We could not have visited Ireland without spending some time on the Wild Atlantic Way and along the Ring of ​Kerry. There's so much history and so many sights there, we would have felt unfulfilled if we'd left it out! We chose as our base a very nice house on Valentia Island. The island has a permanent population of 665, and has a pleasant, unhurried small town vibe to it. The coastline here is profoundly beautiful, with sweeping cliffs and stunning beaches, and of course the wild Atlantic crashing continuously along its length. This area is the home of the Skellig islands -- Little Skellig and Skellig Michael. We could see them from the hills not far from our house. We did a lot of roaming in the too-short month we were there; the best part was that our daughter Rhiannon came to join us!

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Wild Atlantic Way  --
​For a quick overview:

As you can imagine, the Atlantic gets very rambunctious, and the Irish coastline is rocky and convoluted. The Valentia Island lighthouse started its life as a fort in the 1500's, but has been in continuous operation since 1841.

The nearby town of Cahersiveen continues the tradition of gorgeous churches the country is known for. Their church is the only one in Ireland named for a layperson, Daniel O'Connell.

This beautiful structure, though, is no longer a church. This former Protestant church was turned into a pizza parlor. (Mighty fine pizza, too!)

We found our way to Cnoc na dTobar (knock na dobar, "hill of the wells"), near Cahersiveen. It's a pilgrimage mountain, and features 13 stations of the cross you encounter as you trudge up its slopes.

On a lovely, sunny day Cindy, Rhiannon and I ventured out to the Skellig Islands, not far off the coast of Valentia. Nowadays, Skellig Michael is known more for its use in Star Wars, but it's been around for centuries as one of the most remote monasteries anywhere!

Little Skellig, the smaller island, is known for its enormous gannet rookery.

Ballycarbery Castle dominates the shoreline of the River Ferta, straight across from Cahersiveen. Right up the hill from Ballycarbery . . .

. . . is Cahergall Stone Fort, a defended farmstead from the 7th century.

We drove to Killarny along the spectacular Atlantic coast and spend a day kayaking Lough Leane, including a stop on the island of Inisfallen to explore a ruined monastery, and spending some time poking around Castle Ross here.

We couldn't depart without spending a morning horseback-riding on Rossbeigh beach. Perfect way to cap our trip!

Gallery - For the whole story

"Failte Dairbhre" (falcha thairvra) means "Welcome to the Oak Wood", one of the Island's original Irish names.

"Valentia" itself is probably not Spanish in origin. It derives from "Bhaile Inse" (vala eensha), meaning "mouth of the island" in Irish.

Knightstown's lovely church has a relaxing and contemplative pathway around the grounds . . .

. . . leading to whimsical sculpture . . .

. . . and pretty landscaping, including some very arresting trees.

As you can imagine, the Atlantic gets very rambunctious, and the Irish coastline is rocky and convoluted. The lighthouse started its life as a fort in the 1500's, but has been in continuous operation since 1841.

The shores of the island are rugged, but with startling splashes of beauty. The land here has been around for millennia . . .

. . . as demonstrated by these footprints from a tetrapod, an early animal from about 385 million years ago.

The nearby town of Cahersiveen continues the tradition of gorgeous churches the country is known for . . .

. . . although we discovered this beautiful church . . .

. . . was in fact a pizza restaurant! Extremely good pizza, by the way.

On a lovely, sunny day Cindy, Rhiannon and I ventured out to the Skellig Islands, not far off the coast of Valentia. Nowadays, Skellig Michael is known more for its use in Star Wars, but it's been around for centuries as one of the most remote monasteries anywhere!

Little Skellig, the smaller island, is known for its enormous gannet rookery.

The Skelligs are visible from this ancient lookout tower perched on one of Valentia's higher hills.

We and Rhiannon explored the countryside, happening upon lovely old castles like Ballycarbery here . . .

. . . and Cahergall, which is actually a 7th century fortified farmstead.

We found more kinds of sheep than we knew even existed.

The town of Dingle is a pretty little village nestled in the green fields of the Dingle Peninsula.

We strolled the streets with Rhiannon, eventually finding our way to the enchanting St. Mary's Church. The grounds were so pretty.

The maze at St. Mary's is an excellent way to meditate as you enjoy the serenity.

We went to Glanleam House on Valentia Island. It boasts the mildest micro-climate in Ireland, and contains sub-tropical plants.

The gardens here were created originally by the Green Knight, one of Ireland's hereditary knights.

Plants here come from Australia, South America, New Zealand, Chile, and Japan.

The trees and plants here are amazing.

There's even a fairy settlement hidden away back in the trees . . .

We drove to Killarny along the spectacular Atlantic coast and spend a day kayaking Lough Leane, including a stop on the island of Inisfallen to explore a ruined monastery . . .

. . . and spending some time poking around Castle Ross.

We found our way to Cnoc na dTobar (knock na dobar, "hill of the wells"), near Cahersiveen. It's a pilgrimage mountain, and features 13 stations of the cross you encounter as you trudge up its slopes.

The climb is totally worth it, though. The view from the summit is awe-inspiring!

We couldn't depart without spending a morning horseback-riding on Rossbeigh beach. Perfect way to cap our trip!