The quieter side
Yesterday morning, after a lovely breakfast at O'Donnabhain's, we headed northeast into Killarney National Park. Normally we enjoy a relaxing drive into a new park. Driving in Ireland, that didn't really happen. We're still getting used to motoring around so even a 45 minute drive is nerve wracking.
We didn't have a strong sense of what we were in store for as we entered the park. The road began climbing into the mountains, sheep-grazing grasslands giving way to boulder-studded brushlands. Karen joked, and rightfully so, that I should have some sort of Lord of the Rings reference. Which I did. It reminded me of the description of the fields of Rohan, so if you're a big enough nerd you'll understand what we saw.
The road eventually crested a mountain pass at Moll's Gap, at which point the vastness of the park became visible spread out 750 feet above the three major lakes of Killarney. The view was truly breathtaking. We have been fortunate to have seen many vistas over the course of our travels. Each are amazing and special in their own way. What really got me about this view was the greenness. It was a painting made almost entirely of shades from emerald to forest to mint to sage, and nearly everything in between. It was startling to say the least.
After a short 2-mile walk from the road down to Muckross Lake and the Dinis Cottage, we started a hike to Torc Waterfall. While the hike to the waterfall itself is short, we continued past the main fall and followed the stream further up the mountain. Not only was the hike along the quickly-falling stream beautiful, but the number of people on the trail diminished significantly. A few hundred feet above the fall, the trail crosses the creek and continues back down the mountain on the opposite side. We took this route to see something new and are glad we did. The forested areas were dense with rhododendron and holly (much of which in heavy berry bloom). Ferns littered the forest floor. The air was as green as the growth around us. Clean and fresh and crisp.
Following the Torc hike, we did a more gentle 5 mile hike in the woods and fields near Muckross House. The trail was partially crushed gravel carriage roads and partly dirt paths into the woods and along the rock shoreline. The wooded sections reminded us so much of the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park. The ground was blanketed in deep green moss, a carpet under the trees. Did I mention how green everything is? It bears saying again. The Emerald Isle is quite appropriately named.
After nearly 11 miles of hiking, we called it a day at the park and headed back to the lovely town of Kenmare. We found ourselves at our own hotel bar for pre-dinner drinks, dinner (with drinks), and live music (and drinks) after dinner. When you find something great there's no reason to go anywhere else! The accommodations were top-notch, the bar was wonderful, the food excellent, and the people the best. If you ever find yourself traveling through or to Kenmare, we cannot more highly recommend O'Donnabhain's. Tomorrow we head out to Dingle, driving the famous Ring of Kerry along the way.
