Awoken at 4:30 by the dawn chorus, up at 6:30 to be greeted with a lovely sunrise and a 2 hour wait for breakfast. Hotel info stated that breakfast started at 07:30 however, we found that did not apply to bus tour companies who have set times to be served in batches. I suppose to them it makes sense, to me they need to modernise their routine, instead of serving coffee / tea set up the urns or machines, then it does not matter what time people come down to breakfast, as long as it is between the stated hours.
After breakfast at 8:30 we boarded the bus for our 9:30 tour round the Ring of Kerry which was scheduled as a full day on the bus. The weather was fine not too hot just comfortable. The Ring of Kerry is a popular tour; as a consequence tour busses have to go one way round the ring. This is to prevent two busses (one each way) blocking the ring as they try to pass each other. We stopped at three places, once for lunch, twice for comfort stops as well as photographic opportunities.
First stop was the Kerry Bog village, a historical site dedicated to the Peat Cutters and other trades. The cottages are original as the village has been preserved by one family.
The Peat Cutters,
The Smithy
The Labourers and The Thatchers -
The inn/Pub next introduced Susan to Irish Coffee (hic).
The next stop was for lunch at a small but very busy cafe/restaurant near Castlecove on the Peninsula overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
The next stop was for lunch at a small but very busy cafe/restaurant near Castlecove on the Peninsula overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
 |
| Courtesy of Susan Wales |
One little town, Sneem, looked a stand in for Balamory, even the Garda (Police) station was brightly painted. However, Sneem has another claim to fame as it was the place where Dan Murphy had his stone and entertained his friends. It is now a pub – Dan Murphy’s Bar, how appropriate.
From Sneem we made our way to Killarney stopping off at the Ladies View, so named after Queen Victoria’s Ladies viewed the Lakes of Killarney, thence back to the Earl of Desmond Hotel for dinner.
 |
| Climbing up from Sneem |
Views of the Killarney Lakes
