Scenes outside my Doorstep - Midsummer on Valentia

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows…”

(Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

This year we decided to have our midsummer night’s dream away from our farmhouse doorstep. After a busy few weeks on the Kerry farm and having researched the good weather spots for the weekend, we journeyed down the beautiful Iveragh Peninsula to Valentia Island in south-west Kerry….

Iveragh Peninsula

This is one of the largest peninsulas in the south-west of Ireland. Also known as the Ring of Kerry route, it offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean with one of the most notable locations off Valentia being the famous Skellig Michael. The peninsula has historical sites in abundance, a copper mining and slate industry, and it was the location for the first Transatlantic Cable between Europe and North America (www.discoveriveragh.ie).

Setting off on Sunday morning with headed down the north-west side of the peninsula, hugging the scenic coastline, passing through the scenic towns of Killorglin (Home of the Puck Fair) and floral Glenbeigh. As the temperature rose we took a pit-stop at Kells Bay for a picnic and swim to cool down. We passed the front of the award-winning Kells Bay Gardens, which we have explored numerous times, and headed to the gem of a beach facing the Dingle Peninsula….

Suitably refreshed we hit the road again and stopped to stretch the legs in the picturesque market town of Cahirsiveen. We strolled along its main street with flowers on display and the imposing Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church taking up prime position. The Great Liberator O’Connell (1775-1847) was born near the town. We also noted Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty (1898-1963) keeping a close and playful eye on the main street. You might be familiar with Joseph O’Connor’s recent books on the Monsignor (My Father’s House and The Ghosts of Rome), which are about this famous man from Cahirsiveen. O’Flaherty was a Catholic priest, a senior official in the Vatican, an important figure in the Catholic resistance of Nazism, and responsible for saving the lives of 6,500 Allied soldiers and Jews during WW11….

Saying goodbye to these two fine gentlemen we headed further west towards Valentia and stopped for another walkabout at the fishing village of Portmagee. This quaint village has a long history in the fishing industry and also is one of the main departure points for boat trips to the UNESCO Heritage site of Skellig Michael. The main street looks out onto the port and is populated by lovely painted houses, bars, restaurants and shops….

Up a side street we discovered Lover’s Lane. Interesting positioning I think - do your courtin’ in the lane and it might lead to marriage bells being rung out nearby!

Having checked in to our Valentia Island accommodation in the late afternoon we came back to Portmagee that evening for a lovely dinner in The Moorings restaurant and an excellent traditional music session in its bar….

As the evening was closing in we left the music heading back across the road bridge to Valentia and up to the viewing point of Bray Head for the closing out of the longest day of the year. Disappointingly, the visibility was poor as the dusk set in and we could just about discern Skellig Michael rising pointedly out of the Atlantic. The island is famous for its Gaelic monastery (6th-8th century) and the range of inhabiting species including gannets, puffins and grey seals. In more recent times it has become more famous for the filming of Star Wars on it, which has increased interest in the site. Given its protected status visitor numbers are restricted and advance booking is highly recommended. We have not visited the island so far. The monastery is positioned on the northern peak, at an elevation of 170-180 m, requiring a very steep climb up a narrow stairway. I am not good with heights and I am not sure the ‘force would be with me’ if I had a wobble!

Valentia Island

Valentia Island is fifth biggest island off the coast of Ireland. It is approximately 11 kms long and 3 kms wide. The main village of Knightstown has a car ferry to the mainland from April to October. The other end of the island has the land bridge to Portmagee. We stayed one km from Knightstown in a country house bed and breakfast that sat on the shoreline, offered stunning views across the bay and allowed the hubbie to have an early morning dip….

On Monday morning we set out early to explore Valentia. First of all we parked up on Knightstown pier and strolled around the village stopping first at the Valentia Cable Station museum facing the bay. After numerous failed attempts, a successful telegraph cable was established between Valentia and Hearts Content, Newfoundland in 1866 for the next 100 years. In an age before the internet the telegraph cable afforded quick communication across the Atlantic, vital for scattered families and in times of national emergencies (see third photo below).

Unfortunately, the museum was closed to visitors on Monday and Tuesday, which is quite disappointing given it is the summer season. We took some external pictures of notable information points and the beautifully restored cable cottages that were built originally for the cable station workers….

Named after the Knight of Kerry and his wife, Knightstown was designed by Alexander Nimmo and built in the 1840s’. One of its central features is the Town Clock, built in the late 1800s’, sitting snuggly on the pier….

Ambling up main street (Market Street) and its offshoot streets we stumbled across some interesting buildings and historical monuments….

Outside a sculptor’s yard we encountered this interesting piece….

Water sources are very important on an island, even if it is surrounded by water. Some are of real historical significance (see photo 2)….

And having only recently heard about the famous marine biologist Maud Delap, who spent her life on Valentia, I was delighted to see find a new sign dedicated to informing the public about this remarkable woman. Imagine having a sea anemone named after you….

At the top of the village we entered the cool and shaded churchyard that houses a sensory garden and some remarkable trees….

The Knightstown clock was ticking and the day was warming up so we took of for a tour around the periphery of the island stopping off at Glanleam Cove for an hour to swim and sunbathe. The beach is situated at the base of Glanleam House, which is the former home of the Knights of Kerry, with a sub-tropical garden open to the public. This beach was the site of my first swim, albeit paddle, in the Atlantic ocean this year. Despite its calm and glistening demeanor the water was very cold, and so I did not linger too long in the depths….

We moved on to visit the island lighthouse next. We drove along the island coastline down narrow roads (there are many of them on the island so caution is needed) with burgeoning hedgerows of foxgloves and house ruins peppered across the fields. This is a depopulated island with families scattered worldwide over the centuries, no doubt.

Cromwell Point Lighthouse was built on the suggestion of the Knight of Kerry (Maurice Fitzgerald) in the early 1800s’. The first light shone here in 1841, it was automated in 1947 and electrified in 1966. Luckily this building was open on Monday. We visited the lighthouse building first, which offered great views, and then the lighthouse family’s house. The house has been renovated to display period furniture and lighthouse operating equipment….

The extent of the scientific and practical operations involved in operating a lighthouse and keeping people safe over the years was brought home to us in this building….

From this end of the island we cut across the central spine of the island to visit Valentia’s highest point, Geokaun mountain. I have been to Valentia numerous times and have never been to this location. We were able to drive up to the top. On the way up we visited Fogher Cliffs….

The panoramic views from Geokaum were a sight to behold. We could see across to the Dingle Peninsula and the Great Blasket Islands rising majestically on the western end of the peninsula, as well as Cahirsiveen, and Beginnish Island in Knightstown bay….

Leaving this beautiful spot, and with the Valentia clock still ticking, we knew we had to head back to the farm soon as it entailed a two-hour drive up the Iveragh peninsula. But we had one more stop to make. We revisited Bray Head to see the Skelligs’ more clearly in the daytime. A true sight to behold….

As it is officially summertime, and we are still in this glorious month, I will leave you with an excerpt from John Updike’s charming poem June….

“The sun is rich

And gladly pays

In golden hours,

Silver days,

And long green weeks

That never end.

School’s out.

The time is ours to spend….”