Skelligs / Dingle / Southwestern coast of Ireland
North into Ireland we cruised today arriving off the seemingly inhospitable Skellig Islands first thing in the morning. Despite their ½-mile distance from each other these two storm-battered outcroppings of rock (Little Skellig and Skellig Michael) cover no more than a square kilometer between the two of them and both jut 600 feet straight from the sea. Situated 13 kilometers offshore from Ireland’s extreme southwest coast, these Skelligs (meaning “rock” in Gaelic) could not be more different. While both have but a few meters of level ground at best, Little Skellig is so sheer it has never been graced by vegetation’s best friend, soil. This lack of seed-supporting material has left the weathered sandstone exposed, which has also encouraged the presence of soil avoiding birds…lots of them! Approximately 20,000 Northern Gannets breed on Little Skellig this time of year and they were not to be ignored. Whether soaring or nesting the entire island seemed to be in motion as a white dusting of both bird and guano covered the entire island.
Skellig Michael, in contrast, (again, only ½ mile away) seems to invite a less conspicuous, yet more diverse crowd. While still castellated and precarious the aspect of this island is just gradual enough that mosses, thrift, and grasses have been able to hang on, offering habitat for Atlantic puffins and Black-legged kittiwakes to breed. There is yet another hardy breed Skellig Michael has been home to for quite some time, monastic Celtic Christian monks. Determined to remove themselves from the temptations of modern life and focus on their studies, generations of monks have clung to the uppermost reaches of Skellig Michael in beehive shaped stone structures constructed by the monks themselves in the 6th century. Hardly visible from our sea-bound ship we spent the morning pondering the lifestyles of all these well-weathered species and what they have endured to call these Skelligs home.
Moving mainland after our morning circumnavigation, we anchored just off shore from the protected harbor of Dingle. Dingle is a small coastal town that sits nearly at the tip of the Dingle Peninsula in county Kerry. With a couple options to choose from buses headed either along the peninsular coast to take in more of the vista via bus, or, option two, hike inland, through Irish countryside proper, to Annascaul Lake. The Annascaul lake hikers partook in a truly pleasant stroll through the countryside past lush, green fields dotted with sheep and lined with hedgerows of yellow Gorse. The hike culminated at the aforementioned lake and the u-shaped valley that cradles it. Returning the same direction we made a stop at a very significant gravesite for those of us who have ventured aboard Lindblad ships to the Antarctic. Born and raised in county Kerry, famed Antarctic explorer Tom Crean (best known for his 800-mile open boat crossing from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island with Sir Ernest Shackleton) was buried right near hikes end. After paying tribute to this likeable character of polar history we topped off the day with a pint of Guinness in the very pub he built following his days of polar adventure. Only a couple kilometers from his gravesite stands the South Pole Inn and one time home of Crean and family. Living above his hand-built pub he spent his remaining years serving pints to thirsty locals before passing on in 1938. It was quite an honor to be in the home of an individual who has seen so much adventure in his day. It also helped make the words etched onto his headstone all the more profound… “Home is the Sailor. Home from the Sea.”
