May 12-18 Ireland Vacation Post 2 of 3

I hope you enjoy viewing these 28 photos from May 12-18, 2018 during  our vacation in Ireland. Optionally click on a photo for a larger view and slide show.

This is the second of three posts of this vacation. The title of the first post is May 9-11, 2018 Ireland Vacation.

During these 7 days of our tour in Ireland, we stayed in the Silver Birch House just outside of the town of Glengariff while exploring Counties Cork and Kerry.

The Grange Stone Circle was among the first sites visited by

the tour. This impressive circle of 113 stones has a diameter of 

149 feet. It is the largest stone circle in all of Ireland.

Our group made a circle of people within the circle.

Our lodging for 7 nights was the 5-star, luxury Silver Birch
House just outside of the town of Glengariff.

Ted Cook, our guide for the walk in St.
Gobnait's Wood is one of the best
interpreters / naturalists that I have ever
encountered. This ancient forest is among
the few undisturbed oak tree communities
in Ireland.

Copper Birch tree

Irish Spurge

Statue of St. Gobnait, patron saint for bees.

This is St. Gobnait's holy well, a pilgrimage location

Fred is a man of many talents: Bus driver,

historian, ecologist, story teller, jokester,

and flute player.

Although Dan makes some pretty good
cider, I much prefer beer.

View from a meditation room in the Dzogchen Beara Buddhist

Center on the beautiful Baera Peninsula.

According to legend, this rock (The Hag of Beara) is the 

embodiment of one of  the oldest and most powerful beings 

of Ireland. This goddess had the ability to control the weather 

and the seasons. She is still waiting on this hillside for her 

husband to return from the sea.

The oldest stone cross in Ireland is but
a short walk up the road from the Hag.

We visited the small Ardgroom Stone Circle, located in an
open field (sheep pasture).

Sheep browsing on a steep mountainside in Healy Pass.

Muckross Mansion in the Killarney National Park

Trudy and an aquaintance - Dunloe Lodge Pub in Kenmare 

Shoreline in front of the Silver Birch.

This Uragh Stone Circle has The Most Scenic Location, in

a wide valley with a lake, surrounded by mountains.

Nile Hogan, a retired life guard, was our guide at the
Derrynane Historic Park and Beach.

Sea Pink (aka Sea Thrift) growing on the margins of the beach

Derrynane Abbey Ruins

Barnacles and Limpets

Mussels

Our next step was a 5-star resort, where many within the group

availed themselves of the spa.

A forest creature that we encountered along

one of the resort's trails.

Posing for a photo at Parknasilla Resort.

Continue to a third post of our Ireland vacation.