Killarney is the smallest city on our tour with a population of only about 20,000, but more tourists visit here than any other place in Ireland. Our first stop today was the Tralee’s Kerry County Museum which helped summarize the history of Ireland for me. The first evidence of man in Ireland was during the Mesolithic around 5,000 BC. The Celts from central Europe arrived in Ireland around 500 BC spreading their culture and language throughout Ireland. Gaelic is one of the only surviving Celtic languages in Europe with west Kerry a major stronghold.
In the fifth century, St Patrick arrived in Ireland, and so began the spread of Christianity. The early church was more similar to the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church than the Roman Church for two reasons: 1) The Romans never invaded Ireland and 2) The influence of Celtic monasticism.
The Vikings were next on the scene at the end of the 8th century, and in 1169 the Anglo Normans arrived in Ireland. Then during the 16th century, the English Crown asserted its authority by destroying the influence of the Irish Lords. Some of the history since that time has been covered in earlier posts.
After a walk in the beautiful rose garden outside the museum, we were back on the bus and arrived in Dingle for a lunch of fish and chips. I am not one to eat much fish, but this was delicious!
Our next adventure was visiting the beautiful west coast of Ireland on the Dingle Peninsula. Even the cows and sheep love it here. Actually, I think they are happy throughout Ireland. So often they can be found lying down in their green fields. The only time they seem to be on all fours is when they are munching on the grass.
At one of our stops, we explored the Beehive Huts. It is believed they date back to the 12th Century.
While at this stop, I got to hold a sweet little lamb.
As you can see, we were blessed with another beautiful day. Below are the Blasket Islands. They were inhabited until 1953 by a completely Irish-speaking population. The inhabitants were evacuated by the government due to the declining population and harsh nature of life on the island.
All over countryside of Ireland, small parcels of land are divided by using hedges. This hillside, on the other hand, was covered by an amazing maze of stone wall.
The hill in the distance was used in filming one of the latest Star Wars movies. The three peaks to the right are called the Sisters. These pictures simply do not do the rugged beauty of this area justice.
On the news front, Ireland just elected Leo Varadkar prime minister on Friday. As well as becoming Ireland’s first gay prime minister, Varadkar, 38, will also become the country’s youngest leader, and as the son of an Indian immigrant, the first from an ethnic minority background. His position will be confirmed later this month when parliament resumes after a break.
Tomorrow we get to stay in Killarney and will tour the Ring of Kerry.
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