Then a slight detour to Castletownsend sometimes fingerposted as Castletownshend. No particular reason to go there we just did. More or less a long, narrow street running downhill to the sea. At the foot, a classy hotel, a small quay of sorts and on a nearby hill, the local C of I church. If there was a shop, we missed it though a couple of ex-shops were evident.
The church hill sat well above the shoreline and gave fine views over the inlet.
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| View from Castletownsend Church |
The quay itself was just an small open flat area, with stores or walls on two sides of the entrance path and the rest the sea. The van was just about able to turn around to escape - reversing out was not an option.
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| Cross in Castletownsend Church yard |
Although the church was not very big and obviously not servicing a large congregation, the locals made up for lack of numbers by the quality of their breeding - at least so the gravestones suggested. Almost everyone had a title of some description either as peers or high ranking military officers, mostly naval. Grave stones were surprisingly original and not at all traditional except for a rather fine Celtic cross. Though given the blood-lines hardly a traditional cross.
It was still raining when we reached Skibbereen, a great excuse to visit the Famine museum. Despite its small size and lack of exhibits, packed a pretty good punch - well worth a visit.
On the road again to Baltimore. For some reason I expected it to be more a town rather than the tiny fishing village it turned out to be. Or rather, it had been a fishing village, now it seemed filled with holiday-homers milling around trying to learn to sale. Had a yummy lunch though below this impressive tower house.
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| Baltimore Tower House |
By now the weather was really starting to close in and visibility poor. We stuttered at Skull for some reason, a rather intense road experience with traffic everywhere going nowhere and not enough road. Phew!
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