Anyone who read my last post will know that I am attempting a virtual walk of the Ring of Kerry, a 200 km walk around the Iveragh peninsula on the stunning Atlantic coast of Southern Ireland. I am tracking my progress using a Fitbit. I can also follow the route on google street view and the app even sends me virtual postcards and gives me interesting snippets about the places I pass. Earlier this week I received my second postcard from the small seaside town of Kenmare.

Kenmare

Seen as the gateway to the Ring of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula, Kenmare is a coastal town nestled amongst mountains and situated on the estuary of Kenmare Bay.

 Archaeologists date the area back to the Bronze Age. The nearby Stone Circle of 15 stones laid out in an egg-shape indicates a human presence over 3000 years ago. Perfectly aligned with the sun, they think it might have been used as an agricultural calendar.

The town developers gave Kenmare a unique triangular shape with the three main streets connecting to each other. Kenmare also had the first suspension bridge in Ireland built in 1841. Due to heavy traffic and mounting ongoing problems, the bridge was replaced 90 years later with the current iconic wrought iron and concrete bridge.

Like much of the area, Kenmare suffered greatly during the Irish famine of the mid-19th century.  A local priest asked for help and seven nuns arrived to open a school. They believed that the best way to improve the residents’ future was through education. A convent building was erected by 1862 which continues to exist as a place of education with a secondary school moving there in 2001.

To develop a source of income they taught the girls lacemaking and embroidery, whilst boys were taught woodworking and leather work. Over time Kenmare Lace became internationally renowned for its craftsmanship and intricate design. It continues to be an important part of Kenmare today.

Sports

For the outdoorsy person, Kenmare is host to a number of activities such as beach horse riding, archery, diving, golf, deep-sea angling and water sports. Nicknamed as the “Walking Mecca of Ireland”, Kenmare offers a combination of town heritage walks or for something more strenuous several routes of different grades can be experienced in the nearby mountains. Even the competitive athlete will find local running and cycling races or the annual Little Bo Peep triathlon.

Help from a local

Luckily my virtual walk is mainly on flat paths. I spent a pleasant afternoon yesterday walking the north shore of Chew Valley Lake.  At the same time, I was walking along the Atlantic coast of Ireland with Conqueror Challenges

It feels slightly strange to be walking two routes simultaneously. As we still have a stay at home order here I enlisted the help of an Irish blogger to give her suggestions for visitors. These recommendations come from Catherine Jordan who runs the website travelaroundireland.com

Some of the best things to see along the Ring of Kerry are the lakes of the Killarney National Park. These three lakes constitute a quarter of the National Park and are surrounded by mountains and oak and yew trees. The lower lake is Lough Leane, followed by Muckross Lake and then the Upper Lake. All are connected and you can even take a boat from the top of the Gap of Dunloe back to Killarney.

Lough Leane is home to many islands, one of which has a ruined monastery on it, and Ross Castle is located on the banks of Lough Leane and is one of the must-visit places along the Ring of Kerry. Muckross House and Abbey are also popular attractions along the Ring of Kerry and are located just beside Lough Leane.

If you are visiting the Ring of Kerry, make sure to include time to visit these great places along it and within the Killarney National Park.

Real world benefits

• 
  Postcard from Lanzarote
• 
  Postcard from Verona in Italy
• 
  Cruising down the Rhine part 1 Basel