We had another beautiful day in Ireland and feel fortunate every day that it’s sunny. Our plan was to spend the day driving the Ring of Kerry. It is a scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula in southwest Ireland’s County Kerry. Its 179km-long, circular route takes in rugged and verdant coastal landscapes and rural seaside villages. Carol,found a recommendation and way to avoid tourbuses – go counterclockwise.

Our first destination was Kenmare, and on the way there we saw:

• Derrycunnihy Church – we didn’t know this when we passed the church, but it’s haunted. Legend had it that a young girl – believed by some to be a tortured soul – can be seen outside the church late at night. The story surrounding this apparition dates back to the 1950s, when a young girl was said to have died after being knocked off her bike near the church on her way home. According to local lore, the reason she is still seen to this day is that she is still trying to make her way home. She appears in passing cars going to and from Killarney with only the driver able to see her when he or she looks in the rear-view mirror.
• Ladies View – Ladies View is about 12 miles from Killarney as you go towards Kenmare. The view here is probably the best known of Killarney and is a major attraction for visitors. Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting visited here during the royal visit in 1861. They were so taken with the view that it was named after them.
• Kenmare – We didn’t stop in Kenmare, but it was a lovely village to drive through.
• Glacier Lake – This was a huge disappointment. Much smaller than expected for a lake formed by a glacier 10,000 years ago.
• Sneem – we drove through this town that looked adorable.
• Staigue Stone Fort – The fort is thought to have been built during the late Iron Age, probably somewhere between 300 and 400 AD, as a defensive stronghold for a local lord or king.
• Coomakista Pass – this was an amazing place to stop, the views on both sides were spectacular. To the north, in the valley, you could see the Loner Stone Fort. To the south and east the beautiful water and coastline.
• Ring of Skellig Drive – This was an extension of the Ring of Kerry and was a real hidden gem – only cars can drive on these small country roads (grass on the road and only one car could pass). The route does show you the gorgeous beauty of Ireland without the bus hassles. The views of the Skelligs were best here.
• Waterville – we didn’t get a good shot of this, but there was a Charlie Chaplin Statue in this town, he stayed at the Butler Arms Hotel. He brought his family to the Irish coast on vacation for over 10 years.
• Eightercua Stone Row – these large stones, the tallest being 9 ft, are presumed to be part of a ritual site dating back to 1700 BC.
• Portmagee – we stopped for lunch in this quaint fishing village, and had a delicious meal – seafood chowder and garlic crab claws, yummy.
• Valentia Island – We didn’t spend much time on the island, maybe at most 10 minutes.

• Knights Town – We took a car Ferry back to mainland via this town for 8 euros. The ride lasted between 5-10 minutes,and it was fun.
• Cahersiveen – We saw a few things in this area: the Old Barracks (constructed in 1875 as a police station. It is a beautiful and imposing building. 2 forts – we attempted driving to these two forts, but that wasn’t possible. We didn’t go inside, and I wish we had. They are two excellent examples of Iron Age stone forts.

• Glenbeigh and Killorglin – the last two villages we drove through before heading home to the Old Weir Lodge in Killarney. At this point, we all just wanted to be out of the car. Even Rick Steve’s said there was not much to see on this stretch.

I’m adding this later if you wanted more info about the Skelligs. We could see both islands for over half of the trip. Skellig Michael is a rocky island and a major destination point, for a few reasons:

1. It is the site of an old abandoned 7th century Irish monastery. It is one of the most famous and impressive sites from the ancient Christian world which can still be seen today in its orignal and true form. It is a monastic site sitting on the top of a rock in the middle of the wild Atlantic Ocean. The site represents an Irish expression of the Christian search for solitude, a solitude they believed would bring them closer to God. The monastery is best known for its bee hive huts, but also encompasses the ruins of a church, a large and small oratory, a garden and graveyard.
2. Scenes from the Force Awakens were filmed at the islands in 2014. You learn in the end that Luke Skywalker had been living there. Filming took place again in 2015 for the next instalment of the Star Wars Episode VIII “The Last Jedi.”