| The Magic of Munster
By Malcolm Rogers
Malcolm Rogers travels to the province of Munster.
When people talk about the Six Counties, they’re usually referring to
the artificial statelet of Northern Ireland. However, the only true Six
Counties in Ireland, according to ancient Irish custom, are those which
make up Munster — Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.
And it’s a collection of counties full of names which are famous well
beyond the bounds of Ireland, never mind Munster. Take Tipperary — this
is probably the best known county anywhere in the world due to the song.
People everywhere sing “It’s a long way to Tipperary…” oblivious that it
has anything to do with Ireland, and totally unaware that in Ireland
Tipperary was a by-word for revolt under British rule. (Most of the
landlords killed in Ireland were killed in Co. Tipperary.)
On a somewhat lighter note, Munster boasts what is probably Ireland’s
best known product, Waterford Crystal. Again, you’ll find proud owners
of this cut glass crystal who would be unable to place Waterford in the
right European country. The same could be said for the poetic form known
as the ‘limerick’, and of course the ‘gift of the blarney’ has long
since lost its Munster roots.
As well as having contributed to the language, Munster also boasts some
of Ireland’s most famous sights — the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher, the
Ring of Kerry, Blarney Castle, the Rock of Cashel, Ireland’s highest
mountain, Carrantuohill, and the country’s oldest city, Waterford.
The mighty Shannon drains the countryside hereabouts, finally making its
exit to the Atlantic beyond Limerick — so if it’s a cruising holiday you
want, you could scarcely do better.
The ancient province was originally called Cúige Mumham, probably after
the goddess Mumha. Her heavenly duties remain unclear, but she may well
have been in charge of providing celestial scenery, for this area is
blessed in this department to a degree which is really not fair. Ancient
megalithic monuments and dolmens — some as old as 5,000 years — abound
in the area; truly a holiday here is played out against a backdrop of
vanished civilisations.
Plenty of evidence of later ages can be found as well — Anglo Norman
forts and castles dot the countryside, as well as the abbeys and
monasteries of Munster’s missionary monks.
If you want to sample what life might (nearly) have been like you can
visit Bunratty Folk Park and later join in the banquet at Bunratty
Castle. This is much better than you might imagine — it actually is a
terrific night out with copious quantities of drink, food which isn’t
too bad, and music which is absolutely excellent. You might even find
yourself singing along with When Irish Eyes Are Smiling at the end of
the night — although that isn’t compulsory. But you’ll certainly find
yourself swept along by the atmosphere and some first class traditional
music.
For more upmarket food, Cork boasts some of the smartest restaurants
around — the likes of The Customs House in Baltimore or Longueville
House in Mallow service the European jet set who discovered the magic of
this area a long time ago. If you belong more to the Sopwith Camel
biplane set — like myself — you still have plenty of choice. Kinsale,
Kenmare and Waterford all boast tremendous restaurants and pubs, and
inland Tipperary can be a gourmet’s paradise.
Despite being in the most visited part of the country, you can still
expect lots of old-fashioned friendship and hospitality, nowhere more so
than at the wide range of accommodation available — from luxury castles
to cosy bed and breakfasts.
The problem with Munster is trying to decide where to go. Any one of the
counties provides enough spectacular scenery, restaurants, hotels, and
sports from angling to hill walking to justify spending a fortnight in
each one. The best thing to do, really, is just make it your life’s work
to visit each of the six counties. Forget about foreign travel — Munster
has everything you could want on a holiday. And, OK, even if it rains
the odd time, some of the finest pubs in Ireland (and hence the world)
are here in this corner of the south west.
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