Ireland > Rain on the Ring of Kerry

After breakfast, we board the bus for the Ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry is a circular route around the Kerry Peninsula, offering stunning views of the coastline along the way. In some places, the coastal scenery even has a subtropical appearance. The bus travels the route counterclockwise — an agreement made between all tour buses to avoid traffic jams when passing each other. Other tourists are also advised to drive in this direction to prevent repeatedly encountering oncoming buses, as there are quite a few on the road.

Ireland - Ladies View viewpoint during the Ring of Kerry

At the start of the route, we stop at the Kerry Bog Village. The Kerry Bog Village is an open-air museum showing how the Irish lived in the past. The cottages are made of stone, with thatched roofs covered in clay. The museum also features Bog Ponies, small native horses. Unfortunately, they are standing on the far side of the field and show no intention of coming closer. We continue along the Ring of Kerry route, stopping at a sheepdog farm for a demonstration. The dogs skillfully herd the sheep using whistle commands, moving them exactly where the shepherd wants them to go. Afterward, the farmer explains the different breeds of sheep, having his dog separate them one by one on command. As the journey continues, the weather turns rainy. The rain lashes against the windows, obscuring the views. We make another brief stop, but the scenery is limited due to the downpour. At Ladies View, we use umbrellas to take a look over the lakes below. Normally, we would also visit the Lakes of Killarney, but with the persistent rain, it hardly seems worthwhile. We drive on to Killarney, where we take a short walk through the town with our umbrellas and visit Saint Mary’s Church. After about an hour, we return to our hotel in Ballyheigue.