| The Wishing
Stairs are worth a climb – a cave-like tunnel covers steep stone stairs.
You’re meant to make a wish as you descend, but I was too busy watching
my step to actually do anything more than wish for a safe decline!
The height
of the castle itself surprised me; it looms overhead and you can’t catch
sight of the top unless you tilt your head back and gaze way up. The famous
castle was initially built as a timber hunting lodge in the 10th century.
The present day structure was orchestrated by the McCarthy family around
1446. After changing hands a few times, the castle now belongs to the Trustees
of the Blarney Castle Estate.
I was anxious
to kiss the Blarney stone, but was shocked to learn that it resides on
the top of the castle. I’d always pictured a big boulder sitting in
the middle of an open field somewhere, but it’s actually a component of
the castle.
What’s left
of the castle now is not much more than an empty box; the inside has been
almost completely gutted. It’s quite a climb to the top of the castle,
and we had to wait at various points on the stone spiral staircases as
the line to kiss the stone above us moved slowly along. The steep and narrow
staircases, along with thinly cut windows, were designed to protect the
castle. Peering through the tapered windows gives you a great, if slightly
limited, view of the lush countryside.
Situated on
the edge of a cliff, the shell of the castle still has only slight remnants
of the floors that separated each level. A few separate rooms remain on
the lower levels, but as you climb higher, the only evidence of the floors
are ledges protruding from the gray stone walls.
We had to wait
for some time to bestow our kisses upon the lucky stone. The only remaining
part of the top level of the castle is a narrow walkway on the battlements.
A thick iron railing protects you, but looking over the side still made
my stomach do flip-flops. It’s very high up.
Kissing the
Blarney Stone is no easy feat. The big stone is actually a part of the
castle wall, and in order to receive the gift of eloquence that the stone
is known for endowing, you must bend over backwards to kiss it. This involves
laying flat on your back on a sheet of plastic, while a man hangs onto
your feet for safety. There are two poles attached to the stone that I
hung onto with all my strength. You then must slide yourself backwards
until your head slips into the space between the walkway and stone, and
your lips are finally able to meet the cold rock.
Ring of
Kerry
I wasn’t aware
of Ireland’s Ring of Kerry until I started researching places to visit
during my trip. Not surprisingly, this previously unknown attraction turned
out to be the highlight of my trip. Buses do circuit the ring, but I’d
recommend renting a car as this allows you to stop and explore the places
you’re interested in, at your leisure.
Killarney makes
a great starting point and it’s quite easy to find your way to the Ring.
The thin, winding roads are slightly difficult to maneuver while driving
on the opposite side of the road, but I soon forgot that my passenger was
on my left. The only disadvantage of being the driver is that you have
to keep your eyes on the road, instead of on the captivating scenery. Fortunately,
the curvy roads and speed limit prevent anyone from going too fast, and
the driver is able to absorb the majority of the spectacular views.
Our first stop
was The Kerry Bog Village. It is a recreation of an 1800’s village and
demonstrates how the inhabitants would have lived and worked. You can visit
a Blacksmith’s house, a stable dwelling, a Turf Cutter’s house and Thatcher’s
dwelling. The simple, one room homes made me appreciate our modern residences
even more.
We spent the
first night in Cahirciveen, a small village where it seems very few people
leave their houses. The streets were practically deserted. After dinner
at an empty pub, we hopped back into the car and went for a drive around
the town. A dirt road led us out into a series of fields and we spotted
the ruins of a castle. Parking the car, we had to hike some distance, over
streams and hills and through a bog, to arrive at the ruins.
Not signposted
in any way, the ruins were mysterious and completely abandoned. Only a
corner of the original building still stands, about three stories high,
but the other three quarters of the building are absent; not even a stone
remained. The part that is still standing was built of stacked stones,
and almost entirely covered with green grass. We climbed up to a ledge
and peered through an opening that was once an arched window.
