Ireland redeemed
I am happy to report that Ireland has been redeemed, after the less-than-overwhelming experience in Dublin. Now, I never thought that Dublin would define Ireland, any more than NYC defines the States. But it was nice to get out of the city and into the countryside and start to experience what we were looking for on this trip.
Once we got out of Dublin proper we were on a highway and the driving became somewhat easier. I have noticed that people here just don't speed. Even on the highway with a limit of 120km/h people were driving under that for the most part. Very strange! Another difference we noticed right away was the complete lack of larger passenger vehicles. No big SUVs or pickup trucks, no big Class A RVs, and no noisy-ass Harley's. Slow and small seems to be the norm and, to be honest, it was really nice to not have crotch-rockets flying past us.
I have always wanted to see an actual old castle. Maybe it was growing up a nerd playing Dungeons & Dragons, or maybe it was reading Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. In any case, it's something I have always wanted to see in person. That itch was scratched early on this trip as we stopped at the ruins of both a very old church and castle (both dating from the 12th century). The first was the church at the Rock of Cashel. Perched atop a rock outcropping, the site commands a 360-degree view of the surrounding countryside. The structure itself is composed of sections from the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries. It was fascinating to look at the first courses of wall laid somewhat haphazardly over the uneven ground, eventually meeting at a height to make the wall level. Some person 900 years ago gathered those rocks and set them into place, never imagining us walking there almost a millennium later. What were they thinking, and what was their life like? I cannot help to wonder.
Our second stop was at the Cahir Castle, just a short drive from Cashel. Cahir was an actual castle used to guard an important tributary on a river system. Like Cashel, the oldest parts of Cahir dated to the 12th century. Being able to climb the narrow staircases up into the keep and tower made this even more amazing. Had to pay special attention to headroom so I didn't knock myself out! Clearly these were not made for rapid movement. And to make the stop even better, we treated ourselves to ice cream across the street afterwards. We could just imagine the castle royalty walking across the bridge to enjoy a frozen dessert after flogging the prisoners. Good times.
We arrived at our home for the next two nights, the town of Kenmare, and were immediately happy with what we found. Two small streets of pubs and shops. We checked into O'Donnabhain's, a bed & breakfast perched above their pub on the first floor. Our room is on the second floor, looking out over the bustling main street of Kenmare. We could not be more pleased with the location or the room. The pub is cozy and the staff friendly, and the food is wonderful! So far we are in love. Tomorrow we will head into Killarney National Park for our first hiking experience of this trp. Until then, cheers from Ireland!
