Landed in Shannon an hour early. According to James, the lovely rental car associate, 5:30 am is the normal landing time for the flight, but they say 6:30 am just in case they’re “late”. Neat trick by the airline to save money. 😂

Since we got in so early, I decided to stay in the airport and have breakfast. The last thing I wanted to attempt is driving in the dark in a locale I’ve never been before. James made the same suggestion, so I felt better about not driving in the dark.

So, first “traditional Irish breakfast” of the trip. Fried egg, blood pudding, tomato, beans, and ham with an Americano. Love this country, but man they really need to learn about half and half for us lactose intolerant folks.

The flight was uneventful, some minor turbulence as we went along. Dinner was served a couple hours into the flight, which meant loss of sleep for me, since they kept the lights on until after dinner. Thank goodness I packed the eye mask. Choices for food were shepherds pie or chicken… I dislike shepherds pie, so it was an easy choice. For airplane food, it was surprisingly decent.

The couple next to me were coming over to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. The lady was very sweet, she offered me some of their peanut M&M’s during the flight. This is her first time coming over, though her husband has lived here before. They plan to drive around the Republic, starting from Shannon, going up to Galway and around by the east coast and back, though they are avoiding Dublin. I think they’re missing out by not going to Dublin on her first trip, but everyone is different and I’m sure they’ll have a lovely time.

I managed to get a couple hours sleep on the plane, which has left me somewhat refreshed. It’s definitely going to be a long day though. I may have to cut my evening plans short so I can get some real sleep and be rested to greet tomorrow.

But, let’s see how we get on with today. For now, it’s time to enjoy this breakfast.

I drove from Shannon to Killarney so I could do some shopping before I headed to Dingle. I knew I wanted to stop at the Aran Sweater Market so I could buy mom and I some sweaters, as well as look for souvenirs for my brother and stepdad. I found a replacement for the wallet I had bought my brother back in April, but that Ellie had gotten a hold of and ripped to shreds. I didn’t see anything I thought my stepdad would like. Afterwards I headed to Granda Charlie’s Sweet Shop, but unfortunately he was closed. Guess I’ll have to try the next time I’m in town.

I stopped for lunch at the South Pole Inn in Annascaul. Several people had recommended this place, but I wasn’t able to stop the last time around. I put it on the itinerary knowing it’s the stopping point between Killarney and Dingle. Kitchy place, it was originally owned by Tom Crean, an Irish Antarctic explorer. Everything here is in homage to him; tons of pictures adorn the walls and there is a cabinet that plays wind and blows styrofoam balls around it as if you were in the Antartic. From the speakers you’re serenaded by 80’s pop music, from Michael Jackson to Prince to Paul Simon. Overall the atmosphere is jovial, people chatting at a respectable level while sharing food, pints, and stories.

It’s a bit tight when you walk in. Two doors lead into separate rooms, both served by the bar they’re adjacent to. I entered in the left side, and as is customary in pubs, I walked up to the bar to get a menu and order. Surprisingly, this place does seat you and take your order there, and I was glad to have a chance to be out of the car and off the rain drenched roads.

I ordered the fish and chips and a Guinness, because what else do you order in an Irish pub that doesn’t serve stew? Both came out quickly, and I was glad of it, since I knew I’d need to leave within the hour to make it to my next destination. The fish was flaky, and as I learned on the last trip, the batter was plain but crunchy. Seasoning comes in the form of a lemon wedge and tartar sauce, both lending just a bit of flavor. The fries were the star, a good tasting potato lightly fried.

Satiated by my meal and my Guinness, I felt bad that I’d be unable to finish my food, but I knew I’d be leaving with a full belly and having chatted with other guests briefly. I set about to relax for a bit, having time to reflect on the day so far. I knew I’d want pictures, but also wanted to be respectful of other guests as they ate.

When a lull in customers hit, I started taking pictures, since I had to be on my way. Grabbed a handful, then made a beeline to the care, as I didn’t want to be late for my next appointment: Beer Brewery Tour at Tig Bhric.

Arrived at Tig Bhric right on time, though they had forgotten I had booked a tour. It started by me meeting Paul, a nice gentleman who mans the bar. After confirming there was indeed a tour scheduled, he took me over and introduced me to Daniel, the brewer. Daniel had just returned from holiday, so was in the process of getting the equipment cleaned and ready for the next batch of brewing. I was lucky, I was the only one who has scheduled a tour, so it ended up being a private affair. It’s a small operation, everything is done in 3 rooms. Daniel walked me through his process, giving tons of detail about how their beers are made and the brewing process in general, which is was very interesting to me.

After the tour, Daniel passed me back to Paul for a tasting. I was able to try 4 beers:

They have a full beer list, and there wasn’t anything I tried I didn’t like.

Being friendly and willing to talk almost always opens doors, and my friendliness allowed me to meet new people and play with the pub cats and a kitten! Color me a happy girl!

I arrived in Dingle around dinner time, allowing me to check-in to my Airbnb and then head to dinner at Murphy’s Pub. I was so tired, I started falling asleep at the bar, so I decided to wrap up and call it a night. I was asleep by 8:30 pm! Lack of sleep will do that to me.

With the exception of the torrential rain I drove through to get to Dingle, it was an awesome first day. Looking forward to tomorrow!