A tour of The Ring of Kerry

Are we in New Zealand?  These were our words as we drove along the first part of the ringroad around the Kerry peninsula.   The same scenery, but more houses.  It was a trifle unsettling at first, until we put New Zealand out of our minds completely.  We were here to enjoy Ireland. 

We left the campsite before 8.30 am in order to be in front of the hundred or so coaches, that drive tourists around the peninsula each day.   We were so early that nothing was open, and we were caught in the early morning work traffic.   Some of the men here drive very fast on the narrow roads.

A beautiful valley,  

and a lovely coastline.   Blue skies and sunshine too.  Perfect.

Daniel O'Connell Catholic Church in Cahersiveen, on the west coast of the peninsula.   Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847) lived in Derrynane, on the south Kerry coast, but was born in Cahersiveen.  He founded the Catholic Association.  He became the first Catholic Lord Mayor of Dublin in over 150 years and also first Catholic member of the English parliament in 100 years.

Just after Cahersiveen we turned off the N70 and headed south towards the pretty little village of Portmagee.  The ring road around the bottom of the peninsula is called Skellig Ring, a ring within a ring, and it is certainly quieter there, as the road is very narrow and coaches do not venture down that far. 

There was a most delightful cafe in Portmagee, which served great coffee and homemade cake, which we could not resist of course.   We also bought an apple and toffee cake to take with us, and a jar of locally made marmalade.

We sat on the seats in a sunny window which overlooked the colourful houses.  Bliss.

After a short walk on the street we drove over the bridge to Valentia Island, and then past well kept fields and houses until we reached the end where there was a vehicular ferry, which we did not take, otherwise we would be back at Cahersiveen again.

The view of Portmagee from Valentia Island.   

 The port of Knightstown.

The first trans Atlantic cable was laid from Knightstown, on Valencia Island, to the United States in 1858.

A drive around the west of the island took us through a very shady lane.

After driving up a narrow steep roadway we came to the slate mine and Grotto.   When the mine was in full production, 120 years or so ago, it employed 200 people, and provided slate for the British Houses of Parliament.    It was a very famous mine.

The entrance to the mine, complete with a Grotto near the top.  It is possible to see the statue of Our Lady near the top of the photograph.

The view across the estuary towards the mountains was quite breathtaking.   There was a lighthouse on the edge of the estuary.

We then went back across the bridge, past Portmagee, and around the edge of the coast.  Unfortunately we could not find a carpark so missed being able to walk for ten minutes in order to see the magnificant cliff faces and Skellig Rocks, Skellig Michael and Little Skellig.

There is an old monastic Site on Skellig Michael, but at the moment the island is most known for the final scene in the latest Star Wars movie, 'The Force Awakens', when Kerry Fisher walks up the stairs.   It is possible to go in a small boat to visit these islands, but the trip is long and the seas are choppy, so not for us.

The car managed the very steep climb up to the top of the high cliff, where the views were magnificant but the wind extremely strong.

The photograph of Valentia Island and Portmagee, far below us.

I think I accidently managed to get the Skellig Rocks in my photograph from the top of the cliff.  Skellig Michael is the taller of the two rocks.

We continued around the Skellig Ring, on the narrow roads, with beautiful scenes surrounding us.

We eventually joined the N70 and the Ring of Kerry, and the seemingly neverending line of coaches.  They had caught up with us, due to our diversion to Portmagee.

Our lunch spot by the beach at Waterville.  We turned our backs on the coaches, which were parked behind us.  It was a very busy town,

The next climb up took us to another very windy cliff.  There were the usual coaches, plus an ice cream van, someone selling CDs of Irish music and a man selling strawberries.  Sadly no one was doing any business due to the strong wind, which kept people in their cars or coaches.

We stopped again in Neem, so we could have a coffee.  A colourful little town, and full of tourists speaking a multitude of languages.

Some of the coaches, waiting for their passengers, who were hopefully spending money in the town.

The colourful cafe where we drank our coffee.

The river in the town which had horizontal rocks, the remnants of a volcanic past.

More colourful ahops in Neem.

The coaches at this point took a shortcut across the valley, and we drove past Kenmare, a very organised town, and up over the pass. A very steep and twisty road, so we were pleased there were no coaches on it.  We stopped after going through Moll's Gap, a manmade pass through thr rock.

The view down the valley towards Killarney.

There is a beach north of Sydney called Avoca Beach, and I always wondered about the name.  The Irish meaning is ' a great river' and I can now see the connection with Avoca Beach in Sydney because there is a river coming into the beach.  There is also a river in Ireland called the Avoca River.

And at the top of this pass a river begins to develop.

The river contunues down the side of the mountain, forming many lakes as it progresses down to the valley.   Most of the lakes and surrounding forest forms part the Killarney National Park. All very picturesque.

The coaches now joined the cars in a procession down the steep and twisty road, until we reached Killarney.

We went out to dinner tonight to celebrate a fantastic day, touring the Ring of Kerry.