South West Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way 🇮🇪
I am lucky to have family living in the corner of South West Ireland. Before the Covid-19 pandemic took place, I used to visit my mom quit frequently. She lives in South West Cork. From there, we went to explore some of the fantastic surroundings together. To be located close to stunning countryside, mountains and untouched coastlines is a great privilege and perfect for taking many pictures. I created many images in which a few I will show here in this blog to inspire you to visit this area too as soon as travelling opens up again!
The small village of Drimoleague in West Cork is close to where my mom lives. There are the coast and some beautiful villages nearby, like Skibbereen, Baltimore and Bantry which are worth a visit. From here, it is great to explore The Sheep’s Headway as well, with its stunning coastline and endless views, and lots of sheep! You can’t avoid sheep in your pictures there, or everywhere in Ireland really since they are part of the indigenous wildlife to be found all over the landscapes.
If you follow the winding stretch of the road all the way to the end, you will have a fantastic viewpoint, revealing stunning scenery overlooking the big Atlantic Ocean. A cat showed me his playground.
I was lucky enough to approach a great solo storm on the way. Since I love storms, I stopped the car to create some great images. You could hear the wind gusting by, and see the current change in the water. Fantastic to witness!
Leaving the coast behind me, the landscape starts to turn green again on the way to Barley Lake. As I travel, I see lots of green fields pass me by, a typical farming scene. In most cases, you will find the cows on the road instead of the field. This is a common occurrence here, with cows often given priority over cars. And with that, they don’t rush...
While driving north towards the Sheehy Mountains, don’t forget to make a stop at the tranquil Barley Lake. It is a truly stunning area to take pictures, so much so the opportunities here seem pretty endless. I feel it is also a great place to take a walk and just explore. I could have spent the whole day here, but we had to move on in order to see so much more.
On route, the little roads wind progressively through some dramatic small tunnels that have been here for many years. Cut out by man, they allow the road to wind on through the mountainous scenery and dramatic cliff sides. These tunnels generally are wide enough to fit two cars side by side, but so often is case they are narrow enough for just one to pass through.
Reaching the summit and the border between the counties of Cork and Kerry, the views over the Shehy Mountains are quite spectacular and as far as the eye can see the landscape seems rugged and unforgiving. The undulating descent takes you through some open sections of grasslands, together with some areas of thick natural woodland. Soon enough I stumble across the small, bustling town of Kenmare, which geographically marks the starting point of the ‘Ring of Kerry’, therefore it has certainly become a popular stopover for all visitors on the tourist trail.
After leaving Kenmare the route winds slowly north to the popular destination of Killarney National Park, which is stunning location in every way. Killarney road is spectacular and has both amazing and dramatic views. On your visit do remember to stop whenever you can and capture some great shots of the fantastic scenery for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
Before entering the actual park and of course enjoying all of its natural splendour. I make for a quick stop at Molls Gap, a picturesque, winding pass situated on the N71 route from Kenmare to the popular town of Killarney. The road towards it is fantastic for exploring and driving through. Molls Gap is a panoramic viewing spot that offers great views of the nearby Macgillycuddy Mountains. The rocks at Molls Gap are made from red sandstone and offer a great landscape feature that can be used in capturing the perfect image. Luckily for me, there were sheep to fill this picture by being a great subject.
As my journey moves on and I feel so alive and also privileged to have been in such beautiful untouched locations. The relatively traffic-free roads allow my concentration to be less focused on the busy commuter traffic of home and more so truly appreciating the stunning nature all around me. My opinion is shared by many others, as this unique drive is regarded as one of the best driving roads in Ireland. Therefore something not to be missed. An area I definitely want to explore more.
If you would like to discover more of this area, I would recommend you to take a look at www.ireland.com/nl, where you will find lots more inspiration!