Amazing!!! This is one of the prettiest drives that I have ever experienced... not to mention FUN!…read moreThese winding roads were a blast to drive, but be on the lookout for jaywalking sheep! It was worth the trip!

Closed to the public. Drove all the way down here to see the castle pictured. Had an information…read moresigned, but you could not go near it.

Ballycarbery Castle was amazing! It is located down a narrow road outside of Cahersiveen. It is…read morenear the mouth of the Valentia River. There was plenty of parking available and a few other groups exploring when we arrived. The castle really is breathtaking. There is a path that leads up to the entrance and best of all - it is free! The castle looks like it was cut away along the diagonal and gives an excellent cross sectional view. Much of the outside is covered in ivy which makes the view that much more striking. Beware - there are beehives in the ivy. There are some sections that you can hear a loud buzzing from. For the most part, the bees are content to stay in their home but I still walked a little further away around those sections. For the ambitious, you can find your way to the upper levels. We didn't do that ourselves but saw other families making the ascent. This is the perfect place to detour if you are driving the Ring of Kerry and want a reprieve from the numerous tour buses. We didn't see any in this area! The views at the top of the hill behind the castle are also worth seeing. 5 stars.

This is a most historic site. This is an ancient fortress. It is now a ruin. One can climb all over…read moreit and it appears to be safe. It is surrounded by a wood and it is near to a forest. It is most atmospheric and well worth a visit even if one does not tarry for a long spell. There is little information given there - a couple of plaques in English and Irish. It is not very wide or tall. It withstood a siege in 1602. Rebel forces under the O'Sullivan Beare held out here for a few weeks until they withdrew to Leitrim - the march of the O'Sullivan Beare. How did they hold off their besiegers and how did they break out? Some who did not escape were captured by Crown Forces and executed.

I loved the history behind the Famine Cottages and can not believe that they are still in such good…read moreshape considering they were built in the mid nineteenth century. The cottages has been preserved so that when you step inside you get a good idea of how people had to live in this difficult time. I do think that they took things a little far when they placed mannequins in the bed and by the fireplace. It is creepy and I don't think added anything to the site. You have to walk up a step hill to view the cottages. Once you arrive at the top the view will take your breath away. On a clear day you can see as far as Skellig Rocks. There is a large farmer's cottage and three smaller cottages, The large one has outhouses attached for the horse and cow. These cottages were made from mud and stone and any wood used was washed up from shipwrecks. There are burials on the property that are sectioned off and protected. The last person to live in the cottages moved out in the 1950's.

The Irish Famine Cottages are a neat piece of history: as close as one can come to understanding…read moresome of the living conditions of the Irish in the early 19th century. FYI, admission is listed in travel books as €4, but we were quoted €3 at the entrance. Ask for feed to feed the donkeys, sheep, and ponies in the Animal Park on your ascent. (Though the greedy buggers only want your food: no pets after you oblige!) The first cottage is "Pat's House": a peasant laborer. The second is the Kavanaghs. The cottages were built using mud and stone, and had thatched roofs (though no longer). The latter has multiple rooms with furniture and information. It also has an adjoining cow house/outhouse and stable. Finally, there is a beehive hut that was used to house the pig. There is also a path that leads you to an old (non-Catholic) burial ground, though it's not accessible and can only be viewed from the fence. Still very neat! Overall the Irish Famine Cottages was an interesting historical look into one of the most trying times for the Irish! It's worth a visit if you're in the area seeing the other ancient attractions!

Small fee and short walk to the cliffs but even in the summer it was really cold and windy. I was…read morereally cold but it was so beautiful and enjoyed watching the waves hit the rocks ... the colors of the water. I got sick bronchitis and laryngitis day after. Definitely worth seeing if you're in the area. We had hats with brims and chin straps... tighten the chin strap as tight as possible or the hat will end up in the ocean.

