Monday, August 12, 2013

Ireland Third Week - Portmagee to Doolin


Waterfront Portmagee.


Battling the wind and drizzle on Valentia Bridge.


North side of Beginish Island, our jumping off point for the 23km crossing of Dingle Bay to Great Blasket Island.


Seals on Great Blasket Island



Lunch on Great Blasket Island.


Basking shark Blasket Sound.


Spectacular headland at the northern end of Blasket Sound. We were travelling very fast with both wind and tide.


Long section of fantastic coastline between the Blasket Islands and Brandon. 


Although we saw many traditional skin on wooden frame curraghs, there were a lot that were reinforced with fibreglass. 


Tricky slipway landing at this very small harbour at Meenogahane tucked away in amongst the offshore rocks. It wasn't very sheltered and the swell was surging powerfully in all sorts of directions but we managed to land without embarrassing ourselves. 


We were given a very generous feed of crab claws. Our campsite was on the front lawn of a little cottage near the harbour, the land owner's cousin had kayaked around Ireland starting and finishing at this harbour. The family has lived in the area for 700 years. 


Yummo!


Some of harbour walls were works of dry stone art. 


The day from near Kilkee to Liscannor was a dreary very low visibility day, we were only a few kms off shore for most of the day but couldn't see it. The compass and quick checks on the GPS got us to Mutton Island for a quick break. 


On cold wet days fruit cake with lashings of butter went down very well.  


We were off the water for four nights at Liscannor, a couple of them we spent in the pubs enjoying the music at Doolin. 




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