A cart outside a coffee shop in Knightstown, Kerry, Ireland
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The Lord Shelburne built this grand house in 1775
Your chair is waiting
Fresh Dover sole for breakfast
Always a special fruit of the day
You’re greeting warmly when you arrive, with an offer of tea or coffee in the lounge where a log fire is kept burning night and day by Tom Foley, the genial host who will also explain the breakfast specials to you in the morning. Maura, a top chef, prepares delicious omelets, fresh fruit medleys, fresh-squeezed orange juice, full-bodied coffee and as an extra treat introduced this year, small pancakes which are deliciously soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Ever had fish for breakfast? Neither had our guests before they came to Shelburne Lodge. Who can turn down a gorgeous Dover sole perfectly browned and served with a slice of lemon or lime and a side of scrambled eggs? At night, the house is a refuge of peace and quiet with tall, thick trees shielding the Shelburne Lodge from the road nearby. That same road provides a quick seven minute link by foot to the lively and interesting downtown of Kenmare. By the way, Lord Shelburne, who built Shelburne Lodge in the 1770s also did the plans and layout of Kenmare, a true English market town shaped like a giant piece of pie. Speaking of pie, when in Kenmare, don’t miss “Jam” which is an outstanding cafe with gorgeous quiche to take away for your picnic lunch up in the wilds of the nearby Beara Peninsula.
Islands off the western tip of the Iveragh Peninsula
An isolated farmhouse seen from the Skellig Ring road
Exploring ancient Staigue Fort
Entering Staigue Fort through the original "doorway," which was made extra narrow on purpose.
Our guest Audrey Thompson meets a donkey and a dog and two cousins who run a little concession along the road leading to the Ring of Kerry, Ireland on August 28.
The Best of Ireland – now available on a private, relaxed tour
Experience Ireland’s charms on this 11-day trip, now available for booking. Extremely limited, we’ll take only four people on this tour and prefer a family or two couples who already know one another for maximum cohesiveness and enjoyment.
Day 1: Arrival at Shannon. We drive about an hour into the heart of Ireland and County Tipperary for a night in a Georgian mansion surrounded by hundreds of sheep – yes, this is Ireland! Relaxation for the afternoon. Unlike big bus tours, we don’t believe in pushing our weary guests too hard on their first day. Tonight, dinner in a pub in the colorful town of Cashel followed by a visit to an ancient abbey.
Day 2: Visit the “Rock of Cashel” and then a drive to the coast where we show you the bright and cheery town of Cobh. It wasn’t always so cheery, this is the place where millions of Irish left their homeland forever during the famine years. We then continue to the little town of Kinsale for two nights. Kinsale is well-known as Ireland’s culinary capital. We enjoy some of that reputation tonight.
Day 3: We explore the Old Head of Kinsale, a hauntingly beautiful old abbey and have lunch at a sparkling bay, taking in the gorgeous countryside of southern Cork before returning to Kinsale for another great meal.
Days 4, 5 and 6: We drive past Cork City on our way to Kenmare. (No, we don’t stop to kiss the Blarney Stone. That’s for the big bus tourists, and besides, yuck! Kissing a stone which has had 4,000 people before you kiss it? No thanks) Three nights at Kenmare’s oldest house, lovingly restored to a very high standard private inn with fabulous breakfasts. During our time here, we explore the Rings of Beara and Kerry.
Kenmare also has a host of excellent restaurants.
Days 7 & 8: Dingle Town and the peninsula where there are hundreds of reminders of Ireland’s ancient past. People have been living here for more than 4,000 years, and we show you some of the remains of that ancient civilization. We stay at a lovely, modern inn located on a bluff high above the town with a spectacular view. By the way, the owners of our inn have been chosen many times as the “Best Breakfast” in Ireland by esteemed travel writers. Experience for yourself!
Day 9: We travel the backroads up to the Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s most famous natural landmarks. Afterwards, we drive to the hamlet of Bunratty where we stay at a B&B just 15 minutes away from Shannon Airport. Dinner tonight in an excellent pub next to our B&B.
Day 10: Departure back to the USA
Minimum guests: 2
Maximum: 4
Price: Provided without obligation, just ask, but don’t wait too long! This “Best of Ireland” Tour will book up fast. We can do two of these in the month of August only.
Content cows on the Ring of Kerry.
Do cows understand Gaelic?
The view from the Connor Pass on a morning full of sunlight and clouds on the Dingle side. The heavenly sight nearly takes ones breath away – literally – it’s freezing up there! Below, the view a few minutes earlier from our lodge, the classy “Greenmount House,” which is without a doubt the finest address in Dingle.
Old bike at Molly Gallivans
Jennifer tries to coax the donkey out of its slumber
The wild, rugged landscape of Beara
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