Dingle Day 2 - Killarney and More

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Today we headed to Killarney and spent several hours at Killarney National Park, including Muckross House, Gardens, and Traditional Farms. The park encompasses more than 25,000 acres and was Ireland’s first National Park. When we toured the Manor House, we missed the English-speaking tour, and rather than wait for the next one, we tagged along with the French-speaking group. My French is a bit rusty, but I was able to understand much - maybe even most - of what the guide said. One of the things that stood out in my recollection of her tale was that the estate was purchased by a wealthy American as a wedding gift for his wife. When she died an untimely death, he was too grief-stricken to stay at Muckross, so he donated the entire estate to Ireland for the enjoyment of all. At least that’s what I understood the tour guide to say. The park’s official website tells the story just a little differently. They say that the estate was purchased by a wealthy American as a wedding gift for his daughter, which is still an amazing tale, though perhaps not quite as romantic.

This quote is on the Killarney National Park website, attributed to Arthur Vincent, the grieving widower:



Grieving but generous father or husband? Either way, the people of Ireland must surely be grateful to the family who offered this wonderful gift that will educate and inspire many future generations. Be sure to check the Killarney National Park website and the Muckross website for some great photos and lots more information.

Another tidbit that I remember from our tour is that the beautiful flowering rhododendrons are so aggressive that they are endangering some of the native oak trees. I can’t imagine that ever being a problem at home in Texas, but then, we’re lucky if a rhododendron grows to be a large shrub of, say, four feet in height. By comparison, we saw rhododendrons all over the countryside in Ireland that were easily more than 15 feet tall, maybe even 20 feet? Amazing. Out of curiosity, I checked the American Rhododendron Society’s website, and the tallest height they list in 10 years growth time is 7 feet. And only 8 varieties that grow in America get that big. There were many more varieties that grow only 3 or 4 feet in 10 years. Of course, I have to assume that Ireland’s rainfall makes the difference. Average annual rainfall in our part of Texas is only about 34” - less than a meter. By contrast, average annual rainfall in Ireland varies from a similar amount in the driest of areas to 109” (2.8 meters) in the wettest areas along the western coast. Equally important, I suspect, is the fact that the rains are more consistent throughout the year in Ireland, whereas it’s not at all unusual for our Texas yard to go without rain for several weeks in a row during the summer months. It’s amazing how the Gulf Stream can make such a difference in the weather.

After a great day at Muckross/Killarney NP, we headed back to Tralee for our second night at the Brandon. But thanks to the very late sunset (about 9:30 PM), we were able to make a detour to drive the scenic route around much of the Dingle Peninsula. We were surprised to find a beautiful sandy beach along the way - the Inch Strand. Don’t know why we were so surprised - I guess we just don’t associate that type of sandy beach with Ireland. On our previous visit to Ireland, we saw lots of coastline, but it was all rocky and somehow more what we expected here.

As we got closer to Tralee, we made one last stop to see the Blennerville Windmill, built in the traditional Dutch style, and said to be the only windmill of its kind still working in Ireland. We were too late to go inside for the tour, so we just admired it and snapped a photo before heading back to our hotel. After a long day with much walking, we were glad to hit the sack.

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