Ross Castle

Ross Castle sits in Killarney National Park on the edge of Lough Leane which is Killarney’s lower lake. It is believed that Ross Castle was built in the 15^th century by O’Donoghue Mór and is the ancestral home of the O’Donoghue Clan. Ownership changed hands during the Second Desmond Rebellion to the MacCarthy Mór in the 1580s. The castle and its lands were leased to Sir Valentine Browne, whose descendants include the Earls of Kenmare.

During the Irish Confederate War, the castle was one of the last to be surrendered to Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads. There was a prophecy that the castle could not be taken until a warship could sail on the lake. Well, it was believed that it would never happen, but it did. General Ludlow accepted the surrender of the castle.

After the wars were over, the Brownes were able to prove that the heir was too young to participate in the rebellion and the castle and land was returned to them. One hundred years later saw a mansion built on the land near the castle, but also saw the exile of the Brownes due to a relationship that was too close to James II. The castle then became a military barracks and continued with that purpose until the 19^th century. The Brownes returned to the area, but did not return to the castle, instead building Kenmare House in Killarney.

There is still a legend that “O'Donoghue leaped or was sucked out of the window of the grand chamber at the top of the castle and disappeared into the waters of the lake along with his horse, his table and his library. It is said that O'Donoghue now lives in a great palace at the bottom of the lake where he keeps a close eye on everything that he sees.” (Wikipedia) If this is so, he must be amazed at the change in clothing over the years, and the change in customs, habits, and technology.

Castle Ross was built to be a defensive structure, to protect the people in the area in time of need, and to assure the people that they will be protected. The castle has an iron gate that can be lowered while the front door is closed, the exterior doors were two ply with the layers at 90° angles to each other. There was at least one murder hole, and slits for arrows, and later guns. There are other defensive measures. The tower was five stories high and can be quite formidable to the attacker.

Castle Ross is now run by the Office of Public Works and run tours seasonally. Tours for more than 10 people have to be prebooked. The following is the contact information for Ross Castle:

Telephone No: +353 64 6635851 Fax: +353 64 6635852 Email: rosscastle@opw.ie

A Ride in the Park

What would you consider to be an enjoyable ride? Would it be in a high speed, high performance car? Or, would you consider another type of ride? Would you consider the type of transportation that was in the British Isles prior to a hundred years ago?

Close your eyes and let your imagination take over. You are about to take a short trip with your significant other and you need to decide on the type of transportation that you are going to use. Are you going to use horses to race each other and get a “thrill” of a lifetime? Or, do you want something that is more romantic? Will you need transportation for just the two of you? Or, will there be a group of people going with you?

During the nineteenth century, there was a form of transportation used in Dublin that could be used with the help of one horse. It was a two-wheeled vehicle called a jaunting car and was designed to have a driver for the horse and to carry two or four people at a time. Samuel Coleridge made arrangements for one for a tour of Ireland with William Wordsworth, who named himself as driver, and Wordsworth’s sister, Dorothy. Apparently, Wordsworth did not do so well as a driver.

There were also two types of jaunting cars, outside jaunting cars and inside jaunting cars. If you are in an outside jaunting car, you look out, across the wheels at the scenery. If you are in an inside jaunting car, you are sitting on the benches facing inwards towards your companions. Our group used about three jaunting cars and they were all inside jaunting cars.

Jaunting cars today are designed to carry between ten and twelve passengers and have four wheels instead of two wheels. They are still pulled by one horse and are used mostly by tourists. The companies in Killarney take their passengers out to Ross Castle in Killarney National Park. They give their passengers enough time to visit the castle and the castle grounds before taking them back to their hotels. Almost all of the jaunting cars in Killarney have overhead protection from rain if there is no wind. The car that I was in also had plastic walls that gives better protection in the rain.

On the way out to Ross Castle, I rode in the back. It gave me a chance to experience what the ride was like in the back. Seriously, though, I wanted to ride up front, but I know how selfish I can be, so I chose to sit in the back so that someone else could have the privilege. The person who sat with the driver decided that she felt that the wind was too cold for her and wanted to go into the back with everyone else. I jumped at the chance to ride in the front and I don’t regret doing it. I had a chance to talk with the driver one-on-one and actually had a chance to drive the horse for about ten minutes.

We arrived back at our hotel with time enough for a quick break, and then we were off to our next adventure. I would suggest that anyone who visits Ireland and doesn’t go on a jaunting ride when given the chance, is not experiencing all that Ireland has to offer. I enjoyed the ride and the chance to actually drive the horse. If I come across the chance to do it again, I will not be missing the chance to repeat my experience.

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.