Annascaul and Coumfuff
This is the family seat. My dad was born in the pink house, one of eleven children. He was right in the middle, with five older and five younger. My nan was born in the white house. I only met her once when I was four, but I remember she was beautiful and kind. My dad claimed she was his hero because they never went to bed hungry and she never complained about anything.
I was married on the banks of the Annascaul Lake. I dragged over one hundred people down there in a gale. Later the weather cleared and it was a perfect sunny day for the reception in Dingle. Our guests were placing bets on whether or not Fungee, the famous dolphin, would put in an appearance, and he delivered with a grand show a few meters away from the shore.
The mountains rise high here with almost perfectly vertical faces and offer a dramatic contrast to the meadows, farms and beaches below.
Minard Castle
An accessible gem of yesteryear, Minard Castle sits right on the coast. I remember playing here as a small child when visiting from the States. Many moons later, it still gets my creative juices flowing as I imagine all kinds of battles and scenarios. Or, I just sit and listen to the sound of the waves, the song of gulls, and the wind whistling through the cracks in the rock.
Muckross House in Killarney
In August of 2013, we had a Gathering of Some-of-the-Clan day out. I have over forty first cousins spread out over four countries. A complete family reunion has never and most likely will never take place. But on this day, we had an impromptu mini gathering. An aunt and uncle, five cousins and their spouses, and nine of our children. We were a loud force to be reckoned with as we toured the spectacular gardens and grounds that include traditional farm and work houses and a school house all designed to show what life was like on the grand grounds of an important manor house built in 1843.
Muckross House in in the heart of the Killarney National Park–Ireland’s oldest national park and part of the celebrated Ring of Kerry.
Kenmare
A quick trip in September 2016 right after we moved back from Italy. I had never been here before and thanks to my cousin’s daughter holding her wedding here, I got to see what all the fuss is about. The village is lovely and full of nice galleries. But Lady’s View definitely takes first prize, even on an overcast day.
Whimspherical 