Ring of Kerry, Jaunty Car, Castles and The Blarney Stone

 Blarney Castle sits on over 60 acres of gorgeous parklands.  There are gardens, walk paths and more.  Plenty for those who may not be up to the physical task of climbing up and up in The Castle where the narrow circular steps are quite step and one way.  A bit of challenge also if you're claustrophobic.  I had to keep concentrating to move quickly up where there would be openness.  The view from the top is breathtaking.  You can look in all directions...even if you don't plan to kiss the stone.  This is hubby below.

 He wanted to kiss the stone.  That also is rather physical, and you're pressed for time, as the long to do so is quite LONG.  We did fairly well, as our tour guide got us there at an off time.  You lie on your back, bend your neck and head down to kiss the stone which is beneath you.  I wasn't keen with the position, as a person with some back issues.  Our friend who's pictures are in this post (her's were better than hubby's), wasn't keen on kissing a dirty stone where hundreds of thousands have put their lips.  I would guess about 1/3 of our tour group kissed the stone.  There were 39 of us.  I think about 2/3rd's climbed to see the sites.

 This is the estate house.  No longer lived in.  Beautiful flower gardens all around.

 Not a view you see often, or at least we didn't.  We do not have on rain coats, and I actually had removed my jacket and pushed up the sleeves.  We had a nice lunch outside and it was comfortable.  The ONLY meal we were able to do that.  This was after the kissing of the stone and walking the grounds.

 Another view of Castle, giving you an idea of it's height.

 One cool morning we left (optional excursion) our hotel early with about 2/3rds of our party for a Jaunty Car trip through gorgeous park lands.  The Killarney National Park is quite large and very pretty.  Martin was our driver.  A senior citizen who'd been doing this job a very long time.  He told us his Father had also been a Jaunty Car Driver.

 We were bundled up, but enjoying the ride.

 Later in the day we traveled throughout the Ring of Kerry.  Lots of pretty landscapes, sheep everywhere.  Stone walls everywhere.  And Green, Green, Green.

 Jane in the foreground, me right behind her in one of the narrow passages; but you can see here we weren't closed in.

King Puck and Oliver Cromwell in Killarney

 The British are Coming!  Does this look Paul Revere?  This statue is King Puck with his crown, but every year in County Kerry a goat is honored.  Don't scratch your head, I shall explain..  An old festival, in fact the oldest in all of Ireland honors a goat.  Once a year a male goat (a puck) is captured and honored for 3 days in town squares.  The goat is well fed, and put high on a scaffolding to survey his territory.

 The goat is crowned King by The Queen Puck, who is not another goat, but an honored school girl chosen.  Once she crowns the King, the festivities begin.  There is music, food, and of course drink.  There is dancing.  The local pubs stay open later than normal.  At the end of the 3 days, King Puck is returned to the wilds to resume his normal life.

It is not known how long this festival has been in existence or perhaps how it all began, but......it is believed to be a result of The attempt of England's Oliver Cromwell's Raiders to over take Killarney, (Killorglin).  The goats were in the fields as Cromwell's Raiders tried to make they way to town, they spooked the herd of goats.  One said goat made it to town, tired and bedraggled.  Towns people immediately knew something was afoot.  They were able to fortify the town and ward off The English Invaders.  The Paul Revere Goat, certainly something to be celebrated.  The 3 day festival starts every year on August 10th.

*the 2nd and 3rd picture are a small town square where our tour bus stopped briefly.  No scaffolding there, and it wasn't the time of the festival, but apparently some towns/villages honor goats throughout the year.