Wednesday 22nd September – Ring of Kerry & Skellig Ring

Wednesday 22nd September – Ring of Kerry & Skellig Ring

Left Milltown at 9 AM and began the anticlockwise journey around the Ring of Kerry. First stop was Killorglin when we saw the Statue of Puck, a goat, a relic of pagan times.

We then stopped at the Kerry Bog Museum where the life of the people who lived in the bog was recreated. It was really interesting to see the role peat played in the lives of the people. The thatcher’s house was one of the better ones in the village and they had an upstairs bedroom (if you could call it that!) They also had the Irish wolfhounds and Kerry Bog Ponies on show.

The weather cleared and the views everywhere we drove were absolutely spectacular. It seems that a high mountain range is the backbone of each of the peninsulas and then these mountain descend into the sea with high cliffs. In the morning we were able to look out over Dingle Bay to the Dingle Peninsula and later we were looking over the waters of the Atlantic.

We left the Ring of Kerry and joined the Skellig Ring. Crossed by ferry to Valentia Island. Again, this has this high mountain spine. We climbed up Geokaun Mountain, on a dirt road, in first gear to the Fogher Cliffs. The roads here are mostly single land and wind around the mountains and cliffs. Scary at times! Again views to die for.

Crossed back to the mainland and had lunch at Portmagee before rejoining the Ring. Just after Portmagee, we visited the Cliffs of Kerry (each time you have to pay to park!) These cliffs were very high and impressive. The walk was well worth it.

While it was fine today, each time we looked to hills and mountains, they were shrouded in mist and as we climbed up through the pass, we did get a couple of light showers of rain. Saw many rainbows again.