They say that persistence pays and it certainly did in our case. After the ever-present Irish rain washed out our original plans to drive the Ring of Kerry our second attempt the next day was a success. We embarked from our Airbnb in Killarney and drove the route the opposite way of the tour buses (we drove clockwise) so we weren’t slowed down by the behemoths.
Our first stop was the Staigue Fort. Once we got off the main road of the Wild Atlantic Way the roads weren’t much wider than a typical bike path is in the U.S.
If a car came from the other direction one of us had to find a spot to pull off to the side to let the other through. In Ireland, this somehow works but in the U.S. it would have surely devolved into a stalemate, a fistfight, or worse.
Next stop, the Kerry Cliffs. The landscape here might look familiar if you’re a fan of Star Wars. I may get some flack for this but, in my opinion, these cliffs were even more spectacular than the Cliffs of Moher . This may just be the Star Wars fan in me talking.
The last picture was from the absolute edge of the cliff and we were being buffeted by such heavy wind that it was difficult to hold the camera steady or even stand still.
We stopped for a great pub lunch in a little fishing village on the way to our last stop, Puck Fair.
Label this as something I’d never heard of before we did the Ring of Kerry. Puck Fair, according to legend, began when a wild goat broke free from the herd and came down into the town to warm the town of the advancing English army just in time for them to mount their defenses and fend off the English.
Like most Irish legends, there are alternate versions of this story too. Who knows which of them are true but the three day celebration commemorating the event has survived now for well over four-hundred years, that’s good enough for me.
Click on the YouTube Video below for all of our pictures from the Ring of Kerry. There are many more pictures and stories from our Ireland adventure yet to come!
Thanks for reading! All for now. Remember…trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.
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A land of magic. Even the light is more illuminating. Love this, I wanna go. My mother travelled a lot, and she always said Ireland was her favorite. Didn't go over well with my father, who only liked going to Greece. Every other trip they took was to Greece.
Undoubtedly. The brightness of the grass elevated our mood even during the cloudy days. If you go, I'd definitely recommend renting a car and driving. It's a shock at first but you get accustomed to it quickly and you can see SO much more. We used a company called My Irish Cousin and we were really happy with them. Ah, Greece! My wife and I used to dream about Santorini when we first got together. We haven't made it there yet but hopefully we will. I hope you make it to Ireland, I guarantee you will fall in love.
Tales, legends make these islands mystical, magical, exactly how you know it will be.
Narrow roads taken always courteous drivers, no hurry affords one time to see the sights.
@tipu curate 2
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That is such a true statement, Joan. There are at least 3-4 versions of most of the legends of the Isle.
We humans love stories attached to places.
Very true!
Great adventure. I think I like the hero goat story best. Can’t imagine how a goat had to warn humans in advance of an attack. Sadly storied like that don’t exist anymore today , only in history . Or maybe I just haven’t been paying much attention.
The details of how it happen have been lost to the ages. It does make for a good story though. : )
Somewhat funny to see that they named a mountain goat as King Puck. If I would have seen the sign from a distance, then probably I would have thought that the sign is about a person.
It's a fascinating legend. If only we could travel back in time and see what actually happened!
That's awesome. I totally hear what you are saying about the roads! We have a couple of those in some of the more wooded areas of Michigan and people don't handle them well at all. The photos look beautiful and I am glad your persistence paid off!
Thank you! I was pleasantly surprised at how courteous the drivers were over there and how quickly that rubs off. I had a reality check when I took my first drive here in the US!
Its difficult to pass through such roads most of the times. Well i must say that the pictures are beautiful and attractive.
Goat story is interesting, thanks for sharing the trip with us. I love the green views most.
Thanks!
Wow! Impressive cliffs. I have to confess that I suffer from vertigo!!!! Just the thought of seeing these "natural giants" gives me goosebumps. I can imagine all the "natural" energy you received, all the wonderful force you could feel in this place. If life is not this, knowing places, traveling with loved ones, feeling close the power of existence, then I don't know what living is. A nice Friday, my friend. And welcome to the continent.
I'm usually okay with heights but walking around the top of the Staigue Fort gave me tunnel vision. Certain parts of the walking surface were only about 18" across and it was about 40 feet high. The cliffs were probably my favorite attraction. I always feel so alive when I'm traveling, seeing the sights, learning new things, and meeting new people. Thank you Nancy! I hope you've had a great weekend.
So great to see, despite the weather… you find some beautiful spots 😊
I still haven’t made it to the cliffs of Kerry. They are on my list to visit.
Have a wonderful weekend 👋🏻
Thank you! We got lucky a few days and actually saw the sun for most of the day. I highly recommend the Kerry Cliffs. The vista we visited was on private land but they had a spacious parking lot and bathrooms. It was spectacular. I hope you've had a nice weekend. I'm already missing Ireland!
You are welcome 😊 very lucky with the weather then.
Sounds stunning.
I had, thank you. Hope you too. Have a fantastic new month!
I can imagine… you have to check out the rest of it one day 😉
Thank you! We plan to visit again within the next few years but will structure the trip differently. We want to stay in no more than two different places for at least four days each. We stayed in Galway, Killarney, and Cork this time and it was just too much. Cheers and happy October to you!
That’s awesome.
Yep, I fully understand. One wants to see it all in a very short time.
There is just too much to see. So your plan sounds great to do just a few places and truly enjoy and explore them.
Cheers and have a happy October too!
Such trips are very important for human health and relaxation of the mind as we see that all these places are very beautiful. And if the weather happens to be beautiful like this when there are clouds and the natural scenery is visible in a very good way, it becomes more fun to visit such a place and one gets a lot of peace of mind and one can forget one's worries forgets.
