We drove through Killorglin, in County Kerry, where every August
10, a three-day festival commences celebrating Aonach an Phoic, meaning
"Fair of the He-Goat". Poc is Irish for male goat.
Consequently, the festival is named the Puck Fair, with the King Puck (King
Goat) regally presiding over the festivities.
We traveled to the Ring of Kerry on Monday. It was one of the
most beautiful areas I've ever visited, even in the pouring down rain!
The Ring of Kerry is a 179 kilometer-long circular drive in
County Kerry, located in the southwestern part of Ireland. It starts in
Killarney, and following the coast, winds its way through towns such as Sneem,
Waterville, and Cahersiveen. The views of the Atlantic smashing into the
boulders and beach, white foam and spray flying in all directions, were
breathtaking.
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As we drove through Killarney National Park, we stopped at the
Ladies' View, a scenic point where Queen Victoria's Ladies-in-Waiting were said
to have taken in the sights. According to our charming tour guide Steven, Queen
Victoria sent her ladies to visit the area (as she seemingly couldn't be
bothered!) The ladies were utterly charmed by the scenery, proclaiming it a
'view for a lady', and the name stuck.
We also visited Torc Waterfall, a gorgeous, tumbling fury of
water on that rainy day, tucked away within the lush greenery of the
mountain-side. In that same area, we saw wild goats and deer, munching their
lunches as we passed. We saw many multi-colored sheep, shaggy cows, and lots of
new lambs and calves running around their mamas.
| Dagmar at Torc Waterfall |
I remain amazed that our full-sized tour bus could maneuver some
of those roads and curves; they seemed the width of a Mini-Cooper in some
places! To alleviate traffic jams, the buses navigated along a
counter-clockwise route, where passenger cars traveled clockwise.
As you might imagine, the 12-hour day was jam-packed with
learning, fun, and great entertainment. If you get the opportunity to travel
the Ring of Kerry, do not hesitate. Add it to your bucket list now!
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| The group at Ladies View-Ring of Kerry |
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| Tammy Mike, Emily, Dr. Herd, and Chelsea at the Torc Waterfall-Ring of Kerry |
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