September 2, 2016. Killorglin to Dingle and Around Dingle

Dia dhuit  (I think this is hello) – which I believe is pronounced something like jee-ah ghwit (and the gh is like a hard g and a little throaty). Actually hard to understand those speaking English but with a really strong Irish accent… This morning I overheard a woman talking about been at a late “pee-air-tee” (party)…

After breakfast and a brief look around the grounds of Carrig Country House (apologies, yesterday’s note called it Carring House (slip of the spell check)… we set off for Dingle. The grounds were exquisite and it seemed as if the sun gods were in our corner (weather here is totally unpredictable), so we could really have a look at the lake on which Carrig House sits, and the property which is extensive. It includes a croquet court (field?) but no one was playing, and I think there is golf and horseback riding.  But we were on our way to one of the core sites for this trip (beyond meeting up with Mike’s brother and sister-in-law for our annual visit) – to go to a concert at St. James Church in Dingle…

Long story – Ever since I saw the Amy Winehouse film, “The Day She Came to Dingle” (2012, I think), I wanted to experience that remote, lush green picture-postcard peninsula, and I really wanted to hear a concert in the church where Winehouse performed. Once we decided to come to Ireland, I knew I needed to get to Dingle.. and I needed to come when there is a concert in that church – St. James Church (I don’t think it functions as a church any more.. the concerts occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays…. So we needed to arrange the drive to be here on one of those nights. The film is a documentary about a 2006 appearance by Amy Winehouse in the Other Voices concert that is held every year in this small fishing village – Dingle. As I recall, the film showed the few days that led to the concert — where Winehouse performed six amazing songs accompanied only by a guitar player and a bass player. Naturally the film was a lot about Winehouse’s state of mind as well as all the prep before the concert. But the siting of the performance in that little church and the scenes of the town and the landscape hung in. I just had the sense that I wanted to see Dingle. (And all of this from a city girl!)

Once we figured out our trip and were able to get to Dingle on a Friday, we were set. We contacted the hotel several times asking if they could get us tickets (fearful that we’d go all this way and then not get tickets). The hotel repeated on each call, that they could not get the tickets for us… and that it wouldn’t be a problem. But I persevered – called the church (no one ever answers). Anyway, we had no choice but to go with the flow, so our goal was to get to Dingle by noon to secure the tickets… which you can only get at the ice scream store or the pub.  We opted for the pub… and got the tickets. Obviously it’s all quite calm and laid back. Bought the tickets, were told to get to the church by 7:10, doors would open at 7:15, no reserved seats. So we now had a few hours to spare. (In the end no one even collected the tickets)

Anyway, as we left Killgorlin, we headed out toward Castlemaine and on to Inch (a tiny beach peninsula) and then on to windy roads that careened back and forth – stopped many times, with one vista being more spectacular than the other.. and those greens. You just cannot recreate them… The light was spectacular although always clouds hovering.. so stretches of brightness and areas of darkness. Reached Dingle at about noon, bought our tickets for tonight’s performance. Couldn’t check into our hotel (Benners) on the main drag until 4:00, so we strolled a bit, stopped for salads, and then headed to take a circular one-hour drive (assuming no stops) that circles the Dingle Peninsula. Yet more spectacular views and cliffs and sheep and vistas… Took about two hours and then headed back to town to finally check into the hotel (now about 5:00). But the hotel had a little problem with the key card machine, so we had to wait in the lobby for about 30 minutes until that got sorted out.

Decided to head to the ice cream store… What’s a girl to do if you can’t get into the hotel? Lots of local flavors like brown bread ice cream and gin ice cream (which we figured was definitely worth a try – actually pretty good and you can definitely taste the gin). Quickly settled into the room.. Benners is an old hotel, three stories high, with a large pub on the first floor. Room is spacious with a great bay window. But we had little time to get comfy as we had to dash off to the concert at the church.

Tonight’s performance was in three parts: first a guitarist from Dingle – folk vocals.. with a very witty style for his introductions to each piece; then he was joined by a woman who played the concertina and their duets were lively and well timed. Then a duet – fiddler (female)/singer (originally from Cape Breton Nova Scotia – Rosie Mackenzie) and a male guitarist (originally from London—Matt Griffin) – both Irish descent played and sang beautifully, intensely, and with that Irish style of changing the tempo midstream. It was great all around.

That said, the church interior is clearly not as exotic as it was in the film… but they must have done great lighting and tonight it was very simple. And the filmmakers took a lot of liberty with how they showed the entrance and siting of the church – but it didn’t matter.. all good.

We realized that the concert would probably end around 9:30 and it seemed like restaurants stop serving around 9, so we called several restaurants very close to the church…. When I said we’d be coming from the concert they each said “Oh that won’t work; never know when the concert will end – never know if it starts on time… and even if it starts and ends on time, we finish serving at 9:30.” Seemed funny, since they could clearly get more customers if they served til 10… or maybe the concerts should start at 7:00. Anyway, one restaurant The Half Door said they’d stay open for us, so following the concert, we went there. Not too great, and pricey.. but they held to their agreement

All in all a good day.. but tiring. Naturally, headed to a pub after dinner… we are in Ireland!

Tomorrow is the Dingle Marathon; the fiddler from the performance is running, along with many in the audience (they asked for a show of hands). It’s supposed to be the most beautiful marathon route in the world. We’ll probably see some of it tomorrow as we walk around before heading to Limerick.

Oh one other correction to yesterday’s notes.. US lanes are 12’ wide not 10’ as I said.. And today we were on lanes that were about 7’ and in some cases it was just one lane, although cars drove in both directions. The roads have little indents every so often so that one car can pull over while a car goes in the other direction.

That’s it for tonight.

Fern