Day Three: The Ring of Kerry
On the third day of our trip we explored an area of western Ireland referred to as The Ring of Kerry. This 112 mile route around the Lakes of Killarney is full of breathe-taking views. It is an area that is a balance of rural villages and beaches, with ample wildlife (sheep) and lush green fields. Most of the day we spent getting on and off the bus as we drove the route, unfortunately though I had extreme motion sickness that day and it was not the most ideal way to spend the day.
The first stop of the morning was a small museum called The Kerry Bog Village. This was a recreation of an 18th/19th century village that produced bog for local areas. Bog is a naturally occurring product (referred to as peet grass in the US) that when dried out can become flammable and be used as a type of fuel. There were numerous neat things at the museum, particularly the statue of King Puck. This statue of a goat is in honor of an old Pagen tradition in which the local village would select a goat from the wild, clean it up, place a crown on its head and keep it in the middle of town for three days while having a huge celebration. The goat is treated like a king for the three days of the festivities and then released back into the wild. They actually still participate in the tradition today! The Irish Wolfhounds and miniature ponies stole my heart though! Additionally, they had life size recreations of the homes and workspaces of real villages from hundreds of years ago.
We returned to the road and stopped at multiple spots along the route. We stopped at a small beach covered in rocks and pebbles. This spot was the coastal hideaway of the infamous Charlie Chaplin and his family in the early 1900's. After we left the beach the highlight of the day occurred We had stopped for another scenic view and we had a chance encounter with a man with baby lambs and a deer. I got to hold two of the lambs and see a 2-day old deer! It was absolutely magical and they were so soft and sweet. From there was stopped for lunch and I chose the traditional Shepherd's Pie. I must admit that my homemade version is much better! After lunch we finished the tour of the Ring of Kerry and made a pitstop in a small town called Sneem. It was absolutely beautiful and I found many cute souvenirs My favorite thing I saw was a bike bell that said "Pog Mo Thoin" aka Irish for "Kiss My Butt!"
When we arrived back in Killarney late that afternoon some people took the opportunity to take a ride on the famed Jaunting Carts, but I still did not feel well so I opted for a rest in the hotel and spent time working on my travel journal. When everyone returned we had dinner and then I headed into town with a small group. We were in luck that evening, because some of the main streets had been blocked off for a road race and we partook in all the festivities. Killarney is a great example of a bustling town, that is still very walkable and has the small town vibe while offering lots of options. When we heard about the race we got hot chocolates, found a spot by the DJ (playing amazing music!), and cheered on the marathon runners as they finished their 26.2 mile journey! We finally headed back to the hotel and got to bed soon after, because we had a big day in store the next day.... Blarney Castle!!
I couldn't fit day 3 & 4 in one post, so check in later (or tomorrow) for more on Kissing the Blarney Stone and the Rock of Cashel!
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