Day Fifteen – Road Trip, April 2016

We were able to sleep in this morning! I didn’t have to set the alarm for 5:30 am! I was able to set it for 7:15 am! The reason why: our activities were all in the neighbourhood of Killarney.

After a leisurely typical Irish breakfast, we crossed the street at our hotel to board upon the jaunting cars. I think that our group filled four of the cars. We had eight passengers in the one that I was in and we then had a pleasant ride through Killarney National Park to Ross Castle. The park is either within the city limits or are on the outskirts because we didn’t have to go too far to get there via city streets. On the way, we saw a few deer and were told that more deer would be out this evening when there were not so many people around.

Ross Castle is an old keep on the shores of the Lower Lake. It is in beautiful surroundings and has a history that goes back to the 15^th century. We were given time to wander the surroundings and take pictures. After all, pictures are the best souvenirs, especially if you have a digital camera. It will be interesting to look into some of the history of this castle.

After travelling back to our hotel by jaunting cars, we then boarded our bus to travel to the town of Kenmare where we had lunch. If you are ever in Kenmare, P.F. McArthy’s is a good place to eat. They have a pulled pork sandwich that I found delicious.

After lunch, we continued on our journey along the Ring of Kerry and through Moll’s Gap back to Killarney. We had a couple of stops along the way, one at Ladies’ View where the view is spectacular and another at Muckross House. We were given an hour at Muckross House and it was almost as if we all scattered to the winds. My brother and I took a different route than most of our companions and still managed to cover just about everything. Apparently, Muckross House has tourists visits all year round.

As we boarded the bus to return to our hotel, some of us did not know exactly where we were. It took about half an hour or less to travel the distance. Once we were delivered back to our hotel, we were free from any activities and could go where we want for dinner.

At this point, I should mention about the entertainment that I attended last evening. The name of it is “Gaelic Roots, The Live Show” and was held in the hotel across the square. The O’Neill Sisters are among the very talented cast. It is a venue that blends music, song, and dance with its serious parts and humourous acts. It is a show that is well worth seeing. The audience gave them a standing ovation because of the fine work that they did.

Early morning again tomorrow.