While the Emerald Isle is known for many things, its hospitality is particularly renowned. For those of us who live in Ireland, it’s hard to have even a quick chat with a neighbour without being invited in for a cup of tea. Odds are you’ll even be offered a biscuit or two (or homemade cake if you’re lucky) — but even strangers to these shores have been known to enjoy a similar warmth of welcome upon arrival. So much so, that the traditional greeting in Irish, céad míle fáilte, literally means ‘one hundred thousand welcomes’.
And all those welcomes are extended against the backdrop of the most stunning scenery. Ireland’s landscapes, from forest to sea and mountains to bog, are striking, and unsurprisingly, quite verdant. You can continue the arithmetic of hospitality by adding several dozen shades of green to the equation, a phenomenon Johnny Cash was inspired to capture in a song while visiting in 1961.
In the far northwest, rugged County Donegal (Contae Dhún na nGall) has sea cliffs among the highest in Europe, and two mountain ranges for keen hikers to choose from. It’s a bit wilder — and certainly more out-of-the-way — than some of the more frequented places on the island, but it’s well worth the journey. One autumn morning exploring near the village of Dunlewey (Dún Lúiche), though rainbows are commonplace in showery weather I was still excited to spot one in the distance from my viewpoint in the Poisoned Glen.
Near Ventry (Ceann Trá), I stumbled upon a ruined castle. What began as a ringfort in the 7th or 8th century was built over and scaled up into a tower some eight hundred years later by the FitzGeralds, hereditary Knights of Kerry. Eventually, Caisleán Ráthanáin met its demise in the Cromwellian conquest of the mid-1600s. Said to be the last stronghold of the Vikings in Ireland due to its defensive advantages, these days the site leads a decidedly non-violent existence, hosting peacefully grazing sheep.
Occasionally hair-raising yet always rewarding, the Conor Pass (An Conair) offers a dramatic crossing from north to south on the Dingle Peninsula (Corca Dhuibhne). It’s not for the faint of heart — a mountain pass road with very narrow sections where two cars can’t squeeze past each other — but the payoff for any white-knuckle moments is the views. One misty journey, while the slopes rolling to the broad valley on our left would be the usual star, instead the glaciated rockface and waterfall on our right caught my eye.
On a summer walk skirting Smerwick Harbour (Cuan Ard na Caithne) with the seaside village of Ballydavid (Baile na nGall) as a goal, I passed expanses of the usual emerald grass. Bordered in this case by snaking dry stone walls sprouting patches of wildflowers, these fields held munching sheep and curious-looking horses who observed my progress. The latter local inhabitants seemed cheerfully tolerant of passersby, even posing nicely for this family portrait.
Next stop, West Cork. Like Donegal in the far north and neighbouring Kerry (sitting just above it), this too is on the west coast, with the wild Atlantic a constant presence. The town of Bantry (Beanntraí) lies at the head of Bantry Bay (Bá Bheanntraí), a deep-water gulf stretching 30km west. Across from our hotel, I watched as the peacock blue-green of the water changed with the light. This was the base for visiting a pair of peninsulas: the Beara (to the northwest) and Sheep’s Head (southwest).
Heading to the other side of Ireland, in County Wicklow there’s a body of water that is not only an area of bird conservation but essential to the welfare of humans. The Poulaphouca Reservoir — known to locals as the Blessington Lakes (though in truth, it’s only one sprawling lake) — holds 166 billion litres, making it the largest artificial reservoir in Ireland. We often find ourselves passing through the area. On this trip, as the views unfolded I grabbed a quick snap of the velvety fields, shining water and tree-dotted hills.
Near the border with Wicklow, there are all sorts of pockets to explore in the parklands at Russborough House in County Kildare. On a springtime wander in a wooded area — a tiny corner of its 200 acres — I found these bluebells, and couldn’t resist a closer look to enjoy them in the moment (and a photo to make them last forever). With a classical Georgian design commissioned in 1741 and completed in 1755, the grand Palladian house’s architecture and restored interiors are also memorable.
I’d looked at haunting photos of the Curragh Military Cemetery, but seeing it in person was something else. Standing within its grounds, there’s an enduring sense of duty and dignity, but also of lives cut short based on the youth of many interred here. Described in the local paper of the time as ‘a thing which was much required’, on 14 October 1869 the Archbishop of Dublin, Richard Chenevix, consecrated this as the burial place of the military encampment of forces stationed on the Curragh of Kildare.
To finish our photo tour of Ireland, we make one final stop on the east coast in the capital, Dublin. The Forty Foot is a rocky promontory on the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove. Despite shockingly cold water, it’s a popular swimming place, most well-known for the traditional Christmas Day dip. Once solely the preserve of male bathers, now everyone is invited to jump right in… if they dare. Choosing to stick to dry land, I gazed out at the rock pools and the blue horizon beyond.
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It’s nearly enough to give you landscape fatigue, with something breathtakingly lovely in every direction you travel. It’s almost dreamlike at times. As Mr Cash wrote In his song about Ireland, ‘I close my eyes and picture the emerald of the sea, from the fishing boats at Dingle to the shores of Donaghadee; I miss the River Shannon, and the folks at Skibbereen, the moorlands and the meadows with their forty shades of green.’
It’s truly something you need to see in person to appreciate — rest assured, you’ll be most welcome.
