Republic of Ireland - August 2006
My trips to Ireland are becoming a regular event. This was a different one as it was a very mob handed holiday on the south west coast - County Kerry. This is a fairly big set that I have decided not to carve up into various themes ('cos I could not really think of how to split them up) - so please give it a bit of time to load.....
Our car for the week - a Ford Galaxy, aircraft hangar on wheels. Mum had booked a Vauxhall Zafira - that would not have been anywhere near big enough but we ended up with the 'gal after that was not available - stroke of luck that.
The roads around Cork and Kerry are marked with lots of stones like this, marking the place of death, rather than the last resting place of, IRA members who met their end at the hands of their enemies - usually in roadside ambushes or skirmishes. In most cases this would have been by Royal Irish Constabulary, Black and Tans (the much hated uniformed British irregular soldiers) or Free State Troops (during the civil war).
Emma (my luverly missus) and Sue (my sister) about to take a pony trek in Glenbeigh....
The inevitable picture of the Garda Car, main street in Cahersiveen, County Kerry.
Civil War memorial in main street in Cahersiveen.
The old Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks in Cahersiveen - arguably the most imposing police station ever built anywhere in the world. This was burnt out during the civil war in 1922 to stop it from falling into the hands of Free State Troops. The Garda (who replaced the RIC) built their own barracks when they formed after the civil war. It has since been restored and is now the local museum.
The old railway bridge over the Fertha at Cahersiveen - this last saw a train in 1960 and has been abandoned ever since.
I was particularly impressed with the old bridge so decided to take a few pics of it....
... and then decided to take a walk across it....
.... but when I reached this point I decided that the rusted steel plates that I was walking on were past their best and looked certain to buckle and cast me screaming into the Fertha below - like the idiot tourist I am. Thus, this is the furthest I got before retreating, taking very light steps.
This is one of the last locomotives to run over the bridge before it closed in 1960. This, like a large chunk of the Irish diesel locomotive fleet was built by Metropolitan Vickers at their factory in Manchester (you know, back when we actually used to employ people other than at call centres). The republic is littered with abandoned railway lines - a shame.
I was sufficently impressed by the Metro-Vick that I have included a few pictures of it here. This was from the drivers seat and the railway line can be seen snaking away to the left. Sadly, the train seems to be used as a drinking den for local youths for a few years and is way past its best.
The old engine bay - with a fair old chunk of the engine still in place.... and a few hundred empty lager cans....
Old circular fort (one of two near our home for the week).....
Crossing the Fertha, our modest lodgings for the week.....
Me on the beach - not far from our house.....
Emma on the beach.....
My big brother, Mike, on the little car ferry over to Valentia Island - the most western point in Europe....
Emma on Valetia Island - sampling the national drink.... drinking it in halves is most frowned upon....
Crossing the bay to Dingle - home of the Dolphin, Fungi. He has been resident in the harbour since the 1980's and is a bit of a tourist magnet. As you can see from the above shop front, they are ever so proud of him.
Very smoky trawler in Dingle Harbour
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