Day 4 Overview:
- Killarney National Park
- Ladies' View
- Torc Waterfall
- Old Weir Bridge
- Ross Castle
- Gap of Dunloe
- Muckross Abbey
- Dinner at The Coachman
The boys were still sleeping, but since we had a busy day ahead of us, I made them wake up. We ate a big breakfast of white pudding, eggs, and toast and then hit the road for a full day in Killarney National Park.
Killarney National Park
Site - https://www.nationalparks.ie/killarney/
This park used to be part of Muckross Estate but was donated to the Irish State in the 1930s. The road surrounding the park makes up the eastern part of the Ring of Kerry, so even though we are skipping the drive through the entire ring and out to the Kerry Peninsular, it is nice to see part of it.
road to killarney national park
road to killarney national park
Ladies' View
Site - https://www.discoverireland.ie/kerry/ladies-view
We drove along N71 and made our first stop at Ladies' View which gives stunning views of the three lakes - Upper, Muckross, and Lower. It also provides views of both Torc and Purple Mountain.We stopped by the small car park alongside the road and had the place to ourselves to enjoy the view. It was so pleasant because much of the rest of our day, there would be people around. After enjoying the postcard worthy panoramic views, we hopped back in the car and made our way to the Torc waterfall.
ladies' view killarney national park
ladies' view killarney national park
ladies' view killarney national park
ladies' view killarney national park
ladies' view killarney national park
ladies' view killarney national park
Torc Waterfall
Site - https://theringofkerry.com/torc-waterfall
The road through the mountains is very windy and extremely narrow, making it extremely nerve-racking in parts when there is oncoming traffic. I just held on to the car handle and tried not to squeal every time we passed a bus or other vehicle. We had read that the parking lot for the Torc waterfall is small and to get there early to get a spot. There were a few cars in the lot when we arrived, but we found a spot easily and made our way up the short walk to the falls. The path follows the stream that flows from the falls and it was noisy as it ran along the rocky banks. The falls itself, while not being very large, was beautiful to see amidst the rocky, moss covered forest. I had wanted to hike to the Old Weir Bridge from the Torc Waterfall. I thought we had found the correct path from the waterfall, but after walking for about 25 minutes, the path ended and we weren't sure where to go. The path had walked along the lake and it was pleasant to be outside in the morning air. To continue to the bridge, it looked like we had to walk alongside the road which we did for a short time, but it made Eric very panicked that we would get hit by a car. We ended up turning around because I knew we were going to do a longer hike later and I wanted to make sure we had enough energy. So, while we didn't get to see the bridge, we found another old bridge and said it was just as nice.
torc waterfall killarney national park
torc waterfall killarney national park
torc waterfall killarney national park
torc waterfall killarney national park
torc waterfall killarney national park
Ross Castle
Site - https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/ross-castle/
After returning back to our car, there were cars waiting to park in the Torc Waterfall lot, so we were glad we hadn't waited to go. We next drove into Killarney which was filled with sprawling hotels as far as the eye can see. It felt much bigger and more touristy than quaint Kenmare, and I am glad we stayed there instead. (Thanks for the recommendation Rick Steves!) We next made our way to Ross Castle. The 15th century tower house sits on a rocky outcropping along the Lough Leane.We didn't tour the tower, but instead walked around the grounds of the castle. We enjoyed the views of the Lough Leane lake and tried to bandage up Emmalyn after she fell and gouged her knee open on the sharp rocks. .
ross castle killarney national park
ross castle killarney national park
ross castle killarney national park
ross castle killarney national park
Gap of Dunloe
Site - https://theringofkerry.com/the-gap-of-dunloe
We next drove to Kate Kearney's Cottage which is at the base of a road to the Gap of Dunloe, a pass between MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Purple Mountain. The pass is studded with 5 lakes that are connected by the Rover Loe. The weather was quite chilly when we got there and parked our car, so we decided to eat our lunch in the car before our hike. We bundled up and made our way to the beginning of the trail. There was a map of the hike and it said there were maps available. When I asked someone that worked there where to find them, they said that the sign was very old and they didn't have them anymore! I took a picture instead.
Everything I read online is that you shouldn't drive the road on the Gap of Dunloe, but we saw plenty of people who did. It is a very narrow and winding road and I was happy to hike it instead of trying to navigate our van along it. It allowed us to really appreciate the scenery without having to dodge hikers, bikers, sheep, and jaunty cars. There are farms along the way, tucked into the mountainside with sheep roaming freely around their fenced in areas. The hike was beautiful and a highlight of the trip. We passed two lakes and were surrounded by mountains on both sides. The mountains were lined with gorse plants which were in bloom with their yellow flowers. Clara was not happy with the rain boots I had bought her and let her displeasure be known for the entire first half of the walk. The walk back, she was right as rain. Also, the sun came out on our walk and it became rather balmy. There were jaunty cars aplenty on the our return trip which are little horse drawn carriages. Our return trip was just as enjoyable as the beginning. Nathaniel wanted to hike the entire path, which would take us at least another 3 hours since it is almost 11 km one way. We decided not to and it was probably the best choice since we were all tired by the time we got back to the car.
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
gap of dunloe killarney national park
Muckross Abbey
Site - https://heritageireland.ie/unguided-sites/muckross-franciscan-friary/
We made it back to our car, ate a snack and made our way to our last stop in Killarney National Park, Muckross Abbey. We had passed it on our way in but hadn't stopped in order to make sure we hit the other sites earlier in the day. We had to drive back through Killarney to get there. We were able to park in a small parking lot near the abbey after waiting for a spot to open up. It would have also been nice to see Muckross House but we didn't feel like paying the money since there were so many other things to see in the park. If I had been there sans kids, I might have gone since I really enjoy touring old houses. The kids were tired and initially didn't really want to see the abbey, but it ended up being the second highlight of the day. The ruins of the abbey contains many of the stone rooms and stairs. There are not many roofs in the abbey anymore, but the kids loved exploring all of the staircases and the different rooms between the second and first floors. Surrounded by a cemetery, you could imagine what it would have been like to live in the abbey before the roofs were destroyed by Cromwell in the 1650's, causing the Franciscan monks that lived there to abandon it. In the center of the abbey stands a yew tree that was probably from its founding in 1448, which is amazing to think of a tree being almost 600 years old.
muckross abbey killarney national park
muckross abbey killarney national park
muckross abbey killarney national park
muckross abbey killarney national park
muckross abbey killarney national park
muckross abbey killarney national park
muckross abbey killarney national park
Dinner at The Coachman's
https://thecoachmans.com/
We finally drove back to our house to change for dinner since we all had some mud on ourselves. We drove into town and ate at The Coachman's. It was quiet inside, which gave us time to talk to the manager that was working. We were too early for the music concert that was going to happen later in the evening, unfortunately. We tried to walk around to see some stores, but they were mostly closed, despite it being only 7 pm. We then made our way back to the house, finished watching Chicken Little and off to bed.
