Day 7 continued, Day 8, and morning of Day 9...
Day 7: Killarney National Park, continued.
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We finished our time in Killarney National Park with a long hike to a place called “meeting of the waters,” where two lakes flowed into one another. It was absolutely peaceful and gorgeous. We encountered only one other person on the trail, a fisherman headed to a famous Salmon fishing bridge in the park. I say park, but it is absolutely gigantic, with miles upon miles (or I should say kilometers) of hiking, lakes, mountains, etc.
We also drove to a scenic overlook where the view… oh my, it was one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen.
After our hike, we stopped at an enchanting little church that we had passed a few times on the road between Killarney and Kenmare, the Derrycunnihy Church.
Then, on DAY 8, we left Kenmare and drove to County Tipperary. Our first stop was a quick jaunt to the well-preserved castle in Cahir (pronounced “care”). Many castles we visited were run down and crumbling, but this one was largely intact, and some rooms were even furnished! We saw stairways, huge rooms, the dungeon, and even got to climb narrow stairways up to the castle turret and outer walls. It was fabulous!
After our lunch and castle visit in Cahir, we drove about 20 minutes north to our main destination, Cashel. From our B&B window, we could see the biggest attraction in town – the Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock. This amazing fortress contained many buildings, most of which date from the 12th and 13th centuries. The Rock of Cashel served as the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion, though few remnants if any of the early structures survive (thanks Wikipedia!).
Our B&B, Ladyswell House Cashel, was gorgeous!! The bright yellow door was a great start – the interior was striking, and included a massive library and sitting room. Our room on the second floor contained my absolute favorite feature – a bay window! Not only did the window give us a great view of the street below, but we could also see the Rock of Cashel in the distance, which was lit beautifully at night.
The Rock itself was fascinating – the view of the countryside was unmatched! Unfortunately, it kept pouring during our visit. This wouldn’t be so bad if the ruins actually had a roof! Ah, the charm of Ireland J. It had been perfectly sunny all day, but rain came all of the sudden and continued all night. Luckily my sweet husband rescued me with our umbrella and held it while I snapped a few last photos before admitting precipitation defeat.
From the Rock of Cashel, we could see Hore Abbey (a ruined Cistercian monestary) about 2km away. This is where we headed after checking out on DAY 9. The abbey was, of course, lovely. It provided great views of the Rock of Cashel as well! And Kevin had much fun with the funny entrance gate.
Next, we headed to the Kilkenny area. The last gallery will be online soon!!
A NOTE ABOUT THE GALLERIES
- Make sure your sound is on! Fun music accompanies each slideshow.
- If your computer connection is slow, it’s best to the let the slideshow cycle through once before you view it (just walk away for a few minutes). That way the photos are pre-loaded.
- You can go through the slideshows at your own pace – use the left and right arrow buttons under the photo.
- Many of these photos are available as signed fine art 11x14 prints for $49 each. Just email me if you are interested in purchasing any. Make it a gallery wrap (printed on canvas, no need for a frame) for $110.
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