The Long Way RoundNotebook No 101April 2026
Dingle Peninsula, when the light comes back.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
In west Kerry, that fleeting half-hour after a rain shower brings a particular clarity. Road surfaces glisten, still wet but drying, and the dramatic cliffs hold a glossy sheen from the recent wash. This is precisely when we take the slow drive along Slea Head, the vast Atlantic always accompanying us to your right.
Slea Head
We begin early, well before the mid-morning rush crowds the car parks, setting out around eight o’clock. This early start guarantees optimal light for your photographs and more frequent, unhurried stops, often necessitated by freely wandering sheep.
Pause at Coumeenoole Beach, and again at Dunquin Pier, even if only to absorb the view. The next gap in the ancient stone wall reveals a further singular perspective.
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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.