Ireland Saturday August 4th - Ventry

Ring of Kerry - ***

 

Ah, the fabled Ring of Kerry. Let me say that I think the Ring deserves to be driven rather then ridden, by that I mean take your own car instead of getting a bus. This lets you stop off at spots that the buses can’t fit a few short hikes out into more pristine landscapes. You also get to dictate where and when you stop. We only encountered the bus tourists for a short time in Sneem and only at the very end as we were leaving the town.

Buses are legally required to take the Ring counterclockwise heading to Kilgorin, so if you’re driving start your journey heading out towards Kenmare. We stopped at the small pullovers and easy hikes on to Killarney National Park property, even finding ourselves at the other end of Lough Leane where we had rowed out the day before. One particularly scenic spot, Ladies View, was a large rocky promontory leaning out over a lush valley framed by the mountains of the park.

Advertised on the Ring is a small holy well that we stopped off at to stretch our legs. It was a short hike into the woods and down a few paths before we came upon it, a natural well bubbling away with holy symbols and pictures of loved ones around it. The area is very serene and beautiful, upkeep is handled by the local township and it’s worth a stop off for some peace.





Sneem - ***
Sneem, Co. Kerry

Go here! It’s a town touched by tourism without yet being overwhelmed by it, in a picturesque area cut away from the hustle and bustle of other cities. Such a cute quaint little town and it’s small enough you could drive through without really registering it. Be warned: If you get to this point at the wrong time tourists will be crawling over every inch from the tour buses and the bridge (only wide enough for one car at a time) will be a mess to get through.
In the center of the North side of the town there’s a 100-year time capsule sealed in 2000 that’s just a fun little sight to see. It’s surrounded by houses and bars and close to the bridge sits a small estuary where the river that divides the town reaches Kenmare bay. The water there froths and swirls across the rocky ground and it looks just beautiful.
The other side of the bridge holds a bunch of shops and bars to hang out in. Several of the major GTS (Goofy Tourist Shit) acquisitions occurred in the shops in Sneem and some really great pictures were taken along the bridge and estuary.

Finish the Ring!

Finishing was a little hectic from here as we crossed paths with the tour buses. Many had arrived while we walked and only a few were coming in as we left so it was only for a short while, but we were treated to a glimpse of what we’d be up to at this hour had we gone around in their direction: lines of 10-20 cars stuck bumper-to-bumper behind each bus as they rolled into the sleepy town. Sour grapes avoided!
The rest of the drive was absolutely beautiful even though we felt the need to hurry and get through it so we could arrive at our B&B on time. It boiled down to spending less time taking pictures and a bit more time just looking at the places we were heading through, which might have been nicer.


Moriarty’s Farmhouse - **
Ceann Tra (Ventry) Village, Co Dingle

Ventry was a sleepy town on the Dingle Peninsula we stopped off at for our only 3 day stay and boy was I glad we did! Brid welcomed us in with tea, fresh scones and the best homemade raspberry jam I’ve ever tasted! Even though she was on her way out to church she was very helpful in suggesting us places to eat and things to do in the area.
We decided that some simple food was in order and got some Cup of Soups at the local gas station instead of taking on another massive pub dinner. Exhausted from a full day of driving and hiking around the Ring we sat back in our room to relax and read.