Unforgetabble Ireland : Kerry (Part2)

Ring of Kerry

Ring of Kerry is a circular scenic route on Iveragh Peninsula. Via N70 and N71 it rims around the peninsula connecting Killarney and many waterfront towns that make attractive stopping points, including Kenmare, Sneem, Castlecove, Cherdaniel, Derrynane, Cahersiveen and Killorglin.

We dedicated our first day in Kerry (Tue, Jun 16th) to Ring of Kerry and choose to travel clockwise to avoid the tour buses that usually start out of Killarney and travel counter clockwise. The traffic was however unexpectedly light and we crossed paths with big tour buses a few times only. The self driving tour worked out well for us and it is what I’d recommend. Driving our own car allowed us to hop on and off freely. Plus a big bus simply would not be able to get to some sites such as Staigue Fort, accessible only through tiny little roads that are impossible for buses.

Ring of Kerry exceeded my expectation. It is evidently one of the most scenic and intriguing routes on earth. Sometimes the road winds inland through villages, sometimes it takes you to the edge of water. Almost every turn brought about a wonderful vista. There were so many inspiring views that I stopped frequently for photos. Driving on the left put me on just the right side of the road and I often videotaped while my husband drove on. Between these photo ops, we visited Sneem, Staigue Fort, Derrynane and Cahersiveen.

To top it all, we ended the day with what turned out to be an adventurous undertaking, venturing our way back to Kenmare through Ballaghbeama Gap.

Between Kenmare and Sneem

N70 lies close to Kenmare Bay at this spot

Out of Kenmare, N70 ran through inland villages but here it brought us close to the edge of Kenmare Bay briefly.

Unforgetabble Ireland : Kerry (Part 1)

Kerry

County Kerry occupies the south western corner of Ireland and is home to the scenic Dingle Peninsula, Iveragh Peninsula, Beara Peninsula, Macgillycuddy Reeks (highest mountain in Ireland) and Killarney national park.

Iveragh Peninsular, the largest peninsular in Kerry, was chosen for it is home to Killarney and Ring of Kerry. Consequently I picked Kenmare as our base in Kerry. We arrived at Kenmare late in the evening on Monday, Jun 15 and spent the following two and half days between Kenmare, Ring of Kerry and Killarney.

Iveragh Peninsular is magnificent and magical. On its Atlantic coast, nature bestows it breathtaking seascape and on its inland, enchanting landscape. Its rolling mountains, gushing waterfalls, bubbling rivers, serene lakes, secret valleys and hidden defiles can hold one spellbound.

Ladies’ View

Leaving Adare, Limerick at about 6:30pm (Monday 15th), we continued southward to Kenmare. From Adare to Kenmare, it is about 78miles (125km) through N21, N23 and then N71, but it took us a quarter to 3 hours.

On the first 3/4 of the way, the view outside the window alternated between towns, open fields under bright sunny sky and giant wind turbines atop distant hills.

The last 20 miles of the road turned out to be an extraordinary scenic route winding through Killarney town and Killarney National Park. The narrow, bending road over the mountains of Killarney and stopping for photo slowed us down and we covered those 20 miles in one hour’s time.

And it was on this stretch of the road, we found Lady’s View, an attraction I had in my itinerary. It was about 8:15pm and quiet but the sun was still high. The view of Killarney’s mountains and lakes was stunning.

Ladies View

Queen Victoria visited the area in 1861. Her ladies-in-waiting were so enchanted by the view that the site was named after them.