We take a drive passed Ireland’s highest mountain range and highest peak, Corrán Tuathail –
part of an ancient glacial landscape. The Ring crosses Killarney National Park – with heart-stopping
views of lakes and peaks, waterfalls, ancient woods of oak and yew,
and Ireland’s only herd of wild native red deer. Rare white-tailed sea
eagles drift overhead. To the west, seals ‘pup’ in sheltered Kenmare Bay.
And on the shores of Valentia Island are the Tetrapod tracks - the earliest
fossil footprints in the world.
Further west still, out to sea, is an extraordinary, far-flung place of
pilgrimage: Skellig Michael – one of the wonders of the world. 1300
years ago, early Christian monks built a remarkable hermitage at the
top of this jagged ocean crag – then at the furthest limits of the known
world. This mysterious and awe-inspiring place – described by George
Bernard Shaw as “part of our dream world” – is now a UNESCO World
Heritage site.
