REST DAY....OR WAS IT?

Following our return from the jaunt in the northern areas, we figured we deserved a rest day.  An extended breakfast at the table, looking at what might be achieved for the rest of the week, took care of the morning.  The weather had turned from crappy to nice, so I thought my “rest” day should involve getting the bike on the road.  Peter thought he would go into Adare – a larger community not far from us that is rich with history – and explore some of the sites there. 

I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to go with the bike, but decided to run out to Dingle, as the Connor Pass was on the route. I knew I could make a bit of a loop from there to come back so I wasn’t going over the same road twice.  So off I went, excited to be going for a run. Those R and L roads with their warnings of squigglies ahead don’t scare me!  Stopping for a break in Tralee, I grabbed a sandwich as a local gas station and topped up the tank. On to Connor Pass – the highest paved pass in Ireland! Turns out it is also the coldest and windiest place in Ireland on a motorcycle when you didn’t think you needed your warmer gloves. 

The pass itself demands respect, with a narrow, steep, winding road to the top. Room for one car only, thanks very much, with little enlarged spaces on the cliff side to give room to pass when you see someone coming down. Notice how I’m relating this after I’ve already done it?  There is one viewpoint to pull off and park and drink in the beauty before another short stretch to the top. It was so cold, I could see my breath, but once you are that far, no point in stopping.  So up to the top we went, the RE Super Meteor 650 pulling along without any effort at all.  The view from the top is stunning. In spite of the chilly wind, I spent a few minutes there, just being calm and being present for the feel of the wind, the pure smell of the air and the landscape around me.  Somewhere in the photos, you might see the tiny ribbon of road leading up to the top.  On one side is the raw beauty of the pass and other the other, down the mountain, is Dingle – a small but prosperous seaside community.  Off in the distance, I could even see the dim outline of the Skelling Islands!  On the way down and around, I stopped in Dingle for a warm-up and pit stop before jumping back on the bike to head home, taking the coastal road by gorgeous beaches and pretty towns. True to my pathetic sense of direction, I took a wrong turn (yes, even with the GPS on) and extended my ride by about 45 minutes. Arriving back chilled and happy, I regret not one minute of it.  Hot bath followed!

Peter, apparently, was not quite castled and monasteried out.  In Adare, after getting a few photos of picturesque cottages with thatched roofs, he stopped at the Trinitarian Abbey, founded somewhere around 1226.  While there were many of these in England and Scotland, this is the only one in Ireland.  According to the Britannica site, Trinitarians were founded by St. John of Matha, with an aim of freeing Christian slaves from the Muslims, North Africa, the Middle East, and Spain. Being an austere order, they used what wealth they had to liberating these slaves. With slavery a thing of the past, the order turned to education, missionary work and serving in public facilities such as hospitals and prisons. Once numbering in the thousands of members, there is only one surviving branch of the Trinitarian order.

The next stop Peter made was Desmond Castle. His timing was impeccable, and he got a personal tour of the ruin. Built in the 13th century, it stood strong until Cromwell attacked it in 1657 from the south, destroying most of the structure on that side. The rest still has remarkable features with a barbican gate, curtain wall, inner keep, and grounds. Most remarkably, is the 400-year-old yew tree still standing inside the grounds. There is another site in Ireland at Maynooth College, that has an 800-year-old yew tree that is believed to be the oldest tree in Ireland. Apparently, the yew tree can live as long as 2000 years. Neolithic people thought yew trees were cursed because when you cut them, they bleed red. The Normans, however, prized yew trees for their wood as being the best for making bows.

Not yet saturated with history, Peter continued to the Franciscan Friary known as “The Poor Abbey” due to the Franciscan vow of poverty and being known for begging.  Founded in 1464, the friary operated until King Henry VIII’s dissolution of monasteries. Driven out by the “reformation”, the friary fell into disuse until 1633 when it was re-established, continuing to operation until the mid-1800s.  The Friary building (or some of it at least), is now used as a National School building.
So much for a day of rest, but a well spent one, in any case.