Killarney—Friday

April 19

Yesterday was all about sitting and looking. Today was about walking. We walked to Ross Castle and back, putting in 6 miles and it felt good to stretch our legs. 

Killarney House and gardens is where we started.

 Killarney House, built in the 1720's, is closed for
 renovation, but the...

...gardens are open and considered the
gateway to Killarney National Park.
The house looks toward Lough Leane
and Mt. Carrauntoohil, Ireland's tallest
mountain at 3,406 feet.

Not a bad view, one Queen Victoria loved
gazing at all day when visiting Killarney.

     We passed this giant clematis and some pretty on
     nice homes on our way to Ross Castle.

Ross Road is lined by a wall that
stretches several miles.

The carriage rides are popular, but
we really needed to walk.

Ross Castle is nigh.

Ross Castle was built in the late 15th
century at the edge of Lough Leane.

Look through this doorway and you'll
spy our first stop.

The view from the castle.

The path back to Killarney House.

The treacherous bog surrounding Ross Castle made...

an attack from land impossible. The only creatures...

...able to manage the bog are these deer.

Enlarge this and read about this cool project on the
ground floor of our hotel.

This tower of greens being
grown in the Urban Farm
will be on someone's plate
soon.

St. Mary's Cathedral.

St. Mary's Cathedral construction began in 1842 but was not continuous. The Great Famine and the lack of available funds meant the work was stopped several times; when work recommenced in 1853 and by 1855 the building was ready for regular worship. The spire and nave were completed in 1907.

The stained glass windows and entire
interior are spectacular.

The organ is a beauty.

Walking along New Street from St.
Mary's Cathedral to our hotel.

And here we are back "home" and...

...O'Donoghue's again for dinner. We really like
the ambiance of this place and the food is good.
After eating here two nights in a row, the staff
welcome us as if we're locals.

*By the end of the day we'd walked 8 miles.