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Exploring Ireland’s enchanting Ring of Kerry
Even
visitors to Ireland who don’t believe in fairies and leprechauns
become smitten by the inherent charms of the emerald isle. I’ve
been travel writing for nearly 15 years and the question I receive most
is, “what’s your favourite place.”
The spectacular Gap of Dunloe
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There are so
many wonderful spots in the world it’s impossible to make a
single choice; however, I usually respond with a top five and Ireland
is certainly among them. Just 300 km wide and 500 km long, it’s a
relatively small island but within the country separated from Britain
by the Irish Sea, there are captivating cities and towns, castles,
ancient historic sites, mesmerizing music, breathtakingly beautiful
coastlines and last but not least, fascinating Irish folklore. My most recent trip to Ireland was
spent exploring the famous Ring of Kerry, one of the country’s top
tourist attractions.
Located on the southwest coast, the Ring is a 176
km circular route around the Iveragh Peninsula which can be driven in a
day but this would mean minimizing the magic and the spectacular
scenery it has to offer. One important thing every visitor who plans to
drive the Ring should know: the roads are narrow and motorists are
often obliged to share them with a bevy of behemoth tour buses.
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Ballybunion: Ballybunion Golf Club is a historic,
challenging and sometimes humbling course
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One of
my colleagues jokingly suggests taking a couple of valiums before
hitting the trail during peak summer season when the buses are out in
full force. I drove the route clockwise which resulted in meeting the
buses head on. However, driving counter-clockwise would have meant
being stuck behind them with nowhere to pass.
In spite of
narrow roads and broad beamed buses, nothing can diminish the absolute
glory of exploring one of Ireland’s greatest regions.
People who want to see a bit of the
country before arriving at the Ring can fly Air Transat from Montreal
to Dublin (May to October) and drive across the island in a day.
Alternatively, Air Transat also offers Toronto to Shannon flights which
put travellers just a short drive from the Ring.
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The many faces of the Listowel
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The gateway
to the Ring of Kerry is Killarney, a busy tourist town surrounded by
lakes, mountains and forests. For many years it was Ireland’s top
tourist centre only losing its crown to Dublin in the recent past.
Killarney streets are filled with souvenir shops, lively restaurants
and pubs and its from here the tour buses queue up for Ring tours. Before leaving the town and
surrounding area seek out 14th century Ross Castle, a restored fortress
whose ancient history includes a devastating attack by England’s Oliver
Cromwell.
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The many faces of the Listowel
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From Ross Castle, boats can be hired
that take visitors across Lough Leane to Inisfallen Island where there
are several monasteries, with the oldest said to be founded in the 7th
century by St. Finian the Leper.
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Heading
clockwise along the Ring, the town of Kenmare is one of the
trail’s most pleasant urban stops. This picturesque,
pastel-painted town is an Irish gem that features more than 30 eating
establishments, pubs, hotels and shops. In addition to the Heritage
Centre, another not-to-be-missed attraction is the Kenmare Stone
Circle, an ancient sacred site. Locally known as the Druids circle, it
is over 3,000 years old and is the largest stone circle in southwest
Ireland with 13 standing boulders and two lying prostrate.
Overall, Kenmare is a place that’s hard to leave; hence I stayed
for a night at the Park Hotel, a century-old castle-like limestone
building with terraced gardens, a fabulous spa and impeccable dining.
It’s the kind of historically romantic place that is pure
Ireland.
Golf enthusiasts have numerous
excellent choices of places to play along the Ring route and among them
is the Waterville Golf Links. This is a championship course surrounded
by the sea where Tiger Woods and several other of the world’s top
golfers came to prepare for the 1998 British Open.
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Seaside horse racing on the Rossbeigh Strand
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Several
of them returned the following year to become members of the club. In
addition to Walt Disney, the resort town of Waterville has hosted other
celebrities including comedic actor Charlie Chaplin whose photographs
are posted on the walls of the Butler Arms Hotel in what the owners
have named the Charlie Chaplin Lounge. On the town’s main street
there is also a bronze statue of the distinguished entertainer who died
in 1977. Waterville, however, isn’t the only Ring community to
have entertained a celebrity. In 1969, the tourist town of Sneem (one
of the prettiest in Ireland) attracted former French president, Charles
de Gaulle.
While Ring towns have seen their
share of celebrities, legions of ordinary folk arrive each year to
explore their riches. They stop at charming communities that are hard
to pronounce, like Cahirciveen and Caherdaniel, and with each encounter
they delve a little deeper into the great Irish culture.
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The shops of Dingle are typical of what you’ll find in the towns and villages on the Ring of Kerry
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They marvel
at breathtaking scenery, visit revered sites like the former home of
famous Irish politician Daniel O’Connell. And sometimes they go
inland to see historical attractions such as 2,500-year-old Staigue
Fort, one of the finest examples of an Iron Age stone fort in Ireland.
Like the rest of the country, the Ring of Kerry is a magical place and
those who explore it on a bus tour from Killarney will begin with
Killorglin, the town famous for its Puck Fair, one of the
country’s oldest festivals. This first of many bus stops marks
the start of an Irish odyssey but because I did the route in the
opposite direction, it was my last stop--but definitely not my last
visit.
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