GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary)
Ireland or more correctly; Republic of Ireland; Poblacht na hÉireann, is a
country in north-western Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of
Ireland. The state extends over an area of about 70,273 km2.
Around 40% of the country's population of 4.9 million people resides in the
Greater Dublin Area.
HISTORY
From the Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, the island
of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
During the Great Famine, from 1845 to 1849, the island's population of over
8 million fell by 30%.
The state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the
Anglo-Irish Treaty. It had the status of Dominion until 1937 when a new
constitution was adopted, in which the state was named "Ireland" and
effectively became a republic, with an elected non-executive president as
head of state.
GEOGRAPHY
The western landscape mostly consists of rugged cliffs, hills and mountains.
The central lowlands are extensively covered with glacial deposits of clay
and sand, as well as significant areas of bogland and several lakes. The
highest point is Carrauntoohil; 1,038.6 m, located in the MacGillycuddy's
Reeks mountain range in the southwest. River Shannon, which traverses the
central lowlands, is the longest river in Ireland at 386 kilometres in
length. The west coast is more rugged than the east, with numerous islands,
peninsulas, headlands and bays.
PLANTS
Ireland has a small flora for a European country because of its small size,
lack of geological and ecological variation and its Pleistocene history.
There are 3,815 species of plant listed for Ireland.
Ireland is the
least forested country in Europe. Until the end of the Middle Ages, the land
was heavily forested with native trees such as oak, ash, hazel, birch,
alder, willow, aspen, elm, rowan, yew and Scots pine. Today, only about 10%
of Ireland is woodland, most of which is non-native conifer plantations, and
only 2% of which is native woodland. Most are grassland and bog.
ANIMALS
There
are 26 different species of mammals in Ireland, among them red fox,
hedgehog, stoat, badger, Irish hare and pine marten.
Over 400 bird species have been recorded in Ireland, although many are
migratory. Arctic birds migrate here during the winter, while other birds
like the swallow come here during the summer to breed.
Only one land reptile is native to the country, the viviparous lizard;
Zootoca vivipara, while three amphibians are found in Ireland:
The common European brown frog, Rana temporaria, the Smooth Newt;
Lissotriton vulgaris, and the Natterjack Toad; Epidalea calamita.
Ireland has 375 fish species in its coastal waters and 40 freshwater species
in its rivers and lakes.
There are an estimated 11,500 species of insect recorded in Ireland.
DIARY
2/8
2021. The flight, car and hostels was booked in December,
hoping
the Covid-19 situation would allow me to go from 2/8 to 23/8 2021. Well, five days of
quarantine forced me to make it 27/7 to 23/8, and then back, when an opening
due to the new Covid-19 Digital Pass was introduced 1/8. Digital Covid-19
passport, digital Travellers Location Form, digital Boarding-card and an old
and wellused passport: What can possible go wrong?
A direct flight,
find the car, pay additional €430, as I have no credit-card + €35, as I plan
to drive through a corner of Northern Ireland. At five, I head straight out to explore, with hot tea in
the mug. Ireland is significantly greener than Denmark, due to the ripe
barley fields in Denmark, and the Irish grass fields. Here are huge, but gentle hills, little
traffic and some huge forests. The only site of the day is the 121 metre
high Powerscourt Waterfall.
It
is a real popular picnic spot for local Indians, and an adorable spot. I
left the sun in the airport, but here are still so beautiful. It reminds me
of the better part of the Hobbit Shire (filmed in New Zealand). Besides from the
high, but rather thin fall, here are some real great motives along the
river. At first, the huge, semi-polished boulders, then ferns and old oak
trees. A few huge Redwood and Araucarias blends in - badly.
I walk the area, but as the sun refuses to cooperate, I head on.
I'm
heading for the south-eastern corner, for my first night. I follow the
major roads, as it is getting late, and I have 150 kilometres to go. It is
through huge oak-trees, steep hills with sheep, old and tiny houses and huge
hills. Even the big road end in a round-about, which seems to make op most
road intersections in Ireland. While I write this in the evening, I realises:
I have been driving in the right site - which is left, without thinking about it.
I reach Windy Acre; a real cosy house, right next to the
sea at eight o'clock. My host make tea, and I prepare some instant noodles and start
the usually work with photos, diaries and planning for tomorrow. I sit in a
cosy couch, facing the sea and garden, and here is not a sound!
