The Gap of Dunloe

We had been planning to do the Ring of Kerry today, but last night, after some more research, we decided to save it for our next trip. We only had one day designated for it, and we would much rather take our time and do it in two. With a smaller car.

So today we went to the Gap of Dunloe in Killarney National Park. The Gap of Dunloe is a narrow mountain pass between MacGillycuddy's Reeks (west) and Purple Mountain (east) in County Kerry.

It's about 11 km from north to south, and contains five lakes: Coosaun Lough, Black Lake, Cushnavally Lake, Auger Lake, and Black Lough. The lakes are connected by the River Loe. We hiked all the way to the head of the gap and back. We hadn't really planned on spending nearly four hours hiking, but it was great fun, and the scenery was beautiful.

The narrow, winding road was well travelled by Jaunting Cars (horse and buggy rigs) and motor vehicles, so we had to stop and get off the road while they edged past. There were many spots that two vehicles (horse-drawn or otherwise) couldn't pass, and there would be backing up and maneuvering.

The landscape is awesome and wild. We enjoyed observing the different rock formations and vegetation. There were a few places that seemed to have had serious rock slides.

Sheep were grazing all over the place, including high up on the steep hillsides. They ignored us and didn't mind when I got my camera out. Actually, my camera was out most of the time, as there was a lot to see and capture.

Being a narrow mountain pass, the wind just rages through it. We foolishly didn't bring scarves or hats, but I thankfully had foam earplugs in my purse. They prevented the cold wind from going in one ear and out the other.





After our long hike, we were grateful for a cup of tea and pastry reward at the café near the parking lot. We are impressed by the quality of food and service at such little cafés near tourist attractions. Back home, you expect restaurants adjacent to tourist attractions to not only be over-priced, but to offer poor quality. Not so here!

After tea, we drove to Kenmore to see the Kenmore Stone Circle. It is the largest of the more than 100 stone circles that exist in the southwest of Ireland.

Stone circles – similar to Stonehenge in England – were created during the Bronze Age (2000-200 BC). In the centre of this one is a type of burial monument known as a "Boulder Dolmen". These are rarely found outside of southwestern Ireland.

Our last stop was Ladies' View, a scenic point near the end of the Ring of Kerry, in Killarney National Park. The name stems from the admiration of the view given by Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting during their 1861 visit. We can't blame them – the view really is breathtaking!