Dingle Day Off 9/22/26

It's heavenly to have a day off.  I lounged around for a while, then took my dirty clothes to be laundered. 

Most people visit An Díseart to see the stained-glass windows by Harry Clarke, Ireland's most renowned stained-glass artist. The windows at An Díseart Institute of Celtic Spirituality and Culture (formerly the Chapel of the Sacred Heart at the Presentation Convent) consist of six two-light panels, each depicting a scene from Christ's life.  To be honest, I am not entirely sure I matched each artwork with the correct story.  The information was very confusing.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Seeing the crowds he went up on the mountain. And he opened his mouth and taught them,

saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those with

mourn, for they shall be comforted, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth

(Matthew, 5: 1-5)

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  When

he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending on

him like a Dove; and a voice came from heaven: "Thou art my beloved son: with Thee I am well

pleased." (Mark 1:9-11)

. LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME

"And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them: “ the disciples rebelled.But when Jesus, saw it he was indignant, and said to them: "Let the children come to me, hinder them; for no such belongs the kingdom of God." (Mark 10 :13-14)

THE VISIT OF THE MAGI 

"And going into the house they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh”

(Matthew 2:11)

 THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN

Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done?

And there appeared to him an angel from Heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he

prayed the more earnestly; and His sweat became as great drops of blood falling down upon the

ground. (Luke 22: 42-44)

 JESUS APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE

"Jesus said to her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the

gardener, she said to him: "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I

will take him away." Jesus said to her: “Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew: “Rabbon” (teacher) 

John 20 (15-16)

I went to learn about Nano Nagle (1718 – 1784), who founded the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known worldwide today as the Presentation Sisters. Born into a Catholic family in Ballygriffin, County Cork, she grew up at a time when Ireland’s Penal Laws denied education to Catholics unless they converted to the Church of Ireland. 

Like many of her background, Nano was sent to France for her education and later returned to live in Dublin. The sudden deaths of her parents and sister brought her back to Ballygriffin, where she considered entering an Ursuline convent abroad. But she was persuaded that her calling was to remain in Ireland, serving her own people at a time when poverty and ignorance were deepened by religious persecution. The above mural depicts her as a wealthy lady.

At twenty-nine, Nano began teaching poor children in secret, moving from house to house by lantern light to avoid drawing the authorities' attention. This earned her the title The Lady of the Lantern. Her dedication grew quickly — soon she was teaching over 200 children. Determined to provide a lasting foundation for her work, she opened her first school on Philpott Lane in Cork City. Over time, she established two schools for girls and five for boys, providing not only literacy but also faith formation, moral guidance, and care for the poorest of the poor.  In 1777, she founded Ireland's first convent. Her tireless commitment to others came at a cost to her own health. She died on 26 April 1784, with her final words said to be: “Look after the children — the children of the poor.”

Portraits of the Nuns with Nano Nagle at the top.

The chapel where the Nuns worshipped.

Hidden behind stone walls in Dingle lies a quiet garden of white crosses — the Nuns’ Graveyard, a place that feels like stepping back in time

In 1890, Tom Baker opened a restaurant in Dingle. It is now Dingle's oldest licensed premises, advertised as "Dingle's oldest table. Ireland's finest table.” Original stone walls, warm candlelight, and a dining room that felt both timeless and intimate.  Reminiscent of Chasen’s in LA or Jack Fry’s in Louisville, it exuded history and class.

I started with the mushroom soup.  It had some cream in it, but I wouldn't describe it as cream of mushroom soup.  For a mushroom lover, it hit a home run.

For my main course, I ordered Breast of Chicken Stuffed with Bread, mixed herbs, and onions with mushroom sauce.  Ever so good.  The succulent chicken was flavorful with a crisp skin. YUM!

Thank you, Marsha Harlow, for telling me that sticky toffee pudding is actually Irish and not English, as everyone seems to believe.  I felt compelled to order it, and now when I get home, I will be researching fat farms. Look out, Gordon Ramsey, Lord Baker is coming after you. It was fabulous.

Although I could ot go in, I had to say a prayer at Saint James. - no relation - no Saints in my bloodline.  We do have a bunch of fun people who can tell a story.  The church has been here since the 1300s.

Only in Ireland, this is a combination bar and hardware store.  What could be more fun than having a couple of pints and going home with a chainsaw?

Sacred Heart University is a school where students learn Irish (Gaeilge).  It is constitutionally defined as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland. It is a Celtic language with three main dialects: Munster, Connacht, and Ulster.

What a fun day off.

Good night and God Bless!

 

Annascaul to Dingle 9/21/26

Today was an absolutely stunning day.  I started out pretty peppy, and I knew it would be at least a 15.6-mile hike.  At about mile 5, I was really tired.  Not a good sign.  I plodded along until lunch, when I stopped to eat the tuna sandwich that my B&B had packed for me.  That was just what I needed to get my second wind. I was good to go.  At about mile 11, I ate a Snickers bar, and it was Katy bar the door.  Whoohoo - I am coming in hot.

