Killarney

August 12

Our early morning wake up was well worth the effort. Our journey today was to Killarney National Park where we traveled by small boats out to Innisfallen Island. We arrived at the park prior to its opening which was pre-arranged for our tour group. Having the island to ourselves made the experience extraordinary. Prior to heading out to the island we had time for photos in front of Ross Castle which was built in the late 15th century by local ruling clan the O'Donoghues.

We boarded the small boats just behind the castle for the short ride to Innisfallen Island.

The island was once home to a monastery dating back to 640 AD and was founded by St Finian the Leper. The island was a place of solitude for the monks to reflect and pray. We walked though the ruins of the monastery but the grounds felt like something out of an ancient myth. We had about an hour on the island with no other guests on the island. As our guide Gabby said, it was magical.

Our second stop was Muckross Farms, an outdoor museum/farm that provides guests with a view into life in rural Ireland in the late 19th century. We had a brief Irish language lesson in the school house followed by a butter making demonstration with help from guests. Charlie was the first to volunteer.

Two musicians entertained everyone with traditional music played on traditional instruments, and we then had an Irish dancing demonstration followed by a guest lesson. There were a lot of laughs as the participants attempted to follow the steps.