Top o’ th’ mornin’

We were greeted by workmen in a digger in the car park when we opened the blinds this morning. Following breakfast we set off to Cork - Irelands second city, a pleasant enough place built on the banks of the river Lee.

 A short drive south and we’re in Kinsale, a typical fishing village which is raved about in all the guide books as a gastronomic heaven, however, in February every where’s closed.

 The wind starts to whip up and we’re informed on the radio that there is to be winds gusting up to 100kmh. A drive along the south west coastal road shows us some dramatic windswept beaches.

We wildcamp for the night overlooking castle haven on the edge of rineen forest not far from Skibbereen.

Next morning and it’s still very windy, reports on the radio of fallen trees and chimney stacks abound, and election posters being blown off telegraph poles and knocking people over in Galway. Seems as though there is worse to come with gales of over 130kmh expected this evening. Listening to local radio is all very grim as we drive around this strangely beautiful country, the topics of discussion seem to be all about how depressed everyone at the moment, talks of suicides, self harming, property prices plummeting, mortgage rates rising, tax increasing on plastic shopping bags in supermarkets ...arghhhhhh !!


Need to find some music to listen to.


I don’t know where this place is that they are talking about on the radio as everyone we have come into contact with has been very happy and friendly, It feels like we have gone back in time about eighty years and we have a big yellow AA badge on the front of our motorhome, car drivers wave to us as they pass by, pedestrians nod their heads in our direction and cyclists hold up their hand as we overtake them, in fact I’m sure we were saluted by one old boy waiting at a junction on his moped.


Anyway back to our travels, passing through Skibbereen we drive to Mizen head, the most south westerly point in Ireland

 and even though the visitors centre proclaims to be open daily, it’s closed today, as is the cafe, visitors centre and toilet block at Sheeps head on the next peninsula round.

 We take a road that isn’t a road, that’s not on the map or in the satnav

and discover some stunning scenery with the waves being whipped into a frenzy by the gusting winds.

We pass by some small cottages that judging by the look on the faces of the locals as we pass by we’re the first vehicle they’ve seen since 1904.

We have to find a safe haven to park for the night, somewhere sheltered where we aren’t going to be battered by the strong winds that are forecast for the night. Eventually we find a harbour car park just outside Castletownbere where we tuck ourselves away in a corner for the night, batten down the hatches and hope for the best.