Killarney, Ireland...A Dream Come True!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? For me, it's always been Ireland. I don't know if it's the musical way that they talk, the lush greenness of the countryside, or the fact that I grew up listening to my Dad's Irish Rovers tape every time we drove somewhere. Maybe it's just a combination of all of that. Whatever the cause, I've dreamed of seeing Ireland for as long as I can remember. When our friends asked us if we'd like to go there with them over Spring Break, we jumped at the chance. (If I'm dreaming, don't pinch me...because I don't want to wake up! I'M GOING TO IRELAND!!!) We hopped on a plane and took off to Killarney, located on the western side of the island.

The only thing that made me nervous about the trip was the thing that Russ loved the most...driving on the wrong side of the road. (And the wrong side of the car!) We picked up our rental at the airport, and after a couple of minutes to get his bearings, Russ was off. I couldn't have done it, personally. You have to totally flip everything you've learned about driving. The steering wheel is on the right, you shift gears with your left hand, and you drive on the left side of the road. It's too much for my brain to handle.

Augh! You're on the wrong side! (Oh, wait. Maybe that's just me.)

Killarney is about 15-20 minutes from the Kerry Airport. This is the first view you get of the town, and it's beautiful.
We stayed at the Ross Castle Lodge, and I would highly recommend it to everyone. In fact, I can't imagine staying anywhere else in Ireland. The Bed & Breakfast is owned and operated by Rosaleen and Denis O'Leary, and staying there is like staying with family. We were greeted at the door by Mr. O'Leary, and he was everything I'd imagined an Irishman would be. He's a lovely older gentleman, soft-spoken and very friendly, with that amazing musical Irish accent. This is the view from the front of the Lodge. Just on the other side of that rock wall is the Killarney National Park.

Just inside the door is the entry way and check in area. To the left of the entry is a small sitting room, where you can either watch TV or read books on the local area.

To the right of the entry way is the breakfast room. Mrs. O'Leary is a fantastic cook. The highlight of our day was her French Press coffee and fresh scones, not to mention the scrambled eggs, ham, fresh fruit... Did I mention that we all gained a lot of weight during this trip? You have a choice of several different options for breakfast (it's included in the price of the room), and you write it out on a piece of paper on the desk in the entry way the night before. You also have the choice of eating at 8:15 or 9:15, depending on your plans for the day. Russ and I stayed in the blue room. It was beautiful.

The O'Leary's keep your room well stocked with coffee, tea and little gram crackers, if you'd like a little snack during the day.

Jess and Brandon stayed in this suite. Once again...beautiful!

It was beautiful, as well. A half wall separated the two beds, so they each had their own space.

After checking in, we decided to head over to the old downtown part of Killarney to check it out and get something to eat. There are two ways to get there from the Lodge: the main street, or on a winding path through the park. Guess which way we chose. We are on vacation, after all.

We didn't see any leprechauns, but we did happen upon this amazing sight. Red deer were grazing in a field off to our left.

A little further down the path, we got out first view of St. Mary's Cathedral. In the foreground are Kerry cattle, famous for their delicious milk, cream and butter.

You can walk around town, or take one of the many Jaunting Carts that are available for hire in the area. They'll even take you through the park.

Our path is taking us closer to St. Mary's Cathedral, so we know that we're almost in town.

And there she is in all her glory. She was built in the 1800's.

There are lots of choices on where to eat in Killarney, but we decided on The Danny Mann Inn and Pub. Technically, a pub is a bar, but in Ireland, they are more like family restaurants...so everyone is welcome there. They also prepare great meals with a home cooked feel.

It's my first meal in Ireland...so of course, I had to try the traditional Irish Stew with Soda Bread. Yes, it was delicious! (And yes, I knew it was made with lamb, but I tried to black that part out.)

After a great dinner, we decided to get some more exercise and check out the town of Killarney. It's actually a lot bigger than I thought.

There are lots of interesting stores and pubs there to check out.

St. Mary's Church of Ireland sits on the site of the Church of Airne, or Cill Airne. It's believed that the town of Killarney is named after that church. St. Mary's Church was built in the late 1870's.

We decided to end the day at Ross Castle, just down the road from where we were staying. Ross Castle was built by O'Donoghue Mor in the 14th century, and she sits on the bank of Muckross Lake. We explored the grounds, and Brandon aimed the cannons. Someone has to protect the grounds, you know. As the sun slowly set on our first day in Ireland, we relaxed and just enjoyed the view. Some of the locals were out for an evening stroll, and stopped to feed bread to the ducks and swans beside the castle.

What a perfect end to a perfect day. Oh, and don't forget... Holy Cow! I'm in Ireland!