Leprechaun Crossing

Hello ILE Families and Friends! It was with great relief that we saw the whole group assembled for breakfast in the dining room of the Killarney Court Hotel. Those students who had been on the Ghost Tour of Killarney last night were still pretty shook this morning. A hearty full Irish breakfast-the type that keeps cardiologists in Ferraris, soon had everyone feeling nice and perky and ready for the day ahead. We left Killarney in a light drizzle for our Mini-Ring of Kerry bus tour, with our very own Brian Farrell of Burren Coaches. First stop was the lovely little village of Kenmare. Unfortunately, we had missed the organic food festival by a day, but the coffee and cakes were still delightful. The highlight of the stop was the Neolithic Stone Circle. This is an ancient burial site aligned with the rising sun. Continuing the gory theme from last night, the altar in the middle of the circle is believed to have been the site of ritual slaughters of animals and possible even humans! Amy was lucky enough to escape from our clutches this time. Brian led us in an ancient Irish natural cleansing ceremony at the stones and we bestowed natural names on each other-as is the tradition in Kenmare. Morgan was happy to be called “Red Oak” as with Brigid with “Buttercup,” but Rosie felt that her new name “Granola” didn’t capture the full essence of her enlightened aura. From Kenmare, Brian took us on one of the most scenic drives in the country–over Moll’s Gap and Lady’s View. The students took lots of photographs against the backdrop of Carauntoohill-Ireland’s highest mountain. It was views such as this that established the Killarney area as the first tourist resort in Ireland-a reputation which has only been enhanced over the years. The descent from Lady’s view was spectacular, as we kept a close eye on the passing red deer. Fortunately, Brian was alert enough to jam on the brakes before the Leprechaun Crossing and we proceeded to Torc Waterfall thankful for our lucky escape. Through a gap in the trees at the beautiful Torc Waterfall, we spotted an unusual bright yellow disc in the sky. A strange heat seemed to be emanating from it. Mar and Raquel were delighted to inform us that they have something similar to this in Spain. Apparently it is called “The Sun,” but none of the Irish ILE Staff were familiar with it. Ha! Today’s lunch stop was in the gorgeous grounds of Muckross Park. In 1932 this became the first place in Ireland to be designated as a National Park and over the years the area covered by the park was expanded to become the Killarney National Park, which today covers over 15,000 acres. Most of the students enjoyed the healthy sandwiches that they had picked up earlier, but some couldn’t resist the fancy cakes and buns in the café. Our final stop was the ruins of Ross Castle over-looking Lough Leane. This Castle was in partial ruins after Cromwell’s forces bombarded it in the 17th century, but enough of it remains for the students to have great fun climbing the walls and jumpng around the edge of the lake. From there it was just a short bus ride past the most beautiful race course in the world back to town. There the studnets enjoyed free time to sample some of the many restaurants, movies and amusement rides. By the time everyone got back to the hotel in the evening, most of us were absolutely knackered and ready for bed before tomorrow’s long drive. No leprechauns were harmed in the writing of this post.

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