With it being out first day in Ireland with no place to be in particular, we decided to stay local and familiarize ourselves with the area. A quick consult with Kathleen and the many Visit Ireland brochures lying around the cottage made a day trip to Schull (pronounced “Skull” /skəl/) and Bantry the obvious choice. The two villages are located in opposite directions with Schull to the south and Bantry to the north, which caused us to double-back for part of the drive.
On the way to Schull we found a little place by the water to pull over. The weather was a bit chilly with overcast skies, but there were quite a few people walking along the beach and others who chose to enjoy the view with a mug in hand.
As I stood there alone, it finally sank in that I was in Ireland, a place that I’ve dreamed about visiting since I was a little girl. I could have spent all day there just holding onto that feeling. Our busy plans for the day would not have allowed that, so after more goofin’ around we continued on to Schull.
Schull sits on the Mizen Peninsula in the southwest part of Cork and is a mere eight minute drive from Ballydehob. Upon arriving in Schull, we were met by Main Street lined with cute shops and quite a bit of foot-traffic. We turned down a side-street in search of parking and stumbled upon an outdoor farmer’s market and a tiny pier with boats scattered about the harbor. The farmer’s market had a little bit of everything – jewelry, art, olives (oh, the olives), and produce – all of which captivated my full attention because I failed to snap a single picture.
If I had it my way, I would have bought a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, and (a lot of) olives and found a place to have a picnic, however, those plans never came to fruition because my three companions detest olives. The horror. Instead, we made nice with the elderly gentleman that sold bracelets to Joana and I, and he recommended heading over to the Black Sheep for fish ‘n’ chips.
Lunch was followed by more shopping along Main Street. Not only did we snag some really beautiful gifts, but we also stocked up on wine, fruit, cookies, and postage stamps. You know, the necessities. By then our handbags were filled with our bounty and we were running out of arms, so we took that as a sign to move on to Bantry.
The stretch of road between Ballydehob and Bantry (N71) is really narrow and winding. I’m fairly certain Olga almost suffered a heart attack in the backseat. I’ll admit it was pretty scary at times, but to be honest I was distracted by the beautiful scenery. I’m a total sucker for tree-lined archways along the roadside– it’s just so cool.
Bantry, an old fishing port town, is absolutely stunning with the calm waters of Bantry Bay at it’s front door, and the lush, green hillside providing a backdrop for the colorful shops and marketplace.
As we soon learned, most establishments are closed or close early on Sunday; however, we were able to find a liquor store and a vintage clothing store which were still open. Having done quite a bit of shopping in Schull already, I was content to wander about the town.
There’s a cemetery on the ground of St. Finbarr’s, which Joana kindly offered to explore with me. For the most part the church was deserted, save a few people who trickled out of the church every now & then, so I decided against it for fear of being locked in.
Instead, we decided to visit the Abbey Cemetery located across Bantry Bay from the town centre that we passed by earlier. Thankfully, the girls were kind enough to indulge my oddities.
In case you weren’t aware, I love spending time in graveyards. I’m sure many of you think it’s morbid, but I can assure you it’s anything but; it’s not about death but rather the fascination with life that draws me in. I love walking the rows of tombstones and reading the inscriptions – some simple, some heartfelt, some heartbreaking – all sharing a little bit about the person who once was. Graveyards are always so peaceful, as final resting places should be, and they can also be very beautiful.
The Abbey Cemetery is definitely that – beautiful. Its tombstones rest on a gentle, sloping hill that overlooks Bantry Bay. The view is to die for. (Cringe) Too much? Okay, I’ll admit that was a bad joke. The grounds are truly beautiful; I have never seen another cemetery quite like it.
Our day trip to Schull & Bantry ended with the four of us snuggled up on the couch reading creepy stories about leprechauns, banshees, and boggarts from Gaby’s book on Irish folklore– a fitting ending to a wonderful day in Ireland.
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