Ellen goes Emerald: Better late than never: Our excursion to Killarney

Hi everyone!

So sorry it's been a while since my last post, but we have really been on the move lately. Two weeks ago, we went to County Kerry for a long weekend, and it was probably one of my favorite places I have ever been. We arrived in Killarney to find the whole city decked out in green and yellow. It turns out the Gaelic Football championship was that weekend and Kerry faced Dublin in the finals (unfortunately we were on the bus during the match, but we heard that Kerry lost). We stayed at Neptune's hostel, which was perfectly located in an area of town with plenty of restaurants, shopping and pubs to keep us busy. We spent Thursday night exploring the area and heard traditional Irish music in some local pubs. On Friday, we left at 9am to start our Ring of Kerry tour. Contrary to what I was expecting, there is no actual "ring" of Kerry! It is, however a beautiful drive along the coast. In the morning, we went to the Skellig Experience museum about monks who literally carved a monastery out of two giant rocks (or skelligs, in Irish) 8 miles off the coast in the Atlantic. Throughout the afternoon, we drove a very high and windy road and stopped several times to take pictures of the gorgeous views. That night, most of the group stayed in and played cards because we were all exhausted and sick (if you stick 29 people together in little cottages, colds are bound to spread).

Some of the group taking a break during a tour of Muckross Castle in Killarney.

Amazing views on the Ring of Kerry

Kelly and Bethany in line for ice cream at the top!

On Saturday, we were back on the bus for a tour of the Dingle Peninsula. There were a few moments of heart-stopping terror as our bus teetered on the edge of a huge cliff leading straight down to the crashing sea. But, it was most definitely worth it when we arrived at one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen! It was a sunny day (finally!) so we took advantage and spent some time wading in the chilly water and taking pictures of the beautiful surroundings. That night, we went back to Tralee for a play about the Blasket Islands, which are no longer inhabited, but had a really unique culture when they were. The play was entirely in Irish, so we didn't understand a word, but the music, dancing and acting was so good, we were all able to follow along...and stay awake!

The adorable town of Dingle

On the way to the beach!

The lovely residents of Cottage 6

The final stop on our Killarney excursion was a trip to the Cliffs of Moher, which was actually on our way back to Galway. It was looking a little rainy on the drive, but when we arrived the sun came out and we had perfect weather for viewing the cliffs. There was a large warning sign, but from the looks of the well-used paths along the edge of the cliffs, not many people stay behind the barrier. We decided to live on the edge and walk a little further. The views were incredible...although, that is to be expected when there is a 700 foot drop to ocean! After exploring the Cliffs of Moher, we headed back to Galway for some grocery shopping and then finally arrived home at the Park Lodge.