T’S BEEN said that simple ideas are often the best.
Well, when somebody recently came up with the notion
of linking all of the coastal roads and tracks that hug the
western seaboard of Ireland, who would have thought it’d
end up being one of the most spectacular coastal drives
in the world?
We simply had to see what all the fuss was about. So
we loaded two Land Rover Defenders and, over two and
a half weeks, planned to take in as many remote tracks
as possible along this 2500km route.
The adventure started in the picturesque town of
Kinsale in County Cork, where we followed the coastline
through the counties of Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo
and Leitrim, before ending on a high note as we tackled a
maze of dirt tracks in the mountainous County Donegal.
Alternatively, you can start in Donegal and work your
way down the coast to Kinsale.
The first phase of this epic coastline drive took us
along the County Cork coast, where areas of interest
included Baltimore, Skibbereen, Schull, the scenic
Mizen Head, Glengarriff, and the beautiful yet
remote Beara Peninsula, before arriving at the busy
town of Kenmare.We decided to stay in a campsite in Killarney,
one of Ireland’s most famous tourist towns. After a
good rest following a few pints of the black stuff, it
was off to explore the Ring of Kerry en route to the
Dingle Peninsula.
On the way to the Dingle Peninsula, we decided to
set up camp early at Inch Beach. This provided the first
opportunity for some beach driving, and we found the
perfect spot to camp just a couple of kilometres near
the end of the beach. As you drive down the beach
you can’t help but notice the spectacular views of the
MacGillycuddy’s Reeks mountain range – the highest in
Ireland – and the Dingle Peninsula in the distance.
After agreeing on the perfect camping location, we
set up a campfire and relaxed in the deckchairs to chow
down on some hot bread cooked in the Dutch oven.
After dinner we sat back and watched the spectacular
scenery change colour as the sun went down behind the
distant mountains.
After some good, strong coffee the following morning,
we packed up and took the short drive to the village of
Annascaul. We were keen to visit a famous pub in the
village once owned by one of Ireland’s most famousChecking our bearings
in County Kerry.Camping at the Keel Beach
campsite in County Mayo.132 http://www.4X4australia.com.au
EXPLORE IRISH COASTAL ADVENTURE