Day 6: The Emerald Isle

Don't Believe Google Maps

Google Maps is often right, but not often enough to make it truly reliable. On this trip it's been wrong several times: it directed me to the wrong end of the street for my (ill-fated) car rental; it added all sorts of little intermediary steps to what should have been a straight road to Clonmel. But the most egregious is that it directed me to the wrong location, 150 km from the location I actually wanted.

Glendalough is on this list of the 10 most beautiful locations in Ireland. Google Maps clearly has it located a few km south of Clonmel, which is why I went there to Clonmel the first place. Unfortunately, it's really located in Wicklow Mountain National Park, south of Dublin. It didn't even give me a choice among several Glendaloughs. The Glendalough that exists on Google Maps (and I think there really may be a hill or something called Glendalough in the Clonmel area) is invisible to anyone driving by, or through or past, it.

Moss Covered Fences

Nevertheless, it was a very pretty drive from Clonmel to Youghal. It was my first encounter with scenery as nice as Scotland's.

Animals abutting the roads include sheep, cows, and horses

The weather continues to be sunny and clear, as you can see.

At noon I was in Ballymcarby, reading my copy of Dubliners and eating lunch beside a small stream. Like many of these small towns, there doesn't appear to be anything more to the town than a pub (or two) and a small general store.

Ballymcarby

Further on the road to Youghal

A shrine in one of the small towns, not the only one I saw on the way

Youghal

Youghal is a small seaside port village that once had a wall fortification. The small streets between the wall and the docks were a nice stroll.

Tower on Main Street in Youghal

Door on Ashe Street

Outside a Cathedral on Ashe Street

Cathedral on Ashe Street; Ireland has lots of cathedrals, and they're probably interesting (but to me they all look the same)

Door adornment on Ashe Street

Ashe Street Sign in Youghal

Old Fortification Wall in Youghal

Overlooking Youghal Harbor Area

Not Looking Seaworthy in Youghal

A Nice Place to Sit in Youghal (not downtown)

From Youghal I made my way to Cork.

Cork

I made my way to the B&B and now I feel a cold coming on. I drove downtown, anyway, picked up a box of grapefruit juice, and asked about live music. None of it starts until 9:00 or 10:00, and it's only 7:00. At night, downtown Cork looks like many other downtowns with pedestrian areas: bars, restaurants, sporting goods, etc.

I'm going to bed. Hope I feel better in the morning.