The Gap of Dunloe and Killarney, Ireland – Day 10

Today, I woke up, ate cereal, and put on my socks and shoes for our day’s adventures. We hopped in the car, and I sat in the way back with Kate the Great. When we got to Killarney, we met our ride who took us to Ross Castle in Killarney National Park. We got snacks and super warm, creamy, and delicious hot chocolate.

We climbed into a boat and talked to our tour guide from Killarney Boat Tours, Cathal, as he took us out into the water. As we drove through the valley in the boat, he told us the history of the area. At one point, we needed to get off the boat so it could go through shallow water. I walked at a fast pace, and he made it sound like the walk was much shorter than it actually was. I walked for about three minutes, and then I finally saw the boat coming in. Once I got on the boat, he told me I was the fastest person ever to meet the boat. He said usually he waits about five to ten minutes for people to come. After that, he told me that the bridge I had just crossed was over 400 years old.

He got us into a big open part of the upper lake so we could drive the boat. First, I drove—it was difficult at first, but I got used to it quickly. It was very fun. Then Kate went next, and after that, Addie Baddie went last.

When we reached the end of the tour, he hopped off the boat with us and recommended some places to eat for dinner. We walked to Lord Brandon’s Cottage, which is a cafe on one side of the Gap of Dunloe that accepts cash only. We sat at the picnic tables outside the cafe and ate the lunches we had picked up in Killarney.

Gap of Dunloe

We walked three miles uphill on the Gap road (a little over 850 feet of elevation gain). On either side of us were beautiful green mountains. We saw a bunch of sheps on the hike. We also saw small little fishies in one of the lakes we passed, and we saw horses.

After three miles, we got to the Gap of Dunloe. There were lakes on the way down where the mountains met. (okay, Evan just fell asleep while dictating to me, so it’s Jen from here on out…)

The hike through the gap was breathtaking. We could hear the bleating of goats and sheep, the gentle sounds of water cascading over the rocks, and the wind rustling through the long grass. Created about 25,000 years ago during Ireland’s last ice age, the Gap of Dunloe is a small passage through the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks mountain range in the west and the Purple and Tomie mountains in the east of County Kerry.

We hiked the 7-mile gap road in just over three hours. Although we took a few short breaks, we walked steadily for the majority of the time. Kate Kearney’s Cottage, a lovely bar and restaurant, sits at the endpoint. Kendra and I ordered some hard cider while we waited for our driver to pick us up and drop us back in Killarney.

Killarney

Once we got to Killarney, we all celebrated the end of our hike with another round of Murphy’s ice cream. We are determined to have it in all five locations—so far, we’ve managed Dublin, Galway, and Killarney, and we have another planned stop tomorrow in Dingle.

After exploring Killarney for about an hour (and shopping!), we headed to Kitty O Se’s for dinner. Cathal had recommended it during our boat tour, and it was just what we needed after a long day!