We heard that from a LOT of people today.
We awoke to gray skies and a steady drizzle, the kind that you know isn’t just a passing shower. Apparently Killarney has had six weeks of sunshine — which abruptly came to an end the day of our arrival. We would need to adjust our plans a bit.
But first, we had to say a sad goodbye to Zoe. The rest of us are here for five more days but she flew back today to get back to work. We had to drive her into town to catch a 7:30am bus. We should have had plenty of time, as the bus stop was only five minutes away, but Google Maps made the unaccountable decision to send us on a different, 15-minute route, so we pulled in with only two minutes to spare. Luckily the rest of Zoe’s airport travel (bus to Limerick, short walk to a different bus station, then another bus to Shannon) went smoothly and she made it home without incident.
As for her sisters, they showed no great inclination to get out of bed. Given the weather, we didn’t really rush them. (Things are very luxurious at this Airbnb — we have three bedrooms and three bathrooms! The girls definitely enjoyed having their own private space for a bit.) After a bit of research, we decided to book a two-hour “jaunting car” ride — a horse-drawn carriage that would allow us to see some of the local sights in comfort — and more importantly, under a rain cover.
This was a very popular excursion with the girls, who have stopped to bond with every horse they’ve passed. Bob and I enjoyed chatting with the driver, an older man who’s lived in Killarney all his life. He was an entertaining character, and clearly attached to his horse, Ruby. He told us that every night, Ruby (and apparently all 60 horses owned by the Killarney Jaunting Car company) gets a bottle of Guinness mixed in with her feed. “She loves it! Can’t get enough!” When Ruby wasn’t going as fast as he liked, he would threaten her with the loss of Guinness privileges, which was apparently the worst threat he could muster. He himself, he told us, visits Murphy’s Bar each evening for four pints of Guinness. “Never three, never five — always four. Never miss a night.” He seemed a pretty spry guy, so apparently this system is working out for him. (He assured us that neither he nor the horse ever enjoys their Guinness while on duty.)
After a short journey in the city center (where cars have to yield to horses), we headed into the carriage roads of Killarney National Park. It was very pleasant rolling through the woods and along the lake, warm under blankets and dry from the rain. Eventually we reached Muckross House, a beautiful 19th century mansion set on the shores of one of the park’s three lakes. We made a half hour stop here to explore the gardens and grounds, and in a stroke of rare luck, the rain stopped just as we arrived (and started up again once we got back in the cart).
On the way back, our driver treated us to another stop at Muckross Abbey, the ruins of a 15th century Franciscan friary. It was lovely and fascinating. A huge, ancient yew tree — presumably as old as the friary itself — rises up straight in the center of the cloister. Around the outside is a cemetery with a mixture of old and semi-modern graves. It was an excellent place to wander for a bit — and again, the rain abated just as we arrived.
In the afternoon the rain had retreated to the degree that we felt brave enough to take on a hike that I’d really been looking forward to — the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow road leading through a mountain pass. It’s a road rather than a trail, but most vehicles are restricted from entry, so it’s mostly pedestrians, jaunting cars, and the occasional bike. The whole thing is over 7 miles long (and there’s not really a way to get back without retracing your steps or booking a combo boat/bus trip), so we contented ourselves with walking just the first stretch.
It was well worth the trip. The scenery was breathtaking and there were lots of sheep, cows, and off-duty horses for the girls to bond with along the way. It was hard to turn around — the path forward looked so inviting and it kept tempting us to see what was beyond the next corner. But we had a deadline for our next activity — an escape room we’d booked for 6pm. (The two Killarney escape rooms were almost totally booked for the whole day, presumably because of the rain, so we were lucky to get a spot at all.)
We were able to succeed at Vampires Among Us in good time, despite missing one of our family members. Probably if Zoe was around, we wouldn’t have had to ask for that hint.
We had one last stop to squeeze in before dinner — a quick stop to explore Ross Castle, which sits right outside of town. It’s a 15th century tower house which, like everything else here, is in an absolutely gorgeous setting on the shores of Lough Leane, one of the Killarney’s three lakes. Ross Castle, Muckross House, and Killarney National Park are all stops along the Ring of Kerry, the rest of which we’ll be driving later in the week.
Like our driver, we were also planning to head to Murphy’s that night — it had been recommended by our Airbnb host, Owen. We were hoping for some live music but it turned out to not start until 9:30 pm, which was a bit later than we had the energy for. We still enjoyed some pints and an excellent dinner before heading back to Owen’s. (We were hoping to see our driver and confirm whether he really did have four pints of Guinness, but our timing must have been off.)
