In March 2019, daughter Jill and I went on a ten-day tour of Ireland – three days in Dublin on our own and seven days on a guided tour of the Emerald Isle with CIE Tours International. Click HERE to read a short introduction about this unforgettable tour.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day sightseeing the Ring of Kerry.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day sightseeing the Ring of Kerry.
Killarney, Republic of Ireland (March 16, 2019) Jill and I arrived in Killarney last evening, after we toured Blarney Castle, and had a wonderful “night on the town.” We awoke well-rested and ready to explore one of Ireland’s most scenic routes – the famous Ring of Kerry
The early morning temperature was in the upper 40s and the sky was overcast. Jill checked the weather report and told me that the forecast was promising – as in “promising to rain.” Typical Irish weather, but without the rain, Ireland wouldn’t be awash in 50 shades of green! We grabbed our ponchos and umbrellas as we headed out the door to catch our ride – a motor coach touring bus – for a fully-narrated tour with Bryan Hanrahan, our tour guide and bus driver.
The Ring of Kerry is located on the Iveragh Peninsula west of Killarney. We drove the route in a counterclockwise direction and covered about 125 miles. We made many stops along the way, including a few “Kodak moments.” Snap, snap! We passed through or near many villages and small towns, with wonderful-sounding names like Beaufort, Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Caherdaniel, and Kenmare. And we drove through the magnificent Killarney National Park. In all, our tour lasted eight hours – which is a good amount of time if you plan to take this scenic drive on your trip to Ireland.
The early morning temperature was in the upper 40s and the sky was overcast. Jill checked the weather report and told me that the forecast was promising – as in “promising to rain.” Typical Irish weather, but without the rain, Ireland wouldn’t be awash in 50 shades of green! We grabbed our ponchos and umbrellas as we headed out the door to catch our ride – a motor coach touring bus – for a fully-narrated tour with Bryan Hanrahan, our tour guide and bus driver.
The Ring of Kerry is located on the Iveragh Peninsula west of Killarney. We drove the route in a counterclockwise direction and covered about 125 miles. We made many stops along the way, including a few “Kodak moments.” Snap, snap! We passed through or near many villages and small towns, with wonderful-sounding names like Beaufort, Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Caherdaniel, and Kenmare. And we drove through the magnificent Killarney National Park. In all, our tour lasted eight hours – which is a good amount of time if you plan to take this scenic drive on your trip to Ireland.
Ogham Stones
Near the town of Dunloe we stopped to see a collection of eight ogham (pronounced “oh-am”) stones, which were set in a small enclosure near the side of the road. Ogham was an ancient Irish alphabet – in fact, it was the earliest form of writing in Ireland. The stones, which might have been gravestones or territorial markers, were inscribed using the ogham alphabet – a series of strokes along or across a line. The letters were read from the left-hand side bottom up.
The stones were carved in the fifth and sixth centuries. Seven were discovered in 1838 in nearby Beaufort village and one (the larger central stone) was found near a ruined church in the village of Kilbonane. Ogham stones were not unique to Dunloe or to Ireland: There are over 400 stones in more than 20 sites in four countries – Ireland, England, Wales, and Scotland.
Near the town of Dunloe we stopped to see a collection of eight ogham (pronounced “oh-am”) stones, which were set in a small enclosure near the side of the road. Ogham was an ancient Irish alphabet – in fact, it was the earliest form of writing in Ireland. The stones, which might have been gravestones or territorial markers, were inscribed using the ogham alphabet – a series of strokes along or across a line. The letters were read from the left-hand side bottom up.
The stones were carved in the fifth and sixth centuries. Seven were discovered in 1838 in nearby Beaufort village and one (the larger central stone) was found near a ruined church in the village of Kilbonane. Ogham stones were not unique to Dunloe or to Ireland: There are over 400 stones in more than 20 sites in four countries – Ireland, England, Wales, and Scotland.
Curious about the markings, I learned that the ogham alphabet was sometimes called the “Celtic Tree Alphabet” because some letters were linked to Old Irish names for specific trees. Two examples were “straif” (blackthorn) and “ruis” (elder), with a single stroke separating the two.
Dingle Bay
We climbed back on board the bus and headed to Dingle Bay, located on the north coast of the peninsula near the town of Kilkeehagh. On a clear day this would have made for a beautiful photo op – a verdant landscape, yellow blooms on nearby shrubs, the rocky coastline. But it wasn’t a clear day. No matter, as Jill and I braved the elements to step outside the bus for a better view of the scenic bay.
We climbed back on board the bus and headed to Dingle Bay, located on the north coast of the peninsula near the town of Kilkeehagh. On a clear day this would have made for a beautiful photo op – a verdant landscape, yellow blooms on nearby shrubs, the rocky coastline. But it wasn’t a clear day. No matter, as Jill and I braved the elements to step outside the bus for a better view of the scenic bay.
