Saturday, 2nd August         CASHEL TO BALLYDEHOB

Robyn writes: The alarm woke us at 7.30 this morning (most unhappily, I must add - we were sound asleep!) as it was moving day again. We dragged ourselves out to get dressed and get the day underway. First we went down for another of Bernice's delicious breakfasts (she makes the best fruit salad we've tasted anywhere on our holiday), then it was back upstairs to finish off the packing, pay and check out. We ended up saying our fond farewells and leaving by about nine thirty on our way south.

The first part of the trip was very uncomplicated - we took the motorway south as far as Cork. When we were near Fermoy, Lex realised we were getting a bit low on petrol, so we decided we'd pop into Fermoy to have a look and get some. Then, as we were leaving the motorway, we went through a toll plaza! There was a mad scramble for change and yet another 2 Euro coin (no change given) was handed over for the 1.90 Euro car fee. I bet they make a fortune out of that. We found a service station, got petrol and luckily I thought to buy a paper so I could get change, because almost immediately we got back onto the motorway, we went through another toll plaza! Another 1.90 (at least this time we had the right amount....) Had we known, we would certainly have filled up before we left Cashel. Unlike their British equivalents, we've learned that the Irish motorways don't have the 'online' services - you have to get off and go into the towns to find food and petrol (and pay the bloody tolls on exit!). Anyway, we were on the motorway as far as Cork, then onto more minor roads and we got to Skibbereen by 12.30. The roads down this way were fairly busy as it's a bank holiday weekend and lots of holiday makers around.

Skibbereen is the nearest big town to Ballydehob, and Patsy, our landlady, had advised us to get groceries there before we came. We found a EuroSpar which had a cafe, so quite happily went there. We had a nice lunch in the cafe (sandwich/roll and excellent pot of tea) then did a grocery shop of meals etc for the first few days. It's nice to be self catering again. Then we set off for the last few kilometres to Ballydehob.

We arrived here just after 2 o'clock and rang Patsy, who told us where to find the key. We have a lovely two bedroomed terrace house, built around 2002. It's very nice and roomy and very comfortable. In fact, it's perfect in every way except it doesn't have internet access :( It is on a hill looking down towards the bridge into Ballydehob so is very convenient and has its own parking. We unpacked and I put some washing on, then Patsy called in to say hello. After that, I stayed home to wash clothes, wash my hair and laze about (re-reading my fourth Maeve Binchy book this holiday) while Lex walked into town to look for a map. We've been sooo lucky with the weather today - apparently Tipperary, which we left this morning, and everywhere north of that in Ireland and the UK has been absolutely soaked with driving rain causing all sorts of flash flooding. We've had a bit of cloud but basically a lovely afternoon with a good stiff breeze for drying the clothes, and our first load we hung out is all but dry already.

Old burial ground outside of Ballydehob where many McCarthys are buried

Are these old gravestones? Impossible to tell.

Above and below: Shronagree, where Lex thinks the Connollys come from. That's Ballydehob in the distance in the photo above.

Beautiful wildflowers by the roadside

Lex was successful in finding a map, so this afternoon we went for a drive navigating with it and visited two of the local burial grounds (I know, we DO know how to have a good time on holidays!) in search of his family - found lots and lots of McCarthys but no Connollys. In fact, Patsy, who is a local, doesn't think there are any Connollys around here any more. We also drove out to Shronagree, which is the little townland that Lex believes his Connolly ancestors came from. It's a patch of farmland perched on the side and in the valley of some extremely rocky and inhospitable looking hills. When you see the rocks in the land around there, you understand why this area was particularly badly hit by the potato famine. The poor people were probably barely existing anyway, and the famine would have just wiped them out. When we can get some reasonable internet access, we can check this further, but there's not even a McDonald's in town to give us free Wifi!

It's now 8.40 and the sun has finally disappeared but it will still be light for a while yet. We've had a nice meal of beef roulades, baby potatoes and veges followed by our standby dessert, fruit and yoghurt. The strawberries in the UK and Ireland have been magnificent this summer; I've never eaten so many in my life! It's so nice to have our own little house to relax in again and not have to move for a week. After this, the next two weeks will be hotels or B&Bs for two or three nights at a time so lots of packing and moving. Will enjoy this while we can!