Travel Adventures in Ireland: Cashel & Killarney National Park (Days 3-4)

I hope I’m not beginning to sound like a guide book over here, but I thought I’d keep you posted on our continued adventures. I have plenty of house updates and a few awesome Friday Guest Interviews (from some names you’ll definitely recognize!), but I’m going to try to stay on top of our journey as much as possible… it’s nice to journal our favorite places and sites as we go, that way I won’t forget the name of that Abbey we visited or in what town we took that particular photograph. Journals are so handy in that way!

On to the rest of day 3 at Rock of Cashel and then our time in the Killarney National Park. You can catch up on our previous days in Ireland right here.

We visited Cashel on our drive south from Kilkenny towards Killarney. Upon arriving at this tremendous rock (lying against a backdrop of rolling green hills), it was immediately easy to see what draws the crowds to her beautiful ruins. The crowds were not en-masse today though, so we were able to meander and photograph this fortress-turned-center of the Church for a short while. We also took advantage of the Rock’s official tour which familiarized us with the different styles of architecture (the ‘cashel’ continued to grow and expand over about a thousand years with various inhabitants that included kings and Archbishops and plenty of invadors) and the legends that surround it. One such is that this is the location where St. Patrick converted the King of Munster in the 400s and used a shamrock to explain the Trinity, forever tying this powerful emblem with the country.

Before arriving at our next destination we landed in Killarney for dinner. Also a beautiful little town! We initially had plans to stay near here rather than Kilkenny on night 3, but I’m thankful that we ended up in the slightly smaller latter (Kilkenny) rather than the former (Killarney) despite its charm.

On this particular night we stayed in Dingle, a cute little fishing village right on the peninsula and full of brightly painted homes. Our B&B that we had prereserved (from a recommendation) was the TowerView Bed & Breakfast and I definitely recommend it as well!

We booked Dingle for two nights and really enjoyed the delicious dinner served up at An Canteen on night 2. If you’re in the area, this humble but absolutely delectable eatery is the place to visit (owned by two very nice Irish fellas as well).

On our second day in Dingle, we headed back to Killarney to explore the beautiful lakes, waterfall and scenery of the Killarney National Park. The Muckross House was my favorite, but Liv adored the recreated period farms and the plethora of animals available to see and pet.

She learned to ‘moo’ like a cow, ‘baa’ like a sheep and ‘quack quack’ like a duck! Now, whenever we see any of the above animals, an obligatory stop to moo, baa or quack for a few minutes is required.

On the other side of the park is the Muckross House, a home visited by the Queen of England and owned by several well-to-do families. Riding up in horse and carriage made us feel like we were pulling up to our very own Downton Abbey {sigh}.

We toured the inside of the house as well (no photos allowed) and imagined what it would be like to live at a time when electricity was just introduced and the men and ladies of the home maintained separate sitting rooms (rumor has it that the owner of the home had never set foot into her husband’s billiards space!). The grounds included a stunning waterfall, beautiful gardens and mirrored lakes.

Exhausted, we made it back to Dingle just in time for a meal and a crash.

More on our family journey right here.