Our starting point for the days excursion is Kenmare, in County Kerry, a town whose origins date from the Bronze Age, evidence of which lies nearby in a Druid Stone Circle, one of the largest in southern Ireland. Like so many other places we have seen, the local Irish population and their land holdings were displaced by English settlers after the Cromwellian invasion in the mid 1600s and were also subjected to the destructions of the Irish Civil War in the early 1920s and the many ruined castles, churches and sundry buildings are probably testament to that. But today Kenmare a vibrant and busy town, high on the Ring of Kerry tourist trail.

Our drive today took us to Valentia Island at the southern trip of the Iveragh Peninsula, one of Irelands most westerly points. Wind swept, rocky and in places, barren, it has the air of a formidable place to live, but despite that assumption, there were many very impressive modern looking houses there, and many more being built. Then it was into Port Magee for lunch, yes, another pub with a great lunch menu, this time garlic prawns which Jean washed down with a glass of Guinness. Our trip was rounded out with a stop at the Kerry Cliffs, a 300m shear rock face, dropping into the sea. The view through the sea mist of Skellig Michael, the site of a 6th Century monastery 10 kms off the coast, together with the ferocious wind that made it difficult to stand on the top of the cliffs, all added to the natural grandeur of the place.
One last stop at an equally renowned, but not quite so old, chocolate factory and the free tastings that came with it seemed to have rounded out the day perfectly.

Leaving Kenmare the next day, we travelled to Killarney and then on to Dingle, another port town that is clearly well and truly on the tourist map. It was packed with people and cars, with insufficient space for either. The reason for our being there was to drive the Dingle Peninsula, another truly spectacular cliff edge hugging drive to excite the sensors. It is noteworthy to mention here that metal guardrails haven’t made it to this part of the world yet. The road snaked ( despite St Patrick getting rid of all the snakes in Ireland) around the peninsula, in some places barely clinging to the cliff edge and with just enough room for one car to pass through, and in other places, through verdant farm land with just the occasional sheep on the road to provide the occasional heart stopping experience.

Then, leaving the peninsula we headed north to Tralee and over the 450m Conor Pass, described as a 23km scenic drive over one of the highest mountain passes in Ireland. I’m sure it was scenic for the passenger, a little less so for the driver perhaps. Once again, sections of the road were spine tingling narrow and places for oncoming cars to pass were few and far between.
But the scenery was breathtaking in more ways than one. The sides of the valleys appeared to have been carved out by glaciers and were almost entirely bare rock, with just the occasional patch of yellow gorse and clumps of tussock grass to sustain the sheep. Then down into the valley floor and the road wound it’s way through lush, almost rain forest looking forests until it once again came out on the Atlantic coast. Long sections of wide golden sandy beaches with a gentle surf was not what were were expecting to see. Then it was on to Ennis where we will spend the next couple of days exploring the sights and perhaps some less adrenaline pumping driving.