“Oh, the days of
the Kerry dancing
Oh, the ring of the piper's tune
Oh, for one of
those hours of gladness
Gone, alas, like
our youth, too soon!
When the boys
began to gather
In the glen of a summer's night
And the Kerry
piper's tuning
Made us long with
wild delight!
Oh, to think of
it
Oh, to dream of
it
Fills my heart
with tears!”
~The Kerry Dance
Going all this way, I’m crazy not have to soaked up a day
devoted to the famous Ring of Kerry. I found a day tour for this time of year
from
Paddy Wagon Tours
since it’s my only option to see this region.
It’s another day of full excitement from Cork City.
Mórchuaird Chiarraí is a 179 km long
circular tourist route in the southwestern part of County Kerry. It’s a popular
day trip that’s for sure! It’s the longest & the most diverse of Ireland's
big circle drives that combines breathtaking coastal scenery with emerald
pastures & villages tied in with medieval ruins, mountains & loughs.
 |
| Beach in Waterville |
I felt like I
spent my day in an enchanted forest about a wee couple of hours from Cork. Cork
happens to be Ireland's second largest city, but it claims to be home to the
real capital of Ireland. It’s known as the “rebel county” dancing to its own
beat during Michael Collins times.
Just outside of Cork lies Cohb which is the second largest harbor in the
world, followed by Sydney. Sad to say that I haven’t made it there, but I have visited Sydney tho! I have had a
long day in the car basically soaking up the beauty of the famous coastal
route. I could of hiked that Ring of Kerry but during this time of the year
& since I’m on a short holiday the day trip was the way to go. Breathtaking scenery made my day. I learned that Killarney has the most hostels in Ireland,
trout fishing is big in these parts & you can only drive one way on the
famous ring (well, if your a coach for sure cos the roads are so narrow). I
wish that I can say that I have gotten a photograph of the wildlife like sheep
or cows but I haven’t, they just tend to be in the fields & pastures that I
drive past without stopping. I saw the largest mountain in Ireland, Carrauntoohil
is home in the middle section of the Ring of Kerry. I had the famous
Kerry Dance lyrics, well the cords, in
my head all day to be honest.
 |
| Sneem |
I did a lot exploration covering Killarney where I just
roamed the streets. Killorglin where the famous Puck Fair Festival has been
happening on the 10
th of August each year & the oldest
traditional fair in Ireland with it being the one of the oldest non religious
fairs in the world. Saw beautiful Dingel Bay & listen to the beautiful surf
that just wanted me to think about playing in the ocean.
Saw the
Great Liberator’s Daniel O’Connell’s birthplace in Cahersiveen.
Found out the Charlie Chaplin owned a nice house in Waterville & the home
is still in his family, they have a silent film festival there every year. I
ate a lovely fish ‘n chips for lunch with some of the good stuff Jameson’s Hot
Toddy. I enjoyed walking along the shore here listing to the surf &
photographing the beach. I did put my hand in the ocean & it was a wee bit
cold, but it would be perfect for a wetsuit. Enjoyed the artist town of Sneem,
beautiful views & I just felt at home there. My day in the ring concluded
with a lovely drive threw the Killarney National Park, stopping only at Ladies
View to soak in the charming beauty & taking a wee hike to the tallest
waterfall in Ireland, Torc Waterfall. A very jammed pack day you might say. I
could sense some great energy in the forest at Torc & hugged a tree to soak
it in.
 |
| Torc Waterfall |
I enjoyed myself very much, but could sense with the group
that I was with that it wasn’t as good as some of the others. I just found the
people to stick to themselves & not chatting much with others. I didn’t
click with anyone, but that was ok. I allowed myself enjoying wandering around
a wee bit & experience the ring on my own terms. Overall it has been a
lovely day. Since it’s Mercury Retrograding time, I could feel it today. I just found a place to definitely check out on another adventure to go hiking for a bit.
