Killarney

We left Molls Gap around 09.20 to make our way to Killarney, where we were going to base ourselves for a couple of days. We were now on the Ring of Kerry and you could tell it was on all the bus tours of the country! Suddenly, there was an explosion of people, cars and buses. Very different to the previous couple of weeks.

Our first stop was Looscaungh Lough viewpoint. It wasn’t on the list for tour stops so it was easy to park. Next onto Ladies View where allegedly Queen Victoria’s Ladies in Waiting stopped to look over towards Killarney. It is a magnificent view and part of the National Park. Then the Torc Waterfall where the car park was rammed so we turned around and went back up the road to a quieter one and had a lovely walk along paths to the waterfall. It was quite sweet but not a patch on other waterfalls we’ve seen on our travels. I know, we have been spoilt!

From there we drove the few miles into Killarney to our home for the next couple of days, Killarney Flesk Campsite (P4N#35574). It was good to have a base whilst we explored the National Park and have hook up for the bike batteries! Our first bike trip was around the lake of Muckross. All bar 500m of our 13 mile trip was on cycle paths. Killarney seemed to have invested heavily in cycle paths which made life a lot easier given all the traffic. The route took us through woods, over bridges, past tea rooms with a detour to Ross Castle to check out the boat trip we had booked for the following day. The cycle trip around the lake had lovely vistas. Well, they would have been even better if it hadn’t been absolutely lashing it down. We ended back at the campsite looking like drowned rats in desperate need of a hot shower. Again, dinner in the van before retiring as we needed to be up bright and early the next day.

On Saturday morning, May 9, it was beautifully sunny but with a cold wind so we wrapped up warm, packed a sandwich and cycled back to Ross Castle to pick up our boat. We had left plenty of time as the Killarney half marathon and 10k runs were starting just by our campsite and we weren’t sure whether roads would be blocked off. The boat trip would take us through three lakes to Lord Brandon’s Cottage where we would cycle the Gap of Dunloe and then back into Killarney. The whole route is about 26 miles with half of it by boat.

On the way the boat stopped at Innisfallen Island to see the Abbey there. The island was gifted to the Irish State by John McShain, who built the White House and the Pentagon. Then onto the Old Weir Bridge and interconnecting rivers between the lakes. Despite the boat being like a skiff with a flat bottom, we had to get out a couple of times as the water level was too low. Eventually, 1.5 hours later, we made it to Lord Brandon’s Cottage. There’s a cafe there so we had soup to warm us up before the climb up to the Gap. Even with electric bikes it was quite a climb but Jo was very pleased her knee held out. The view from the top was amazing if very windy.

Then a long cycle down to Kate Kearney’s Cottage (now a pub) for a well earned pint of red ale. Back to Killarney via quiet roads and cycle ways past Killarney Brewing Company that looked like it had gone out of business but had an impressive building, statue of Hugh O’Flagherty who was instrumental in saving thousands of Allied POWs and Jews whilst he was a Monsignor in the Vatican, Killarney House and the outlet mall (for Liz). Grand day out topped with a BBQ.