Day Four: The Lucky Irish

Today, I woke to the sun shining brightly into the room. We have a beautiful view outside our attic window.

We had breakfast in the B&B and headed off to Killarney National Park. Our first stop was the famed Torc Waterfall. It was beautiful.

Torc Waterfall

We drove a partial way around the Ring of Kerry. Absolutely stunning! Here are a couple of pictures (we have over 100 but won’t bore you with them all).

Castle Ruins
One of the Many Lakes in Killarney National Park
Snow Capped Mountains in the Distance
Ladies’ View
Received its Name from Queen Victoria’s Ladies’ Reaction to the View
Up Close & Personal
Residence of the Ring of Kerry

After our hike, we walked into town to see the parade. We got a great spot right at the beginning on the corner.

Killarney Parade

Audrey, Steve and I ate green ice cream and headed back to the hotel for an early dinner and to bed.

Tomorrow there will be a lot of driving again as we meander through Ireland on our way to see our friends in Dublin.

PS – Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick’s Day!

The Rest of Day Three

We continue to pivot our plans throughout our trip. Getting to Killarney took a little longer than anticipated because of the holiday traffic.

After checking into the Killarney Inn (we have a room in the attic), we decided we only had time for one of our planned activities. So, we headed to Ross Castle and took a tour there.

Ross Castle

We learned all about the Irish Chieftain who initially built it. Changing hands many times over, including English occupation and its use as barracks. Recently, an American purchased the castle and the lands to return it to the people of Ireland with the condition that it be restored to its original state and made into an attraction for Killarney.

Our guide told us of the harsh living in medieval times, from damp and dank castle living, respiratory issues from the rushlights (straw dipped into animal fat), to the lead poisoning they were receiving from the serving plates, it was no wonder that you were considered old in your 30s.

For dinner, we planned a traditional Irish feast at a restaurant on the main drag in Killarney. One end of the street was High, and the other was Main. I want to find out the story behind that as I’m sure there is one. We ate at Bricin , and it was, in fact, lavish.

We’re tucked away now in our attic room listening to hail hit the roof. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is sunny, or at least dry, for the parade and all the other St. Patrick’s day festivities.