Valentia Island

Being born a Kerryman, in my opinion, is the greatest gift that God can bestow on any man. When you belong to Kerry, you know you have a head start on the other fellow! In belonging to Kerry, you belong to the elements. You belong to the spheres spinning in the heavens.

John B. Keane

This week I went to see my dad. In some respects, my dad has had a bit of a tough life, something I’m always mindful of when I see his crooked smile. Now however, in the twilight of his life, (not that I’m trying to polish him off just yet!), I’m delighted to say he’s happy. He has a fabulous social life, he’s in rude health, he has no financial worries and he lives in one of the most beautiful places on the planet which means making a visit is a genuine joy.

I toyed with not going this last week however, the sound of disappointment I heard in his voice on the phone when I suggested not coming was too much to bear and after putting the phone down, I hopped onto the Aer Lingus website and booked my flights.

A few friends, knowing I was going “home” made comments like; “I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland, you’ll have to give me some advice on where I should go!” Well, talking about and advising people on trips to my heart home is always a joy so, I thought this week I’d talk about a place every visitor to Kerry should go.

Going back to my dad, he lives in the village of Portmagee, a beautiful, welcoming place in its own right but famous for being the place Valentia Island, Dairbhre, meaning Oak Wood in Gaelic, can be reached by land bridge. Valentia Island despite its status as a place of outstanding natural beauty, remains one of Irelands hidden gems. Unspoiled natural beauty collides with a wealth of history to make this little chunk of the Ring of Kerry a must-see if you’re in the area.

I truly believe that exploring Ireland is all about those stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks moments. Little nuggets of time that you wish would stay inscribed upon your mind forever. They’re unpredictable, and they move you in a way that’s impossible to put into words. For me, and I’m sure for anyone else that has seen it, one of those moments is when you reach the summit of Geokaun Mountain, the highest point on Valentia, you can reach the summit by car however, if you have one of those rare, sunny days in Kerry, the walk up isn’t too difficult and the sense of achievement only enhances the sheer wonder of the view that awaits you! The view from the top of the mountain across the Fogher Cliffs offer breath-taking views across Dingle Bay, the Kerry Mountains and the seemingly endless Atlantic Ocean. But you don’t have to schlep up the mountain for fabulous views, seemingly every corner you turn on Valentia is worthy of a picture postcard!

But it’s not just the scenery that makes Valentia a must visit destination, the island is steeped in history. As one of Ireland, and therefore Europe’s most Westerly points was the site of the first ever commercially available Transatlantic Telegraph Cable. A slate monument at Foilhommerum bay on the Island commemorates the first communications link between Europe and the Americas, the cable reaching land fall at Heart's Content, Newfoundland.

The island is also known for the quality of it’s slate, slate which have been turned into tiles which adorn some of the most famous buildings in the world such as The Paris Opera House and The Palace of Westminster.

The Island is also known for saving lives, back in 1914, a Marine Radio Station was installed on the island. Records show that Valentia Radio handled more radio traffic than any other Station in the British Isles during the mid 1920s, many messages resulting in marine rescue missions. During the Second World War, the island’s radio picked up a faint message from a civilian liner way out at sea.

Although the message was faint, Valentia Radio managed to organise a rescue mission and many lives were saved!

On the North East of the Island stands Glanleam House. Built originally as a linen mill, it was converted into a regal country house by the then Knight of Kerry, Sir Peter George Fitzgerald in the 1830s, Sir Peter, a keen botanist, quickly recognised the unique microclimate of this little spot was ideal for growing unusual and rare plants. He planted gardens and stocked them with a unique collection of rare and tender plants from the southern hemisphere, normally grown under glass in the rest of Ireland. The gardens are laid out in a naturalistic style as a series of walks. There are plants from South America, Australia, New Zealand (the tallest tree ferns in Europe), Chile and Japan. The gardens are memorialized in a selected golden-variegated Luma apiculata "Glanleam Gold" that originated as a sport in the garden. Glanleam is now a lovely country house hotel but the gardens are open to the public and well worth a visit.

So, if you’re in that neck of the woods, take a look at Valentia, believe me, you won’t be disappointed!

What’s on this week?