Abbeys, Castles and the End of a Rainbow

The full arch of a rainbow

Muckross Abbey

Medieval Muckross Abbey in the distance

looking inside a medieval stone abbey ruins through the arches We have a later start. We debate whether to go to Muckross Abbey or not since we didn’t have time to do it yesterday. FOMO – we decide to go.

I am so glad we came to this beautiful place. The medieval abbey is in a lovely lush setting amongst gravestones both ancient and recent. You can see the colour of fall in the trees.

We are able to freely wander around the rooms, cloisters, stairways and tower. I enjoy this even more than I did touring the house yesterday.

Looking out of the ancient abbey through narrow arched windows to the graveyard looking into the ancient stone abbey from above

Ross Castle

A Thirteenth Century Castle on a Lake

Swans on Ross Castle's Lake A short drive away is the medieval Ross Castle, built in the 1400s. The castle is set on a beautiful lake surrounded by forest. It is breathtaking.

We take a guided tour through the restored castle. It really brings home how uncomfortable and how unhealthy it was to live during those times. Life expectancy was in the thirties.

The Gap of Dunloe and the Sheep that got Away

Lake on the Gap of Dunloe

The road leading to the Gap of Dunloe Before leaving Killarney we head to the Gap of Dunloe where we hire a horse and buggy to take us to the centre of the gap. It is a splurge but the scenery is gorgeous and the sun is shining. Sheep are everywhere… including in the most unlikely places.

John and Kimberly in a horse drawn buggy at the Gap of Donloe We cross the Wishing Bridge, passing the Flat Lake and then Echo Lake which really does produce an impressive echo.

We stop for pictures at the Serpent Lake, a beautiful spot. We get out of the buggy and I try to pet some sheep but they run faster than I do. Click here to see a short video of the gap.

Kimberly at the side of the road and a sheep walking away from her

The End of a Rainbow

A brilliant rainbow

The end of a rainbow on the road in front of us Back in the car, we make our way to Adare, a picturesque village that dates back to the 12th century.

The sun is out and a small shower starts. A most
vibrant rainbow forms ahead of us. It creates a full arch that ends on the road in front of us. Click here to see what happens when we drive through it.

I can now confirm that there is definitely not a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

We pass into County Limerick.

Adare

John standing in front of a yellow in covered in red leaves
The outside of a medieval stone friory Adare is a lovely little town with lots of history. A sign proclaims that it won gold as the tidiest town. We check out the 13th century Augustinian Priory. Across the street are numerous 19th century thatched cottages…very pretty…but prettiest of all was the village park with its bee boxes, hedge hog hotel and the most vibrant green lawn that I have ever seen.

a 19th century thatched roof cottage

a treed park with very green grass

A Night in Limerick

The front of the Locke pub

Fiddler and guitar player in a pub We easily checked into our hotel. Overnight parking here is much more reasonably priced than it was in Cork City. John has researched a gastropub called “The Locke” that serves seafood and has traditional Irish Music and Dancing. Sounds like a plan to me.

The Locke is about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. I have mussels in a cream sauce (yum) and on my sister’s recommendation, try a Guinness with Black Current juice. It is delicious.

The musicians and dancer are great. Click here for a video. A totally enjoyable evening.