Jaunty Cars, Estates, & Views in Killarney (#4)

Sparkling Star
Jun 18
2 min read

We are planning to take trains as much as we can on this trip. Our first stop after Dublin is Killarnery, and in Irish Cill Airne.

On our first day in Killarney we took a Jaunty Car "horse and buggy" ride around Killarney National Park. We got our first tour of the area from a local who said his family moved to the area after the 1840's famine. He said his family moved a lot until they finally settled in the area in the 1850s. So much of Ireland is defined by the famine and the English.

We bundled up under some blankets as we drove around.

We saw Ross Castle from our jaunty car trip.

The next morning we did the Hop On Hop Off bus that only really got us to the beautiful Torc Waterfalls and then we walked to the rest of the attractions.

Next up was our walk to Muckross House and Laura fell in love with these trees.

Almost every picture had Laura's hair in her face fromt he wind. This was in front of the amazing Muckross House. Pictures do not do it justice and everyone should come here when visiting Ireland.

This home was completed in 1842. In 1845 the Potato Famine began and the family moved to London for 6 years. They returned for and prepared for 6 years for the queen to come visit for a week. When she finally came, she had to cut her trip short because Prince Albert was ill and eventually died. The furnishings are exquisite. Unfortunately, the owners eventually had to hand the property back to the bank becase of all the expenses.

There is beautiful light in the kitchen.

We went and saw a demonstration farm on the property with thatched room cottages that the locals lived in until the 1930s.

The next day we took a bus tour of the Ring of Kerry.

We saw homes with Peat thatching in the roofs.

Irish Wolfhounds

A border collie demonstration of sheep herding.

The location where the transantlantic underwater cable reaches Ireland. Our busdriver said there were Russian boats in the harbor last year that they had to chase off as they are concerned about sabatoge.