Ireland, Chapter Two

In which we drive around a ring or two

We spent a day driving around the Ring of Kerry. The Kerry Peninsula is on Ireland’s southwest coast, and it’s home to lots of natural sites and ruins, including a couple of ring forts, a chapel or two, and some amazing sea cliffs.

Cahergal Ring Fort; A ruined castle in Kerry; the Archivist and the Medievalist; From the Ladies View in Killarney National Park; View from Staigue Ring Fort; If there’s water, we are gonna put some part of ourselves in it; Derrynane Abbey x2

Us; the Cliffs of Kerry

The following day we drove around the Dingle Peninsula, just north of the Kerry Peninsula. We spent some time walking around Dingle Town and then did a drive around the Slea Head Loop. In Dingle Town, we visited the Díseart Institute of Education and Celtic Culture, former home of the Sisters of Presentation Convent. The Presentation Sisters were focused on educating girls of the lower class. Then the drive led us by ancient monastery ruins, something called an “oratory,” and a ruined church.

A roadside cross, somewhere, some time near the start of our day; Dingle’s Temperance Hall, still used for things like AA meetings and other forms of community support; Windows made by Harry Clarke in the 1920s for the chapel of the Presentation Sisters’ Convent; Crucifix in the chapel of the Presentation Sisters convent

The Slea Head Loop drive took us past much beauty, including the Gallarus Oratory, a small chapel shaped like an overturned boat, created by stones being carefully chosen and stacked. Built about 1300 years ago, the oratory is still waterproof, though there is some sagging near the roof line.

On the Slea Head Loop drive; On the Slea Head Loop drive, with Skellig Michael in the distance; On the Slea Head Loop drive, at the ruins of Reasc Monastery—the monks carved a Christian cross over the Celtic patterns; Gallarus Oratory exterior x 2; Gallarus Oratory interior

Our last stop on the Slea Head Loop was at Kilmalkedar Church. There is an ogham stone at the church: nobody’s really sure what these stones were for—maybe marking borders; it may have been a grave stone—but it’s notched with lines that are a type of script, used from the 3rd to the 7th century. Such stones are all over Ireland.

A very early Christian cross, somewhat buried; The Archivist and the Medievalist seal a deal by touching thumbs through the hole at the top of this ogham stone, 900 years older than the church; Church front; Church back; A head at the church; the ogham stone, showing the notches; Church and graveyard

Ride and hearken, y’all,
The Transmigrationists

Countries visited:

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