Left to right-Top to bottom: 1. Dan jamming with Fergus (the pub owner) at O'Flaherty's 2. Pre-famine era house on south side of Dingle Peninsula 3. Another view of the house. 4. Ancient stone fort 5. Beehive hut and ancient stone wall 6. Two school girls and yellow door 7. Crucifix near Slea Head 8. Old house. 9. St. Mary's 10. Dingle store front. 11. Dan playing with Eilis Kennedy and John Benny (pub owner).
The Dingle Peninsula
Robert and I drove the loop around Dingle Peninsula on some of the most narrow roads we'd ever seen. Occasionally, a truck would roar past us on the other side, just inches (it seemed) between us. Robert seemed pretty much un-fazed, but I was loosing blood circulation in my hand from clutching the door handle so tightly!
We saw some of most gorgeous scenery -- beautiful green hills, cross-hatched with stone walls and hedges as they gently slope down to meet the ocean. Erosion on the west coast of Ireland is clearly at work as the fierce Atlantic Ocean pounds away at the peninsula’s cliffs.
Far in the distance, I could make out the outlines of the two Skellig Islands near the Ring of Kerry.
We visit an old house that had been abandoned sometime during the potato famine years 1845-49. The Dingle area was especially hit hard by the potato crop disease that literally destroyed acres of crops overnight. All over Ireland, some 1 million people died and about 2 million emigrated (mostly to North American).
We also came upon some stone, "beehive huts" that likely date from a few centuries before Christ – and occupied up until the 10th or 11th century, some by by monastic Christians.
We spent the evening at John Benny’s Pub where we watched a trio perform. At one point, I asked one of the musicians (who I later discovered was John Benny himself, the owner)
“Isn’t that the Kesh Jig?”, I asked.
“Yes it is," he replied. "Say, do you play an instrument yourself?”
When I told him I played guitar, he invited me to bring it out and join them! So, I joined them on several tunes and did a couple solo tunes as well: “Danny Boy”, “Merrily Kiss The Quaker” and “Blarney Pilgrim”.
At the end of the evening, I traded CDs with the female singer – Eilis Kennedy. I found out later, she is quite well-known in Ireland and was even reviewed in Irish Music Magazine a couple years ago and was selected as female album of the year by LiveIreland.com! It was honor to share the living room with her.
Robert Wade even had a chance to jam a bit outside for a group of people in the smoking section. One woman, who was obviously a bit drunk, started singing some Dolly Parton songs. When I went out to join Robert, they asked him if he knew any John Denver songs – which he didn’t. Against my better judgment, I blurted out: “Oh, I know a couple --- I think”. ,That was it - everyone started shouting for me to play some John Denver tunes.
I played “This Old Guitar” and part of “Country Roads”. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember all the words, which got me into trouble with a few of the locals.
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