Today we plan to take a semi organized tour of the Gap of Dunloe. But we wake to rain and sun at the same time with a rainbow that ends in the field next to Loch Lien. A very positive beginning to our day!
Our wee bus arrives on time at 10 AM.
It is a short bus ride to Kate Kearney's Cottage where the Gap road begins. We drove this far by ourselves the first night we were in Killarney. We came here for that so-so dinner and so-so entertainment. We are both hoping that this entertainment will best that! We have gone from rainbows to this?
Some walk the 7 miles of the Gap road but we opt for the horse & trap. Kathy's knee has walked 7 miles with no problem, but not on this terrain!
These two young women, Mary and Susie, are to be our "trap" mates. They are French Canadian. Mary speaks good english and translates for Susie. Putting 4 adults in this tiny cart DOES feel like a trap! Susie is also our pony's name. We all got quite close -- knee between knees close.
We are on our way! Don't think the lady in short shorts and the heels got the map!!! 7 miles....really?
This Susie has here work cut out for her. She is nine years old and has been doing this since she was 2. Seven miles up and 7 miles back every other day during the 3-month summer season.
The views are spectacular.
Note Susie's mane....the hair is flopping around because she is now trotting!
This is NOT mud!
It is raining.....steadily.....
The boulders are enormous.
We learned that the sheep's stripe identifies the owner.
The rock surrounds us. The Gap of Dunloe is a glaciated valley.
When the hill became too steep, everyone had to walk. Susie couldn't carry 4 of us. And we had to watch our step!!!
The clouds were low on the hill tops.
The single land road/path winds and curls through the Gap.
We are entering The Black Valley, so named because the sun rarely shines here.
Susie is trotting again.
It is getting darker....really does look black in many spots.
The church dominates the small village where most of the 35 families live. They have lived in the Black Valley for many generations. Their only means of income is raising sheep or driving the pony and trap.
The sheep go to the top of the mountains to graze in summer.
A little rock house with a thatched roof. Most roofs these days are slate. Thatching is slow, labor intensive, expensive, and last only 3-5 years depending on the skill of the thatcher.
Tom is Susie's owner and our guide. He is a local native. He makes this run 7 days a week in the season, but Susie doesn't. She gets every other day off. During the winter she gets so fat she can't fit between the confines of her harness. Here Tom is showing us how they make a thatched roof....which is a lost art. There are very men left who do the craft, and if he is good, he is VERY expensive. Most people are using slate.
We survive the 7 miles -- so did Susie. This is the entrance to the bridge that leads to Lord Brandon's Cottage at the far end of the Gap of Dunloe.
Kathy left her purse in the trap and I walked back to fetch it.
The Cottage is in ruins now but must have been quite a hunting n fishing lodge in its day.
We are now in the National Park and have been since Kate's Cottage. You can't drive, motor bike, camp, or shoot but you can bring your dog.
See the dog on top of Lord Brandon's rock wall. Not sure what he is guarding since the cottage has been long abandoned. No barking, just looking from his perch.
This is our lunch break.
A sandwich and an Irish coffee -- lunch of champions. We just realized that this is our FIRST Irish coffee....delicious and will not be our last.
This is our view while having lunch. The next part of the adventure is a boat ride through the 3 Lakes of Killarney. This path leads to the dock. The rain has stopped and patches of blue sky are breaking out.
Dandelions around the world. Somehow these look prettier than ours; much more like a true flower, but the same leaf.
Our "traditional" boats and more blue sky -- even a little sunshine.
The crew is on board and the captain has cast off.
We move out on to the Upper Lake with more blue sky. All of the Killarney Lakes are supported by the rainfall. There is not any snow here, but it rains A LOT. When the glaciers divided the land, the gap was over time filled with the water.
The sun feels good even with our PFDs on.
The rocks left behind by the glaciers and water flow make quite a sight along the lakes banks.
This one is call Elephant Rock for obvious reasons -- its trunk is to our left.
The passages between the lakes are quite narrow and make an experienced captain a necessity. There are hidden boulders just under the water.
The water marks show how the level of the lakes change. The high marks come in the rainy winter season,
These grasses are the ones used to make thatched roofs.
In some spots, the lake is so calm, there are lily pads growing. They are a good depth indication -- they grow in no more than 3 ft of water.
This stone bridge has been in use for over 150 years without any repair
There are rocks and boulders everywhere....careful navigating.
Our lake guide mentioned that there is no wild life in the Park. We were all surprised to spot this deer. There are white eagles, too. In general, however, his route is very boring. According to him, you need cows to bring the birds and other wildlife. They supply the source for the bugs that feed the birds and smaller animals. He thinks even if they let some sheep graze in the Park, it may help.
At one point we had to get out and walk because he had to go through a very shallow, narrow spot at a bridge and the water is very low, due to summer lack of rainfall.
The bridge the captain is navigating alone.
The water gets pretty swift at the narrow passages.
Another old bridge -- this one is passable....
barely!
Shallow water.
A foot bridge.
Used to be a hunting lodge, now a private home.
We cross the largest of the lakes, Loch Lien, with white caps and 1 to 1.5 ft. waves. We had to cover with tarps to stay dry and did not take pictures. We arrive at our boat trip end at Ross Castle.
When we returned to our b n b, Annette prepared tea for us.
And we enjoyed what was left of the sun in the front yard, reading our books and thinking about the day we just experienced.
We went to Killarney for dinner at Robertino's (I-talian in Ireland). Yet ANOTHER fried goat cheese salad; they are all so different!
Penne al Salmone
Pizza...black olive, artichoke, hame and tomato
We had seen this statue in passing 2 or 3 times. This time it was across the road from the car park. We decided to check it out.
The statue is of Hugh O'Flaherty who grew up in Killarney, living on a golf course. His father was the course steward. He went to college and on to seminary. He became Fr. O'Flaherty at age 27 and promptly got 3 doctorates. He became a Monsignor in his early 30s. During WWII, while located at the Vatican, the Monsignor played golf with some high political operatives from several countries on both sides. When Hitler started persecuting the Jewish people, O'Flaherty began hiding and extricating the Jewish people to protect them. The program was later extended to allied POWs. He even went to the extent of going underground himself to evade the Gestapo. His program was entitled The Rome Escape Line. After the war, he followed his belief that "God Has No Country" by helping to ensure that the German and Italian POWs were given fair treatment. Several countries awarded him medals for his service, including the US Medal of Freedom. Msgr. O'Flaherty died at age 62. The statue is life-size, vibrant and the eyes are piercing, but kind and gentle.
We find a little twilight color on the way to Loch Lien.
