Healy's Gap

Healy's Gap: south and Cork

Left Glengariff and tootled along the rocky south side of the Beara Peninsula arriving at the start of a winding road wandering off into the distance seemingly blocked by an impassable range of sharp aretes. This was the approach to Healy's Gap


At the gap itself there was a bit of a stopping place with a monument to those who built the road. The gap marks the boundary between Cork and Kerry. Looking south to Cork there is little to see - just rock strewn moorland with a meandering road.

Healy's Gap: north and Kerry

On the other side, looking North to Kerry is the marvellous vista of a verdant plain with Macgillycuddy's Reeks in the distance. The road down this side is much steeper with some majestic view over lake and lough and country.

We had hoped to do a sort of figure-of-eight route to take us through the gap looping back to Castletownbere. It didn't quite workout that way but we did reach the town. Had an ice cream and moved on; it was getting hard to interest us by now.  We eventually stopped at Berhaven Gold Club which had hard-standing for vans. Didn't look at all promising but turned out really well

Moon rise over Bear Island

 The golf club has something to do with Padraig Harrington's family, couldn't quite figure it. Their AGM was scheduled for the night so we enjoyed a couple of beers and retired. In the morning, out in the canoe round a derlict quay from wartime and watching the local sea birds flit about the water - there was barely a breeze and the water still. It was glorious, so peaceful.