Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [275]
Gallarus Oratory
This dry-stone oratory is quite a sight, standing in its lonely spot beneath the brown hills as it has done for some 1200 years. It has withstood the elements perfectly, apart from a slight sagging in the roof. Traces of mortar suggest that the interior and exterior walls may have been plastered. Shaped like an upturned boat, it has a doorway on the western side and a round-headed window on the eastern side. Inside the doorway are two projecting stones with holes that once supported the door.
The oratory ( 066-915 6444; www.heritageireland.ie; admission free) is signposted off the R559, about 2km further on from the Riasc Monastic Settlement turn-off. Parking by the site is extremely limited and tends to become a mess in summer. There is a nearby private parking area with a visitor centre ( 066-915 5333; adult/child €3/free; 9am-9pm Jun-Aug, 10am-6pm Feb-May & Sep-10 Nov) that shows a 15-minute audio-visual display and offers up clean toilets.
Ballydavid
About 2km from Gallus Oratory, this little nub of civilisation has a fine setting on a sheltered cove and old coastguard breakwater. Europe’s westernmost camping ground, Oratory House Camping (Campaíl Teach An Aragail; 066-915 5143; www.dingleactivities.com; Gallarus; campsites from €18; Apr-Sep), is nearby. It’s a source of much local information on a mass of activities, especially walking.
The pub, Tigh TP ( 066-915 5300; www.tigh-tp.ie; meals €8-15), is a good place for a waterside pint. Next door it runs the Coast Guard Lodge, which has six rooms that sleep three to four people each in military comfort for €75 (or €50 for more than one night) per room.
Kilmalkedar Church
This 12th-century church was once part of a complex of religious buildings. The characteristic Romanesque doorway has a tympanum with a head in the centre. There is an Ogham stone, pierced by a hole, in the grounds as well as a very early sundial. Nearby is a restored two-storey building known as St Brendan’s House, believed to have been the residence of the medieval clergy. The track to the right of this is the Saint’s Rd, the traditional approach to Mt Brandon. Parking is limited.
From Gallarus Oratory, the R559 goes north to the little village of Murreagh. The church is about 2km east of the village.
Following the R559 southeast for 8km from Kilmalkedar takes you back to Dingle.
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Counties Limerick & Tipperary
* * *
COUNTY LIMERICK
LIMERICK CITY
AROUND LIMERICK CITY
ADARE & AROUND
COUNTY TIPPERARY
TIPPERARY TOWN
GLEN OF AHERLOW & GALTEE MOUNTAINS
CASHEL
AROUND CASHEL
CAHIR
MITCHELSTOWN CAVES
CLONMEL
AROUND CLONMEL
FETHARD
CARRICK-ON-SUIR
THURLES & AROUND
ROSCREA
NENAGH & AROUND
* * *
From marching ditties to bad puns on bathroom walls, the names Tipperary and Limerick are part of the lexicon. But, as is so often the truth, the reality bears little relationship to the lore.
Limerick is a city with a history as dramatic as Ireland’s. In a nation of hard knocks, it seems to have had more than its fair share. This is a city that generations of people fled as soon as they could, and that even today is a place dismissed by people elsewhere in Ireland. But Limerick’s streets are rich with tangible links to the past and a gritty, honest vibrancy. The rest of County Limerick is closely tied to its namesake city, which doesn’t always thrill the folks in twee Adare.
In contrast, Tipperary city is minor – here it’s the county that matters. Pastorally beautiful, the rolling hills, rich farmland and river valleys bordered by soaring mountains make for satisfying exploration. This is a place to get near the ground – to follow a river to its source or to climb a stile