Engaging Ireland - Episode 13 - All Ireland Travel Interview (Part 2)

We present the second half of our conversation with Peter and Kemberlee from All Ireland Travel (see show notes from Episode 12).

B&B Vouchers

Vouchers for accommodation at B&Bs (and sometimes hotels) are often part of vacation packages for travel in Ireland, or they may be sometimes be purchased separately.

We have never used vouchers on any of our trips to Ireland. We neither condone nor condemn their use. You really have to decide for yourself if you think they would work well for your travel plans. How do you make that decision? Take a look at some of the following sites for more information.

On this site, Michele Erdvig (an Ireland Expert from IrelandYes.com) gives readers an interesting take on when she thinks B&B vouchers may or may not be a good value for travel in Ireland.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ireland-144/2009/2/B-B-Vouchers-Ireland.htm

Read this article for a good look at the pros and cons of the vouchers.

http://www.dochara.com/save/save-on-accommodation/bed-breakfast-vouchers/

Peter and Kemberlee’s favorite places to visit in Ireland:

Killarney Countryside

Killarney National Park

http://www.killarneynationalpark.ie/

The Gap of Dunloe

Here, we will make appropriate use of the wonderful descriptions Kemberlee and Peter have placed on their website of places of interest in Ireland.

http://www.all-ireland.com/attractions/munster/kerry/gapofdunloe.htm#brandon

Here is a general description of the Gap of Dunloe.

http://www.irishtourism.com/attractions-ireland/gap-of-dunloe_155224-attraction.htm

And the following description of the Gap comes from the Planet Ware website (www.planetware.com).

“The western part of the Killarney National Park extends from the Upper Lake to the southwest shore of the Lower Lake by way of Purple Mount (2,698ft/822m) and its northern foothills. This range of hills is separated from Macgillicuddy's Reeks to the west by the rocky defile known as the Gap of Dunloe, best reached from the R562, which follows the north side of the Lower Lake. From the road to the Gap, which goes off on the left just after the golf courses, can be seen Dunloe Castle, set amid trees, and a group of ogham stones (National Monument).

It is customary to drive as far as Kate Kearney's Cottage, but from there the climb to the pass (some 2.5mi/4km) is usually continued in a jaunting car, on a pony or on foot. There are five little lakes, fed by a rapid mountain stream. The highest of these is Serpent Lake, into which St Patrick is said to have consigned all the snakes he expelled form Ireland. The mighty rocks bearing the marks of glacial action which flank the gorge give an excellent echo. From the top of the pass (784ft/239m) there are superb views of hills, valleys and lakes in the varied shades of green, yellow and brown presented by the vegetation and the red sandstone rocks.”

This little gem is one visitor’s description of the walk through the Gap. It’s a very wonderful description of most of the walk. We say “most of the walk” because the family in the story didn’t walk all the way through the Gap to the Black Valley side. It’s a shame that many people don’t get all the way through, too, because we really thought that last mile and a half were probably the most beautiful and serene of the whole walk. (Unless you pay them extra, the jaunting cars don’t go further than the third lake in the gap, and there’s still a couple of miles of gorgeous valley to be experienced from there!)

http://www.irelandforvisitors.com/articles/the_gap.htm

A thorough description (with photos) of how many tourists make the trek through the Gap of Dunloe and back to Killarney Town each day:

http://www.lakehotel.com/Gap_of_dunloe.htm

The Black Valley

On our visit to Killarney National Park this year, we were determined to walk the Gap of Dunloe, and (thanks to confirmation from Peter and Kemberlee) we decided to start our walk at the Gap Head on the Black Valley end of the Gap. We did this because we had heard stories about how crowded it can get at the other end of the gap where most people begin their journey. We parked next to a little church in the Black Valley and made our way up the switchbacks in the road leading up into the gap. When we arrived at t...