Spring 2023

Ring of Kerry, Sneem to Killorglin - 26 April 2023

26 April 2023 - Ring of Kerry - Sneem - Killorglin

What a long, but good day out and about. Started about 09.30, and didn’t park up until gone 18.00! Our senses have been assaulted with stunning view after stunning view. We’ve packed a lot in today, as it’s due to rain tomorrow. And, mega bonus - the road surfaces have been so much better! A few hairy moments for me driving today, 3 hairpin bends on a very steep hill - first gear all the way whilst watching out for oncoming traffic!

First view point at Com an Chiste - see the blurb about the dark night skies.

We parked up in Waterville, and saw the sculpture of Charlie Chaplin, and saw a model of the size of the cable - see photo!

Loved the beach with both dark and light sand!

Two coach loads of people arrived, having travelled in the opposite direction from Killarney - so we moved on.

We decided to chance it on the small roads - where the big buses don’t go, as there was lots we wanted to see near the headland.

Stopped off at Bá na Scealg and spoke to the women coming back from their swim - said it was warmer today than the last couple of days - felt pretty cool in the breeze to me!

From there I sadly wasn’t quick enough to turn off into the Skelligs Chocolate Factory - which apparently had free tasty samples - a rookie error!

Then onto the three hairpin bends on a very steep hill, requiring first gear and a certain amount of trusting to fate that nothing was coming the other way!

Lovely look at Coomanaspic.

There are signs for the Kerry Cliffs which lure people in with signs for “Best View in County Kerry”. Parked up. Was €10 for both of us.

The beehive huts are replicas of the ones on Skellig (see later).

It’s fair to say it was windy up there. What can I say about the views - see for yourself!

We’ve included the information about the birds in case anyone is interested.

You can actually camp there for €20 - obviously no services - but spectacular in a few months time on a warm evening once most of the tourists have left.

Quick salad for lunch in the carpark - and off again.

Unfortunately there were roadworks going on in Portmagee, a small port town; and no space in the carpark - so couldn’t stop.

Never mind, we crossed over the bridge to visit the Skellig Experience Centre - which is on Valentia Island (first permanent transatlantic cable for telegraph communication was laid from here in 1866).

Once again, a discount for Tintin at the centre, so was €9 for us both. First up, a 15 minute film all about it.

There are two Skelligs (Irish for splinter of stone) about 7/8 miles offshore. The larger of the two, Skellig Michael is more than 700 feet tall, and a mile around. Little Skellig is home to up to 50,000 gannets in the summer.

Skellig Michael was first inhabited by 6th century Christian monks. They sought the purity of isolation to get closer to God. Neither Viking raids nor winter storms could dislodge them, as they patiently build half a dozen stone igloo like dwellings and a couple of oratories. There are some 2,300 steps there! Their colony survived there for more than 500 years. They finally moved ashore in the early 1100s.

In 2014 the location was used for filming Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Boat trips there start in mid May through to September, and sell out months in advance.

There was also information about lighthouses.

Have included photos all nearly all the exhibits, which you can enlarge to read, or skip!

From there, last on our list for today were the Ring Forts. Parked up, and immediately had a week old lamb thrust in my arms! The man is called Jack, obviously wanting money in return, which we gladly gave! He asked us to guess his age, as you know, you always quote a lower age than you think! - so said 60 - he’s nearly 80 - looking good!

First we visited Cahergal - circular dry stone walls were built sometime between 500 BC and AD 300 without the aid of mortar or cement. About 80 feet across, with walls 12 feet thick at the base and up to 25 feet high.

From there, we were waylaid (or we waylaid the sheep farmer!) for a good 30 minute chat. His sheepdog, a cross between an Australian kelpie and border collie was rounding up sheep.

Tintin took a video, but sadly the wind noise drowned him out a lot. He has about 150 Swaledales. Anyway, whilst we were chatting, he cleaned up the tail of a 4 day old lamb, and twisted it off and threw it away. They just get messy and can cause infection, gave it some multivitamins, then cut the wool off Mum’s tail to help keep her clean. Said they only survive because of their EU farming subsidy. Was an interesting chat!

Quick hike up to Leacanabuile Ring Fort - then back to Dave to see where we needed to drive to park up, as it was already 17.00. Closest place was an hour away! We’re parked up in a fairly full carpark, had a quick meal of baked beans and mash - and I’m frantically writing as fast as I can, as Tintin thinks it will take him forever to sort through the hundreds of photos we both took today…