DW Day 7 - Ballydavid/Feohanagh to Cloghane

We had already started chowing down on breakfast when I remembered a photo. Surprise, surprise. 

Picture Kody's nicely folded over omelette 

And my porridge with poached pineapple, whipped cream and honey. 

One last shot of the view before we leave the Inn  

16 miles

ascent 2,658' / descent 2,634'

So, this part of the walk is super remote and totally dramatic—it’s also the toughest because it hits the highest point. You get a mix of history and stunning views, as long as the weather cooperates. We’ve been hearing about this tricky descent, which is said to be even harder than the climb of nearly 3,000 feet over just a couple of miles. It’s steep, rocky, and boggy, and if it’s rained, it can get pretty sketchy. This morning was a downpour, plus we’ve had on-and-off rain for the last few days. I couldn't shake off memories of our mountain rescue in England a few years back, and honestly, I wasn’t looking to repeat that adventure. Kody was definitely not feeling the walk either, so after some unsuccessful searching for other routes, we decided to hop on the bus back to Dingle for the day and then grab a taxi to Cloghane.

When we checked in, Phil asked if we were going over the mountain, and I said, “NO!” She wanted to know why, so I shared our reasons. That’s when she mentioned there’s a southern route. She pulled out a map and had written instructions for us. We were stoked to find another option for our day! After scouring online for a digital map, we finally stumbled upon an AllTrails map to download. How awesome is that? We’re all set to go! We’ll be taking the south side of the mountain instead of the north, with about 1,500 feet of elevation change over Connor’s Pass, and about 1/2 the distance.

Here is the revised map of our walk today. You can see at the beginning that it is a nose to toes, bum burning climb and all the way I was thinking how thankful I was that it was only half the distance of the other climb. Oh, and fyi, Mt. Brandon was socked in all day, so no views there. On the other hand, look at what we saw below. 

I shouted at Kody to pause for a selfie at the summit, but with the wind howling like a banshee, she was too busy trying not to become airborne to catch my call, so here’s my solo selfie from the summit of Connor’s Pass. 

And Kody trying to stay upright. 

You can see it was a muddy, boggy mess when we started downhill. 

We encountered some OSU sheep (according to Kody) 😁 They certainly had orange bums. 

Even the little babies had an orange spot. 

Water running down the mountain. 

Into the river

Then into Lough Gal

Standing stones 

Meet Mary Jo Murphy and her sidekick Lucy. Lucy was taking her owner for a walk this morning. Mary Jo was telling us that today is St Brendon’s feast day. There was a celebratory hike planned over Mt Brandon but it was canceled due to the weather. Clearly we dodged a weather bullet by staying off that trail. Once again, our Lord has guided our paths and provided wisdom for our decisions. 

Saint Brendan’s Feast Day rolls around every May 16, and it’s a big deal in County Kerry, especially in his hometown of Fenit. Picture this: maritime events, pilgrimages, and cultural festivities galore! Yet, in the charming little village of Cloghane, it seems the celebration has taken a rain check.

Fun fact: 

At the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, a large stained glass window commemorates Brendan’s achievements.

You can’t catch a glimpse of Mt. Brandon right now because of the clouds. It is actually behind this mountain. It’s a bit puzzling why it’s called Mt. Brandon instead of Mt. Brendan. 

Mount Brandon, or Cnoc Bréanainn in Irish, is named after St. Brendan the Navigator, one of Ireland's most well-known early saints. He was ordained a priest in 512. This 3,127’ peak towers over the Dingle Peninsula and has some deep connections to the saint's story.

St. Brendan actually founded his monastery at the mountain’s base, in a place called Shanakeel. Legend has it that he set off on his famous seven-year sea journey across the Atlantic from the shores near this mountain, using a hide-covered curragh. Before he embarked, he reportedly fasted on the mountain for three days. During that time, he had a vision of a "Promised Land" far out in the ocean, which inspired his epic voyage.

At the very top of Mount Brandon are the ruins of a small ancient stone oratory and a beehive hut, known as Teampailín Bréanainn. This spot is believed to be where the saint and his monks prayed and lived their hermitage.

Today, the mountain is a key part of the "Saints Trail" and a popular spot for pilgrims and hikers, especially around the time of the saint’s feast day. Oddly enough, we ended up being here on that feast day. 

More Herb-Robert or “stinky bob” in fall colors. 

Phlox

After our short day of hiking we ended up in the quiet village of Cloghane. Calling it quiet is an understatement.

We wrapped up our morning stroll before noon, but of course, check-in at the B&B is a strict 3 PM. Our options? A pint-sized market and a cozy pub that only serves dinner after dark. So, we boldly rang the bell at the B&B, hoping for an early entry. Instead, we were offered a 2.5-hour hike up the road, a caffeine fix at the shop up the street (she made it sound like liquid gold), or go in and say a little prayer at the church—just don’t dare return before 3!

We opted for the tiny market’s sandwiches and settled in for about an hour. When we emerged, we spotted three out of the seven other American women hikers outside, munching on their breakfast leftovers. We joined them for a chat, but the wind had other plans—it was piercingly cold! 

So, we strolled over to the church for some snapshots and then made our way back to the B&B. 

A quick stop at the pub revealed that food service starts at 5 PM—not the 7 PM the website promised, which felt like a win! By 1:30, we returned to the B&B, ringing the bell and looking woefully sad and cold, soaked from the rain. We asked if we could come in, and to our delight, she said yes!

Views from our room - the tide was way out past the opposite point when we walked in, but is quickly filling up the bay. 

Our lodging tonight is Mount Brandon Lodge, a family run B&B on the very edge of Cloghane. The house faces out onto Brandon Bay. And can we talk about this room? It’s giving serious grandma’s bedroom vibes—still trying to decode the theme here!

We walked back to O’Connor’s pub when it opened for food at 5.

Kody had the warm goat cheese salad

I indulged in a bowl of homemade Atlantic seafood chowder that seemed to have scooped up every ocean critter the Atlantic has to offer!

Today's Stats:

Miles - 6.8

Steps - 19,190

Ascent - 1,322’

Time - 2 hrs 47 min

And then there are those incredible words of hope that wrap up the song. "Songs of Praises, I’ll always give to You." What a fantastic way to end a worship moment, especially considering all that God is for us—our guide, our great Jehovah, our Redeemer, the Bread of Heaven, the one who gives us life and Living Water, our strength and shield. Because of this I will ever give God my praise in word and song.

Here are a few favorite scriptures that come to mind. Ponder them. 

Psalm 95:1-2: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”

Psalm 96:1: "Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth."

Psalm 150:1-6: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."

Hebrews 13:15: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name."