Ireland 2013: Druids, Gardens and Legends

Saturday, September 14, 2013

In the morning we walked over to the Druid stone circle, located right here in Kenmare. Fifteen large stones in the circle, with an altar in the middle. This stone is oriented to the setting sun. Then we headed south to Glengarriff. This was the starting place for the Rebel cycling event, so we passed many bicycles on the road. From Glangarriff we took a ferry to Garinish Island where there are beautiful gardens. On the ferry we saw many harbor seals. I was surprised to see that they come in many different colors. We wandered around the gardens for a couple hours, climbing all the way up to the top of a round tower, where the view was outstanding. The sun was out and it was hot! Before our return ferry trip we stopped for tea in the gardens tea shop. On the drive home we took a side trip over hill and glen to the legendary “Priest’s Leap.” The story is that the English were chasing a Catholic priest up to the top of the highest hills at which point the priest’s horse leaped over the side, landing across the glen some 30 miles away. This was the narrowest, curviest, steepest road yet, but well worth it for the unspoiled, rugged back-country experience. It was harrowing, and we were all ready for a meal and a pint when we made it back to Kenmare.