A Quick Kiss and A Drive Along the Edge of the European World

 Day Ten - Monday, December 29, 2025

Another dark morning at 8:45 am, so we are out the door when it is barely light. Today because we wanted to get in a stop at the Blarney Castle and the Ring of Kerry tour we actually showed up to the Castle before they opened the parking lot.

We parked around the corner and headed for the entry gate student IDs in hand. We were likely the first five admitted that day. The Castle was pretty spectacular. The stairways up to the top to kiss the stone were incredibly narrow and signs posted throughout the Castle described what the different rooms were for and even what floors existed but had disappeared as the wood used to construct them decomposed. 

We made it up to the top and first in line to kiss the stone. It is a bit of a precarious position you find yourself in upside down and on your back with two helpers to ensure you don't fall. We all did it and then wandered for a few minutes admiring the grounds before heading out to our mostly driving tour of the Ring of Kerry. (The rule is to kiss it every six years.) 

The advantage of traveling in the winter is the significant lack of crowds. But the very short days and thick cloudy skies make seeing all of the Ring of Kerry tough. Our crew was determined to see a few key landmarks in the time we had.   

Our first stop was the Torc Waterfall where we hiked up and over the mossy rocks to get beautiful views of two lakes in the foreground. We thought we saw the Muckross House in the distance but it was out of our line of sight and time frame to go visit. (As it turns out I visited both of these spots on bike back in December 1988,)

From there we drove to see the Ladies View and were surprised at how brown and rocky the area was. We snapped a few photos and drove up into the mountains to check out the Mallsgap. We also had a delicious lunch of soup, sandwiches, lasagna and leek pies at Avoca cafe a stellar spot for looking at Mallsgap. 

Back in the car to see more of the Ring of Kerry which ran alongside the Atlantic Ocean. We stopped by Caherdaniel West an adorable seaside town which was largely deserted given the weather and the time of year. But you could hear Jimmy Buffet tunes cranking out from O'Carroll's Cove where I am guessing the bar is bumping in the summer time. The water was surprisingly warm, but likely that was the case because the air was so cold. We were walking around the Ring of Kerry with temps in the low 40s but with the wind chill made it feel more like 30s.

We wanted to see the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean at the end of the Ring of Kerry, but the stick shift driving on dark Irish country roads was challenging. So we decided to head on to Tralee. On our way we stopped at Joe McGill's brewery which was not a pub but an actual brew house. Joe was a small town businessman who ran the brewery with himself and his mother to help bottle the beer. (He's worried all that bottle capping will give her a buff arm like a tennis pro.) But that's his help since his "wee one" is too small yet to assist in the family business. He shared awards won for his beers so we had to buy a few which he raised the prices on several bottles on the spot as we made a few purchases. He did suggest we drive about 20 km to see the Cliffs of Kerry which he said was the most beautiful sight on the Ring.

The road up to the Cliffs was one lane but meant for two cars and it was a steep drive up the mountain. There were beautiful views of the Atlantic Bay but you couldn't stop for fear you would be trapped by another car. We arrived at the lookout spot Joe suggested and found that at 3:59 pm they closed the gates and we couldn't walk out on the Cliff. During the summer sightseers can see puffins and dolphins but they all swim away during the winter months. We dropped down the mountain and parked in the town of Sneem on the Kenmare Bay. There we saw fishing boats where we walked out on the town bridge to see the sunset. The clouds were breaking away but it was still a bit early and dark so the sunset was going to be tough under these conditions. We made the winding drive in the dark down the mountain and along the highway to Tralee.

The Hotel Ashe in Tralee was our next lodging and it was holiday decorated to the nines. The staff was very helpful but parking was tight. We ran up to change and then descended on the hotel bar for whiskey, beers, prosecco and cocktails. (Fun fact tied to Joe McGill the hotel is next to the radio station where he works and one of the bars in Tralee - the Rose sells his beer.) And next to our table at the bar was an Irish family traveling for the holidays. They were decked out in their Pittsburgh Steelers garb. Rooney? an Irishman owns the Steelers so they have a huge following here in the Emerald Isle.

All of the tourist sources of information said Cassidy's was the place in Tralee to eat. It was a short walk from the hotel and we were quickly seated. The waitress had lived in the states - the Bronx - but she came back to Ireland for a better quality of life. She had seven children and with universal healthcare in the Emerald Isles it was just easier to raise them in Europe. 

We ordered a bunch of dishes to share - chicken, steak and pasta carbonara. We also shared starters and desserts. Stuffed and feeling like it was a good meal we headed for a nearby pub to try and hear some Irish music.

It wasn't as easy as it used to be. The first pub had a terrible singer, so we found ourselves at Sean Ogs where a single singer with a black eye was crooning. He was pretty good so we all settled in for a pint. I left a bit early and missed the action. On the walk home the rest of the group witnessed a drunk Irishman getting left on the street. It turns out the people left him at the homeless shelter which is around the corner from the hotel. Our group was a bit spooked and ready to turn in for the night.