For the final edition of my weekender series, let’s talk about one of my favorite trips I took in Ireland while abroad. Holy Cross planned a cross-country trip to County Kerry during one of our last weekends of the semester. We hit the road all together for an unforgettable adventure!
First, we started the day bright and early in Killarney National Park. Killarney National Park was the first national park in Ireland. The region is home to the tallest mountain range in Ireland, Macgillycudddy’s Reeks. We started our adventure at the Torc Waterfall, located inside the park. We explored the area near the waterfall and climbed up to different viewing points around the park in our little green leprechaun van.
The rest of the day was devoted to exploring the Ring of Kerry, a famous route on the Iveragh Peninsula. We visited Sneem (a little town on the Ring of Kerry), followed by a stop at Waterville Cove. We then saw views of the Coman Chiste lookout point. We then got to explore the town of Killarney and stop for lunch.
We then drove to our home for the night. We stayed at an inn in the little town of Anascual. We truly felt like we were getting the Irish experience in this area! We had a good Irish dinner and visited some donkeys before heading to bed to prepare for the next day.
We started the following day with a full Irish breakfast and hopped in our van. The second day was devoted to exploring the Dingle Peninsula, just north of the Iveragh Peninsula. We spent the day driving along the Slea Head Drive, a route around the peninsula. We stopped all over, including at a statue known as Holy Cross! The views were stunning, and we finished the day with a walk around a Gaeltacht or an Irish-speaking area on the peninsula. After taking my Irish language class all semester, it was incredible to recognize a few words on the signs around the Gaeltacht. We ended our trip by exploring the town of Dingle, which is never a miss.
Overall, the scenery and culture on this trip were unparalleled. It was truly an adventure I’ll remember forever.
