Travelling Lore

Following our short stay in Killarney , we made our way over to the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary.  Arguably one of the most popular tourist spots, it's also known as Cashel of the Kings or, more formally, St. Patrick's Rock. It's reputedly the site where St. Patrick converted Aenghus, King of Munster, to Christianity in the 5th century.  The Rock of Cashel was also the seat of the High Kings of Munster before the Norman invasion, though there is little structural evidence left.  Most of the structures on the current site are from the 12th and 13th centuries after it was gifted to the Church in 1101 AD by Muirchertach O Briain, the King of Munster at the time.  In 1111 Cashel became the seat of an archbishop. The oldest and tallest of the buildings on site is the round tower, (see above photo) standing at 90 ft (28 m), which was constructed shortly after Cashel was gifted to the Church.  It was constructed using the dry stone method, or stack...

Next up after  driving around the Ring of Kerry  was Killarney.  We originally weren't going to visit Killarney, but it was part of our back up plan when we ended up not being able to visit Skellig Michael. (Sad face.) Killarney is located in southwestern Ireland in County Kerry.  Its first historically significant settlement was a monastery on the nearby Inisfallen Island that was built in 640 by St. Finian the Leper; it was occupied for about 850 years.  Killarney was also heavily involved in the Irish War of Independence .   In 2015 it was named one of the Top 10 Destinations to visit on Trip Advisor . Killarney's history of tourism goes back to the mid-18th century when Thomas, fourth Viscount Kenmare, began to attract visitors to the town.  The arrival of the railway in 1853 greatly benefited the town and it also received a boost in visibility when Queen Victoria visited in 1861.  At the time Ring of Kerry tourism already existed and...

Just recently my fiance and I took advantage of a holiday weekend and decided to make our way down to Charlottesville, Virginia, best known as the home of Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. If you've never been to Charlottesville wine country and you're looking for some recommendations, then I highly recommend King Family Vineyards .   Out of the eight or so wineries we visited during our stay, King Family Vineyards was my favorite.  It happened to be snowing lightly the morning we went, but looking past the grey day it was still easy to see how lovely and expansive the winery's grounds are. The vineyard sits at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Originally a farm, the King family purchased the property in 1996 and in 1998 began leasing land for a vineyard.  Initially the plan was to sell the grapes, but the family decided to make some wine from some of the grapes in order to learn more about the process.  So in 2000 the King family introduced 480 cases...

After a  day and a night in Dingle  we set out to see the Ring of Kerry.  We'd originally planned on taking a trip to Skellig Michael, an island to the west of  Bolus Head on the  Iveragh Peninsula  which is home to a sixth century Christian monastery and more beehive huts.  (Skellig Michael  has recently become a tourist hot spot due to the new  Star Wars: The Force Awakens  movie.)  But to get to Skellig Michael you need a boat and good weather.  It so happened that the sea was too choppy the only day we were in the area, so no tours were going out.  What rotten luck.  We were super bummed about it, but I suppose it makes for an excuse to visit Ireland again, am I right? Instead of Skellig Michael we had more time than expected to explore the Ring of Kerry .  The Ring of Kerry is a 179 km (111 mile) scenic circular drive on the Iveragh Peninsula.  We started out from Dingle and didn't have the time ...

Up next after the Cliffs of Moher was exploring Dingle by car and spending a night at the Dingle Esk View hotel .  Like our drive to the Cliffs, we pulled over on the N86 highway to snap a few photos of a lovely Irish countryside view.  This view is located right before driving through Camp in County Kerry. Once in Dingle my fiance and I drove around the peninsula while his brother and brother's fiancee went for run.  Dingle is in County Kerry and is the only town on the Dingle Peninsula, which sits on the Atlantic Coast about 40 miles northwest of Killarney. Dingle was originally developed as a port after the Norman invasion of Ireland.  By the 13th century more goods were being shipped through Dingle than Limerick, so Henry III imposed customs on the port's exports in 1257.  Fishing used to dominate the town, which is now more known for its musical and gastronomical charm, not to mention for its scenery.  Dingle is also part of a Gaeltacht...

After spending a couple of days in Galway , we set off in our rental car (an automatic, of course, no shame in admitting it!) to Dunguaire Castle and the Cliffs of Moher .  Pictured above is Dunguaire Castle, which was built in 1520 by the O'Hynes clan on Galway Bay near what is now Kinvarra, County Galway.  In the early 17th century the Martyns of Galway acquired the castle and Richard Martyn, the Mayor of Galway, lived there until 1642. Oliver St. John Gogarty, a famous surgeon and literary figure, bought Dunguaire Castle in 1924 and began to restore it.  While he owned it the castle became a meeting place for Celtic literary revivalists like W.B. Yeats and George Bernard Shaw.  In 1954 Christobel Lady Amptill acquired the castle and completed its restoration.  For €5 from April to October you can visit the castle, which is restored to reflect how people lived from 1520 to modern times. The castle also has a stunning view of the area from i...