Friday 9th of August
We were super-organised today for a change. Lunch was prepared and packed and we set out to “do” the Dingle Peninsular and the famous Ring of Kerry before visiting family in the evening. Last year when we were in Kerry we attempted The Ring but abandoned it due to bad weather and losing our way!! This was not going to happen again. Usually Jim drives and I navigate. Not because he is a better driver but because I’m a better navigator.
We went first to Inch Beach – a flat and well-packed stretch of sand that is open for anyone to drive on. There were camper-vans parked actually on the sand and of course we had to take a drive. Despite misty rain people were swimming and there was a busy surfing school taking classes. Horse races are also held on the beach here.
The Dingle Peninsula has miles of sandy beaches both in the north (near Castlegregory) and the south (Inch) of the peninsula. The route to and around the peninsular is known as The Wild Atlantic Way.
We took the road through some of the most unforgettable scenery in Ireland. It is a narrow road winding its way along the steep rocky coastline. The Blasket Islands lie off the coast here. There is a boat that goes over to one of the islands here but we didn’t go as it was choppy out on the water.
Celtic and early Christian monuments such as the Ogham Stones, the Beehive Huts and early church buildings like the Gallarus Oratory and the remains of the settlement of Reask show that people have lived in this region for at least 6,000 years.
Panorama of the Dingle Peninsular coast.
After reaching the pretty and very busy town of Dingle at the tip of the Peninsular we headed back along the same route to tackle the world famous Ring of Kerry.
We came on to the famous route at the town of Killorglin, then followed it along the spectacular Kerry coast. The Ring of Kerry circuit is 179km in length and the route takes around 3.5 hours to drive around without stopping. But of course there are so many places to stop that we soon realised we were not going to make it all the way around. Instead we took the road over the mountains and through the Ballagh Oisin Pass back to Killorglin and we were so glad we did. It was truly beautiful and the sun even shone for us.
This is the legend of Oisin Pass:
Bealach Óisín (Óisín’s Road) is named after the son of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, legendary leader of the Fianna, Ireland’s famous warriors. According to legend Óisín fell in love with Niamh Cinn Or, a beautiful princess from Tir na Nog, the land of youth. Having spent some time in Tir na Nog, Óisín was homesick and wanted to see his homeland. Niamh lent him her great white horse on which to return, with a dire warning to stay on the horse and not to set foot on the land of Ireland. When Óisín came back, hundreds of years had gone by, the Fianna were long gone, the people of Ireland had grown small and weak and St Patrick was spreading Christianity. As he was crossing the pass that now bears his name, Óisín saw a group of men struggling with a stone that he could move with one hand. Óisín leaned down from the saddle to move the stone, but as he did so the girth broke and he fell to the ground. As soon as he hit the ground he turned into an old man.
The highlight of a long and eventful day was to meet up again with my “cousin” Anna and her daughters and their families for supper at Anna’s house. Anna and I worked out last year when we visited her that her grand-mother was my great-grandmother’s sister. Anna is in her late 80’s and is as sharp as a whip. She can remember my grandfather, John Breen’s younger brother having Christmas lunch with her family when she was young. As John Breen migrated to Australia more than 100 years ago it is amazing and fantastic that our family links have been maintained all of these years. Let’s hope the next generation of Australian Breens and their Irish cousins will continue to keep in touch.
Again the craic (Irish for gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation ), was so good that we forgot to take any photos but we made up for that later.
Home to bed totally exhausted and excited for the 400 + year old Puck Fair to begin next day. What a wonderful Emerald Isle is Ireland and her people, with their craic and their music and tales of long ago, are very special.
See you soon at the Puck Fair!
Websites
Jim and Frankie's Amazing Gap Year Adventure 