My trip to Waterford!
Shortly before the pandemic locked us all in our homes for months, I came across a video of the rhododendrons in full bloom at the Vee Pass between Waterford and Tipparary. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen and I knew I had to plan a trip down there to paint. Unfortunately it wasn’t possible to go last year but knew it was at the top of my list once travel opened up! We went at the start of June, peak rhododendron season and weren’t disappointed. Not only is this a stunning part of Ireland to visit on any day, the large floral bushes create a stunning array of green and purple across the mountains and down the valleys.
We started our trip to Lismore to visit the town and castle gardens. As you approach the town, you see this magnificent castle perched just on the river. It’s straight out of a fairytale! We happened to arrive on Saturday when they have a weekly farmers market and had our lunch outside in the sun. It was so pleasant since all of the restaurants and pubs were still closed. Lismore Castle gardens were incredibly beautiful with every flower and plant you can think of growing and in full summer bloom. After spending the afternoon exploring we made our way to our lovely acocmdation for two nights, Nire Valley Eco Camp. We had a simple and cozy cabin set in a beautiful wildflower meadow looking out at distant views of the Knockmealdown Mountains. It was breathtakingly peaceful and we saw deer and rabbits during our stay.
The next day we made our way to the nearby Comeragh Mountain range to hike the Coumshingaun Lake Loop. We were lucky to have such nice weather as this hike would be very difficult in muddy or wet conditions. It was very narrow and steep in parts but hands down one of the top hikes we have ever done. The views overlooking the lake and landscape was breathtaking. I sat at the base of the lake painting a quick watercolor of the wonderful ridges and cliffs. When we got back to Nire Valley, James cooked dinner while I pulled out my oils to paint the golden hour sky over the meadow. The next day we made our way to our accommodation, Salterbridge Gatelodge in Cappoquin. We made our way through the Knockmealdown mountains and up the Vee pass to get there and were blown away by the array of purple. It was a wet day but the weather couldn’t dampen the excitement of being in such a beautiful location. The next two days we explored the Knockmealdowns, hiked and admired the flowers. Even in the misty fog, the colors and landscape evoke a feeling of calm and serenity. The famous Barrons Bakery in Cappoquin and Foley’s on the Mall kept us fed while we were in the area and are both places we highly recommend. I think visiting the rhododendrons will become an annual event and perhaps a destination for LTCreative Tours!
Check out some more of our trip pics!
With love,