Skellig Experience Visitor Center
At the western tip of the peninsula, we crossed an estuary near the village of Portmagee to reach Valencia Island. There we stopped at the Skellig Experience Visitor Center, where we learned about the Skellig Islands.
At the western tip of the peninsula, we crossed an estuary near the village of Portmagee to reach Valencia Island. There we stopped at the Skellig Experience Visitor Center, where we learned about the Skellig Islands.
We meandered through a small hall with exhibits about the Skellig Islands, reading the storyboards as we went. Then we watched a short video, Island on the Edge of the World, that told the history of the Skellig Islands – Little Skellig and Skellig Michael, also known as Great Skellig because it is the larger of the two islands.
The twin islands, which are about eight miles off the coast, are rocky crags that were formed more than 300 million years ago. Once part of the mainland, the islands were separated by a rising ocean. Great Skellig, which rises 714 feet above sea level, was home to a seventh century Christian monastery that was built high atop the rocks.
fHad the weather been better, we would have seen the islands from the shore. And with more time, we might have taken a ferry to Skellig Michael. On another trip, perhaps. We did, however, have time for a hearty lunch of beef stew and Irish soda bread at the cafe in the visitors’ center.
As we boarded the bus for a one-hour drive to Sneem, Bryan told us that Skellig Michael was the filming location for Luke Skywalker’s hideaway planet. May the force be with you!
As we boarded the bus for a one-hour drive to Sneem, Bryan told us that Skellig Michael was the filming location for Luke Skywalker’s hideaway planet. May the force be with you!
Time to Shop, But First…
I read this comment about Ireland as I prepped for our trip: “Some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen in my life were in Ireland.” Four days into our tour, I whole-heartedly agreed! And so, it didn’t surprise me to gaze at yet another scenic view from a lookout point near the town of Beenarourke.
Jill and I stepped off the bus and walked a short distance to have an unobstructed view. In one direction we saw farms nestled at the foot of several tall hills that were shrouded in a low-hanging cloud. Hedgerows separated one green pasture from another. Sheep grazed in the distance.
I read this comment about Ireland as I prepped for our trip: “Some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen in my life were in Ireland.” Four days into our tour, I whole-heartedly agreed! And so, it didn’t surprise me to gaze at yet another scenic view from a lookout point near the town of Beenarourke.
Jill and I stepped off the bus and walked a short distance to have an unobstructed view. In one direction we saw farms nestled at the foot of several tall hills that were shrouded in a low-hanging cloud. Hedgerows separated one green pasture from another. Sheep grazed in the distance.
In the other direction, below the road we stood on, the hill in varied colors sloped towards the sea. The waves rolled towards the rugged shore and became whitecaps when they reached the rocks. Those scenes are spectacular!
A short while later we arrived in the village of Sneem, located on the southern coast of the peninsula. A river runs through it – the River Sneem – and this day, after all the rain the past several days, it flowed fast and furious.
I had been looking for “the right” sweater – Irish wool, of course – since we started our tour. Bryan told me that I might be in luck, as there was a Quill’s Woolen Market in Sneen. Guess what? He was right! I tried on several sweaters, and with Jill’s input, purchased the one you see in this photo, (taken on the road to Galway). I won’t get much use out of the sweater at my desert home near Phoenix, but it served me well in Ireland for the rest of the trip! By the way, in the photo you can see that Jill and I were “wearing the green” in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
Killarney Lakes and National Park
From Sneem we headed east towards Kenmare, and then north to Molls’ Gap, a mountain pass on the road to Killarney. As we neared Molls’ Gap, we learned (from Bryan) that it was named for Moll Kissane, who ran a small pub nearby in the 1820s. A bit further on, Bryan parked the bus at Ladies View in honor of Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, who stopped there during a royal visit in 1861. The landscape included the upper portions of the Lakes of Killarney, and the views were breathtaking!
From Sneem we headed east towards Kenmare, and then north to Molls’ Gap, a mountain pass on the road to Killarney. As we neared Molls’ Gap, we learned (from Bryan) that it was named for Moll Kissane, who ran a small pub nearby in the 1820s. A bit further on, Bryan parked the bus at Ladies View in honor of Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, who stopped there during a royal visit in 1861. The landscape included the upper portions of the Lakes of Killarney, and the views were breathtaking!
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The tour ended with a drive through a portion of the 26,000-acre Killarney National Park, which was the first national park in Ireland. The park was created from an estate that had been donated to the recently independent country in 1932 and was expanded over the years to encompass nearly 26,000 acres and Ireland’s tallest mountain, Carrauntoohill (3,300 feet).
Riding A Jaunting Car
We arrived back in Killarney late afternoon, where we had a couple of hours of free time before dinner. Jill was ready to put her feet up, so she headed to the hotel. Me? I headed to the carriage stand across from the hotel, where I joined six fellow travelers on a one-hour ride through the lower portion of Killarney National Park on a “jaunting car.”
“So, what’s a jaunting car?” you ask. It’s the name given to a two-wheel horse-drawn carriage. As I was first on the carriage, I snagged the front bench. This put me next to Mike, our driver, and directly behind Bobby, the horse who pulled our carriage. Talk about a birds-eye view!
