No visit to County Kerry would have been complete without a trip to Ross Castle. Had we had more time we might’ve taken a boat tour of the waterways around the castle, but instead we walked the grounds. There’s nothing like a castle to stir one’s imagination. I almost expected a dragon to come roaring across the water to find a perch on the stone crenellations.
The Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland, provided epic scenery around every turn in the road. And there were MANY turns in the road.
Let’s call this one, “Let Sleeping Giants Lie.” Do you see him?
Another photo from our trip to southwest Ireland. I guess I should call this one, “I’m Sorry if You’re Tired of Seeing Photos of Ireland, but Bite Me.”
The Gaelic Muse
This lovely statue in Killarney pays tribute to the poets of County Kerry. I discovered it just a block from the Malton Hotel and asked the muse for a bit of inspiration. I’m a patient lass, but any time now would be good.
Wouldn’t you love to know why Pierce Ferriter was hanged? Well, I looked him up on Google:
“Piaras Feiritear, better known via the Anglicized name Pierce Ferriter, was an Irish poet who also served as an officer during the War of the Irish Confederacy, 1641 – 1652. Piaras may have been born about the year 1600, the son of Eamon Feiritear, (Edmond Ferriter)a landowner whose lands on the far western part of the Dingle Peninsula had been the Ferriter family’s homestead for about 350 years when Pierce was born.
Much of what is known or surmised regarding Pierce Ferriter the man extends from his surviving poetry. His use of the Irish language, themes, and imagery indicates that he was a man of education, and probably well taught in both English and Irish. By account he was a harpist as well as a poet. The surviving body of work represents some of the finest Irish language poetry of his era.
Less is known of his personal life. Evidence exists that he was married and from this marriage, there is known to have been children: two sons and a daughter, Dominick, Richard, and Helen. We also know that Piaras was friendly with both the nearby family of the Knight of Kerry, who were Geraldines, and the more distant FitzMaurice family – also a Geraldine line. From the Lord of Kerry (FitzMaurice) he was favored with a commission to raise an armed company from his lands and neighborhood on the Dingle Peninsula. Pierce’s arming and leading of the local citizens was to be in support of the English Crown however, rather than going to war with the Kerry Catholics, he aligned himself with the anti-English forces, and brought his men to join in the siege of Tralee in 1641.
During the siege of Tralee Peirce was wounded, and his active involvement in the fighting after the fall of Tralee is uncertain. With the fall of Ross Castle in 1652, the war in Kerry was lost, and other defeats brought the war to an end in the rest of Ireland as well. Pierce Ferriter’s sons Dominick and Richard left Ireland as “Wild Geese” under agreements made by Lord Muskerry. Pierce remained at large for almost a year, and many of the folk tales and legends surrounding his abilities as a warrior emerge from this interval. At last, in 1653, Pierce Ferriter was brought in to Ross Castle under an assurance of safety.
After an unsuccessful parley was Pierce began his journey from Killarney homeward. Somewhere near Castledrum, he was apprehended by men dispatched by the erstwhile negotiator, Colonel Nelson, and brought back as prisoner. Pursuant to a trial of which no record remains, Piaras Ferriter was hanged, presumably for having been a rebel.”
I tried to find a sample of his poetry, but came up empty handed. I’ll keep looking.
Peace, people!
Almost every item for purchase at the Lahinch Golf Club pro shop featured this guy. Let’s call this photo, “Go-Go Goat!”
My first lesson in the Irish language took place in a ladies’ room in Ireland. The word Mná, is pronounced Muh-nā. I’m calling this one, “Gaelic for Dummies!”
I took so many photos, but some of these are my favorites from the trip to Ireland.
From the Cliffs of Moher:
From the grounds at Doonbeg:
At Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney:
Random stuff:
At our first hotel in Ireland I couldn’t locate the blow dryer. I looked high and low and finally called the front desk. The young lady who answered the phone advised me to look in the center drawer of the writing desk beside our closet.
Sure enough, there was the blow dryer, its base firmly attached to the inside of the drawer. I’d forgotten that in the U.K., none of the electrical outlets in hotel bathrooms will accommodate any appliance other than an electric shaver. I guess I could’ve shaved my head and then I’d have had no need for a dryer.
Let’s call this one, “Thar She Blows!”
Question for my friends in the U.K.: Can you blow dry your hair in the bathroom?
I was traveling southwest Ireland with folks who know their flowers. Unfortunately I was unable to absorb any of their knowledge via osmosis. I only know that flowers grew everywhere in such beautiful colors, rich textures, and romantic aromas that my senses were in overdrive.
Before we dropped the golfers off at Lahinch on Thursday our entire group took a trip to the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. The gray day leant an air of melancholy to the visit and the winds blew cold and fierce. More than once I thought my phone would be blown from my hands as I snapped photos.
Our bus driver, Paul, said the Cliffs of Moher had seen more than its share of jumpers through the years. Often the only clue that a suicide occurred was an unclaimed car in the parking area at day’s end. On a brighter note, the Cliffs are also a favorite place for marriage proposals. I just watched for dragons.
Peace, people.
Praying for Eyebrowz 
