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| Self
Catering Holiday Homes |
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The
Landscape
The Ring of Kerry route is located on the Iveragh Peninsula
in County Kerry and is an
area of outstanding natural beauty with mountains, bog and
woodland interspersed with
lakes, rivers, fast running streams and waterfalls. This is
a wild and remote region
sparsley populated inland but along the coast are picturesque
little towns such as Sneem,
Caherdaniel and Waterville. Kenmare Bay to the South, Dingle
Bay in the north and the
Atlantic Ocean to the west surround this peninsula which boasts
75 miles of beaches.
The magnificent scenery with unspoilt coasts and rugged mountains
make the Ring of
Kerry a top tourist destination. |
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Derrynane National Historic Park
A short distance from the hotel you will find Derrynane National
Park and
Derrynane House, the ancestoral family home of Daniel O'Connell,
'The Liberator', a 19th
century politician who championed the cause of the Irish in
the British Parliament and
succeeded in achieving Catholic Emancipation which he believed
would be the first step in
achieving Home Rule. The house and grounds have been preserved
and are open to the
public every day during the summer months and anyone touring
the Ring of Kerry should
make a point of visiting.
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Archaeological sites
This Ogham stone near Caherdaniel displays a fine example of
ancient Celtic
Ogham text, a form of writing comprising combinations of parallel
and angled
lines carved along an
edge of a standing stone. There are numerous examples
along the Ring of Kerry route. |
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Staigue
Fort is over two thousand years old and located at
Castlecove near Sneem. Archaeologists are not certain as
to its purpose but speculate that it may have been used
to protect cattle or as a site of religious significance. It
may
also have been used as an amphitheatre for some form of
spectacle. This ancient monument should not be missed
when you are touring the Ring of Kerry. |
Skellig
Michael
The
Skelligs are two rocky islands off the south coast of Kerry.
The larger island
is Skellig Michael , 12 km from the coast and a number of
boats are available to
ferry day trippers to and from the island. This rock has attracted
people for
centuries and one of the most compelling reasons is the solitude
- a monastic
settlement was founded here in 588 AD and the Beehive huts
still stand today.
These cells were where the monks lived and prayed and the
original settlement lasted
for over 500 years, even surviving Viking attacks.
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Birdwatching on the Skelligs
These
Kittiwakes were photographed nesting on Skellig Michael
- other residents
include Puffins, Shearwaters, Storm Petrels, Fulmars and
Guillimots while the Gannets prefer Little Skellig ( the
neighbouring island ).The
Gannet population here is in fact the second largest nesting
colony in the world with an estimated 27,000 pairs of birds.
On your day trip don't forget to bring your camera for some
great wildlife photo
opportunities as the birdlife on Skellig Michael is very
accessible.
Keep a look out for Dolphins, Porpoises, Seals and the occasional
Whale or Basking
Shark during the boat trip.
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