Kingdom of Kerry

Kerry is actually a county, but the locals say it is the second kingdom. They also say a day outside of Kerry is a day wasted-now I know why.  I spent three days on a tour around the county and had the privilege of seeing mountains, lakes, beaches, waterfalls, donkeys, dogs, and so much more!

We began our weekend with a bike tour through Killarney National Park, and it was surreal. The path led us through the town, into a forest, past a couple of lakes and finally to a ‘house’ (what I would refer to as a mansion) overlooking a lake. We got to the house just in time to watch the sunset over the lake-and the view was breathtaking. This place was so perfect that some people went so far as to plan their future fantasy weddings there.

After Killarney National Park I thought I had seen the most beautiful sights Kerry had to offer, but I am glad to tell you I was wrong. The next day we partook in a bus tour around the Ring of Kerry; it was complete with hilarious, informative commentary, and a lesson in Gaelic from our Irish bus driver. We stopped at countless photo stops, each more beautiful than the last!

The highlight of the Ring of Kerry tour for me was the sheep dog demonstration. We all gathered behind a small barn type thing to watch a local Shepard heard his sheep with the aid of three exceptionally well-trained dogs. Sheep are instinctually wired to be afraid of dogs because they look and carry themselves like predators. The Shepard takes advantage of this and signals his dogs to essentially scare the sheep into obedience. Each dog has a separate set of commands so the Shepard can make them to work together to move the sheep. Watching the Shepard control all three dogs, and in turn the entire group of sheep, was truly remarkable.

As we stopped at a particularly windy pass to take pictures, our tour guide Sean shared a bit of knowledge that really adds to my newfound obsession with taking windy selfies. The Irish say that as the wind blows through your ears all your bad thoughts are blown away with it. As you might imagine, my head is now clear as can be of bad thoughts!

Next stop on the tour was the Derrynane Dunes. Now, when I choose to study abroad in Ireland I accepted the fact that I would be leaving behind warm beach days and sunshine. It turns out that was not necessary after all! The water at this beach was unbelievably clear, and the beach itself was clear of any other tourists. The sand and water was even warm enough for me to take off my shoes and enjoy a stroll though the dunes, into water, and up onto some remarkable sea rocks. On top of all this, the rocks were purple! Anyone who knows me knows how unbelievably perfect that makes it in my mind. Seriously, it could not get any better! This beach is truly a hidden Irish gem, and I am so glad I was fortunate enough to be able to explore it.

After that unbelievable pit stop, we stopped at a mountaintop overlooking Lough Lake where a random guy was chilling, just playing his bagpipes. Typical Ireland.

The next day we went to the town of Dingle, and as was our luck this weekend, there was a food festival taking place. We went to almost every stall and sampled SO MUCH delectable local food. I was so content-but I had to buy some Baileys and Caramel Honeycomb fudge.

After enjoying the food festival we went to another Irish beach, Inch Beach, which is famous for its movie appearances. Unfortunately, we used up all the good Irish weather and it was foggy and cold. After another gloomy beach we went on a drizzly walk along the cliffs of the Dingle Peninsula.

This weekend was jammed packed, but I loved every second of it. The beauty of Ireland never ceases to amaze me. This country continues to exceed my expectations and I cannot wait for that to happen again and again in the months to come!