The Ring of Kerry is one of the places on this trip that I visited with my Grandmother. I was driving on the trip with her, so I was very much looking forward to sitting back and letting Dennis do the driving. I don’t think I’d drive in Ireland again. There is much more traffic now than there was almost 40 years ago.
Driving is not for the faint of heart in Ireland. It is not uncommon on the narrower roads to see side mirrors along the edge. Often times there is no shoulder in which to pull off.
The Ring of Kerry, 179km’s, is one of the most scenic drives in Europe and today it did not disappoint. We were blessed with sunshine all day. This route has it all; amazing scenery, rolling hills and rugged mountains, coastline, lakes, beacahes, bleating sheep, grazing cows, narrow winding roads and every turn is breathtaking. We circled the MacGillycuddy Reeks We travelled the coastline of the Iveragh Peninsula through the towns of Glenbeigh, Cahirciveen, Waterville and Sneem. Sneem provided me with my second 99. Yum. Gorgeous greens everywhere and the views from the various pull off stops were amazing. We stopped to have lunch and one sign said ‘the best view in Ireland, weather permitting’. We had no worries today as the weather obliged. We stopped at Kate Kearney’s pub for supper. It was another delicious meal. After supper the guys treated us to another session before we headed back to our hotel in Killarney.
One of the roadside stops found this gentleman, and his pets, making Brigid’s Cross out of straw or rushes. Love the dog sitting on the donkey.
Eamon O’Doherty sculpture of four monks, on of them being St. Brendan, in a boat held up by 8 oars. It represents the monks voyage to the monastery at Skellig Michael.
Remains of a house or fort.
You can see another ringed fort in this picture.
Deenish and Scariff Islands
Statue of the Virgin Mary at the peak of Beenarourke overlooking the Ballinskelligs Bay.
Love this sign; Fog Permitting.
Lunch stop
Cream of vegetable soup, which seems to be a staple in Ireland, and yummy bread and butter, and sparkling water.
I agree, the views are spectacular fog permitting. We had such great weather.
Kevin and Brian, two of the three music-a-teers, holding up the sign. Com An Chiste.
Yes, there are lovely beaches in Ireland. Beautiful sandy beaches.
The River Sneem
Ladies View – one of the most photographed views in Ireland. Named for the admiration of Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting during her visit to Ireland in 1861.
Ladies View – overlooking the Lakes of Killarney. The three lakes are Loch Leane, Muckross (sometimes called the middle lake) and Upper Lake.
A visit to Kate Kearney’s cottage where we’d have supper and another musical session.
Roast turkey, ham and all the trimmings.
Capped off by some great music. Sheesh, how lucky are these three to be travelling with us.
I walked around Killarney after we got back to our hotel. I visited a church. For someone who is not religious, but maybe spiritual, I do enjoy finding churches and spending time in them. It was a nice quiet evening spent walking and losing my thoughts about how lucky I am to be in Ireland.
I’ll take you for my evening walk around Killarney
Carved from an oak tree. The piece includes a monk, crozier, quill and a book representing the Annals of Inisfallen compiled in and around 1092 on the monastic island of Inisfallen on Killarney’s Lough Leane.” From the Killarney Fansicans Facebook Site.
St. Mary’s Church of Ireland
St Mary’s
Inside St. Mary’s
Stained glass window inside St. Mary’s
Stained glass inside St. Mary’s
Ceiling inside St. Mary’s
Pipe organ in St. Mary’s
The pipes are so pretty.
Rhododendron
Plants grow out of the stone walls.
The Franciscan Friary
Explanation of……
…this.
Methodist church
Laburnum tree – the amount of blossoms is stunning.
Monument erected by Mary McAleese in memory of those from Killarney who served and died in WW1.
Things that make me laugh. ‘ish’ time in Ireland is common.
It appears it was neither day or night when I was out walking. Just what was it?
Ralph, who wasn’t much of a guard dog in the shop. He never woke up when I was there.
The bridge players; Suzanne, Mary, Stephen and Bryce. They were kind enough to let me watch and even let me play two demo hands with them.
So that is a wrap on Killarney. We will head for Dungarvan tomorrow with some adventures along the way. I hope you are enjoying my tour. I’m reliving it as I go through the pictures and remembering so many things. Leave a comment if you wish. All photos are taken by myself unless otherwise noted. Many of these that have no captions were taken along the Ring of Kerry. Truly a beautiful route.
I always look forward to your pictures and comments Hughena. Loved Part 4 and looking forward to the others as well. Thank you for these wonderful memories of our trip.
Suzanne and Steve
I always look forward to your pictures and comments Hughena. Loved Part 4 and looking forward to the others as well. Thank you for these wonderful memories of our trip.
Suzanne and Steve
I enjoy these blogs so much. Your attention to detail and descriptions are amazing..not to mention your beautiful photos. Thank you♡