March 6th, 2020
Today was a very busy day ... a lot of driving and a lot of things to see. So many different things in one day ... what a blast!
Just a few minutes from my hotel is Ross Castle. Ross Castle sits on the edge of Killarney lake and was built by O'Donoghue in the 15th century.
Legend has it that O'Donoghue still exist in the deep slumber under the waters of the Lough Leane. On the first morning of May every seven years he Rises from the lake on his White Horse and circles the lake. Anyone catching a glimpse of him is said to be assured good fortune for the rest of their lives.
Gurther passed Ross Castle is Torc Waterfall. This was a great stop along the way for a short walk. Nearby the falls there were over 50 deer. They were a little skittish but I managed rho get some pics.
I continued up the highway to find out that it is closed and I have to go all the way around. At first this seemed disappointing but in the end it turned out to be a good thing as I was able to include a section of a peninsula that I could not do yesterday.
This is a view of the mountains from Killarney National Park. The lake is called Lough Leane.
I started to drive back up the peninsula towards Dingle. Retracing my steps but now with more daylight and to see the places I wanted to visit yesterday.
This is called Inch Beach, Ireland's longest beach.
I drove another half hour passed Dingle. These rock structures are known as Beehive Huts and date back to 2000 BC.
After visiting half an hour at this site, I made a decision to drive another half an hour up to Slea Head. Apparently this is considered the most beautiful peninsula in the world by many photigraphic magazines.
Along the coast drive I came across Virgin Mary statue. Made for a nice pic.
I stopped at this viewpoint close to Slea Head. I deliberately took a picture with a vehicle in the photo to show how narrow the two-way road is. Lol
I made my way to Slea Head and drove down the steep road to the beach. This area is called Coumeenoole Bay. A very beautiful area.
I saw this sone building and had to take a pic. Notice that even the roof is stone... what an architectural wonder.
Driving back towards Dingle I made my way to Killorglin and drove around the Ring of Kerry.
I heard that this was a beautiful drive and thought I would check out for myself. it was a lovely drive and although I did not have any specific sites to visit I found a couple amazing places.
I saw this gate beside the road and pulled over. I walked around it and was quite impressed. I looked on my map and decided I would go for a hike up the road behind the gate. The road was paved a long time ago and went about a kilometre and a half back.
Dromore Castle is one of 3 Dromore Castles in Ireland. I read this Wikipedia about this castle ... or it's very interesting.
Although Dromore Castle appears to have been built on the instructions of Denis Mahony, his father John Mahony had made the decision to build a large home earlier in the 19th century, but apparently abandoned the attempt after his yacht, returning from London with lead for the roof and wine for the cellar, sank in the Kenmare River, in view of the site of the house. After this, no further work took place until Deane began building work for Denis Mahony in the 1830s
Denis Mahony was a minister of the Church of Ireland and a keen proselytiser. He is known to have set up a soup kitchen at Dromore during the time of the Irish Potato Famine, and preached in the chapel at Dromore to the hungry who came for food. His proselytizing activities did not make him a popular figure in the locality, and in 1850 he was attacked in his church at Templenoe. On returning to Dromore, he found a further angry group had uprooted flower beds, felled trees and were about to set fire to the castle; it is claimed that they were only stopped by the intervention of the local Catholic priest, Fr John O'Sullivan.
After Rev. Denis Mahony's death in 1851, the castle was inherited by his son Richard John Mahony, who successfully ran the estate in addition to farming oyster beds in the bay. When Richard Mahony died, the castle then passed in turn to his son, Harold Segerson Mahony.
Harold Mahony was a successful tennis player, and indeed was the last Irish winner at Wimbledon. His tennis court can still be found in the gardens at the Castle. It was in the late 1800s, during Harold Mahony's time as head of the household, that Harold Boulton, best known for writing the lyrics of the Skye Boat Song, came to visit Dromore, and it is then that he is thought to have written the words to the popular song "The Castle of Dromore," published in 1892 in English and later translated into Irish.[1]
When Harold Mahony was killed in a bicycle accident in 1905, he left no heirs, and the castle was passed to his sister, Norah Hood. She in turn left the castle to her cousin, Hugh Bolton Waller, and the castle remained in the hands of the Waller family until 1993 when it was offered for sale. Dromore Castle is now owned by an investment company who are attempting to restore the house.
I could not believe how long of a walk going up the driveway from the main road. ItI had a concrete curb on each side if the driveway thre last third of the way up. Beautiful trees marked both sides of the road. There were no signs indicating no trespassing, but I could see there was work being done at the back of the castle.
This was most definitely the narrowest two-way road I came across. If you come across another vehicle, one would have to back up to a pull off. I drove on it for about 3km. It was a short cut to my next destination.
This is Gougane Barra. The name comes from Saint Finbarr who is said to have built a monastery on an island in the lake nearby during the 6th century. The present ruins date from around 1700 when a priest called Denis O'Mahony retreated to the island. What a beautiful area.
This circled stone was over 10 feet high and inside if this circle, there is a cross in the centre with tablets around the wall.
This tomb is that of Dennis O'Mahony.
Another spiritual surprise was to see this abandoned Church. This is the only information I could find about it...
Roughly rectangular graveyard, just east of the village, close to N bank of the River Lee. Contains ruins of nineteenth century C of I parish church of Inchigeelagh and site of old parish church of Inchigeelagh. Many old unmarked, rough stone grave markers.
The view from inside the abandoned Church still leaves a feeling of spiritually.
Muskerry Seems it's where I shall stay tonight. 5 minute walk to Blarney Castle from here.
I was so engolfed in my experiences today that I literally forgot to eat! Making up for it now! HAHAHA