We arrived back in Killarney late afternoon, where we had a couple of hours of free time before dinner. Jill was ready to put her feet up, so she headed to the hotel. Me? I headed to the carriage stand across from the hotel, where I joined six fellow travelers on a one-hour ride through the lower portion of Killarney National Park on a “jaunting car.”
“So, what’s a jaunting car?” you ask. It’s the name given to a two-wheel horse-drawn carriage. As I was first on the carriage, I snagged the front bench. This put me next to Mike, our driver, and directly behind Bobby, the horse who pulled our carriage. Talk about a birds-eye view!
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We left the carriage stand and headed down Beech Road. A short distance later, we entered the park near St. Mary’s Cathedral. As Bobby’s hooves clippety-clopped on the paved trail, we got a glimpse of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, a sandstone mountain range that stretched 12 miles across County Kerry.
The ride was sooooo relaxing – picturesque scenery, a rhythmic beat from Bobby’s hooves, and “wow” moments as we rounded each bend on the trail. One of those moments was this scenic view of the Lakes of Killarney. |
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Around another bend we spotted Ross Castle, located on the far edge of Killarney’s lower lake. It was built in the 15th-century by O’Donoghue Mor. Mike told us that there was a legend about O’Donohughue – that he lay in deep slumber under the waters of Lough Leane, and rose from the lake on a white steed the first morning of May every seven years.
Just before we left the park, Mike spotted a Red Deer – a fawn, actually -- in the rushes along the trail. It’s pretty well camouflaged, but you might make out its face in the middle of this photo.
We Had Great Craic
Jill and I had dinner at The Laurels, a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. We sat at a table by the window and watched the world go by, as we sipped our lagers and ate our meals.
Jill and I had dinner at The Laurels, a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. We sat at a table by the window and watched the world go by, as we sipped our lagers and ate our meals.
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“Craic” (pronounced “crack”) was a term that Jill and I learned this evening. It had many meanings, including fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation. We also learned that there were degrees of craic: “minus craic” meant you might as well have stayed home; “good craic” meant you had a fair time; and “great craic” meant great company and great fun. Our goal for the evening was to have great craic!
Our fun began at O’Connors, a pub that was filled with “locals.” We ordered half pints of Guinness and stood at the bar, where we watched a game on TV that seemed to resemble soccer. But it wasn’t soccer. We asked a nearby couple what the game was. “It’s GAA,” they said, “the national sport of Ireland.” They explained the basics of GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) to us, and somewhere in the conversation we learned that they were from Dublin and in Killarney for a St. Paddy’s Day holiday. Twenty minutes later, still talking, drinking and rooting for “our favorite team,” our new friends invited us to join them at Failte, a traditional pub. To Jill and me, this sounded like great craic!
Our fun began at O’Connors, a pub that was filled with “locals.” We ordered half pints of Guinness and stood at the bar, where we watched a game on TV that seemed to resemble soccer. But it wasn’t soccer. We asked a nearby couple what the game was. “It’s GAA,” they said, “the national sport of Ireland.” They explained the basics of GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) to us, and somewhere in the conversation we learned that they were from Dublin and in Killarney for a St. Paddy’s Day holiday. Twenty minutes later, still talking, drinking and rooting for “our favorite team,” our new friends invited us to join them at Failte, a traditional pub. To Jill and me, this sounded like great craic!
Failte was jam-packed. Live music was pounding from the speakers, people were singing loudly, and the beer was flowing. Our friends bought us a round (a Murphy stout for me), and we sat at a high-top table with others. Conversation? I had to yell to be heard!
There was a young man next to me – his name was Robert – and we struck up a conversation. Robert, who was from Cologne, Germany, lived and worked in Killarney, where he fell in love with an Irish lass. Robert was drinking whiskey and insisted on buying a glass of Jameson for me. And then he told me a secret that he hadn’t yet shared with anyone else: His girlfriend was pregnant, and he was a happy man! Clink went our glasses. It felt good to be his confidante.
Failte got louder and louder (or was it the effects of the beers and whiskey?). Music, conversation, and singing all around us. My turn to buy a round.
Too soon, it seemed, it was time to say goodnight to our friends. We had another early wake-up call ahead of us tomorrow, when we would travel from Killarney to Galway with a full day of sightseeing stops along the way.
It was another memorable day in Ireland for Jill and me – awesome scenery on our tour of the Ring of Kerry and lots of merriment and fun spending our evening with locals. Yep…it was GREAT CRAIC!
Too soon, it seemed, it was time to say goodnight to our friends. We had another early wake-up call ahead of us tomorrow, when we would travel from Killarney to Galway with a full day of sightseeing stops along the way.
It was another memorable day in Ireland for Jill and me – awesome scenery on our tour of the Ring of Kerry and lots of merriment and fun spending our evening with locals. Yep…it was GREAT CRAIC!