Mystical, Magical Killarney

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We were promised wi-fi internet in this hotel but my computer does not even note that there is a wireless connection available. At the last hotel, we had not been promised wi-fi but turns out they had it and we could get a weak signal. Here, nothing. But they do have a computer in the lounge for guests to use so I checked the weather forecast last night. Gloomy. As usual, we woke up this morning and Mark looked out the window. “It’s overcast and raining.” At least our hearts will never give out from the shock.
We slept in a bit today as we had decided to stick pretty close to the local area and explore the National Park. We went down to breakfast at about 9:15. We were greeted warmly by the waitress and handed a large menu. We could choose from it anything that we wanted, one of each if we had chosen. I ordered two eggs and sausage and Mark ordered French toast with stewed apricots. While we were waiting for our breakfast to arrive, a jolly man walked in to the dining room and over to our table with his hand out. “You must be Mark,” he said as he shook Mark’s hand. “I’m Mike. I came looking for you last night to welcome you to Killeen House but you’d already slipped out.” Mike and his wife Geraldine (who came and greeted us just as warmly a few minutes later) own the hotel and run it with efficiency, warmth and a great deal of humor. Mike asked us what we planned to do and we told him we thought we would stick to the local sites today. He listed off a half dozen things to do in the National Park and made us promise to see him before we left so he could give us thorough directions and information. He asked us how long we had been in Ireland and he lamented that the weather hadn’t been too cooperative for our visit. I said we had planned for cool temperatures and rain so it wasn’t unexpected. I said, “We didn’t come to Ireland for the weather!” He said, “You know what they say. You can’t get 40 shades of green without 80 inches of rain!” That I believe!
Mike did produce the excellent directions and information he had promised and we set off. It was about a fifteen minute drive from the hotel to the National Park parking lot. And we didn’t have to backtrack once! One of the major sites of the National Park is the Muckross House Estate and Garden. Adjacent to that is a farm living history museum. We went to that first which was basically a recreation of various types of farms (small, medium and large) and how they lived in rural Ireland in the 1920s and 1930s, before electricity. There were interpreters in each house and they told us a bit about life in those quiet days. There was a fire burning in each house and the fuel being used was half wood and half “turf” or peat. One woman said the turf burned more evenly but faster whereas the wood burnt slower but tended to have hot spots. A combination worked the best. We saw all kinds of animals (cows, horses, mules, dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, geese) but no sheep. Our son is 19 and working during his summer break from college so couldn’t come with us. He wasn’t too disappointed, though, because when we told him we were going to Ireland, he paused then said, “I don’t think there’s much to see there except green hills and sheep.” So here we were on this farm museum landscape and the only animal we hadn’t seen was sheep! I finally started taking pictures of the livestock so I could prove to him there is more than sheep in Ireland. Eventually there was a pasture with a few sheep but we really got the giggles looking at all of the non-sheep farm animals.
After the farm museum, we walked across the parking lot to the Muckross House, a large Victorian estate built on the shore of one of the lakes of what is now the Killarney National Park. The Muckross House was built by the Herbert family and is a grand, sprawling home with room after room after room of fabulous furniture and fittings. It is quite a popular attraction and we had to wait nearly an hour for our tour to commence. However, it was covered by the Irish Heritage Card, as was the Farm museum, so that was a bonus. If you are reading this because you are planning a trip to Ireland (which I can’t imagine you are, it’s a little long winded, don’t you think?) don’t miss out on the Irish Heritage Card. It is a deal. The highlight of the tour was when we went and visited the rooms that Queen Victoria slept and stayed in when she visited Muckross House in 1861. The Herberts had spent 6 years and an absolute fortune in preparation for her visit, thinking that they would receive a title or some land for their hospitality. As luck would have it, two months after her two night visit, Prince Albert died, Victoria went into mourning and forgot all about the Herberts. They had spent so much money on preparations for her visit that they had to declare bankruptcy. (Which, children, that proves the old saying, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.) The house got passed around for a bit but an American couple eventually bought it and gave it to their daughter as a wedding present. (Which, children, proves the old saying that it pays to marry into the right family.) When the daughter died a few years later, the couple that purchased the property and their son-in-law donated the property to the Irish government so that they could open their first national park. The guide did a great job of explaining how the upstairs and downstairs people lived. On one landing, there was a large frosted window. The guide told us it was made of crystal so that the people of the house could not look out into the courtyard and see the workers laboring. Really, it must offend sensibilities to have to see that!
