Anyone with any interest in Ireland or knowledge about the emerald Isle has almost certainly heard of the Ring of Kerry. It’s beauty and natural appeal has inspired storytellers, artists and photographers alike for hundreds of years. It was the one place I had to show Kelly. She was just as excited as I was.

On my first trip to Ireland years ago I was a student traveling on a Eurail pass. When I reached Killarney I booked myself on a tour bus for the day long trip around the Ring of Kerry. It was spectacular and I remember to this day that, when it came time for tea around 3-4pm, I joined in with my fellow tourists. I had never really been a tea drinker but drinking Irish breakfast tea in a little tea house along the Ring made an impact on me.
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When we left off Kelly and I were in a bit of a rush to get from the Blarney Castle to Kinsale before dark. We had booked our next B&B for the night in Kenmare, out in the western part of Ireland near the famous Ring of Kerry. It was going to be a struggle to get there at a decent hour where we wouldn’t wake our hosts.
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Our day began with a nice Irish breakfast prepared by our hostess. If you have never stayed in a B&B you will soon realize that the breakfast room is a communal affair with several tables set up and other patrons eating at the same time. Much like a restaurant but more homey.

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We had met a couple over breakfast in Kilkenny and apparently our host there had booked us both rooms at the same spot in Cork City. They were nice enough but I had one big issue with the wife that morning at breakfast.

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Remember way back at the beginning I mentioned Kelly would be celebrating her birthday in Ireland? Well today was the day. So, as much as I wanted to show her the Rock of Cashel and the quaint town of Cahir, it was not to be.

We spent way too much time in Kilkenny. No complaints though. We saw some pretty cool things (the toilet at St. Canice’s?) and relaxed a little after our 36+ hours without sleep.

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Welcome to Kilkenny and our first stop on our hectic 8 day tour of Ireland, or, as much as we could see in 8 days.

As mentioned in a previous post our B&B hosts, Angela and John Byrne, were very friendly and most helpful in getting us settled. They had a private parking area and made sure to ask what we wanted for breakfast and when. As we brought our bags upstairs to the room all Kelly and I could think about was dinner and bed.

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As Kelly and I climbed back into our “chariot” we could see our next photo opportunity up the road. We drove the mountain overlooking Monastic City and the Upper and Lower Lakes that give Glendalough its name. The view was spectacular. It was plain to see why the early Christians had chosen this spot to build their monastery.

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Other than seeing the glaciers receding on my trip to Norway in 1981 this was the most amazing example of what occurred when the ice age died out. Rolling down the valley from the mountains towards Monastic City were rocks of all shapes and sizes. As the glaciers shrank they left behind the rocks they had brought with them as they crept down between the peaks. We just couldn’t get enough of the beauty that lay before us.

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