Powerscourt Waterfall.
3.
It is a sunny morning, and I skip the breakfast to get an early start. I
head back north, but this time by the narrow, twisting back-roads. The road
leads through a few minor villages, and it is tempting to do a stop, but I
have a lot scheduled for the day. Where I did have some difficulties with
the Icelandic speed-limits, the Irish are ridiculous. No way, I can enjoy the
landscape and drive 80 and 100 km/t on these narrow, twisted and hilly
roads! To spice things up, deer and sheep use it too.
The first site is found in some lovely nature - well,
Glendalough is nature!
The road passes a mirror lake, and find its way
into a narrow valley, with a lake and steep mountain sides. The
sun did not follow me into here, but it still look so great. Besides from
two girls skin-diving, I have it all to my self and the birds. I try to
capture the magic, but the light don't work for me. I make so many photos,
just alike. It was so dazzling to walk, such a disappointment to see the
photos.
The lake and river, leading to it, is almost like cola; filled
with tannic acid and other organic matter, but crystal clear. The big trees
are from birch to oak, and I do a rather big loop in the fores,t on the steep
hillside.
An
old church is found halfway up, with single-rock crosses in the graveyard.
The walls are overgrown with small ferns, the ground with large ones. I
follow a boardwalk from the upper lake to the lower, through some swampy
bushes, but don't find anything new.
The next site is The Old Military Road; R115,
leading through bog, heat, heather and endless ferns at the highlands at 500
metres. Pretty soon, I reach Glenmacnass Waterfall, which is a steep
cascade. It is found in the high end of a lovely valley. Another cola river
feeds the waterfall, draining the bog and heather lands.
It
is truly a twisted road, leading over these high grounds, and besides from a
few sheep, I see none. A single area is dominated by conifers, which seems
strange here. It seems like the road continues forever, making narrow turns,
gathered in huge turns and bends. The sealing is bad in many stretches, and
eventually, I turn south again.
The next time I stop, is at Altamont Gardens. The
house is nearly a ruin, but they don't charge for the entrance. Here is a
small romantic garden, which leads to a beautiful lake and some rather
undisturbed nature. I make way too many photos of the lake, and it is not
even sunny!

I follow a small creek, finding its way through the huge,
moss-overgrown boulders, all the way down to the huge river. Cross the
fields and temple, back to the lake, where the sun
finally
finds its way.
Next to the show-garden is a nursery, but real old-school and cosy. The
orchard is walled, the glasshouse a wrack and is it just so idyllic.
Back at the car, I find a scratch from another car, which
have come while I've been here. Well, I have paid insurance! And one
wheel-cap vanished real fast, just as I had picked up the car.

It is a short and nice drive to the around ten houses,
making up the village of Clonegal. First, I stop to make a
photo of the so typical Irish bridge, and only then, I realises I'm in the
middle
of the village. Here are an Inn, a bistro, a hardware-, and a food store
along the church and a few domestic huts.
Wexford Town is called a "maze of medieval
streets", and I give it a try. It is! Endless narrow streets with numerous
colourful, small shops, cafes and people. I make a big loop through the
streets, pass the church and down by the harbour. Then I figure I probably
was supposed to pay for the parking, and returns. Seems like I got away with
it.
My guidebook claim Tintern Abbey is a "do not
miss" sight, and I better not. It is found where a fjord meets a large river,
surrounded by lush nature. I follow the river into the fjord, and then
find
the church-ruin in the forest. Well, it was nice to see, but I could have
missed it.
Down
on the Hook Peninsular, the world's oldest
light-tower is found. The entire area is "pancake-rocks" and they are filled
with huge limpets. The sun is back, and it is actually warm! The roads are
lined with stone-walls, some of the houses deserted, the rest real cosy.
Here are, as so many other places I have been in Ireland, quite some huge
Yuccas.
I see the light tower and the rocks at the sea, but it is
getting late. The last three sights were planned for tomorrow, but my new
host wants me to check-in before 15. It was 14-22, but
15
is of cause in-between there... I have seen so much today, and I really
enjoy the Irish nature. I have 300+ photos to prove it.
Day 2.
It is time to open Diary 2 and the southern Ireland. |