Ring of Kerry

When you hear "The Ring of Kerry" one conjures up images of jewellery, a circle of standing stones, a ring of islands, a series of mountains around a lake, or perhaps something a bit more exotic.  We weren't quite expecting it to be a circular road around the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry.....


After a night in Killarney, we headed into the beautiful Killarney National Park.  It starts off with a road through beautiful deciduous forest - bright green new leaves with blue bells carpeting the ground.   The beautiful little road wound its way past tranquil lakes and up into the mountains.  Here the colour changed slightly to a more browny green as the forest become dominated by oak trees.  Beautiful old stone bridges took the road over numerous rives. 

Michael Flatley eat your heart out...

We headed over the mountains to the south side of the Iveragh Peninsula and found a beautiful old stone circle fort built 2500-odd years ago.  The walls were up to 6m high and the tops were over 2 meters wide.  There was a small entrance with big stone lintels, 2 large chambers built into the walls and a step system to allow access to the top of the wall.  The most amazing part was that the entire fort was made of dry packed stone - no mortar!

Lucy mimicking the shape of the stairways.

Geoff and Allan giving perspective to the size of the walls!

We continued around the Ring of Kerry, driving in a clockwise direction as the tour busses all have to drive anti-clockwise as the roads are so narrow that 2 busses often couldn't meet on a corner so they are only allowed to drive in one direction!  
At the north of the peninsula lies Valentia Island from which the first commercial trans-atlantic cable was laid.


Geoff "the expert back road navigator" then took us into the mountains which go by the fantastic name of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks.  Past the beautiful Caragh Lake and up over the Ballaghbeama Gap (pass).  It was a beautiful winding single lane (but two way) road which bends up and down and around so much that you often can't see more than 50m down the road!  Then up through the Gap of Dunloe and down to another night in Killarney.  Thanks Karl for the suggestions!

Allan desperately trying to make some calls to work while there was signal, and Geoff and Lucy trying their best to distract him! (this may or may not have involved funny noises, sheep droppings, bouldering and handstands...)

A stone bridge and tarn lake in the Gap of Dunloe.

At home we have ox-peckers to eat ticks off our wildlife.  Here the magpies do the same!  We watched this deer walking around while the magpie pecked at things in his ears, on his neck and on his back!