Upon arriving in Killarney town, we got off of the train into what was one of Ireland's award-winning train stations. Although it did not look like much, it has won awards for the best-looking train station in Ireland. It features some decorative station lights and speed signs under the covered area of the terminus. The features of the train station are mostly historic, refurbished original buildings. It does have a quaint charm to it.
Our hostel was a short walk from the train station to New Street. We had elected to stay at Neptune's hostel, located in the middle of New Street. As we walked up to the hostel doors, we were greeted by a two-storey tall mural of Neptune, god of the ocean, wielding his trident over the waves. On the wall opposite was a similarly tall map of Killarney and the nearby National Forest. I was beginning to like this place already. We entered reception and checked in. I have been using HostelBookers.com to book hostels for trips, and I highly recommend it. They do not charge a booking fee, unlike some other sites, and the only requirement for a reservation is 10% of the total charge. You can cancel your reservation up to 48 hours in advance, but you do lose the 10% you already paid. It still manages to be a nice value. The clerk at the reception desk said that although our room was ready, a pipe had burst in it last night and he wouldn't feel right putting us there. To make it up to us, he offered us a place in the "guest house", something I had never heard of in a hostel before. The guest house proved to be amazing, with two bedrooms, and a bathroom with shower. It even had chairs, a desk, and a wardrobe. I was bummed we were only there for a night!
After admiring our fantastic upgrade and availing of the free WiFi in the lobby (WiFi hunting has become an addiction of sorts) we made out to figure out what we wanted to do with the day. After some confusing directions, we finally found the Tourism Centre, and picked up some maps and other information from there. Most Irish cities have a Tourism Centre, as part of the Discover Ireland movement, which promotes tourism throughout the country. These Centres are paired with websites which contain similar information. They are not as cheesy as they could be and they do a decent job of conveying regional information that you may not have come across in your internet searches. If you can get a hand on their regional handbooks (they have titles like "East", "Southeast", and "Lakelands") you're in good shape. These handbooks come with maps, lists of attractions, and, perhaps most useful, a written guide to the extensive and frequent Irish festivals. Cork has festivals every weekend, which can provide entertainment for the whole year, but other cities are having other festivals most weekends as well. There is always something to do.
Armed with more information and some maps, we returned to New Street to get a bite to eat. We stopped at Revive Cafe and Wine Bar but soon after sitting down, I noticed the lights dimming. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I heard music playing from the streets. Meng nudged me indicating the street behind us; a funeral procession was marching past. Killarney has the feel of a small town; everyone seems to know each other. The restaurant owner eventually powered the lights back on, letting the somber mood pass. While sipping at coffees, we elected to explore Killarney National Park, one of the most beautiful in the country. It is also home to the tallest peak in Ireland, Carrauntoohil, standing at 1,038 metres high. We walked up New Street, passing St. Mary's Cathedral. The Cathedral was built in 1855 in the Gothic Revival style. It towers over the landscape, while remaining inviting in some aspect. We briefly explored the interior, which was renovated in 1973. We soon departed to walk to the entrance to the National Park.
We entered the park near the Knockreer Estate, coming quickly upon Deenagh Lodge, a thatched roof cottage built in 1834. It functions now as a tearoom, although it was closed when we arrived. From the lodge, we walked along the "River Walk", a road running parallel to the River Deenagh as it travels towards the Loch Léin. Along the river walk, we saw deer, birds, and moose. The occasional Jaunting Car, a traditional type of horse-drawn carriage in Killarney, came by on the trail, which was wet and muddy. We quickly wished we had tried to hire one of these cars, as the weather kept taking turns for the worse. But, we kept at it, and our patience was rewarded. As we rounded the corner from the river delta to walk along the banks of the Loch Léin, spectacular views of snow-covered mountains presented themselves across the water. We continued the walk towards Ross Castle, a Middle Age stronghold probably belonging to one of the O'Donoghue Ross chieftains. We made it within eyesight of the castle, but then the weather really got nasty. The wind blew so hard that Meng's umbrella nearly turned inside out and the rain came down in sheets. We headed back, towards the wooded area, seeking some shelter from the elements. What had once been clear skies affording us breathtaking views of the mountainous peaks were now shrouded with rain and fog. We made it back to the river and continued up the river towards the town.
Determined to make use of our day, before exiting the park, we turned towards the Killarney house, and began the walk towards it. As we were trekking down the path, the weather cleared up, and allowed for pictures of impossibly green fields with snow-capped mountains looming over a line of swaying trees losing their leaves of colour. We got to the main road leading towards the house, a 200 metre avenue lined with trees on either side of the road planted in intervals and trimmed such that their branches arch over the road and meet in the middle. The house looked rather unimpressive from this distance and we had been walking for about six hours, so we decided to head back. Killarney National Park is beautiful, and quite extensive, but it is somewhat difficult and tiring to traverse when wet and muddy. There are some lengthy trails along waterfalls and lakes, with the mountains ever watching, but it really is a weather-permitting type of trail.
We returned to New Street, and on the way back to our hostel, we stopped at a cafe that had opened recently. The cafe was called Cathleen's Country Kitchen, and did not look like much from the street. When you enter, there is no seating, only a pastry cabinet and a menu from which you order. After placing your order, they invite you through a small doorway which leads into the previously hidden dining room. The cafe was quite nice with reasonable pricing. They had a table from which you could serve yourself water and even bring a carafe to your table.
After a long day of walking, we returned to the guest house in the hostel for a welcome nap. We got dinner at Murphy's, a pub on College Street, which had a weekly dart competition, traditional food, and trad music. I tried Crean's Lager, a brew from Dingle, a town near Killarney. Ireland has a head-spinning number of craft brews. There are the very well-known beers, like the stouts and ales, but then there is an extensive network of craft breweries that produce their own stouts, red ales, blondes, and anything in between. Popular names like Trouble Brewing, Eight Degrees, Dungarvan, and O'Hara's line the shelves of off-licences everywhere. Yet rarer still are the truly regional brews, like Crean's, and, back in Cork, the microbrews of the Franciscan Well. It can be great craic to sample the regional beer during your stay in various counties. It may even initiate a friendly conversation or two with locals who are proud to see someone willing to try something new. You wouldn't want to be the guy who walks into a Cork pub and orders a Guinness when everyone in the room is nursing a pint of Murphy's. Because Murphy's the pub served traditional food to go with their music, I ordered cottage pie. Meng got a literal pot full of mussels, the weekly special, cooked in a white wine sauce. She gladly finished the whole pot. My cottage pie was quite tasty and filling.
Despite being quite exhausted from all the walking, we still managed to make a memorable day out of it.
