Dingle Archaeological Tour

Saturday was spent driving on the Wild Atlantic Way along the coast of the Dingle Peninsula.  A local archaeologist took us on a bus tour and pointed out many sights along the drive and explained some of the history of the area.  We stopped at three monastic sites in the afternoon, after seeing a beach and the Blasket Island Interpretive Center.  While we didn't get to visit the Blaskets themselves we got great views of the Islands.  The Blasket Islands were home to many important Irish literary works about island life.  In class we have read excerpts of Peig, a biography of Peig Sayers as told to her son.  The monastic sites later in the afternoon were very interesting since they were tucked away in the villages and had unknown histories.  Dingle was absolutely beautiful and I hope to come back here in the future when summer is in full swing and passage to the Skellig and Blasket Islands is possible!

The morning view of the harbor from our hotel--luckily the clouds all burned off quickly

A megalithic standing stone-- one of several that are scattered throughout the area in places you wouldn't expect, as none are well-marked or advertised

Some of the Blasket Islands

Driving VERY close to the edge

Slea Head outlook above Coomenoole Beach

Coomenoole Beach

Instead of getting sand in our socks we decided to climb rocks with our professor's son

Morgan and me

The sky was BLUE...

...and the water was too!

The Great Blasket Island was evacuated in 1953 after emigration depleted the population and the way of life on the island was no longer viable.  Many of the islanders emigrated specifically to Springfield, Mass., since women could get factory work and men could find work on the new railroad being built.  Of the 5 islanders still alive today, 2 still reside in Springfield.  (side note: part of this exhibit quoted a woman from "Agawan" Massachusetts and I had to resist the urge to tell the docent that they had a typo since the town is really AgawaM.)

A carved cross stone as Riask

Monastic site of Riask

Gallarus Oratory-- this was the church on the grounds of a monastic settlement, and one of the only examples of this kind of building (dry corbelling) that still has an intact roof.

Some *ahem* well-endowed rams with very curly horns

An alphabet stone at Kilmalkeder

Kilmalkeder

Kerry was probably my favorite excursion thus far, simply because of the breathtaking views.  Also we were fed real (free!) breakfast, so that always helps.  Along the same lines of my calamari post, I tried something new this weekend: blood pudding.  NEVER AGAIN. Nope, nope, nope.  At least I tried it, and now I am justified in hating it.