Wales to Wexford then the Hook to Cork

Driving off the ferry from Wales into the Republic of Ireland at Rosslare, we realised that we needed Euro instead of UK Pounds. Oops – too late as there were no ATMs or money exchange places at the ferry terminal.

Wexford

Not worried too much, we drove our motorhome Vtee, into Ireland heading to Wexford for the night. Wexford is an historic town that was founded by the Vikings in about 800 AD.

Our campsite was right on the waterfront giving us easy access to local pubs and food places, and we had a great view of the bay and the city.

After a lovely seafood meal at a local pub, we had our first night in Ireland.

The next morning, we drove south to the Hook Peninsula to see the Hook Lighthouse.

Hook Peninsular

The Peninsular is a beautifully haunting area of windswept farms, ancient stone walls, and airy ruins. You just can’t help thinking about it as a bit of lost history.

At its point is the lighthouse, and the lighthouse is magnificent. It’s a solid looking, black and white stripped structure that looks like it has grown up from the surrounding terrain. It stands proudly at the head of the Hook Peninsular above a wild rocky coast.

Leigh at Hook Lighthouse

It’s still guiding shipping as it did when it was built in the 13th century. It is the oldest lighthouse in Europe and one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world.

Driving further around the Hook, we passed Loftus Hall which is supposed to be Ireland’s most haunted house – we didn’t stop to find out!

Then we followed narrow, winding but well-marked roads to Ballyhack. Ballyhack is a tiny wee fishing hamlet on the eastern shore of the Waterford Harbour. Here we caught a small car ferry across to another hamlet called Passage East.

At this stage we still hadn’t picked up any Euros. We asked the ferryman if we could pay in Pounds and he said “yes (whew thinks us) … but it’s one-to-one” meaning that we paid £12 instead of €12 so a little more expensive!

Marg in the Viking Triangle, Waterford

Leaving the ferry, it was an easy drive on into Waterford where we found an ATM to get some Euros. Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland. It’s known for its Viking history which is centred on the town’s Viking Triangle.

We had fun exploring the area, which includes Reginald’s Tower, a round stone fortification (circa-1003). The Tower is now set up to inform people about the history of the Viking arrival and survival in Waterford.

Waterford is also known for its crystal. Waterford Crystal began here in 1783 and we visited the Waterford Crystal shop. 

Waterford crystal

There were some absolutely extraordinary items for sale at absolutely extraordinary prices. We didn’t buy anything!

Although we were in Waterford and so far from home, we managed to meet up with New Zealand friends, John and Ann while there. They had not long arrived in Ireland and were staying fairly close by, so we arranged to have a catch up.

We found a local, old, and character-filled pub, and had a lovely time together. Note that coffee and tea were the substance of our menu, not alcohol, as we all had to drive on again that day.

Leaving Waterford, the Vikings and John and Anne and a lovely afternoon, we headed on toward Cork for our next campground.

Cork

After a few GPS related hiccups that included more narrow roads, we finally arrived at Camping Blarney, the nearest camp to Cork that we could find.  Camping Blarney proved to be a pleasant stop. It’s about half an hour’s walk into Blarney Village where we were able to catch a bus in to Cork city.

Cork (around 208,000 people in 2016), sits on the River Lee. The River is crisscrossed by a number of bridges that take you across the city. The bridges and the many walkways, lanes and arcades, make Cork really easy to get around.

St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork

One of Cork's highlights for us was St Fin Barr's Cathedral, an imposing building rising majestically above the surrounding houses.

The stunning design is by architect William Burges whose plans were picked from dozens of design entries in 1862.

We also enjoyed walking along the interesting walls of the City Fort, and we explored the English Market which was full of lots of different foods. We were drawn to the olives and salamis on one stall and made some yummy purchases.

Leigh in Cork's Shandon Quarter

We walked across one bridge and up steep steps into an historic area, called the Shandon Quarter. This is a mix of old houses, churches and theatres built on tiny winding streets. It was an interesting old area with a lived-in look.

Later in the day, we found our way back to our bus stop and caught the bus back to Blarney Village.

But instead of going back to our campsite, we walked on a few miles to the 15th century Blarney Castle, which is set in beautiful park-like grounds.

Top of Blarney Castle

We decided to join the very long queue to get into the castle, at the top of which is the famous Blarney Stone, said to give the "gift of the gab" to those who kiss it.

After about an hour and a half, and climbing up some stairs that became increasingly narrow, we finally made it to the top.

To kiss the Blarney Stone, you had to lie on your back, hold onto some poles, and reach down backwards. All very tricky!

Marg kissing the Blarney Stone

Leigh decided she is already full of the blarney, so only Marg did the kissing thing. 

We’ll wait and see who has the blarney now!

The time came to move on and we headed west to Killarney, which gave us access to the huge Killarney National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Driving through the National Park, we stopped at Muckross House, which is a 19th century Victorian mansion set in beautiful grounds on the edge of a lake. A very pretty place to wander around.

We also visited the Ross Castle which is a 15th century tower house, also set in lovely grounds, but with a river running through it. 

Leigh with Killarney street art 

But the highlight of the area for us, was Killarney town itself. It’s a gorgeous place full of 19th century buildings with very pretty shops, pubs and houses, and some lovely street art. It was a delight to walk around.

Getting back into Vtee, we did another lap of the town, then drove onwards to the Ring of Kerry, our next destination. We are really looking forward to the Ring as we've heard that it's a challenge drive. But that's in the next blog.

This is part of a bigger blog on our travels around England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium and Luxembourg. The first blog is called "Off to do the UK in a motorhome".