Another cloudy/rainy/foggy Irish day. I got an early start so that I could beat the masses and tour buses on the Ring of Kerry. I wish I could say I loved it. Maybe it was the solitude and beauty I experienced “off the beaten path” the last couple of days. Maybe the weather was to blame. Either way, it wasn’t my favorite day of vacation.

But there were some bright spots to the otherwise dreary day. I spent about an hour and a half exploring Ballycarbery Castle and the two nearby stone forts. The castle dates to the 1500s and stands high in a field overlooking the river Fertha. You can look into the first floor rooms, but the fun (at least for me) was climbing up the narrow stone steps at the back and exploring the rooms above the main floor. The fact that these old ruins are just sitting there and that you can just drive up and start exploring continues to amaze me!

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