Killarney and the Ring of Kerry
Small & scenic
Killarney is a wonderful little place. I spent a weekend there in mid-February, and though it may have looked nicer in the spring or summer when everything was greener, the lack of hordes of tourists was nice. Killarney is a very popular vacation spot for Internationals and the Irish alike, and is located in County Kerry in the southwestern portion of the Ireland, somewhat near water. Its proximity to Dingle Bay and the Ring of Kerry makes it especially ideal as a stop-off place for tours of these beautiful regions, though it is definately nice in its own respect. A weekend, though, is probably enough to take in the area.
We left early Friday morning on the 9 am bus to Limerick, which was about 4 hours, and then from there another two hours to Killarney. You have to remember, during the winter season in Ireland, the sun doesn�t really rise until at least 8 am, and sets around 4 or 5 pm. It was already getting pretty late, but we all valiantly decided on some touring. We split into two groups, and I went with the larger one on a trek to find and explore the National Park. It was starting to rain lightly, but I was prepared (good Girl Scout that I am) with my trusty gore-tex raincoat. So off we set, marching through the woods on a paved (but very puddly and horse-besmirched) path.
Our destination was Ross Castle. We met few other travelers on our trek, and by the time we arrived at the Castle it was raining in earnest and no one was about. We had the castle to ourselves! We climbed about a bit and tried to summon ghosts, unsuccessfully (unfortunately or fortunately, I am not certain). The castle was eerily lit up by floodlights that caused us to cast looming shadows on the walls as we capered around in the rain. Also, it's set right on a lake and surrounded by forest, and the feeling of isolation was complete. As we were heading back my portion of the group was separated from the rest and we wandered around lost in the woods for a half an hour, in the driving rain, in the dark. Oops. And some townies thought it would be funny to mess with us, and put a tree in our path, and screamed like banshees in the woods. But never fear, we four made it back alive and soggy.
That night we went to a pub with a live Irish rock band playing, and hung out. I talked with a student from South Africa also on vacation, while my friends danced up a storm with some elderly Irish gentlemen. :)
The hostel we stayed in had 9 beds to a room, so two of our group stayed in another room. It was like a dorm, with a kitchen, and was nice. I�m getting used to staying in hostels, truly a European phenomenon. While we were there, we hung out with each other, and got to know one another better, while also talking with very interesting people from all over the world. Hostels are definately a good way to meet people.
The next day we took a bus tour to see the Ring of Kerry, a terrifically beautiful tourist route around Co. Kerry. Unfortunately, it was off-season, so most things were closed and the landscape was not at its most spectacular, but it was still fun and pretty. The image to the left is Staigue Fort, near Killarney.
Gap of Dunloe: County Kerry is a very pretty place, with misty mountains and fields. One of the most famous passes through the almost impenetrable mountains is the Gap of Dunloe.
We stopped at the Kerry Bog Village, which had thatched houses decorated with furniture from the early 1800�s. The interior of a house can be seen here.
Caherdaniel Stone Fort: a traditional Irish ring fort, remarkably well preserved.
Ladies' View
Ballinskelligs Bay has purple rocks.
We also saw faery forts, ogham stones, and Dingle Bay.
That night I had a quiet dinner of fish & chips by myself at a local pub, where I fell into conversation with some kind older men from the area. That night we also went to a bar, called Mustang Sally�s, which had a club at the back, and it was my turn to dance up a storm! The music was mostly techno, and some R&B.
Sunday I went window shopping, and bought myself and my mother Irish wool sweaters (mmm...warm). Yeah, it's a tourist thing, but that's what I was: a glorified tourist. And the sweater is fabulously soft and warm. I also got a little lost (notice a trend? I like to think of this as touring creatively), but found my way back in time for the bumpy busride back to Dublin.
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