Tag: Biking

By the time we arrived in Killarney, we were tired. A driving trip of Ireland is a great way to see the country, but up until that point, we had been on the go… going from place to place, and from hotel to castle to hotel. So Killarney was a welcomed stop, as we would be there for three full nights. The first day was a relaxing one. We dropped off some laundry and walked around the town. Killarney is located in the southwest area of Ireland in County Kerry, which contains Killarney National Park and some of the largest mountains in the country. The town itself, with its proximity to surrounding peaks, reminded me of Banff, which was quite comforting. We opted for a few sites in and around town- a tour of Ross Castle, lunch at Lady’s View, and a quick rainy stop at Torc Waterfall. Then we had a much-needed evening in by ordering room service and playing cards.

The next day, we thought about driving the Ring of Kerry, but with so many kilometres already, we needed something different. I had read online that the Gap of Dunloe was a must-do when in the area. It’s a narrow mountain pass that’s accessible by foot, bike, pony traps, or by car, though car is not recommended. Some sort of physical activity sounded amazing and the weather was scheduled to be sunny, so biking it was. Funny enough, I had owned a bike for months at that point, but this would be my first bike ride of the season!

We headed west to Kate Kearney’s Cottage and ate at The Coffee Pot before embarking on the gradual uphill ride through the gap from north to south. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous; the mountains were a combination of browns and greens with lakes below and sheep everywhere. The winding roads made for many great vantage points from where we would take photos. This ride was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me.

After reaching the head of the gap, we descended to Lord Brandon’s Cottage in a crazy downpour of rain and hail (reminiscent of my Peru experience!). At the cottage, we had some hot tea before heading through the forest and back to town via the N71. Robbie had a near accident on the road which had me worried, but it was all good and we were safe. All in all, the bike ride was about 50 kilometres, which was insane since I hadn’t biked in years at that point.

The evening ended with another trip to Genting Thai and a stop at a local pub to listen to some traditional Irish music with some Guiness and coke in hand. While we sat there, Robbie made a comment about how crazy it was that we were in a local Irish pub, listening to music, in Ireland, after completing a 50 km ride through the mountains in Kerry. Reality seemed so distant at that point. It was one of those moments that despite all the going-ons of the past and things to come, living in the present felt amazing. I wouldn’t have wished to share that moment with anyone else :).