These stunning days take a lot of hard work and upward climb. I didn’t think the long incline would ever end.

Absolutely breathtaking scenery.

Start them young on those long hikes!

Minard's Castle, perched on a rocky hill overlooking Minard Bay, was built by the Fitzgeralds (the Knights of Kerry) and was the largest fortress on the Dingle Peninsula before Cromwellian forces partially blew it up in 1650. The ruins sit on private property and are closed to the public because of their dangerous condition.  It is famously featured in the 1970 film Ryan's Daughter. 

Dingle is the main embarkation port for the pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James at Compostela in Spain.  Also known as "The Way".

St John’s Well is a dry-stone-built well with a small cross-inscribed stone standing at the rear, while a stone marked with a cross scratched by pilgrims lies toward the front of the well. Pilgrims flock to the well on 29 August, circling and saying the rosary. A rope fence surrounded the area where pilgrims can bring something to attach to it or, as many did, tie a piece of greenery and say a special prayer. My prayer was for Mary P and many of my other friends.

The higher I climbed, the more beautiful it was.

Here is an unusual sight in such a natural area: a children’s bouncy house and slide. I could see it from miles away. Sadly, it was behind a fence, or I might have given it a go.

A fast-flowing stream created about a mile of deep, sticky mud a little further along.  Once again, my boots were wet and now really mucky.

All day, the mountains on the other side were covered in clouds and mist. I saw lots of sheep, but this one firmly declared herself queen of the rock.

I am like the horse to the barn.  I have about four more miles to go, and all I had to do was get to the top of this long incline to see Dingle.

I had a fabulous dinner in a restaurant, not a pub.  The Land to Sea has a Michelin Star and the food lived up to it.

Believe it or not, they had an early-bird special, but it wasn't priced like a diner.  I chose the two-selection prix fixe. My salad was a Dingle Goat Cheese and Heritage Tomato salad with Basil pesto, Balsamic Reduction, and Pine nuts.  What a fabulous combination of textures and flavors.  It had whipped goat cheese, real tomatoes straight from the garden, dressed with olive oil and balsamic, plus a touch of something really sweet to balance the flavors.  Lastly, it had toasted pine nuts.

My entree was perfectly cooked Dingle Hake with asparagus, sautéed fresh samphire, and a Champagne sauce. I had to look up samphire.  It is a sea vegetable, and it tasted like really skinny green beans.  The best part of the dish was the cooked cabbage under the hake. I totally enjoyed every bite of this unusual combination of flavors.

I finally have a day off.  I need to do some laundry and get myself organized.  Plus, I have a strenuous-with-an-exclamation-point trek coming up in a couple of days.  Good to rest my tired body.

Good night and God Bless!

Camp to Annascaul 9/20/26

 Good evening.  It was morning when I started this journey and now it is night.

Today was about thirteen miles.  In many ways, it was easier than yesterday.  I didn’t have to wade through so many streams. Yesterday was so strenuous that I was still a bit tired. This was one of the few streams that I had to cross, and there were convenient rocks. Usually they are spaced too far apart for my short, stubby legs, but these were just right.

I saw many multicolored sheep today. For centuries, locals viewed the misty paths as haunted by phantom travelers and hounds, while farmers utilized the lower hills for grazing. I guess the ghosts didn’t come down to the hills.

The morning started with an hour-long uphill climb.  Pant Pant! Gasp Gasp! But then I came to a couple of miles of flat.

The scenery was beautiful.

The flat didn’t last, and it was back to steep up and very little down.

The area between Camp and Annascaul on the Dingle Peninsula is dominated by the Slieve Mish mountain range.  Irish folklore connects the name Sliabh Mis to Mis, a legendary princess and wild woman of great strength said to have lived and roamed the high crags.

I have passed a number of these gorgeous hydrangeas.  Look at that vibrant color.

A little trickier section of trail.  Managed to keep my still-damp boots out of the water.

Local legend connects Lake Annascaul to the mythical hero Cú Chulainn, who is the most famous hero in Irish mythology, known for his superhuman strength and terrifying battle frenzy.  In battle, he could enter a horrifying trance where his body twisted and turned into an unrecognizable, monstrous, wasp-like shape that knew no friends or enemies.

This was the only place open when I arrived.  The sign says Ashe’s Black Pudding Company.

The only sandwich they had was made with black pudding. If you don’t know, black pudding is a type of blood sausage popular in Ireland. It is made from pork or beef blood, YUCK! I was hungry, so I ate an almond and raspberry tart.  Not the most nutritious late lunch, but it beat the heck out of blood sausage.

For dinner, the only place open that served food was the Shamrock Pub.  I liked the cartoon over the bar.

Their menu was small, with totally Irish dishes, but the special was Irish Stew.  It was delicious, thick and meaty with beef, onions, beans, and carrots, and had clearly been cooking all day.  In the middle were good old Irish potatoes, or as I grew up saying, arsh potatoes. I couldn’t begin to finish that huge bowl.

So this ends another fun day on the trail.

Good night and God Bless.