We had a long drive planned (from Galway to Kenmare - about 200 miles), so we got an early start on our way south to the Ring of Kerry. Reluctantly, we left the scenic Cashelmara B&B, glancing back at the horses frollicking on the beach. Instead of taking the main carriageway down through Limerick, we took N68 to Kilmer. We boarded the Kilmer-Tarbert car ferry and enjoyed a 20-minute ride across the River Shannon.
About 100 miles later (on Irish roads, this is equivalent to about 500 miles in the US or even the UK), we pulled into Killarney for dinner and a pint. After a quick meal, we left for Kenmare at the bottom of the Ring of Kerry, where we would be staying that night. The ride was rough over the pass between Killarney and Kenmare, but was the most beautiful scenery that we'd seen so far. Mountainous and rocky, it offered views of the Lakes of Killarney and Killarney National Forest. It was a wonder we ever made it to Kenmare since we stopped about every mile or so for more pictures.
We pulled into Kenmare around 9:30pm, and checked into the Rosegarden Guesthouse & Restaurant, a couple minutes outside the town center. The proprietors, Peter and Ingrid were most accommodating, and gladly provided Bill with a nice, cold Heineken and some snacks for the room. This custom was repeated each night we stayed there. The room was spacious but unassuming, with a hand-made burlap kite hanging on the wall. It was very quiet and the beds were actually comfortable, which we were grateful for after the long drive.
Monday, June 15th
After conferring with Peter, we decided to drive the Ring of Beara first, followed by the Ring of Kerry tomorrow, since the weather was great today. Peter said that the Ring of Beara is much more scenic and less touristy than Kerry and he was right. After poking around a bit in Kenmare, we set off for Beara, crossing over Healy Pass. Once again, we found ourselves pulling to the side of the narrow road every few minutes to take another picture. Every view seemed to be more beautiful than the last. Lots of sheep, craggy hills and small, peaceful lakes.
In Castletownbere, we saw a monument built in honor of the men and women of the Berehaven Battalion who fought for the Irish Republic from 1916-1923 during the Easter Uprising. This was when Padraic Pearse and 150 others took over the post office in Dublin and read the Proclamation of Republic Ireland. There were monuments similar to this one in most of the Republic towns we passed through.
We passed a pub called An Sibin Beag, and I noticed a tiny version of the same building across the street. We pulled over and I got a picture of the "Leprechaun Lounge".
We ate dinner at the Horseshoe Pub, also recommended by Peter, where we had some excellent wild mussels, sauteed chantrelles, and Irish lamb stew. In World Cup action, the Americans lost their game yesterday to Germany, but we held out hope that they'd win their next game so they could stay in competition.
We'd more or less fallen in love now with Ireland, and so we changed our high speed ferry tickets to 6pm on Sunday, a day later than originally planned. We'll spend a last night in Kenmare tonight, followed by three nights in the Kinsale/Cork area. We had read that both Kenmare and Kinsale claimed the title of "The Gourmet Center of Ireland", and we were committed to resolving that issue once and for all.
Hard work, huh?
Tuesday, June 16th
Tuesday's itinerary was the Ring of Kerry, the Lakes of Killarney, and Muckross House. We started off after breakfast at the Rosegarden restaurant by driving to Killarney, where I bought a sheepskin and some Irish linen at Ladies View Industries. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do with the sheepskin, but I felt compelled to buy one of the soft, fleecy things. Actually, we had it shipped since it was much too big to carry home. The Master Packer was already starting to sweat because we were beginning to reach critical mass, suitcase-wise.
From Killarney, we drove the Ring of Kerry, which as Peter predicted, was less scenic than the Ring of Beara, but it was still a pleasant drive. If you're up for shopping, The Ring of Kerry is for you. If you prefer spectacular scenery, go for the Ring of Beara.
Muckross House, a Victorian mansion in Killarney National Park was elegantly furnished, and accurately portrayed the lifestyles of the landed Gentry. The gardens were lovely, and "jaunting horses" were available for those who wanted to see the place in style. The Muckross Weavers are located there, and I got a couple softer-than-soft lambswool scarves for my mother and me.
On our way back to Kenmare, we stopped in the picturesque town of Sneem for dinner at the Sacre Coeur restaurant, which a local told us was the best place in town. The green mussels were very fresh, as were my scampi and Bill's cod. Then it was back to the Rosegarden for the night.
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