So apparently I can't see any difference between Murphys and Guinness. I'm sure that will upset Irish Stout lovers. Took a while for the pub crowd to depart so sleep was slightly disturbed and sideways buffeting from the wind didn't help.
Morning arrived to clear skies, albeit still windy. I indulged myself with some egg and bacon rolls and then topped off with fresh water from nearby tap on the Crookhaven quay.
As weather was dry, and clear, I headed back to Mizen Head. This is the south western corner of the Ireland mainland. It is now set up as a tourist attraction with a visitor centre and paths with concrete bridge leading to the promontory cliffs with the old keepers quarters and signals monitoring station together with viewpoints. There are information displays on Marconi, Fastnet, Lusitania and many other wrecks and wildlife. The Station buildings of generator rooms and radio watch rooms are open to view along with the old keepers quarters that had previously been used as a visitor centre prior to 2009.
Admission for a single adult was €7.50. Parking was free. Hours are 10:30am to 5:00pm. There were some coaches parked as I was leaving. How they got there on the narrow windy road with very few passing spots I don't know.
Perhaps oddly, there is no lighthouse, although there are now some marker lights added in the 1950s. A lot of reference is made to the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse offshore by about 9.5km to the South East, which Mizen Head station will have supported. I couldn't see it today, not quite clear enough.
The mainland is linked to the promontory by a concrete footbridge built 2009-11 that replaced an earlier bridge from the early 1900s. Prior to that many supplies would have been brought by tender boat. The bridge materials will also have been lifted by derrick cranes. Under the bridge a couple of seals rested in the relatively sheltered water.
The main station is accessible by ramped paths. Viewing platforms involved steps, lots of steps. It was also very exposed on a very windy day, the guardrails were important. Lots of people were having a very bad hair dry. But the cliff views were impressive.
The Wild Atlantic Way would now turn eastwards and follow the southern coast of County Cork. The Mizen peninsula was fairly rugged but this soon gave way to more undulating hills. The sheep had become cattle and pasture perhaps even crops, and dry stone walling had become mounds and banks. The coastline was much lower, often with wider bays hugged by low perimeter roads and bridges. A couple of viewpoint information boards told tales of wrecks since coastal transport of goods was a lot easier than road until quite recently and rail never really got established other than the east of the country.
My last night on the Wild Atlantic Way is spent alongside Garrylucas Beach near Old Head, Kinsale. Lots of campers lined up along the roadside.
Morning arrived to clear skies, albeit still windy. I indulged myself with some egg and bacon rolls and then topped off with fresh water from nearby tap on the Crookhaven quay.
As weather was dry, and clear, I headed back to Mizen Head. This is the south western corner of the Ireland mainland. It is now set up as a tourist attraction with a visitor centre and paths with concrete bridge leading to the promontory cliffs with the old keepers quarters and signals monitoring station together with viewpoints. There are information displays on Marconi, Fastnet, Lusitania and many other wrecks and wildlife. The Station buildings of generator rooms and radio watch rooms are open to view along with the old keepers quarters that had previously been used as a visitor centre prior to 2009.
Admission for a single adult was €7.50. Parking was free. Hours are 10:30am to 5:00pm. There were some coaches parked as I was leaving. How they got there on the narrow windy road with very few passing spots I don't know.
Perhaps oddly, there is no lighthouse, although there are now some marker lights added in the 1950s. A lot of reference is made to the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse offshore by about 9.5km to the South East, which Mizen Head station will have supported. I couldn't see it today, not quite clear enough.
The mainland is linked to the promontory by a concrete footbridge built 2009-11 that replaced an earlier bridge from the early 1900s. Prior to that many supplies would have been brought by tender boat. The bridge materials will also have been lifted by derrick cranes. Under the bridge a couple of seals rested in the relatively sheltered water.
The main station is accessible by ramped paths. Viewing platforms involved steps, lots of steps. It was also very exposed on a very windy day, the guardrails were important. Lots of people were having a very bad hair dry. But the cliff views were impressive.
The Wild Atlantic Way would now turn eastwards and follow the southern coast of County Cork. The Mizen peninsula was fairly rugged but this soon gave way to more undulating hills. The sheep had become cattle and pasture perhaps even crops, and dry stone walling had become mounds and banks. The coastline was much lower, often with wider bays hugged by low perimeter roads and bridges. A couple of viewpoint information boards told tales of wrecks since coastal transport of goods was a lot easier than road until quite recently and rail never really got established other than the east of the country.
My last night on the Wild Atlantic Way is spent alongside Garrylucas Beach near Old Head, Kinsale. Lots of campers lined up along the roadside.
