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Published: July 12th 2010
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Up early 7am had that great breakie and off I set to drive the ring of Kerry It’s a road that leads you all the way around the county of Kerry. Along the way I passed through several quaint little towns and a few larger country towns. I passed many a beautiful lough , the amount of water they here it just in abundance. The ring of Kerry also took me through lovely little coastal areas and when I looked back at where I had came from there was the odd house nestled in the side of the mountain some of them with blacked socked sheep very cute. The scenery is just spectacular I can’t emphasize enough to anyone if you are going to Ireland stay at Killarney and make it a few days at least.
My first stop was Killarney National Park this park was literally two minutes out from the town centre. Across from the entrance was St Mary’s Cathedral, It was massive I thought I might go and have a look see! there seemed to be a lot of people over there, it wasn’t until I got a little closer and realized a funeral was on oops!!! I
Tea House
The Detail on the roof was lovely turned back and hoped no one saw me, Aussie tourist about to crash a local funeral how grand.
Into the park I go again very green and beautiful there was a little house with a thatch roof this must be a fine art as there was a lot of detail in the roof. The house was being painted and it offering morning teas, maybe later. You know with all the rain that there has been the trade’s men keep working no downing the tools here.
I headed off down the path towards Ross Castle apparently there is over 3500 castles throughout Ireland not all are standing, every now and then as your driving you will see a remainder of what was a castle. It was about a 2.5 k walk I was totally in my element, there’s something about Kilarney that’s truly infectious. There were ducks, deer, and birds the locals’ obviously take advantage of the grounds walking their dogs, and why you wouldn’t the place just feels great.
I reached Ross Castle it wasn’t what you would call a large castle as far as castle go I suppose. It was built buy the O’Donoghues in the 1400s there
Killarney National Park
The Path to Ross Castle was only parts of the castle remaining after time. The shire has done a lot of restoration work on it and local trades me had to learn how to replicate the skills of the builders such as weaving wicker. I made my way back to the main street and head of to do the Ring of Kerry.
I stopped and bought some local strawberries form a little stall along the ring of Kerry, the stall was set up on the side of the road overlooking the ocean. The strawberries were just delicious very sweet. I should have bought two pun nets (miss piggy). I asked the young man who much longer until I reach Killarney (my pronunciation Kill Arney) he quickly corrected me and pronounced it Klarney, with a touch of an Irish accent to its makes a difference. Only an hour or so to go he stated! yeh right try three hours later.
The drive took me about four hours in total it was a shame the weather was so bad the views would have been so much nicer on a clear day. I eventually returned to Killarney after following a tour bus, I Was a little nervous that
Ross Castel
About a 1.5km walk from the entrance of the Park I was lost especially after being told I was only an hour away from Killarney.
I followed the bus into another entrance to the Killarney National Park where the Muchross homestead was situated another great piece of Architecture. About 1.5k into the grounds was Muchross Abbey, I found the Abbey the most interesting it housed the Observantine Franciscans and it was said that the Abbey once had in its possession the statue of the Virgin Mary. The Abbey walls we covered in plaques and it was full of graves, the graves on the inside of the Abbey must have been of prominent people within the community. The most impressive was of a lady whose husband wanted to show his gratitude to his wife. He went on to say what a generous soul she was and that time was no factor in her life she gave to those in need and those within the community. They must have had a lot of money to have been able to leave her legacy for all us to see.
Of I head again for Cork, a two and half hour drive, I arrived at Cork it was bumper to bumper and I found
myself down a tiny lane which I might add was a dead end there was no way I could reverse out! very ready to cry at this point. Complete panic set in so then I decide to turn around inch by inch it took me about ten minutes’ lots of sweat and swearing. I don’t know who got it the wrong lonely planet’s incorrect address or TOM. But I can tell you they got of good serve of me as I was turning around.
With stem coming out of my ears I took off out of the town and gave up on finding the Hostel, I found a B & B, Not a very nice one but I could park my car safely and I was out of the rain. Good Night everybody I’m stuffed.
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