We woke in Dingle to a misty morning. The drive east along the south coast of the Dingle peninsula is very picturesque. We saw surfers on Inch beach -- great waves.
Our first stop of the day was at Muckross House, a manor house built in 1843. It has 65 rooms and once hosted Queen Victoria of England. There is a nice tour of the place, but no pictures are allowed inside. Surrounding the manor is Killarney National Park, the first national park established in Ireland. We took a short hike up to Torc Waterfall in the park. The forest was very dark and moss-covered like something out of the Lord of the Rings.
Next we visited Blarney Castle home of the Blarney Stone. It was originally built before 1200 AD but was destroyed in 1446 and later rebuilt. The spiral staircase up the tower is long, but the views from the top are well worth the climb. However, hanging upside down over the edge of the tower to kiss the stone was not for me. There are extensive gardens surronding the castle and the remains of a druid settlement nearby.
We spent the night at the Blue Haven Hotel in Kinsale and listened to live music at their bar next door.
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| Misty Morning | Dingle Peninsula | Inch Beach | Muckross House | Matt near Muckross |
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| Torc Waterfall | Blarney Castle | Field of Cows | Blarney Castle Staircase | Blarney Castle Tower |