Ireland Part 6: Lakes, Caves, and Birds of Prey
The last day of a trip is always bittersweet. I had a terrible migraine that day. The kind that makes your eye twitch, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from soaking up as much adventure as I could on our last day there. We began with a tour around the Lakes of Killarney via the Waterbus. The voyage started at the Ross Castle and lasted for about an hour nonstop. We received lovely commentary from our guide about the history and folklore surrounding the area.
The Mountain range surrounding the lakes is called Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, which contains the highest peak in Ireland called Carrauntoohil, sitting at about 3,406 feet high. There are several small forested islands on Lough Leane, the largest of the three lakes, including Innisfallen Island. Innisfallen is home to the ruins of a monastery founded in the 6th-7th century by St. Finian the Leper. The Annals of Innisfallen were written here by 39 monks, detailing the history of medieval Ireland. The monks inhabited this island until the 14th century, and now it’s only residents are families of deer. Another of these islands with an interesting history is called Prison Island, or O’Donoghue’s Prison. O’Donoghue, a chieftain who was considered a fierce warlord, would sail his prisoners out to this rock and leave them there with a loaf of bread and “all of the water they needed” to survive or perish.
Muckross Lake is the deepest of the three at 250 feet deep and is reported to be the home of “Muckie” the Monster of Muckross Lake. The legend of Muckie dates all of the way back to the Irish Druids. Upper Lake is the smallest of the lakes and is incredibly picturesque and full of lush vegetation.
Our tour of the lakes was scenic and peaceful. I still have not felt anything in comparison to being out on the open water, surrounded by majestic mountain ranges. It was a great way to relax and really take it all in. Our guide let the younger passengers take turns sitting in his chair and steer the boat.
Just like our time on Innisfallen Island a few days before, time flew by too quickly. I would have loved to spend all day out there taking in all of the legends and scenery. But we had much more in store for the rest of the day. Last year when we visited Ireland, we explored the Doolin Cave in County Claire and fell in love with the experience. We heard of another cave nearby in Castleisland and decided to make that the next adventure on the list for the day.
Crag Cave was a thirty-minute drive from us. We stopped for a quick bite to eat when we arrived in Castleisland before heading over to the cave. When we stepped out of the car, a homeless man approached us and mumbled incoherently about wanting 4 Euro so he could grab a pint. My husband offered him a cigarette instead which he took, but then he went on again about how he really wanted the pint. We couldn’t help but appreciate his honesty and could tell he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He helped us figure out whether or not parking was free here, I’m guessing in return for some change, so we gave him what we had, which only ended up being about 2 Euro. From there we walked across the street to a restaurant called the Country Market. It had a very warm, homey atmosphere. The tables had red checkered tablecloths. It smelled of fresh baked goods. There was a station where you could grab cafe style food or sweets to go, as well as the tables to sit down and order fresh off of the menu. The place was bustling, but not obnoxiously crowded. David ordered a toasted sandwich and I had an incredible fried chicken wrap. The chicken wasn’t frozen like I previously had at another restaurant in Killarney a few days before. It was evident that they bread and fry their chicken fresh. It was hot, juicy, and crunchy. I could easily say it was the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. The side salad and fresh cut french fries were amazing as well. The staff were kind and the prices were unbeatable. We were so pleased with lunch that we took some dessert to go.
We tried something called a queen cake, which seemed essentially like a cupcake without frosting. The outer layer was golden with the perfect amount of crunch, and the inside was warm and fluffy. It was the perfect little treat for after a satisfying lunch. And with happy, warm bellies, we made our way over to the Crag Cave.
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| Eric and Lucy the Barn Owl, 4 months old |
We arrived a few hours before the next cave tour but were just in time to catch the Birds of Prey demonstration provided by Eric with Kingdom Falconry. Eric, from Poland, showed us his beautiful birds and provided interesting facts as well as entertainment.
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| Eric and Harry The Harris Hawk, 6 years old |
He allowed the children to hold the birds and displayed hunting techniques using games with each bird. He would toss a shrimp in the air for the hawk to catch. With his falcon, it was kind of like when you have a toy at the end of a string for a cat, but in the air with an insanely fast bird. In fact, the falcon was so fast that I wasn't able to get a good photo!
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| Harry the Harris Hawk |
We learned that female Harris Hawks are up to 50% bigger and heavier than the males and that they can live up to 30 years. The Eagle Owl is one of the largest owl species with a wingspan of up to 6 and a half feet. Eagle owls in captivity have lived up to 60 years.
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| Fluffy the Eagle Owl, 5-6 years old |
After the Falconry display, we grabbed a hot mocha from the cafe and headed to the cave entrance for our tour.
The Crag cave is believed to be over a million years old. It is formed of limestone and contains formations including stalagmites, and a 6,000-year-old stalactite. The tour guide uses a creative way to engage the audience, especially children, by helping them visualize fun stories and legends out of different formations throughout the cave.
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| 6,000-year-old stalactite |
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| The formation used to portray the legend of Diarmuid and Grainne |
We filled our final day with enriching history and adventure. We finished it off with dinner and some last minute souvenir shopping before heading back to the hotel and packing up, thus closing this chapter of our journey to Ireland. We are extraordinarily blessed to have had this opportunity. Though, I admit I have been fighting severe angst about missing the enchanting country ever since. Who knew you could feel homesick for a place so far away? Even so, I am incredibly grateful and am counting down the days until we return for chapter three.
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