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Great views!

Great views!

The Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula are not to be missed on a trip to Ireland. There are rolling hills, green fields, mountains and cliffs that seem to fall into the sea. You will find castles to climb, winding roads to navigate (on the left side, very different from the US experience!) Cheryl drove the TINY roads, whizzing between huge tour buses and bicyclists as though she had done this forever — I hung on for dear life hoping not to pitch off of a cliff! There were ruins of castles along every road and sheep everywhere! We got kissed by a Bog Pony and had a baby Donkey come running over to have his head scratched. That was just the beginning of what the drive had in store for us.

Friendly donkeys

Friendly donkeys

Prices for motor coach tours were exorbitant – and even more importantly – we didn’t want to be a part of the “tour bus” crowd. Our answer was to rent a car for a few days to take in the sights on our own. What an experience that was! Well worth being able to stop when and where you wanted and to stay for whatever amount of time we wanted.

The 180km (112 mile) journey called The Ring of Kerry is known for its magnificent and inspiring scenery.

Pretty flowers with great views!

Pretty flowers with great views!

Craggy, sea-sprayed cliffs; boggy villages; and glorious meadows stretching out as far the eye can see – if the eye could see it. It was pouring rain on the day we drove the route. The slow, steady drizzle we’d woken up to had progressed into a full-blown sog fest. Clouds hung so low it was impossible to see more than a few feet off the ground, but if we could have seen, I’m positive the views would have been spectacular.

But, we had raincoats, wool socks, and a packed lunch looking for a picnic, so we did what most soggy travelers do – we got out and climbed the mossy steps to the ruins of Ballycarbery Castle. I felt whisked back in time, imagining the legions of Bravehart crossing the sea in the foggy distance. It was a day spent in historic exploration. Being from a country as young as the United States, sometimes it’s hard to get the mind around a place like Staigue Fort. Mulling over a stone fort built over 2,500 years ago, imagining what the people were once like, how they lived their daily lives. It takes you away, far back in time..

Ruins of castles

Ruins of castles


Other things to see during the drive include: Gap of Dunloe, Bog Village, Staigue Fort, Molls Gap, Ladies View, Torc Waterfall, Muckross House, St Mary’s Cathedral, Muckross Abbey, Franciscan Friary, and the Beehive Cells (scattered around several locations).

The Ring of Kerry drive is a very popular route and you can find several tour buses that will take you on the journey. If you do decide to drive on your own as we did, consider that the tour buses follow a counter clock-wide route. If you do not want to get stuck behind a long line of slow moving tour buses, take the clock-wise route and avoid those delays!

Next stop, Dingle Peninsula!

Thanks to Deliciousbaby.com for hosting the FUN Photo Fridays!

 

About the author: whatboundaries