Continuing along the southern bank of the Shannon River we paused for a while, first at Foynes, then Askeaton.
The former is the site of the flying boat museum. We stopped for coffee but didn’t view the exhibition. I managed to get some work done whilst I recharged the laptop, and Mel had a wander around the town. Apparently this was once a main hub for flying to America, so they see it as a big thing.
Next stop Askeaton which had a ruined castle and the remains of the Hell-Fire Club, once known for the debaucherous behaviour of its guests. The locals still seem to have a sense of humour about it all. Click through on the image showing the info board so you can read it.
We ended up stopping on the banks of Lough Gur, which had all the makings of a peaceful spot for the night. Unfortunately, some local boy racers came at about 10:30 to make use of the larger carpark for donut practice. We had parked on the approach to the visitor centre, a little way off, but they decided to race our way and did a handbrake turn about two feet from the van, then headed back to the main carpark for a bit before heading off. I suspect our presence made them think better of it, but Mel decided we should probably go and find somewhere less raucous in case they or others decided to come back. Personally I find the errant youth is usually in bed by 11:00 so it probably would have been fine. But we relocated to nearby Bruff, next to the graveyard, only disturbed by the odd passing car on the main road.
It should be noted that boy racers seem to be a problem in Ireland, going by the sheer number of donut shapes on carparks and wide stretches of rural roads. We’ve yet to see them in the flesh, nocturnal as they seem to be. They could be heard from the campsite in Tralee, racing around some nearby road. Ho hum.
