Intrepid Friends' Ireland Trip Part 5

"When I was a kid my mom had some records of old Irish songs, many of which I really liked. Pretty, lilting melodies and reflections on life in Ireland. One of them was of an Irish Jaunting Car, which is a little 4 wheeled buggy pulled by a horse, and used before cars came along. I was super pleased to see that they are still here, in Killarney, and so I badgered Hugh until we took a ride. (He is sick, with a cold, so gave in quickly. No energy left to argue with me!)

On Wednesday, September 11th, we headed out of town to visit Muckross house, gardens and traditional farms. It was a full day, and most enjoyable. The house itself is a 19th century Victorian mansion, once visited by Queen Victoria, close to the shores of Muckross Lake, in what is now Killarney National Park.

The park is composed of 10,000 hectares of woods, mountains, lakes, and the country's only wild herd of native red deer left. The mansion itself is very opulent inside, with gorgeous furnishings of carefully carved wooden furniture, many paintings, carpets, china, silverware, crystal, most of it original to the house. We took a tour through all the rooms, including the servants quarters and kitchens.

It reminded me a lot of Downton Abbey, with the bells in the hallway to call the servants, and the long way all the food had to go from kitchen up to the main dining room. What a lot of work it must have been for those servants!

Outside there are beautiful gardens, with dahlias and roses still in full bloom. And also outside was a row of jaunting cars, all ready to take you for a ride along the lake and up to the waterfall and back. Our horse was Vinson  and he was lovely. I love the smell of horses-dust, sweat, a bit of manure, all the lovely smells of a barn. We drove through the woodlands with their 500 year old cedar trees, and masses of huge rhododendrons. The driver told us the rhodo's are actually a scourge- they grow so quickly they strangle out all the other plants and trees, and they cut them down with chainsaws, culling them. They are all just growing wild. I was super amazed at that because I have to spend so much time cajoling, pleading with, fertilizing and praying to mine to just get them to survive! But then we don't have Ireland's climate. or soil. 

After our ride we headed over to the traditional farm. Luckily it was a lovely day, the early morning mist had disappeared and it was now sunny and warm. We had a lovely couple of hours wandering through the different houses and barns.  We spoke with ladies who  were baking bread in cast iron pots over a peat fire. The smell of the burning peat was so sweet. I have read about it in several books and always wondered what it smelled like. There were also piles of dried peat out by the wood piles, and was surprised to find it was hard, sort of like partly burned charcoal wood. I guess I thought it would be more like peat moss.

We definitely got our critter fix for the day. Baby pigs (and their mom of course) goats, sheep, donkeys, cattle, horses, chickens, geese and a peacock, and a border collie puppy all served to make my day perfect. We visited a blacksmiths shop too, and this fellow is actually a real blacksmith and has his own shop in the town of Sneem making railings, gates and things like that.

In one of the houses the folks were setting up the table for a "coach tour" that was coming that evening- 48 people for Irish stew, bread pudding, I can't remember what else. I have to say the food here is awfully good- I have never eaten so many fantastic mashed potatoes. They are a particular kind of potatoes, Rooster, and they are so good.I have to see if I can find them back home.  And the brown bread and soda bread is beyond fantastic. I have already picked up one wee cookbook and will be surprised if I don't come away with more!

We thoroughly enjoyed our back to the Victorian age day. Went back to the B and B, which was a lovely gem by itself, and sat in the sun by the river for a bit, playing with Harvey and reading my book. 

Dinner was lamb chops, and you guessed it, potatoes, in town and they were totally delicious. Tomorrow- we drive the Ring of Kerry."