Middle-earth Journeys

I think it's so remote (especially in the 1950's) that Edith didn't have any choice in the hiking . But I bet Priscilla loved the unspoilt beaches!

Well, I told you that Iolanthe’s report would be worth waiting for! When I first realised that the Tolkiens had visited Castlecove, I was gobsmacked – I visited there about sixteen years ago on my first visit to Ireland and have driven through it many times since. The drive from Sneem around to Waterville is the most beautiful in Kerry!
Blink and you’d miss it, but the Black Shop is a landmark on that road. I hadn’t twigged that it was in Castlecove, but when we arrived I had a funny feeling that it might be the shop/bar run by the O’Flaherty sisters. Nothing else was old enough! Here’s a view from the other side. I love the way it’s still a filling station – as you can see from the petrol pump outside!

When we finally plucked up the courage to go into the shop it was a case of “those who don’t ask don’t get”. And of asking the right question – the girl looked a bit blank when I asked about Tolkien but at the mention of the name O’Flaherty she said “oh yes, this was the shop” and shivers went down my spine. Almost as an afterthought she continued “the guest house is a ruin now but you can find it just up the road . . .” and by now I was trying not to hyperventilate! When we got there the garden was certainly overgrown:
And I couldn’t resist going right up to it:
I couldn’t quite pluck up the courage to go in, though:
This would have been enough, but when we got to Caherdaniel and saw the lovely little church it was the icing on the cake! I couldn’t resist taking this shot inside, it had such a peaceful atmosphere and I really wanted to give everyone at MEJ an idea of what it was like:
I’m so pleased we spoke to the girl in the bar!!

Thanks for the interior shots, marbretherese--I'm glad to get a peep at the stained glass in the church, and I tried to imagine what the front rooms of the hotel might have been like fifty years ago. Such a beautiful stone building--do you think anyone would ever renovate it?

I'd love to think someone would renovate it, but I'm frankly doubtful the trend in the area seems to be to build new homes, which come with more mod cons and are easier to heat & maintain. Of course, if it were for sale and I had the money, I'd do it myself - like a shot!!! (that's a pig I just saw flying past the window, btw)

I think I saw that pig too.... .

Kerry is full of old ruins that no one wants to bother with, but it does add a certain romantic charm to the place.

Those interior shots came out well. And is that a fish drinking Guinness on the side of the Black Shop ?

Iolanthe wrote:And is that a fish drinking Guinness on the side of the Black Shop ?

It is a fish drinking Guinness, isn't it!! no wonder Tolkien loved Ireland. Good beer, lovely scenery, all that Celtic magic and mystery!!

What wonderful photos! Thanks so much to our intrepid Iolanthe, Marbretherese, and Jonick for sharing their jaunt to Tolkien's vacation spot in Ireland!

Ha! Even Irish fish drink! (I get to say that, being of the Irish persuasion myself!)

What wonderful photos!! What wonderful memories the three of you have made. Thanks for sharing them with all of us. We live vicariously through your adventures. Bilbo loved adventures too, you know.

I'm glad you are all enjoying them . We have a couple more planned at some point - Oxford again to see all that we missed and Sarehole Mill.

It's great fun being Bilbo (as long as we don't meet any spiders or dragons....).

Although none of these close encounters with Tolkien are easily available to those of us who live in North America, I just learned that Tolkien's writing desk is a mere several hours away from me! There are other interesting things there:

http://brandonvogt.com/tolkiens-desk-lewis-pen/

Definitely a trip I'm planning in spring!

Merry wrote:Although none of these close encounters with Tolkien are easily available to those of us who live in North America, I just learned that Tolkien's writing desk is a mere several hours away from me! There are other interesting things there:

http://brandonvogt.com/tolkiens-desk-lewis-pen/

Definitely a trip I'm planning in spring!

My gosh I never would have expected those items to be in the US. What fun Merry let us know of your experience after your visit.

c'est un reportage magnifique, merci Philipa pour cette collection d'images inouie, et toutes ces informations, c'est super!!

Un heureux et très joyeux noël à tous les amis de Tolkien et du Forum Middle-earth Journeys, et excellente fin d'année 2013, en sérénité et paix!!

Happy Christmas to you, too, Michka! My nephew and I are planning to see 'Desolation' in the next few days--finally!