Happy Patrick’s Day, everyone! I’m still astonished by the beautiful day we had here in Dingle, and the crowds around. This sun is good for the soul! Here’s the town band leading things off:
I’m off to try to enjoy the last of the beautiful day!
Technorati tags: St. Patrick, day, Dingle, Irish, Ireland
It’s fantastic to see Kerry guesthouses doing so well on Tripadvisor. Of the top five hotels, based on guest ratings, four are in Kerry. Loch Lein Country House tops the list, followed by Killeen House – both are in Killarney. Heaton’s and Castlewood House also make the top five.
Of the top B & Bs and guesthouses, Emlagh House in Dingle and Friars Glen in Killarney are in the top five.
Good to know that we’re still able to extend Kerry hospitality and have it appreciated!
Technorati tags: Killarney, hotel, guesthouse, Dingle, Kerry
Although the weather has turned colder again, there are definitely signs that the winter is behind us and things are looking up.
A crocus has popped up in my garden, the daffodils are abundant, and in the fields all around us are the cutest spring lambs.
Seeing the little creatures appear and bounce about always makes me happy. They show that life goes on and that summer is coming.
Maybe it’s because I have my own little one on the way, but I’m feeling a bit sentimental!
I don’t really know what this year will bring in Dingle, but I’m not pessimistic. Friends with guest houses have reported strong bookings from April on, and we haven’t seen any drop off in sales.
It may well be that even in tougher times people still need to get away to somewhere special and hopefully cheer themselves up with ice cream!
It’s rare enough to get any kind of snow in Dingle, but last night, we had a few inches. There is a silence on a snowy night that’s amazing.
I stood outside and watched the snow drift down onto plants, the grass, the house, and even the cat.
Soon it will be time for summer, sunshine (hopefully), and ice cream, but it’s nice for now to enjoy a peaceful, snowy night in Dingle.
Those of you who know Ventry, know that it is rare to have waves on the beach there that are more than a ripple.
Yesterday, however, when I went for a late afternoon walk on the beach with the pregnant one, we were quite astonished to see quite a few members of Dingle’s surfing brigade packing up for the day.
Surfers in Ventry? It didn’t take long to see why – there was serious swell.
In fact, I have never seen waves there like it.
The day was bright and sunny, and yet the ocean was in fighting form. I guess the recent storm systems were working their way through.
We all enjoyed the spectacle, but unfortunately it looked like the erosion on the dunes was pretty severe. Still, the beach changes every year, and the next storm might bring all the sand back again!
Happy New Year from Dingle! I thank all of you for your readership over the last year and wish you the best for a happy 2009…
It was a quiet Wren’s Day in Dingle, without the huge crowds we’ve seen over the last few years.
I don’t know if that’s a sign of the times, but in many ways it made the day more special.
It was more about the music and the marching, and less about the onlookers.
For us, out on the march, there was the added benefit that there was no problem getting into pubs on the way and ordering drink.
There were also special moments, such as up at the Dingle hospital, the last resting place of Peig. It’s a usual stop for the wrens, and playing music in the wards is one of the highlights of the day (video below). This year, it had special poignancy since there’s a new retirement home being built, and this will be the last tour of the old hospital, which goes back to famine times, for the wren.
Here’s the John Street Wren in the hospital:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAffPiLSbYkHere’s the John Street Wren outside our shop on Strand Street:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zTMdazkuTcTechnorati tags: wren, dreoilín, day, St. Stephen, Dingle, Kerry
I keep hearing that