Killarney National Park - Day 1

Today is the official beginning of our walking tour of Ireland with VBT (Vermont Bicycling Tours).  20 people joined our guides Eileen and Katrin on the van ride to Killarney.  Ireland is the land of saints and scholars so many places are named for saints (not martyrs) or learned peoples.  Places that start with the word 'bally' means the site or area of and what ever the other name is;  if it starts with 'Kill' it means church; and many of the towns are named after chieftans of old.  

After our 90 minute drive we were dropped off at the end of the lane leading to Muckross House, a short 1 mile stroll.  We dined at the restaurant near the house, explored the gardens and then hiked over 7 miles around the lake.

Muckross (muck meaning pig or boar and ross means penninsula) is a mansion built in the late 1800's by Arthur Vincent.  Near its completion, Mr. Vincent invited Queen Elizabeth to spend the night in hopes of becoming a knight but shortly after her visit, her husband died and Vincent was forgotten.  His visions of the area becoming a tourist destination were dashed and his house lay vacant for many years.  In 1932 the house and its 8000 acres of land was turned over to the state and the first national park was born in Ireland.  The house still lay empty until 1964 when it was opened by a private organization as a museum of Kerry folk life.  Its gardens are extensive and the view from the house across the penninsula on which it sits overlooking the lake is grand and at the same time peaceful.  The house is sometimes refered to as the 'Calendar House' because it has 365 windows and 52 chimneys.

Near the house is what appears to be an old castle.  It started out as a friary in the 1200's and was added to sometime in the 1400's by the Romans who called it a 'keep'.  Our walk took us around Lough (pronounced 'lock') Leane (Irish) or Loch Lein (English) which means Lake of Learning.

Occasional bicyclists and jaunting cars (two wheeled carts pulled by one horse) passed us on the road. Early summer brings out the flowers in Ireland.  We spotted fusia, Killarney Ash, calla lillies and rhododendrons.  Rhododendrons are so prolific that it is considered a nusance plant and the conservationists are trying to find ways of killing it off and controlling its growth.

Tonight we are staying at Loch Lein Country House which overlooks Loch Lein and is about 3 miles from Killarney.