Written on December 4th 2014

Wet and tired but with lungs full of fresh sea air we were Killarney bound and found ourselves at Mackross house a beautiful country house that once hosted Queen Victoria. The grounds are also supposed to be spectacular (it was once a hunting lodge) but our guided tour finished after dark precluding a wander around the grounds.

That evening we hunted down a pub in the centre of town for traditional Irish fare and ended up in the delightful Laurels where we were served by jolly barman Chris who took a shine to Helene, if only he were 20 years younger. My notes from this dinner simply say: “Amazing bacon and cabbage.”

The next day we finally made it to The Ring of Kerry (the whole point of the trip) which treated us to spectacular sight after stunning view after awe inspiring landscape – mountains, cliffs, lakes, a fort and even some 380million year old footprints. Considering it was all done in one day it was an epic drive offering some of the best and most diverse scenery of the trip. I’m not going to waste time trying to put it into words just look at the pictures…

We spent our final day shopping for gifts in Killarney before driving the Gap of Dunloe – a stunning seven mile stretch through a valley created by a glacier. Breathtaking black lakes, with blackened rocks jutting from them combined with the mist created a spectacular landscape.

One the way back we stopped at Ogham Stones. Only right as we had both just purchased Ogham style necklaces. This stones sporting an ancient form of Gaelic writing were originally tomb stones and have been collected in the area – they were quite a sight to behold.

Then our trip ended where it began, in Cork. This time in a hotel with a spar for some much needed R&R. Before breakfast in the English Market then airport and home.