Killarney

Yesterday (Friday) we left for our 3 day tour of Southern Ireland. When we arrived at the meeting point at an early 8:15am we were greeted by a chipper young bloke named Murf who would serve as our tour guide. This being his last tour, he decided to gift us all with free “Shamrocker Tour” t-shirts (free souvenir!). We departed Dublin and our first stop was Cashel where we took photos of the “Castle on the Rock.” Apparently this castle was the site of a mass murder: the citizens of the town, trying to save themselves, locked themselves within the church only to be baked alive by the intruder. (This theme of violence will continue we soon found out.)

Next we stopped at the Michelstown Caves, which are not in Michelstown or even the same county. However, despite the name flub, the caves were quite impressive. We went down a half mile’s worth of steps and trails until the cave eventually opened into a huge cavern. The stalagmites and stalactites were of great interest but the curtain formations were the most intriguing. Unfortunately photos were not allowed, although Camille tried to sneak a few.

Blarney Castle was our next stop. This tourist attraction definitely lives up to its reputation. Both of us made the climb to the top of the castle and kissed the Blarney Stone for the gift of gab. The task forces you to lie on your back and hang over the edge of the castle wall and kiss the stone above you. The Castle itself was an awesome adventure to explore, with numerous tunnels and paths, some of which were too scary to enter. Camille took a tumble down the steps, leaving her with a skinned elbow, literally seconds after warning Corinne of the slippery stairs (she’s fine). We toured the gardens and passed the beautiful Blarney House before heading into the shops to admire the Ireland Wool.

After a drive (all the driving was through gorgeous countryside) we ended up in the town of Killarney. After dinner in a local pub (fish n chips and a burger and fries) we retired for a must needed nap. After rising and showering, we met up with the rest of our tour group at a pub and Murf led us to the “Dishco” but not before a lesson on sizing up the Killarney farm boys (tractor color is of great importance). A great cover band played in the front room and a raging DJ blazed the back room, complete with strobe lights, lasers and a thumping beat (we went back to the front room). The local boys were drunk and jumping around with vigor but we were too tired to join in the mayhem. Despite the sex ratio of 4:1 in our favor, we finished our beers and journeyed back the hostel and slept in our room with ten others from the tour.

Day two came in with another early rise as we left Killarney for the small town of Dingle. At first the weather was looking dim but as we came around a bend the sky opened up and the sunlight filled the valley. A great day weather wise. After making a pit stop, we made the “sleigh drive” down the Dingle Peninsula. The picturesque location was breathtaking. We stopped for a photo op of the coast line and viewed the bee huts which were formerly monk dwellings. From there, we ventured down to the beach where we were reminded of home by the high cliffs and sandy shores. We spent some time playing catch on the beach and taking photos of all the nature, a truly impressive spot. From the beach, we made the quick drive to the most western point of Ireland. We hiked out to the cliff and Murf entertained us with a folk tale (one of many) about the sleeping giant (an island off the coast shaped like a giant) who was sleeping off his hangover from the three year party celebrating his saving Ireland.

Lunch took place in Dingle where we snacked on sandwiches and locally made wheat bread ice-cream. After packing up the bus, we drove to the Shannon River to take the ferry across. However, due to an unexpected bathroom break, we were late and missed our ferry. And that is where we are writing from, awaiting the next Shannon Ferry.