The Wild Atlantic Way By IRISH CAR RENTALS Image: Tourism Ireland 1 Contents The Wild Atlantic Way is travelled by thousands of 4 Some of the most popular attractions Irish Car Rentals customers every year. We decided to ask them about their experiences and with that 6 The Search for Skywalker: A Look at Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry information we have compiled a useful guide on the 10 Viewing the Northern Lights: Co. Donegal most frequented and popular places. 12 The Cliffs of Moher: Co. Clare Have you never heard of the Wild Atlantic Way? 16 The Slieve League Coast: Co Donegal Here are a few interesting facts to get you started: 20 Father Ted’s Craggy Island Parochial House: Co. Clare • The Wild Atlantic Way is a 2500km touring 22 Malin Head and Mizen Head: Ireland’s North and South route along the West Coast of Ireland. • It features 157 discovery points, 1000 attractions and more than 2500 activities. • Begins in Kinsale, County Cork and ends at Irelands most northernly point, Malin Head, County Donegal. Image: Fáilte Ireland 2 3 Some of the most popular attractions The Wild Atlantic Way is vast in scope, and choosing what you would most like to see, what order to visit where, or even a place to begin your adventure can seem daunting. That being the case, when we asked our customers which parts they loved in particular, we found several places being mentioned time and again. Cork – Known by its population as and make their journey around the ‘Real Capital of Ireland’, the the Ring a day trip, while others city of Cork is a historic trading port like to sample a little of the time, with a long history. Nearby Blarney finding accommodation in Killorglin, Castle is a famous attraction, Kenmare or Waterville, for example, and home to the fabled stone of where there just happen to be some eloquence while, in Cork itself you of the best choices when it comes to can find: the 16th century Blackrock dining. Castle; Holy Trinity Church and St Fin Barre’s Cathedral; the former The Beara Peninsula – With prison Cork City Gaol; and St its views north and west across Anne’s Church, where you may Kenmare Bay, Ireland’s highest be invited to ring the Shandon mountains, and the distant outline Bells. Accommodation is plentiful of the Skelligs out to sea, our and for food, the English Market’s customers recommend taking the reputation for an excellent 10-minute cable car ride from the shopping and eating experience coast, over the waves to Dursey is second to none. Being just 6.5 Island, to get as far west as can be, kilometres north of Cork Airport and witness Europe’s last sunset. makes Cork city many of our customers’ first experience on the Mullaghmore Head – Off the coast Wild Atlantic Way. of Sligo is found a wave like no other. With swells that can reach The Ring of Kerry – A tour within up to 35 metres, these “prowlers” the tour. The Ring of Kerry is a attract surfers from across the world renown circuit of the Iveragh world. Mullaghmore Head hosted Peninsula that takes in some Ireland’s first Big Wave contest devastating scenery, including back in 2011, and involves jet ski pristine beaches, medieval ruins, riding as well as surfing. It may mountains and lakes. Far smaller, be cold during the winter months, by comparison, to the Wild Atlantic but wrap up warm and see the Way, measuring a ‘mere’ 179 full power of the Atlantic Ocean kilometres, many of our customers battering itself relentlessly against like to base themselves in Killarney the ancient coastline. Image: Tourism Ireland 4 5 The Search for Skywalker: A Look at Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry SPOILER ALERT – IF YOU or Skellig Michael as it’s the consecration of HAVEN’T SEEN THE FORCE more commonly known – the ground as it was AWAKENS, THERE ARE was occupied by Christian dedicated to him. SPOILERS IN THIS SECTION monks who built their Many of our customers settlement on a terraced have enthused about the The Skellig Islands are shelf, 120 metres above the mystical beauty of the a twin presence of sea, sometime between island. Only thirteen boat dark, foreboding rocky 500 and 700 AD. licences are granted to mounds, some thirteen The monks fashioned for tour operators each year, kilometres off the coast themselves six beehive giving them permission of the Iveragh Peninsula, cells and festooned their to land on Skellig sitting steadfastly against monastery with stone Michael, and there are the relentless pounding crosses. On the south no toilets, is no shelter, of the Atlantic Ocean’s peak of the island sits a and no refreshments or waves. A popular sight hermitage and, experts concessions. The wind and diversion