The Long Way RoundNotebook No 63July 2025
The south-westernmost point, when the bridge is open.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
When the sun sits high, Mizen Head, Ireland's most southerly point by longitude, truly comes alive for us. We drive to the signal station atop its ocean cliff, crossing the footbridge to where the continent ends, taking in views unlike any other on this island.
Slea Head
Afterward, we always set aside an hour for the hushed expanse of Barley Cove's beach. If it is a Sunday, we head to Crookhaven for a meal, a true taste of that village's pace. This particular coastline offers a multitude of small pleasures for your senses.
This journey is always an afternoon's excursion for us, combined with Sheep's Head.
The Ireland Edit Way
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
To understand Ireland, stop looking at the castles and start looking at the kitchen table.
From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.