September 18, 2026 - Chloghane to Castlegregory

It has been fascinating to see just how many of our B&B's have skeleton keys.  The keys, the locks, the doors, mostly are old.  In such a throw away society, good old skeleton keys still serve a purpose on the Dingle Peninsula.  I love these old keys.  They remind us that all we need is a backbone (skeleton) to serve our purpose.  It doesn't matter how big or small, just that we try.  I like to think that the keys reflect our effort toward reaching our goals.  Have purpose, walk toward that goal one step at a time, do the hard things, and you can reach the goal.  

My recent post about my anxiety about climbing Mount Brandon fits this story.  I just needed to be reminded by Mike that it was doable and that I was over-thinking the task.  Reaching the top of that pass helped us to both realize we are capable of far greater things than we let our minds limit us to.  

Enough said...

There was only one other couple at breakfast today.  Carole and Keith, from Sheffield.  They, too, had hiked Mount Brandon yesterday, and we enjoyed conversation about the hike.  This couple, in their 70's, have already done a number of Macs Adventures.  It is our hope that we will be as healthy and active as they are when we are in our 70's!  

As we were leaving our lodging, Berta said, "Well, the wind will be at your back today, and that's a good thing."  It was raining pretty steady, so we geared up in our rain pants and coats.  I put on my hat to try to keep the droplets off my glasses.  Out we went!  By the time we got to the shop to grab some snacks at the end of this tiny town, we were sopping wet!

Today's walk took us for about 6km of road walking before we turned off.  

We stepped out onto the beach of Fermoyle Strand, spanning 11 km from Brandon Bay to Tralee Bay.  The rain had let up a bit, and the wind gusted at our backs, pushing us with every step.  It made for a walk with a mission - keep a pace and try not to stop.  We followed the tracks of other walkers, and met the occasional person enjoying the grey skies, threatening rain and intense gusts of wind.  

We came upon Chicago, huddled up against some posts for a little shelter.  They were eating their lunch and watching this wind surfer far out on the water, conquering the ocean waves.  He had just come in when I got this shot of him preparing to catch another wave.  It surprised us all that he was out there, all by himself, on such a blustery day.  Yet, he is following his passion, I am sure.  

As we continued further down, I noticed, from a distance, what looked like horses.  Two couples were making the most of the day.  I couldn't help but steal a picture.  

It was unbelievable to us to see the sand so wet, yet with every gust of wind at our backs, a light blanket of sand would blow past us until it got caught up  in footprints further down the beach.  We were grateful we didn't have to walk into the wind!

We later realized we had three water crossings.  The shoes would be getting wet this time, but we just sucked it up and walked through.  In the past, there have been bridges put in place for walkers.  

This was a hard day already, and it was only half over when we stepped off the beach to eat some snacks, and dry our feet, and change our socks (why didn't we put on waterproof socks today?).  Walking on even the hard packed sand took endurance. Add in the wind and the rain, we were drained.  

We already knew that the one, lonely restaurant at the end of the strand nearby would not open until 5pm and it was only 1pm.  As we sat at a beach hut closed down for the season, we contemplated our options.  There didn't seem to be any sense to come back down the opposite beach into the wind.  I had already gotten a chill while sitting for the short break.  

We decided to walk the road the rest of the way into Castlegregory and hope that Fitzgerald's would be open when we arrived.  

We got into town at 2:30pm.  We approached Fitzgerald's Pub and saw the sign that they wouldn't be open until 3pm.  We were ready to contemplate sitting at their patio to wait when the lad from the bar opened the door and welcomed us in from the elements. 

Other walkers, the Camino girls and the couple from Sheffield, wandered in from the wind and the cold.  We were all in a back corner of the pub - not a bad idea since the subtle scent of a hockey change room wouldn't be that welcoming had we been at the front!  We enjoyed an early dinner and some beers, knowing we would be picked up at 6pm to be taken to our B&B 10 minutes away.  Bill ordered a pizza to go, as well!

When we arrived at The Shores, we were stunned by the decor and size of this house.  There were at least 5 or 6 rooms for the B&B.  Our hostess, Annette, welcomed us and showed us to our rooms.  The rooms were decorated with beautiful afghans and fluffy pillows, while the bathroom carried a scent of sandlewood and vanilla - likely to override hiker smells.  In the cabinet, there was a tray for coffee or tea, and homemade Guiness cake.  

The Guiness cake was made as a loaf with raisins.  It looked similar to fruitcake.  It had a dryer texture to it and definitely tasted of Guiness.  

The view of the beach from our window. 

As soon as I could, I was running a hot bath with Epsom salts to soak in.  It felt like luxury!  The tub was long enough that Bill even found it comfortable for a soak.

By 8pm, we were clean and ready for bed.  

Here are today's trail stats.