Farther down
along the same road, we came to the ruins of a stone fort. Built in the
Iron Age, Cahergall Stone Fort is a giant circle. Flat thin stones are
stacked atop one another to create a circular fortress. There is no roof,
but stairs still exist on the inside of the fort. Climbing to the top gives
you an unobstructed view of the surrounding area – the land that the fort
was built to protect.
Our second
day on the Ring of Kerry began bright and early as we had a day trip planned
to the Skellig Islands. Located eight miles off Ireland’s west coast,
a visit to the enchanting islands is not for the weak or faint hearted.
The only way to reach the Skelligs is by boat – and although they look
quite close, once you get out on the rough sea, the boat ride seems never-ending.
Being a water person – a swimmer, diver and boater - I thought I was prepared
for anything. But this boat ride was definitely not pleasant, and although
we were told it was an unusually rough day at sea, there is very rarely
a calm ride to the Islands.
The tiny boat
was pitched around, continual freezing waves crashed over the sides drenching
us and once I was even thrown off my wooden seat onto the plank floor.
I was terrified. But sometimes I find it necessary to take risks in order
to experience some of nature’s more rewarding sights. That said, once I
stepped off the boat and onto the islands, their beauty erased every painful
memory from my mind. It was worth every fear-filled second.
There are two
main islands. The first, Little Skellig, is only visible from the boat.
An enormous, jagged piece of rock is essentially what makes up this first
island. Its size, vertical height and location in the middle of the sea
are definitely impressive, but it’s the birds that make Little Skellig
exceptional. The black rock is swarmed by white birds – there are so many
sea gulls and gannets flying around the island that it almost seems alive.
Parts of the massive rock outcropping have been turned white by the tremendous
amounts of excrement that the birds leave behind. Their numbers are overwhelming.
The second,
bigger island, Michael Skellig is where the boat docks. Bring a lunch and
drinks – the island is remote and uninhabited without so much as a toilet
to be found. What is present is an abundance of stairs. Exploring the island
takes quite a bit of exertion and the stone stairs are uneven and can be
dangerous. The stairs are part of the well preserved ruins of an early
monastic settlement that occupy the island.
The monks of
St. Fionan lived here leading simple lives and residing in igloo shaped
stone huts. To reach the majority of the ruins, you must climb almost 700
stairs to reach the top of the island. But take your time – there’s plenty
to see on your way. In late spring and early summer, puffins sun themselves
on the island’s rock ledges. The black and white birds with their colorful
beaks are a delight to watch.
In the distance
you can see Little Skellig and the mainland behind it. The walkway
runs next to a sheer drop and the waves crashing into the rocky bottom
are mesmerizing as the deep blue of the sea turns into white water. Much
of the rocky island is covered in green grass and orange moss. Strangely,
but naturally, shaped rocks jut out from the steep islands at various points.
Once you reach the ancient stairway, you’ll see that it is not much more
than flat rocks laid out in a succession, one on top of the other. They
are sturdy, but their age is evident in the cracks and erosion created
by thousands of trudging feet.
A flatter area
at the pinnacle of the island houses the monastery. The dome residences
look like something out of a science fiction movie. The small stones are
fitted together perfectly to create the huts – which almost resemble beehives.
You can enter several of the huts, and peering through their windows gives
you a view very similar to what the monks would have seen thousands of
years ago. Not much has been touched on the island and it retains an important
and mysterious air. Remnants of a crude stone cross overlook the dark blue
sea. With the horizontal arms of the cross crumbling away, it almost looks
a person standing watch over the magnificence of the isles.
Driving back
to Killarney on the final section of the Ring of Kerry, we witnessed even
more of the same pure Irish beauty. The countryside is greener than you
can imagine, and bright bunches of purple flowers dot many trees. More
ruins are scattered around the fields and we even passed a Leprechaun Crossing
sign. We were lucky enough to witness a rainbow at one point – but try
as we might, we just couldn’t find the gold!
The following
is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
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