Meadowlands Hotel Tralee

... the touristy thing to do in Killarney don't you know! We trotted past the race track, which was built on landfill and has a 9 hole golf course in the middle!. We stopped at Ross castle, the scene of many a wedding photo as we found - at least 4 weddings stopped by while we were there!

So tonight is the last supper with the tour group. Dinner with everyone then out for drinks - just for something out of the ordinary!

XO

... free to do whatever. Most released convict men went to the mines, became farmers etc. The women instead became 'loose women' and often became pregant so often they were called 'Sheila' in reference to the druid god of fertility - true story!

So tonight we're in a small town just out of Killarney. The pub is located in the same complex at the hostel. Evidently the hostel used to be painted emerald green inside and out - it's called ...

... coming through, and a rainbow. It is the wierdest weather. How do people live in this fulltime. Back home when it rains we all feel like it gives us a good excuse to lay in bed all day and be lazy...imagine the lives we would live if we were fulltime residents in Ireland.

This trip is going to be a huge test for us girls...thereis going to be some serious trials and tribulations that we're going to come across and it'll be ...

... while before starting down the other side. Just beyond the summit, the road narrows to one car width for about ¼ mile. There is mountain on one side, and cliff on the other, so aside from blowing up the mountain, there’s no way to widen it. Work was being done on that part of the road, so it was a bit tricky to maneuver the car around the big front-end loader filled with asphalt at the end of that stretch.

The rain from yesterday contributed to the ...

... drive continued through small towns, stopping at other beaches, braving the wind and rain to look at a lovely sculpture at Brandon Creek, and a futile search for a fort John wanted to see. Our car was also attacked by a dog, and that was interesting! It was close to noon when we drove back down into Dingle for lunch.

Six tour buses sat in the car park, and their occupants were out searching for lunch and souvenirs. We went into Murphy’s and found a table in the nearly full bar ...

... our driver and Jesse our horse. She was a local lass hadn't been outside of Ireland and had been doing this job for about 15 years, we talked a bit about Australia and said she should come out and visit us!

I thought the roads to Killarney were rough but these were very tight and thin to start off with.. with the locals speeding around behind you I was forever pulling over to let them go past. Anyone that ...

... taking another look around the area. It was raining. We made our way through the town of Dingle after filling up with gas and headed east and south. We passed through many small towns and villages as we drove along the southern coast of the Dingle Peninsula. I was hoping that someday I would come back this way. It rained all the way to Blarney. Often, the rain and the fog/mist obscured the scenery along the way. I know we passed through several mountainous regions, but we ...

... rained off and on the whole time I was there, thwarting my desire to play Dooks or Tralee Links, and making watching the bands outdoors rather unenjoyable, so I ended up spending most of my time at the bookmakers betting on the PGA Championship, watching it in pubs, and trying to understand the culchie (derogative Dubliner name for rural Irish) accent. I also watched the Gaelic Football semi-final featuring Kerry v. Cork with a city full ...

After arriving and getting settled in Killarney I went on a walking tour. So, just how far did I walk.. its anyone's guess.. but it took a few hours (maybe 4 or 5) to do the round trip. While you would think I would be complaining about it.. you'd be wrong. The killarney national park was really beautiful to see, regardless of how cold or cloudy the day was. It reminded me a lot of the Dalkeith farm in Scotland. the trail ...

... of the River Shannon. This benefited us in two ways; firstly by not having to drive all the way into and then back out of Limerick, and secondly by me not having to subject my nearest and dearest travelling companions to my rather impressive array of droll rhymes of the same name. After all, there’s only one way you can go when you start with ‘There once was a man from Nantucket’.

Once off the ...