Our Big Adventure

THE RINGS OF KERRY- THE DINGLE PENINSULA

Josephine does well to climb the steep pass over the mountain range. Fuschia hedgerows 6 feet high line the narrow road once we descended into the valley and the southwestern extremity called Slea Head. This area is teaming with artefacts from the Stone, Bronze and Celtic Iron ages. The Gallerus Oratory is a dry stone church and 1300 years old. It is built in the shape of an upturned boat with some of the walls 4 feet thick. The stones have a downward and outward tilt so that water is shed, this method is called corbelling and is still used to this day by bricklayers. We stop at a pub, called the North Pole which was previously owned by one of Scotts team, lots of interesting pictures lined the walls, and our fellow diners were quite colourful. Bee-hive shaped stone huts surrounded by stone walls were inhabited by peaceful family groups that lived here from ancient times to about 1200 AD, when after being invaded by the Vikings and then the Normans, their way of life was lost forever. It’s extraordinary to think that these structures still stand to this day. We travel in and out of low cloud, fog, showery rain and weak sunshine all day, it’s a shame because I’m sure the scenery is quite spectacular, if only you could see it all!

posted by Brian and Julie @ 8:40:00 PM