From Doolin to Dingle: Rain, Whiskey, and a 4-Minute Beach Walk

We left Doolin on a glorious morning, heading for the ferry in Killimer. The Irish roads wind through the countryside, up the cliffs and down to the coast. The road, which yesterday was blocked with a herd of cows, is now free and clear. We reached the ferry in time to grab a coffee and drive on to the boat.

Touring the Wild Atlantic Way is a beautiful trip. Seaside villages and farms dot the countryside as sheep and cows graze placidly in the fields. We marvel at the variations in the topography and in the GPS! The trip to Killimer is either routing us up a lane with no room to pull off, or to a circuitous route through a town with a road built for one and a half cars… gotta love driving Ireland.

True to our plan of mixing old while creating new memories, we pull in to Dingle just after stopping at the Lidl for picnic provisions. The 20mph winds will not deter us. A delicious loaf of crusty sourdough and some Irish ham and mature cheddar cheese, apples and a beverage are the perfect nosh for a picnic on Inch Beach, a tradition we started 15 years ago on our first and several subsequent trips to Dingle with our family. 

At Inch beach, you can drive out onto the sand and down the beach a ways. The sand is hard packed and surreally flat as the cresting waves roll in. The beach is cradled by mountains. It is a magnificent site. We munch on our lunch in the car as the wind is a bit chilly to sit outside and we do have sweet Nora with us.  We prepare for our post lunch stroll down the beach as far as the eye can see.

A few minutes into our promenade, the mist rises and the wind swirls and we realize we are getting quite wet, quite quickly…. Just in case you forgot we are in Ireland. The silver lining is… where there is rain and sunlight, there is a rainbow not far behind. 

The charm of Dingle is in the mix of beauty and charm. The land is a patchwork of lush green squares marked off by stonewalls. The waters of Dingle Bay are visible at every turn, and the colorful stucco homes and stone buildings are an entrancing feature to lure you in. We have two nights in this lovely place. We visit John Benny’s on our first night.

We have spent many nights with John Benny who in addition to being a pub owner is also a fine musician and hosts wonderful musicians each night.

Our second day it’s raining sideways all morning so, we take a tour of the Dingle Distillery, a small operation for a big market of fine whiskey, gin and vodka that tells a story where each aspect of the operation is personal ( the guide can name each of the brewers, the bottlers, everyone who touched the product!) The distillery opened with whiskey, but added vodka and gin (an award winning gin) to hit the market while the whiskey takes longer to mature.

Our second night, we opt for a fine dining (Michelin star) experience.  A delicious meal of gourmet quality (don’t believe what you’ve heard— the Guinness Stew isn’t the only fare in Ireland!)

Our delectable dinner was followed by a chance for grandparenting cuddles and date night for mom and dad.

Perfect end to a perfect stay on the coast of Ireland in Dingle!