| Can you find Ireland on the map of the world? | | | | was fresh from Caragh Lake and smoked at the |
| If you can, congratulations because you know | | | | hotel. It was positively the very best smoked |
| your geography. | | | | salmon I have ever had! |
| | | | |
| My name is Linda Shute from New jersey and | | | | Our final night we stayed in a small village |
| I'd like to tell you about my trip to Ireland | | | | called Waterville during the day we again |
| and "The Ring of Kerry". | | | | raced on the beaches and took in more |
| | | | wonderful sights. |
| The "Ring of Kerry" is not a ring you can | | | | |
| wear on your finger, it's located in the | | | | That night we went to a local pub, danced and |
| South West of Ireland. | | | | had a wonderful dinner and exchanged |
| | | | addresses and phone numbers from new found |
| County Kerry has beautiful lakes and | | | | friends. It was the most fabulous vacation! |
| mountains, magnificent waterfalls and their | | | | |
| coast line is studded with inlets that can | | | | The next day I was off to the rental car |
| take your breath away with their beauty. | | | | agency to continue on my trip around Ireland |
| | | | via the Bed and Breakfast routes. |
| The ring is the path I took as I traveled 130 | | | | |
| miles in 6 days by horseback through this | | | | My first stop was a place called Bunratty |
| majestic land. | | | | Castle and Folk Park. This is a very old |
| | | | castle built around 1450 by Sioda MacConmara. |
| I have always hungered to travel to far away | | | | It was restored and furnished by the late |
| places and meet the folks who live there. | | | | Lord Gort during the 1960s. |
| | | | |
| Being an avid horse enthusiast, and riding | | | | This was the first old castle I had ever been |
| since childhood, I like to combine these two | | | | in, what a thrill! I was so happy I could |
| pleasures whenever I can. | | | | afford such a wonderful trip thanks to my |
| | | | secret cash machine. |
| As I was flipping through the pages of a | | | | |
| travel catalog from Equitours, they offer | | | | As I left the castle and I walked about the |
| worldwide riding holidays, I found a trip to | | | | Folk Park and saw refurbished Thatched Roofs, |
| Ireland I just couldn't pass up. | | | | Blacksmith shops and homes which were shared |
| | | | by both animal and human during the winter |
| Picked up the phone and booked the horseback | | | | months for combined heat. |
| trip, then I got a bright idea extend the | | | | |
| trip to include a week of traveling via | | | | By animals I don't mean dogs and cats. I'm |
| rental car and stay at Bed-and-Breakfast | | | | talking about large animals like horses, |
| homes. This will ensure I would get off the | | | | cattle, sheep and such all living under one |
| beaten path to meet the local people. | | | | roof. |
| | | | |
| Off to the travel agent I went with checkbook | | | | The only thing which divided the animal side |
| in hand. I paid for the airline tickets and | | | | from the human side was a small amount of |
| booked the rental car and picked up the | | | | dirt floor space. It made me glad to think we |
| Bed-and-Breakfast information. | | | | don't have to live like this any longer. |
| | | | |
| I arrived at Shannon Airport filled with | | | | I love my horses and dogs but I don't really |
| excitement. I found my driver and was taken | | | | want to share sleeping quarters with them all |
| to the riding stables. I met the other people | | | | winter long just for the benefit of heat. |
| who would be sharing this trip with me. | | | | |
| | | | My next stop was Blarney Castle. I was amazed |
| There were elderly women from England, a | | | | at the very narrow circular stairways in this |
| young woman from Italy, three others from the | | | | castle of rock. I have herd many saying about |
| United States. Our guide, Les Little, was an | | | | kissing the Blarney Stone and I wanted to |
| ex-jockey born and raised in Ireland. Since | | | | actually see what all of this was about so up |
| we arrived in the morning at various times | | | | to the top of the castle I climbed. |
| the first day was a short ride so we could | | | | |
| get better aquatinted with each other and our | | | | While climbing the stairs low and behold |
| assigned mounts. | | | | don't I meet and guy from northern New |
| | | | Jersey, my home state. We recognized each |
| My horse for the week was a spirited bay mare | | | | others accent and struck up a conversation. |
| named Melody. | | | | It's such a small world in some ways both of |
| | | | us were on vacation. |
| I learned that Melody was an Irish | | | | |
| Thoroughbred and she use to race over timber. | | | | Once at the top there was no way in this |
| In other words she was a Steeplechase race | | | | world I was going to kiss that blarney stone |
| horse. | | | | for anyone! You have to lie down, hang over |
| | | | the edge of the castle wall, and kiss the |
| These are the ones that jump over fences | | | | underside on a particular stone. It's a good |
| which may be either bushes or wood fences and | | | | idea if you have someone hold your feet and |
| sometimes water. I was ecstatic about this we | | | | legs so you don't fall off the edge of the |
| were well suited for each other. | | | | wall. Not for me no way! |
| | | | |
| I quickly lost all fear of being stuck with | | | | My favorite Castle was Kilkenny Castle still |
| some slow hack horse I would hate for the | | | | in use today and part of it has been turned |
| duration of the trek. | | | | into a museum for tourist. My next stop was |
| | | | The Irish National Stud Farm and Museum. A |
| Early the next morning after a hearty | | | | fact I found very interesting here was that |
| breakfast we were handed our brown bag | | | | each of the stallions stalls or boxes as they |
| lunches and set off to mount up. | | | | called them had its own distinctive lantern |
| | | | type roof complete with skylights. |
| We rode around the Lakes of Killarney and | | | | |
| past Ross Castle. | | | | The original owner believed that stars |
| | | | dictated not only our own destiny, but also |
| We climbed the Devils Elbow and wound our way | | | | the destiny of horses. And it was considered |
| into the mountains. One of the advantages of | | | | very important that the moon and stars should |
| traveling by horseback is that we can leave | | | | exercise their maximum influence on their |
| the roads to cut through the fields and | | | | subjects thus skylights for each stallion |
| forest. | | | | were incorporated into the roofs of all |
| | | | stabling he built. |
| You get to see very beautiful places you | | | | |
| can't get to in a car. We visited such places | | | | One item I did not expect to see in The Irish |
| as Glenbeigh, Glencar, Waterville, and | | | | Nation Stud Farm was a Japanese Garden. So I |
| Hogshead. We galloped on the beach at | | | | took my first tour of a meticulously well |
| Rossbeigh where Melody and I won the races | | | | kept garden with all it hedges and finery |
| with such ease. | | | | trimmed into different forms, each with its |
| | | | own story of life. At the end of the garden I |
| We rode around part of Caragh Lake which | | | | came to the Horse Museum where I found the |
| offers huge salmon to those who like to fish. | | | | skeleton of Arkle. |
| We stayed at the Glencar Hotel which caters | | | | |
| to the sport enthusiast. Fishermen come here | | | | He was a famous race horse who fractured his |
| from around the world because it's so close | | | | pedal bone in the hoof during his last race |
| to Caragh Lake and they will smoke your | | | | in 1966. |
| salmon for you so you can have it shipped | | | | |
| home. | | | | At last much to my dismay, my vacation has |
| | | | come to an end and I must return to New |
| The smoked salmon we ate at the Glencar Hotel | | | | Jersey. |