So true! I'm already planning the next trip. : )
That's so great.
So it is really true what they say there, that it is constantly raining, you confirm it dear friend @ericvancewalton
It's good that you have tried again and lived the driving experience on the route, it is true, in another part of the world, a route like that would be true chaos
What beautiful places you have visited, the shots you have taken look really beautiful
Have a beautiful weekend
It rained probably 80% of our time there but it doesn't always rain all day and not usually heavy. The driving could be stressful, at times, but we made it through without an accident (thank God). I'm very grateful to have gotten to experience this beautiful country and its people. Thanks and enjoy what's left of your weekend!
Thanks for this fascinating post. My family are from this part of Ireland, beautiful scenery.
You're welcome! My ancestors are from county Cork.
beautiful ireland but so chilly in winter, unhealthy then
I like the fort which looks very unique and beautiful. I think there must be a history to why the fort was built. What a very enjoyable trip, Eric. And of course Ireland is the land of your ancestors, isn't it? Have a nice day, Eric.
The fort was amazing. It was probably built by a wealthy Irish chieftain around 2,000 years ago but they're not 100% sure. It was a wonderful trip! Some of my ancestors were from the Cork region in Ireland. Two brothers immigrated there from Spain during the Spanish Inquisition then generations later their descendants settled in London, England. It seems traveling is in my blood. I hope you've had a wonderful weekend!
It is indeed pure magic as you described!
I wish the photos did it justice. It's even more beautiful in person!
Great adventure you really had there. It must have really been a great time you enjoyed over there. By the way I have also heard a lot about Ireland and it will be a pleasure to be there someday
What a nice trip some people have and I have to stay here doing math 😭😭😭😭😭
Hahaha, it's funny to hear about the roads from an outside perspective, I don't think anyone here likes the backroads to be fair.
You're right about Irish legends and History in general, none of it was written down, it was mostly oral among the natives, and most of the stories that stuck around are in song, but even the songs have changed over the years as people add their own pieces to update it in a way. The monks were the only ones who took notes and wrote everything down things they heard, but the monasteries were the main target of raiders and Vikings.
Interesting stuff nonetheless, and while there are a lot of blank spots, it's good to have a general idea of our past.
Oh man, the tour busses! I couldn't believe how they navigated those narrow roads going up to the Cliffs of Moher. That makes sense then how the legends seem so mercurial. They're super interesting and really add to the allure of the country. I already can't wait to go back. We found the Irish people the most welcoming of anywhere else we've been.
100% especially when you're in smaller towns or villages you'll find that people can be really open, friendly and helpful.
I've done some digging into the old ballads and songs too, to find out the original lyrics and go through the changes of them, because some go back 100's of years.
I'm glad the trip was good, it's a great country.
The countryside and smaller towns were my favorite. Most people we interacted with treated us like they'd known us for years. The history is fascinating. Some of my ancestors were from County Cork but we can't find any records. Thank you! We've been to several countries in Europe but so far Ireland is my favorite. We couldn't believe how cheap the food was in comparison to the US!
Very beautiful place. Stones are arranged in a good manner. It was a rainy day and my outdoor activities has cancelled.
Weather after the rain is looking awsome.
What an inspiring and visually stunning tour of the Ring of Kerry! I loved following along on your clockwise road trip and felt like I was right there with you. Your vivid descriptions of the narrow, winding roads and impromptu pull-offs to let other cars pass captured the essence of driving in Ireland perfectly. The ancient Staigue Fort and breathtaking Kerry Cliffs views were definite highlights, though the tale of Puck Fair and its 400+ year history was fascinating as well. Your enthusiasm for exploration and immersing yourself in local culture and legends comes through in your writing and photos. I especially appreciate you providing historical context and folklore to enrich the travelogue. This was a delightful virtual tour that still managed to convey a strong sense of place. Your adventurous spirit is contagious - I'm ready to book my own Ring of Kerry excursion after reading this!
I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! Thank you!
The most beautiful natural views with excellent photography results. How are you today friend? Greetings from me to you and also to the family there.
All is well, thanks! Cheers to you!
Beautiful photography… wonderful Adventure. It made me feel connected with everything just watching the video. Yes, I feel this way every day on my morning walks and hikes through nature,,… especially in nearby cedar and pine forests and along the rivers and lakes. Eventually when we come to see ourselves as “nature” and that everything is nature we understand that there is only one anything. Everything. We are all that. We have just forgotten. This is Advaita Vedanta. Non dualism. Eventually everyone will attain this understanding.
Thank you! Nature is my saviour. Whenever I'm feeling lonely or lost it always sets me right!
Me too.
I didn't know that Ireland has such sightseeings as cliffs. Is it sea or ocean? I wonder whether one can swim there in the season.
This was the Atlantic ocean. It's probably a little rough to swim in these particular waters but we saw plenty of people swimming where the ocean was calmer, despite the cold.
Wow, very beautiful photographs, as always! The nature is splendid there, especially across the coastline, but the architecture of the towns is amazing as well! I also liked the photograph of the Staigue Fort as well! Very interesting history!
Thank you so much for sharing these photographs, for writing this post, and for sharing it here on HIVE! All the best, much respect, take care, stay safe, and plenty of success here on HIVE! Last but not least, sláinte! 🙂
Thanks, glad you enjoyed them!
You're most welcome! Please keep these wonderful posts coming! Ireland is well worth visiting indeed. One day perhaps, I hope visiting it as well! 🙂
It is interesting to know other landscapes found around the world and even better told in this adventurous way.
With the look on the pictures the topic best fit in. Indeed pure magic
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