Sunday, April 26:

Waking up to sunshine was the start of a perfect day! Departing for the day, our first stop was the beautiful Muckross House. The house offered a glimpse into the elegant lifestyle of the Victorian gentry. We explored the perfectly restored rooms of this magnificent mansion. This nineteenth century Victorian mansion is set against the stunning beauty of Killarney National Park. The house stands close to the shores of Muckross Lake, one of Killarney's three lakes.

Muckross House was built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the watercolorist, Mary Balfour Herbert. This was actually the fourth house that successive generations of the Herbert family had occupied at Muckross over a period of almost two hundred years. William Burn, the well-known Scottish architect, was responsible for its design. 

In the basement, we could imagine the busy bustle of servants as they went about their daily chores (hauling water upstairs for a bath, etc.). We could see part of the gardens through the windows of the house - rhododendrons and azaleas were in bloom. Beautiful!

After leaving the Muckross House, we began our journey around the Ring of Kerry, one of the most beautiful coastal routes in the world. Along the way we stopped for lunch and shopping at Moriarity's at the Gap of Dunloe - a place for wool products. Several made purchases of sweaters, scarves, and/or hats. For lunch, the options were soup, sandwich or a cider. Following lunch, our tour of the Ring continued with some photo stops and rest stops along the way. The views were incredible - around every bend.

Approaching one of our stops - the highest elevation along the Ring - Phil shared with us that at the stop there is usually a van where a guy is selling poitin (pronounced "put cheen") - a traditional Irish distilled beverage ("moonshine"). Prior to our stop Phil offered an opportunity for folks to smell it or taste it. Reaching the stop - one fellow was playing an accordion and selling St. Bernadette crosses (by placing in your home - it will be protected from fire). Another man had lambs for folks to pet and get a picture made with the lamb. A van was selling ice cream cones. There was another vehicle and it was assumed he was selling the poitin.

One of the villages we drove through along the Ring was Killorglin. Killorglin is known for the Puck Fair (Irish: Aonach an Phoic, meaning "Fair of the He-Goat", 'poc' being the Irish for a male goat). The fair is reputed to be one of Ireland's oldest fairs which takes place annually for three days beginning on the 10th of August.

Another stop along the Ring was Waterville. Here, we had a rest stop and opportunity to walk on the beach. I took a moment to build a cairn on the beach. After walking on the beach we made our way to a statue of Charlie Chaplan. Chaplin brought his family to Waterville on vacation every year for over ten years beginning in 1959. Initially staying at the Butler Arms Hotel, he eventually purchased property which is still in the family today. Despite not being Irish, he became so beloved by the community during his brief stays, that they finally erected a permanent bronze statue of him. In addition to the statue, the small town now holds a Chaplin film festival each year which has been endorsed by the Chaplin estate. 

 A final stop along the Ring was the point called "Ladies View". Here, we could see the Lakes of Killarney: Lough Leane, Muckross Lake (middle lake), and Upper Lake.


















We drove back through Killarney on the way back to the hotel, driving by St. Mary's Cathedral. Arriving at the hotel folks were on their own for dinner. Several ate at the Brasserie Bar - which offered burgers and steaks. After dinner, off to bed to prepare for an early start to Waterford.