All around Muckross House, there are men with horses and small carts called jaunting cars. You can hire them and they will take you for a ride around the lake. I wanted to do that and Mark wasn’t so sure but it wasn’t that expensive (30 Euros for about 40 minutes—cheaper than the horse drawn carriages in Central Park) so we decided to go ahead. The cart was very small, just big enough for two people on each side. There is not a separate seat for the driver so he sat across from us. The driver was not very talkative for an Irish man but did point out various sites around the lake. It had been raining off and on (I know you’re shocked, try and contain yourselves) and he offered us a blanket. Mark asked him is business was off because of the weather and he said it wasn’t too bad. He drove us for about 15 minutes and then pulled up into a wooded area. He pointed to a trail and said there was a waterfall up at the top, we could walk up there and he would wait for us. Now picture this: it’s a cloudy day, showers at times, and we start up this 4-foot wide trail which has 3 ½ feet of mud in the middle of it that quickly, thankfully, gave way to gravel. The stream from the waterfall was on our left and from its banks and continuing up the hill to our right was a huge variety of trees, the trunks of which were all covered with layers of mosses and lichens. The rocks were also enveloped in moss and the ground was blanketed with innumerable varieties of ferns, plants and grasses. Everywhere you looked was a different shade of green, all under this canopy of trees. And every now and again, a wild flower would have taken root and there would be a burst of color. We both remarked how we could see where the leprechaun came from: a misty day, a hundred shades of green, a shadow moved. It was positively mystical. The waterfall was also lovely but the walk to the waterfall is what I think we will both remember.
We returned to our jaunting car and he took us back to the starting point which was right by Muckross House. After a picture in the cart (I think that’s required) we paid and departed and returned to our car. We left the Muckross House area and traveled about 5 minutes to Ross Castle, a tower castle on the shores of the lake. We used our Irish Heritage Card for entry (we think we’re making money on them now!) and took the tour of the four levels of the castle. The guide did a great job of explaining how difficult life was back in the 13 and 1400s. They were attacked constantly by neighboring tribes, they couldn’t trust anyone, everyone was out to get the tribal chief. I turned to Mark and said, “Why would anyone want to be the chief?” Then the guide said, “On your way up to the next floor, notice the small room off the staircase. That’s where the chief’s tax collector collected the taxes.” Ahhhh, THAT’S why they’d want the job. She also said that, due primarily to lead in the dishes, life expectancy at this time was about 28 years. I thought about the poor peasant farmers who probably grumbled because the lord had metal dishes and he only had wood. But then the poor farmer probably died from some dreaded lung disease from breathing in all the peat smoke so what the heck. It was not an easy life!
By now it was about 5:00 so we headed back to the hotel and relaxed in the room for a while. Mark took a nap while I worked on the blog. I finally found an internet connection down in the lounge (low but workable) so uploaded some entries. At about 7:30 we dressed for dinner (read: I work capris, a sweater and tennis shoes and Mark wore a shirt and slacks. Not exactly dressy but neither of us had worn either set of clothing while in Ireland so it was a treat!) and proceeded down to the restaurant in the hotel. The hotel is quite small (I think it’s 23 rooms) but they have a world class chef in their restaurant. The restaurant, called Rozzers, has two sections. Only the small section was open tonight—Sunday must be a slow out to eat night in Killarney. The person on duty tonight—not Charlie but another friendly young man—invited us into the bar, took our drink order (I had a G&T with Cork gin—this one’s for you, Mom!) and Mark had a Guinness. The waitress brought us menus, still in the bar, and we ordered dinner. After about 10 minutes, the waitress reappeared and said our meal was ready and showed us into the dining room, which was well appointed with candles, linen and colorful chargers. The menu is prix fixe (55 Euros) for 4 courses. Between the two of us we actually ordered 4 courses, though I had 3 and mark and 5. I had a cream of vegetable soup that was outstanding and a rack of lamb. Mark ordered the smoked salmon appetizer, the house salad, and breast of duck for his main course. Everything was superb, the best meal by a long shot that we had had in Ireland. Of course, most of the time we had been eating in the pubs but still. Mike came by the table to inquire about our day and check on our dinner. We told him it was wonderful and that if his chef opened a restaurant in New York, it would be standing room only. He said, “I wish I had that problem here.” The restaurant has been open for 11 years so I don’t think things are too bad. Still, it is amazing that word hasn’t spread more about this place. It is an absolutely idyllic hotel on a quiet road with a world class restaurant close to lots of tourist attractions, and it’s in Agadhoe, County Killarney, Ireland. It was a magical ending to a wonderful day.
I think my entries are getting longer and longer but each day, Mark says, “Today was my favorite day. It can’t get better than this.” I think I’ll go to bed now and see what wonders tomorrow brings.

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