July 2026. Beth's fifth visit to Ireland. Faith's and my first.
I had a pretty good introduction. My wife already knew the country, and our daughter and I were seeing it for the first time together.
I've spent a lot of time traveling alone. This time I was with my family, visiting a place that was already part of Beth's life. Dublin, Bantry, Glengarriff, and Healy Pass were all part of the trip, but West Cork was where I got to know Ireland a little more intimately.
A house that made the trip
Our time in West Cork centered on Gortnavalig House near Bantry. Beth's grandparents, Don and Nancy Kelley, bought the house in 1999 from Brenda Kingdom. By the time I arrived, it already had years of family history attached to it.
I'm grateful we had the opportunity to stay there. The house gave us a place to call home during the trip, and its history made the experience that much more personal.
I would never have been able to experience Ireland, specifically West Cork, so intimately without the accommodations and history of this house.
And, of course, the people. Mike and Aileen look after the house. They deserve a mention when I talk about what made our time there special.
Bantry Bay by boat
The bay and the mountains were a big part of what I loved about West Cork. Getting out on a Bantry Bay boat tour gave us another way to see it.
Mountains, seals, dolphins, and a seahorse. Yes, we actually saw a seahorse.
There was history out on the bay too. We could still see damage from an oil explosion that happened years ago. Seeing what remained made it more than just a story about something that happened in the past.
That's a lot to take in on one boat tour.
Around West Cork
Bantry and Glengarriff were part of our time in this corner of Ireland, along with Healy Pass. I want to include the photos from those places because there's only so much I can explain about the surrounding beauty without showing you.
We also had a wonderful time at the Boathouse in Kenmare. Another place worth including when I look back at this trip.
Three Castle Head
My personal peak moment was the hike at Three Castle Head, home to Dunlough Castle.
I wanted to see cliffs. This was the place.
Pretty incredible. That's how I described it at the time, and I don't have a better way to put it. The hike was the highlight for me.
I love getting out and seeing a place on foot or by bike. Three Castle Head was that part of this trip for me.
A first visit worth remembering
Beth came back to a country she already knew. Faith and I got our first introduction.
I'm grateful to Don and Nancy for the opportunity to experience West Cork this way, and to Mike and Aileen for looking after the house.
Bantry Bay, the surrounding mountains, and that hike at Three Castle Head are what I keep coming back to. A pretty good first visit to Ireland.
Cheers,
JG
