Snippets of the Ring of Kerry

We had a list of places we wanted to visit and we hit them all by 2pm, making it possible to add an item to our itinerary suggested by our host Rosemarie at the Lodges of Kenmare.

We started with a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon and a scone at The Rookery. From there we walked to Cromwell Bridge and the Kenmare Stone Circle. Cromwell Bridge has an interesting history, built in the 7th century by Franciscan monks to reach a holy well across the Finnihy River; but we were more fascinated with the biodiversity of the surrounding grounds.

The Stone Circle of Kenmare dates back to the Bronze Age. Again, interesting history but we were drawn to the Hawthorn trees where you can write your wishes on a card and hang it on a branch. Hawthorn trees are often found at sacred sites and it’s considered unlucky to cut one down, lest you offend the fairies. In 1999, road construction between Limerick and Galway was delayed 10 years while they worked out how to bypass a Hawthorn tree.

Reenagross Woodland Park was another visit to fairy land.

Kilmakilloge Harbor was the highlight of the day. We were bound for Helen’s Bar near the pier as suggested by our host Rosemarie.

We enjoyed the seafood platter with fresh and smoked salmon, prawns, mussels and crabmeat on a bed of salad with puréed vegetable soup and brown bread.

Tomorrow we head to Dingle for another snippet of the Ring of Kerry.