Closer Look Tours

September 10-19, 2022

9 days & 8 nights in Ireland’s Stunning Southwest Coast

A carefully curated trip that highlights the most spectacular discoveries of Susan’s five month exploration of Ireland in 2020, this trip will explore the rugged rural West Coast from Galway to Cork.

After landing in Shannon, we will head north to explore some of the special spots in Galway and Clare. With luck, the Fiddaun Castle neighbors will be home and we can pick up a key to explore this remote castle only accessible by a walk through the fields of their farm. Nearby Mullaghmore Mountain in the Burren National Park will give us a chance to stretch our legs and marvel at the otherwordly Burren landscape. This will finally be the trip to explore the renowned Caher Bridge Garden, in Fanore.

A ferry ride will take us out to the Aran Islands. Personal interest will dictate which island we explore: Inis Mor has the largest population, available tours by pony or bike rental, and the famous Dun Aonghasa: Inis Maan is the least visited island with a small town and lots of walking routes, where Irish is the language of the land; and little Inis Oir looks back to the Cliffs of Moher and is famed for the Plaisy shipwreck on its shore.

Heading south, we will cross the Shannon via the Tarbert Ferry and wind our way through north Kerry. Ballybunion and Ballyheigue beaches are here, and the town of Listowel, with its writers museum. Kerry’s only round tower can be found in North Kerry. We will make our way along the Dingle peninsula, exploring the remote Slea Head, Dunquin Pier, Coomenoule Beach, and the many ancient monuments along the way from Bullaun stones to sundials, oratories and early Christian monastic sites.

At last we make our way home to Derrynane, staying in the Western Lodge of the original Derrynane estate. While there are many new things to see, there will be time to enjoy the familiar landscape of Derrynane, from House to beach to garden to pub. We will walk Abbey Island and explore tide pools, eat lunch at the tea room, learn about the progress on the ring fort excavation, visit the house and see the new exhibit of the death mask. We will explore the recently rediscovered Meadow Walk in the woods above the House.

Weather and interest will dictate the many options for our time in Derrynane. We may visit Skellig Michael and Little Skellig, or if the seas are too rough, we might instead take the trip out to Bull Rock. We may go with archeologist Aiobheann Lambe to learn about ancient rock art. We may spend a morning on a seaweed tour with local John Fitzgerald. Beginish Island is a now uninhabited island with Vikings ruins, beautiful beaches, seals, and a view of Valentia Harbour. Our explorations may include the gloriously neglected Glanleam Garden, or the long abandoned Castlequin House, or Cahersavane, a ring fort in the hills above Waterville.

Day trips from Derrynane will take us to explore the peninsulas of West Cork. We will travel to Mizen Head and walk out to Dunlough Castle. If time allows we may explore the pockmarked landscape of Sheeps Head with blow holes and rocky terrain. We may walk out to the Uragh Stone Circle, visit Garinish Garden Island, and take the desolate Priest’s Leap drive back through the Cork/Kerry mountains. Other trips could take us to the remote Black Valley, through the Gap of Dunloe, or to Macroom to the Kilcrea Abbey and Castle.

An optional addition to the trip could take us further north to Sligo and Donegal. The Carrowkeel megalithic complex is a collection of dozens of huge passage tombs of dazzling scale. The round towers of Mayo and Sligo are a structure rarely seen in the south of Ireland, and Donegal has beaches, waterfalls, and a National Park to explore.