July 19th 1981

OUR TRIP TO IRELAND BEGAN WHEN

We boarded a BAE flight at Heathrow Airport and flew Club Class to Cork. Saw the Welsh Coast and some of the Irish sea then the green patchwork as we came into Cork.
Collected a rental car and drove to Killarney. Had lots of trouble with the route because most of the place and route names were in Gaelic.

Made for Macroom in undulating country and saw hydro lakes on the way. then turned off to see the Lee and found ourselves on the way to Bantry. Got petrol at Ballingarry where there was a Gaelic school. We had to cross the pass of Keimaneigh which was very rocky and barren. Hit Bantry Bay and passed through the busy resort of Glengariff.

The crossing to Kenmare over rocky country was again quite high with several tunnels through the edge of the hills. Kilarney was a nightmare because of the Cork and Munster (Kerry) finals of Gaelic football. 41 000 people. We passed them twice. The people were 4 deep along the footpath.
We turned into a side road and got to Leane ??? with sun filtering under the cloud. We were tired having only left London that morning.
Had a look at an 8th Century Irish monastery next to the Hotel.