Killarney and the Dingle Peninsula

Today's post is picture-heavy because there were so many interesting sights on our sixth day of the Ireland trip.

Our second day in Killarney started with a ride on a horse-drawn jaunting cart through Killarney National Park to Ross Castle. This was one of many castles and cathedrals destroyed by Oliver Cromwell.

One of the other jaunting carts in front of thatched-roof cottage.

Riding through Killarney National Park with Ross Castle in the background.

In the park we saw native Irish Red deer, and Sika deer, which aren't native and were imported from Japan.

The native Irish Red deer is on the right in this photo, and the smaller spotted Sika deer is on the left.

Another shot of the Irish Red deer.

My children in front of Ross Castle.

Lake next to Ross Castle.

My son with the ducks at Ross Castle.

My son with Jessie the horse who pulled our cart through the park.

Our next stop after the park was the Dingle peninsula and Inch beach which got it it's name because on a map the beach is scaled at one inch. It was extremely windy on the beach, but luckily the rain held out until we were eating lunch, and then there was a deluge. My kids must have collected about 100 seashells between the two of them.

Hills surrounding Inch Beach.

Distant hills on the other side of Inch Beach.

My children walking along Inch Beach.

Our tour guide, Matthew, wrote with his umbrella in the sand for us. This is a photo of my family, very bundled up and looking rather puffy because of the intense winds.

Gallarus Oratory on the Dingle peninsula is an old religous building which was built without using any mortar, it's simply stones piled up, and it has withstood the wind and rain somewhere between 1400 to 900 years. I dozed a little on the bus while we headed out, so I missed our tour guide telling us that there is a legend that if you can climb through the window at this building, that your soul would be cleansed. So I was very confused when we arrived and my son took the challenge of climbing through the window to "cleanse his soul." Luckily someone else was able to explain it to me, though I'm still not sure I agree with climbing through the window of a building this old.

Gallarus Oratory exterior.

My son's lower half going through the window.

Coming through the window. My husband took this particular photo.

This picture shows the small size of the window. It was so dark I didn't realize until later that my son's eyes were closed.

An engraving of a Celtic cross at Gallarus Oratory.

Another amazing stone wall at Gallarus Oratory.

The view from the Oratory.

My beautiful girl in the wind, but it was finally really sunny.

Our next stop was in Dingle Town where we were told that we had to try Murphy's ice cream because it would "change our world." I have to admit that the sea salt ice cream was pretty delicious.

An old boat being used as a planter.

Another beautiful town with colorful buildings.

Another view of the colorful buildings.

The hillside behind Dingle Town.

Back in Killarney that night as were walking around we saw a stumbling drunk man get arrested by the Garda (the Irish police). We had been told that the Garda were very kind and gentle, and I have to admit that I was very impressed by how well they treated the man as they led him over to their van.