Eire…… Dublin, Cork, Kinsale, Old Head wild camp

After only one wild camp on Angelsey we headed for Holyhead and the ferry crossing to Dublin…..it would be my second ever visit to Eire and long overdue. In 1986 I had been part of a student exchange between Wolverhampton Polytechnic and Limerick School of Art and Design…..31 years ago…where did all that time go….It was the highlight of my degree course, and as an artist it is where everything began as a painter. Something clicked some sense….nothing I could ever put into words. The short time I spent at Limerick and on the field trip to Dun An Oir on the Dingle peninsula set me on a course to becoming a landscape and seascape painter. Finally having wanted to return to this place for many years we were on our way to renew friendships and to do some proper exploring……

The Ferry crossing was rough and fun…at least for me…..We stayed a few days in Dublin staying with my fab friend Tanya who I met 31 years ago on that student exchange to Limerick and visiting some art….

This image is of Tanya who did this fantastic art work of a bronze millennium sundial, Aaron  and me…..

We had such a great time with Tanya and seeing her fabulous artwork was so inspiring and this piece is my favorite

A few days, bottles of wine, late nights, laughter, memories and a wee bit of gardening as a thank you to Tanya for letting us stay we got the coach from Dublin to Cork….bikes and all…but chatting with Tanya and getting lost on the way to the coach pick up point…… plus delays on route left us arriving in Cork after dark and with no where to stay…..so anyway we decided to head to the coast and hopefully find a field to wild camp in, on the way though a car pulled over and this was so typical of the kind and hospitality of the people of Ireland throughout our journey. The driver asked where we were heading and offered to help us find somewhere….made some phone calls and then offered to drive us to a B&B place several miles away and up a long long climb and so panniers off……bikes semi dismantled and in the back of the car Aaron in the front with me squashed in too off we went. Rob who runs cafe Velo in Cork was so helpful a painting will shortly be on it’s way to him in Cork……and the painting arrived safely is now on display at Cafe Velo….and here is an image of the painting which Rob kindly sent to me……

painting in cafe Velo Cork

The adventure continued as once we were settled in the B&B, and this was now about 10.30 pm I realised that after careful and repeatedly recounting the number of panniers potential disaster dawned…… I had left a pannier by the roadside….The worst thing I could have left behind….a pannier that contained my very expensive 2 person Terra Nova Quasar tent…..so back out on the bikes and low and behold we find it. I cannot begin to say what a relief that was as the loss of that tent would have been a complete disaster……and then back we went for some much needed Guinness…..

Leaving Kinsale after the best fish and chips I have ever eaten

We where cycling the beginning of the Wild Atlantic way…..and it was stunningly beautiful and every person we met was so friendly. One lass who I wish I had taken her contact details suggested a part of this route called Sandy Cove……one of the best bike rides ever…..

And this was our first wild camp