Tour the gems of the Emerald Isle

A trip to Ireland led a West Chester couple from the big city of Dublin to the small villages of Ireland’s North Coast, taking in the sights of Killarney as they toured the Dingle Peninsula, among other stops.

Cliff Turrell captured the voyage, and will share his photos March 31 as part of the Sharon Woods Travel Series. Throughout March and April, local photographers will share their adventures through photos that represent their travels across the globe, and include scenery, local residents and wild life, among other representations of cultures worldwide.

Here’s a look at Turrell’s show.

Where did you travel and why?

“We took nine days out of our visit to England in 2010. Ireland seems just a hop and a skip away from Ireland, so we flew from Manchester to Dublin.

“Our interest in Ireland was the natural beauty, small villages, the wild Northern and Western areas and Ireland’s fascinating history. Dublin was our only exception to avoiding the large cities. We focused on Northern Ireland, Donegal, the West Coast, Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry, and the Rock of Cashel. We were mostly fortunate with the weather and certainly not disappointed with Ireland.

Describe your trip.

“The show starts with Dublin, including the revitalized downtown, Trinity College, and the Book of Kells, and Dublin’s wonderful doors. Next we headed North via Newgrange, graves built before Stonehenge, or the Giza Pyramids. The day ended in Northern Ireland.

“The North Coast is very picturesque, with small hamlets, and coastal villages, interesting mountains, and scenery. Highlights included the villages of Cushendun and Carnlough. We were fortunate to enjoy a sunset at Giants Castle, with over 40,000 basalt rocks formed by ancient eruptions.

“Next we headed to Donegal, Ireland’s northernmost province. Some years ago it was sparsely populated, but now has many holiday cottages but fortunately no multistory accommodation. A pub owner suggested we followed a single track road to the sea if we wanted to enjoy solitude. We really enjoyed this diversion, and saw many ruined cottages, and a tiny port at the end of the road. Slieve League Cliffs are very spectacular, amongst the tallest in Europe at 2,000 feet. They are three times the height of the more visited Cliffs of Moher.

“Further south into Galway we enjoyed the Cliffs of Moher, but were caught in a rainstorm, the first rain we had seen since arriving in Ireland. We used Killarney as a base to tour around the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry. Both were very interesting, but our favorite was the less popular Dingle Peninsula. It offers wonderful views, ancient beehive huts, wonderful beaches and the Blasket Islands Center.

“On our way across country to Dublin for our return we headed off the expressway to the ancient Monastery – the Rock of Cashel. The buildings are on a rocky outcrop, and date from the 11th century to 14th century. We had looked forward to visiting this place, and were definitely not disappointed.”

What was the highlight of your trip?

It is hard to choose a winner from such a memorable trip. The Rock of Cashel, Dingle Peninsula, Slieve League and the North Coast all come to mind. But for us the winner was the natural rock formations at Giants Causeway. We arrived late, after the tours had departed, and almost had it to ourselves for a memorable end to the day.

What would you like visitors to take away from your photo presentation?

“’Do it yourself’ travel can be fun. It allows you to spend the time you want at a site, and also to pick what you are interested in. Driving a rental car can get you out of the big cities, and into the country and villages. It takes effort to research, plan and book, but could save 50 percent or more versus an organized tour.”

The Photography Travel Series is a free program, open to the public, though a valid Great Parks of Hamilton County sticker is required for entry to Sharon Woods. Stickers can be bought at the park for $3 a day, or $10 for the year.

The travel series is celebrating 25 years as part of the club that was established in 1951. The Photography Club of Greater Cincinnati meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Evendale Arts Center, beginning at 7:30 p.m. This is a change from its previous schedule and location in Wyoming. Annual membership is $35 for an individual and $50 for a family.

Sharon Woods Travel Series

March 10 – Cliff Goosmann, “Cuba 1- Havana and Countryside”

March 17 – Ed Soldo, “Iceland ... a Road Trip”

March 24 – Alan Lloyd, “The Grand European Cruise”

March 31 – Cliff Turrell, “The Emerald Isle (Ireland)”

April 7 – Cliff Goosmann, “Cuba 2- Cuba Oriente (Eastern)”

April 14 – No program

April 21 – Neville Duffield, “Ethiopia”

April 28 – Mike Rank, “Cruising the Mediterranean”