Kenmare

  Kenmare, Ireland
Saturday, April 5, 2008

Day 1

Our train for Killarney left early and we had to switch in Mallow on the way. The only way to explore the Ring of Kerry in one day is to rent a car, but we had to get to the Kerry Airport to do so. The tourist office arranged a taxi for us, which was not cheap, but necessary since the airport was about 15 Kilometers away. The car we got was a tiny blue Fiat with a manual transmission. As with all cars in Ireland the steering wheel was on the right side of the car since they drive on the left side. I had to drive around the parking lot a few time to get used to shifting with my left hand. Once we got on the main road back to Killarney I asked Michelle to say every 5-10 seconds "stay on the left side." We got there without a hitch and I was even starting to get used to the different driving style.

Our hostel was actually located in Kenmare, about 30 minutes from Killarney. The scenery on this drive was already spectacular. We passed the Gap of Dunloe, which is a break in the mountains where the land is barren and pools of water filter through the landscape. One of the first things that struck me about this area is how green the grass is.v I suppose that is why the Irish are always associated with that color. Kenmare is very small with just one main street. It was already the afternoon so we decided to wait to drive the Ring of Kerry until the following day. We explored Kenmare that night and found many shops selling those famous wool sweaters that are produced in the area. It was really a very charming and quaint town but not one where there is nothing to do either. There are many pubs and restaurants that keep the tourist industry flourishing.

Day 2

My guide recommended a counter-clockwise approach to the ring, so we drove back to Killarney before starting. The whole drive took about four hours with stops and included some of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. There was just about everything from lush fields with grazing sheep to mountains and hills towering over the coastal waters. Also in most places there were a large number of bushes with these bright yellow flowers that I have not seen before. I don't know what they are called but they really add to the colorfulness of the whole place. None of the towns were even as big as Kenmare and included such places as Killorglin, Kells, Cahersiveen, Waterville and Sneem. The roads were all extremely narrow and so we had to look quickly for places to pull over when we wanted to snap some pictures or walk around. Luckily we went on a Sunday and there not any tour buses around, something that could potentially be dangerous on roads of that size.

At one point we also took a detour to look the Skellig Rocks, the small islands off the coast near Ballinskellig. There were so many scenic places that we had too be choosey about where we stopped or we would not have gotten back before dark. There was also a very scenic beach near Kells with people windsurfing. The weather was unpredictable at best. One moment it would be completely sunny and the next ice would be raining down. For the most part it was pretty nice weather and only started deteriorating towards the end.

Also towards the end was a very old stone fort, which was back about 15 minutes from the road. The fort itself was not that impressive but it was surrounded by some very scenic countryside, including dozens of sheep that were grazing all around it. The ring would really be a nice place to hike or bike when the weather is better but since we had only one day we made the most of it. Out of anywhere we have been, this was probably the place with the most natural beauty because it has so much unspoiled and undeveloped land. The pictures barely due justice to how scenic it actually was.

The next day we would head north towards County Clare and the Cliffs of Moher, just about the only place I can think of that could rival the Ring of Kerry's wilderness.