The economic recession has hit Ireland’s tourism industry hard.
According to Bridey, the owner of the bed and breakfast we stayed at along the Skellig Ring, the number of tourists traveling to Ireland this year has plummeted.
The average number of tour buses driving around the Ring of Kerry this summer is just 20 buses each day, compared to a typical 80 per day, she said. I considered this a blessing as I didn’t want to contend for the roadway with the huge buses, but for the local residents it was undoubtedly a hard hit to the already weakened local economy.
Bridey and her husband Jack first opened the Beach Cove B&B about 6 years ago. Both are originally from Ireland, but they lived in New York for a period of time before moving back home. They moved into their house at Beach Cove about 15 years ago. Bridey said she decided to open up a bed and breakfast after seeing all the cars and tourists stopping by the small beach outside her front door.
Although there's a fair amount of tourist traffic in the area, one of the great parts about Beach Cove is that the huge tour busses that plague the Ring of Kerry aren’t allowed to drive along the Skellig Ring.
The Beach Cove, which Jackie discovered online, is nestled between two “mountains” right along the beach -- hence the name. Skellig Michael, a small, craggy island where the ruins of an ancient monastery reside, can be seen off the coast.
The closest town, with restaurants and a few small shops, is Portmagee. The little fishing village was a great get-away from the bustle of Dublin and Cork.
The area is beautiful, and Bridey and Jack were great hosts. Jackie and I only spent three nights at Beach Cove, but it is one of the places we’ll definitely return to if we get the chance. I’d like to spend a full week in the area in the future.
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