When we arrived at the Kerry Cliffs parking lot the rain and wind were picking up. It was a bit of…read morea hike up a gravel path to get to the viewing spots. A couple beehive hut reproductions could be visited about midway up. For some reason a car passed us by and parked up at the top. Maybe there was a special fee or permit? By the time we reached the viewing areas it was really coming down and we were getting pushed around. Umbrellas were useless in the wind. It made it tough to see everything and a result had to cut our visit short since we were already soaked. The views we did manage to take in were quite amazing. The views here were much higher than The Cliffs of Moher and much less crowded. Hopefully will try to come back under better weather in the future.

This rock is in Gortgarriff townland - the 'garriff' part means 'rough'…read more This spot is a place of great historical and indeed literary significance. The Hag of Beara is a rock. The Hag was cruel and ugly old woman and legend has it that she was turned to stone. Why or by whom is beyond the remit (and knowledge) of this reviewer. The rock does not resemble a humanoid very closely. The rock is to be found in a field - the ground is uneven and there are many bushes and much moss. This rock inspired Patrick Pearse when he penned a piece of poesy entitled Mise Eire (I am Ireland) about 1910. A piece of music to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Easter Rising was also entitled Mise Eire in 1966. Eyeries had a mural and this mural had the poem up in English and indeed in the Irish tongue. This was visible near Causkey's in 1997 but is to be seen no more.

When you explore the ground around The Hag of Beara and observe that sea urchins hollowed cups on…read morethe rocks, it occurs to you that this rock once marked the high tide! A great ebbing has occurred here. The ancient poem, The Lament of the Hag of Beare, seems to refer to such a catastrophe, "I am Buí, the Old Woman of Beare; I used to wear a smock that was ever-renewed; today it has befallen me, by reason of my mean estate, that I could not have even a cast-off smock to wear." The ever-renewed garment would be the tide. "Great wave of flood and wave of ebbing sea, the two of them I know for both have washed on me." "It is well for an island of the great sea: flood comes to it after its ebb; as for me, I expect no flood after ebb to come to me." I have cherry-picked these verses as a great deal of the poem is concerned with aging and the loss of beauty. Whatever the truth of the matter, Kilcatherine, is a most beautiful place.

Hiking the Eask Tower Path is an absolute must when visiting the Dingle Peninsula…read more The tower is on private property. The landowners are incredibly friendly - I highly recommend allotting some time just to chit chat with them. They ask for a humble €2 entry fee per person. Bring coins! So for €2, you are permitted to traipse through their fields & through their herds of sheep. They trust you to close each gate properly behind you on the way up & down so that the sheep don't get out. They even offer their spigot & some brushes to clean your shoes off at the end of your adventure. The tower is constructed similarly to a barrel & it's fascinating. The panoramic views are breathtaking & the gentle breeze is so appreciated after the hike up. I would allow yourself 90 minutes for the whole adventure: - 10 minutes of chit chat - 30 minutes to the top - 30 minutes to enjoy the views & the tower - 20 minutes down LNT - Leave No Trace!

The Diseart acts is a community centre that promotesCeltic Culture and Spirituality as an integral…read morepart of their local heritage. It's housed in a former Presentation Convent and was foundied in 1998. An Diseart leads research into various areas of Irish Spirituality and Celtic Culture including theology, language, literature, art, laws, folklore, values, spirituality, history, music, archaeology and customs. It was led by the late Msgr Padraig Ó Fiannachta and associated with his valuable collection of manuscripts and books now housed in the Dingle Library. Located in this peaceful haven on Green Street, Dingle, Díseart occupies an impressive neo-gothic building, that I found was being renovated in some areas. The reason we were there was to see and enjoy the chapel, which features 12 lancet windows created in 1924 by the famous stained glass artist - Harry Clarke. His work is also featured the National Gallery in Dublin. The windows, along with the tranquil walled gardens, first laid out in 1849, have become a popular attraction for the many visitors in Dingle, including Gayle and me.