Ireland - Take 3

Day 5

Killarney, County Kerry

On Wednesday we woke up and left beautiful Cobh to travel to Killarney. On the way, we stopped at the popular desination of Blarney Castle. The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt several times and is currently a partial ruin with some accessible rooms. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may be positioned upside-down and kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. There are many safety precautions, but it is quite high and the positioning definitely made everybody very dizzy. After a long day in the car, we were ready to check into our new B & B and settle in. We walked to dinner in town and enjoyed a great dinner & Irish music at a local pub.

Beautiful Blarney Castle

An outlying building, taken from a window inside the main castle.

Mom asking the "handler" not to drop her :)

My official photo, coming up from kissing the Blarney Stone.

A view from below of the Blarney Stone, you slide all the way down and kiss underneath.

Horse and buggy available for hire in Killarney.

View of the river & bridge from our B&B room in Killarney.

Day 6

Killarney, County Kerry

We took off on Thursday to drive the popular Ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry is a tourist trail in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. The route covers the 170 circular road with beautiful scenic views throughout. From breathtaking cliffs & ocean views to gorgeous countryside & quaint towns. We made quite a few "photo opp" stops throughout the day, along with planned stops at Muckross House and Lady's View. We finished the day with a great dinner - one that was voted our most favorite on the trip - The Laurels Pub, Killarney.

One of the many great photo opps.

How cute was this pony carrying the tiny dog?
Shot from the car
Breathtaking view along the Ring of Kerry

Muckross House - this house had 65 rooms! Extensive improvements were undertaken in the 1850s in preparation for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1861. The house and the grounds are now a National Park.

Split tree in the Killarney National Park

Ladies View is a scenic point along the Ring of Kerry. The name apparently stems from the admiration of the view given by Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting during their 1861 visit.

Our favorite group dinner - amazing food and authentic pub atmosphere.