
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
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!
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
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!
at 3:39 pm
I did the Ring of Kerry a few years ago (and am headed back again this summer). And I am really looking forward to your post about Dingle Peninsula. I’ve been intrigued and hope to make my way there this summer.
Ciao!
at 10:38 pm
Very cool…I haven’t been to Ireland yet but it is on my list…I love the castle pictures. I love to visit castles–ruins, hotels, castles that are just there or touristy!
at 9:33 am
Ireland is on my list, too!
You’re right, having a car is the way to go much of the time. We did a bus/walking tour once with a group. It was a good time, but there were times we dearly missed the option of having our own transportation so we could linger where we wanted to take photos or dawdle over a cuppa.
Great story and pix. I always like how just enough rain and/or overcast weather helps bring out the brilliant colors of some things.
at 12:16 pm
Nice Photos! I’d love to go back and do more traveling there. Thanks for bringing some inspiration to my day!
at 5:16 pm
I haven’t been to Ireland either – these photos are great inspiration! Thanks for joining in.
at 5:08 pm
I drove this many years ago in mediocre weather. Fantastic scenery beautifully reminded by your photos. And great to see a new travel blog popping up. Good luck.
at 3:24 pm
Hi! I’m the Community Manager of Ruba.com. We’re building a website to highlight some of the most interesting places travelers around the world have discovered. We’ve read hundreds of blogs about the Ireland, and we think that yours is awesome! We’d love to highlight excerpts from blogs like yours (assuming it’s OK with you of course) and to discuss other ways of tapping into your expertise if you are interested. I’m at erin@ruba.com.
Thanks! 🙂