Coastal driving

A scenic drive along the Ring of Kerry was on tap for today and Mother Nature cooperated with beautiful sunshine. We stopped off at one scenic overlook where a gentleman by the name of Paddy demonstrated the art of making a St Bridgette’s Cross from rushes. Our tour director bought one for each of us as they supposedly will not allow any harm or evil spirit to pass her protective charm. That will be put to the test when we strike out on our own after the tour in a rental car, driving on the left side of the road ! Our next stop included a working sheepdog demonstration. It takes about 2 years to train a dog who shows an aptitude for herding. Patrick and his dog Claire were amazing to watch. Verbal commands become whistles when at a distance, for go left, right, get close to the sheep, and stop. The goal is to move the sheep calmly. Claire never uttered a sound as she positioned herself strategically and stared down the sheep. She was extremely efficient and effective at moving the sheep down the steep rocky hillside, doing the work of 10 men. Impressive! We continued on along the Ring of Kerry with breathtaking coastline. Even though we’re bundled up in our puffy jackets, we actually saw a guy in swimming trunks taking a dip and the local bicycling club was out in full force making the circuit. The little town of Sneem was our jumping off point as the ring goes on for over 100 kilometers of twisty winding roads sufficiently narrow that buses and only permitted to travel in one direction on the route. We headed back to Killarney to explore the town before calling it a day.Read more