The great thing about touring a new region is that you never quite know what sight will greet you around the next corner. Such was the case on the Ring of Kerry, which boasted everything from fertile fields to steep coastal cliffs, marshy bogs to expansive beaches. For instance we passed this surfing paradise. Now if only the water were warm...
When driving the scenic Ring of Kerry there is the option of lengthening the route by also touring the Ring of Skellig and Valencia Island, both of which we were keen to see. From the top of Valencia Island we had this fabulous view of a coastguard lighthouse.
We could not help but investigate this lighthouse further so we ventured onto our first "grass in the middle" road. It was a small path that weaved back and forth down a steep hill with 180 degree turns. Getting down it was relatively simple, but returning up was a bit like a roller-coaster ride. Between managing the steep incline and driving a standard vehicle Rebecca had to take the sharp turns at an alarming pace. I'm sure glad I wasn't the driver! Down by the lighthouse we caught the water at the end of low tide and got to investigate the rocky shores. We also came across an old pier, or perhaps break-wall, and a house in ruins which was humorously listed as "For Sale" on a nearby real estate sign.
On the Ring of Skellig, we were able to look towards the sea and spy the two dark shadows of the Skellig Islands. The bigger island, Skellig Michael, is a UNESCO world heritage site as it boasts an early Christian monastery from the sixth century. It is possible to visit the site by boat from the town of Portmagee. It confounds me to think that someone once thought it would be a good idea to row out and live on a tiny island at sea.
By this point in our drive we were fairly confident in our 'off-road' abilities, and therefore jumped at the opportunity to follow signs to the "Bolus Head". At first I doubted our direction, stating that this new road looked like someone's driveway, but we were following signs so what could go wrong? Well, first we had to pull off the road to allow a tractor past. Then when we were precariously perched along a cliff, an Irish Post vehicle miraculously squeezed past us on a road designed for one. He greeted all of our shocked faces with a jolly "Hello" through his open window. Despite a waning confidence in our choice of path we continued on until we stopped behind an old farmer who was opening gates beside the road. He kept looking at us strangely before getting back into his vehicle and driving around the corner. We followed him on his way.... only to end up in his farmyard at the end of the road! We were killing ourselves laughing, and only Kelsey was brave enough to face the embarrassment and explain that we had got lost looking for the Bolus Head. The farmer had to explain that the Bolus Head was a walking loop! He said some other things too but his accent was so thick that no one could understand.
If you look carefully at the picture below you will see a small shack roof set apart in the middle of the picture. That would be the farmyard we ended up in. Also look carefully at the signs below. While the big sign clearly points to Bolus Head, the top sign advertises the national looped walk. Always read the small print, unless of course you want a hilarious travel story!
We ended our drive by passing through Killarney National Park, a place I would highly consider returning to for hiking or other outdoor activities. Once again the landscape changes as you move away from the sea into the interior. The hills are dominated by exposed rock and there are more trees. We were pleased to find sheep on the road; a true Irish experience. Since there aren't always fences, sheep are painted on their rear with a colour to distinguish what flock they come from.
We stopped near a lake to take some pictures. This landscape surprisingly reminded me of the Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario.
Nearby was the Torc waterfall a short hike off the main road. The waterfall was nice, but what I found really neat was the moss which scaled the entire length of the trees. I touched some moss, expecting it to be wet, but it was all entirely bone dry.
As we left the park, we passed a Red Deer farm and got to see the animals (which are closely related to elk). The Red Deer is a symbol of the National Park, but I am not sure if there are many left in the wild anymore. Our arrival in Killarney marked the end of our day's drive. Killarney is a lovely tourist town, but we did not have much time to investigate it as we arrived in the evening and left again early the next day. Sadly I was dropped off by my visitors in Limerick as they returned to Dublin to catch a flight home.
A huge thank you goes out to Rebecca, Garnet, Carley and Kelsey for coming to visit me. I was so thrilled to be able to experience this important segment of Ireland with you!
Cheers,
Shannon
Love this story - sounds like you had great fun!!!! Kim and Pat
ReplyDelete