher, a portion of the Ring of Kerry, views of Skellig Michael, and more.
A decent amount of information can be discovered about the route through the official site and corresponding app, a brilliant governmental marketing effort to bring more tourism to a less economically prosperous area of the country and expose some truly wondrous sights. Be aware — they tend to nickel and dime you at many of the highlighted stops. Paying to park and walk to a view point in the middle of nowhere is a regular occurrence.
Our trip took us across Ireland to Doolin, and then down along the southern half of the route upwards of 1000 kilometers.
One of the draws of the Wild Atlantic Way is the rugged and mystical beauty it boasts, drawing from a rich natural and cultural heritage. Though in bad weather much can be obscured and after awhile that coastline blends together like Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day, it certainly offered picturesque views and a spiritual sense oft hidden in cities.
Around day 4 or 5, Kate and I made a new revelation about road trips. We like doing them one day and then staying in the same spot for a few days. This time around we were doing one night stays and averaging 3–4 hours of driving a day and we found it to be a bit exhausting. #firstworldproblems
Another factor that might have played into the tiredness was waking up a couple nights at 2 AM to watch UNC fight their way to another National Championship. It might have been ugly, but Go Heels!
The upside to staying at a new place every night was getting to meet a variety of hosts and hear their stories. There was the Hebrew woman who moved to Ireland for the music. There was our host in Snave who when asked if she grew up around the area responded, “No, I grew up 10 minutes down the road.” (People are a lot more specific in Ireland than the US apparently.) She also taught us that football in Ireland is not soccer, but rather a prestigious native Irish sport and a strange mix of rugby, soccer, and volleyball.
Then there were our favorites, Harry and Ann. A retired couple who moved out to the country from Dublin, they were warm and inviting. We sat discussing Irish and American politics, traveling, and general reflections while watching The Voice. Harry was kind enough to find UNC’s Final Four game on his massive TV and give his blessing to sneak down in the middle of the night to watch. In the morning they prepared a scrumptious Full Irish Breakfast — we even enjoyed the black & white pudding! (i.e. pig’s blood).
Go raibh maith agat!
We even got to reconnect with my Irish friend Damien, who I had met backpacking in Chilean Patagonia 2 years earlier. We shared a few pints of Guinness, many stories, and dreams for the future. Amazing how small the world becomes when you live open and connected to those around you.
As we hopped on a plane and made our way back to mainland Europe, the mysteries of western Ireland danced within our minds. From the 3000 year old fortified farmsteads and stone circles to the generosity and joy of it’s people, it offers a rich soil for the seed of memory.
p.s. we took a gamble with the rental car and did the deal where you can return it empty and they fill it up for 70% the normal cost of a full tank. the trick is, it has to be pretty close to empty for this to work in your favor, otherwise you still pay to fill the full tank even if it’s not empty. the last 60 minutes of the trip we were on e and I think I had multiple micro-heart-panics. don’t do the deal.