for those suggest, around twelve can gust and the rain can touring the Ring of Kerry, monks and an abbot make the terrain slippery, the Islands consist of Little would have populated to the point where visitors Skellig and Great Skellig. Skellig Michael at are not permitted to any one time. It was land in windy or stormy Little Skellig is off limits, sometime between 950 weather, even during the a stony, ghostly white AD and 1044 AD that summer season. Even in home to a fabulous array Great Skellig became pleasant weather, some of birdlife, including the Skellig Michael, as Saint visitors can still have largest colony of northern Michael’s Church was built trouble with the 120 gannets in Ireland. there around that time, metres of steep, stone However, Great Skellig – as a way to celebrate steps. Image: Tourism Ireland 6 7 A long time ago on an island not too far away… And speaking of that long collection of stone steps, our customers that had already visited Skellig Michael had little difficulty in placing the distinctive staircase when it appeared at the end of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, as Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, makes the treacherous climb to the top to find Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, and hand him back his lightsaber. During filming, Mark Hamill turned to those who had ferried him to the island and asked, ‘Any advice for climbing the stairs?’ Declan O’Driscol, a local boatman, is said to have replied, ‘Just pace yourself, and don’t ever, ever look down.” Image: Tourism Ireland In the movie, Skellig Michael stands in for staple diet, the island now supports storm of the Ring of Kerry that runs between the oceanic planet of Ahch-To, the home petrels, gannets, kittiwakes, fulmars, and Portmagee and Waterville. Customers of the ancient, first Jedi temple where is a breeding ground for puffins in the who have based themselves in Killarney or Luke has been hiding in self-imposed spring and summer months. Kenmare can easily take a day trip out to exile. The upcoming Star Wars: Episode the Skelligs but, for visitors looking to stop VIII, scheduled for release in December Back on dry land, the Skellig Experience over, establishments like The Ferry Boat 2017, is also said to include more scenes Visitor Centre offers those unprepared or or The Waterfront B&B in Portmagee, shot on the island, while the actual Jedi unable to make the voyage a taste of and the Butler Arms Hotel or Klondyke temple has been constructed at Ceann what life must have been like on Skellig House in Waterville offer agreeable Sibeal, further up the Co. Kerry coast. Michael. Housed in an award winning, accommodation. Added to this are custom built, stone clad, grass roofed, several self-catering holiday homes of Why visit the Skelligs? green building on Valentia Island opposite various sizes. Portmagee, the Visitor Centre uses models Skellig Michael’s new found fame as a and recreations to exhibit the life and Where to eat? Star Wars filming location has certainly times of the early Christian monks. increased interest in the area, with many Around the Skellig Ring, as with most die-hard fans now making their way Our customers also recommend a trip Irish coastal regions fresh seafood is over there. However, our customers who to the Skelligs Chocolate Factory in very popular for those that can tear have visited these lonely rocks site many Ballinskelligs, which is also very nearby, a themselves away from the Skelligs more reasons why travellers of the Wild fact that was not lost on the Star Wars Chocolate Factory. In Portmagee, Atlantic Way should make the effort and cast and crew that filmed at Skellig according to our customers, The Moorings brave the seas. The feeling of peace and Michael. The factory’s visitor centre and Restaurant does good seafood and Irish solitude is said to be unbelievable, despite shop get rave reviews by everyone who dishes while, in Waterville, An Corcan the crashing surf, and George Bernard goes there and they give out free samples offers Irish and European cuisine and Shaw rightly described it as ‘the most of their delicious chocolate. What more The Fishermen’s Bar is a pub with highly fantastic and impossible rock in the world’, could you ask for? recommended seafood. Cable O’Learys, as well as ‘part of our dream world’. Like in Ballinskelligs, is said to have stunning its little brother, Skellig Michael is home to Where to stay? views, food and service while the Puffin a generous bird population. Despite the Café is also available for lighter and faster monks having to include the eggs and The Skellig Ring is an out of the way meals.