Killarney: Roadside Livestock, Sheep Herding, and Moll's Gap

The following morning we had one last traditional Irish breakfast at our B&B on Valentia Island before we continued our tour of the Ring of Kerry. Our endpoint was Killarney, roughly 90 minutes away, although, we had a few extracurriculars planned for the afternoon. Having grown accustomed to driving on the matchbox-sized roads, I was still acclimating to the frequent encounters with livestock instead of automobiles. It appears as though farmers have a nonchalant method for sheep containment - who are often found alongside or in the road. Each even-toed ungulate is streaked with a color (or colors) of paint to distinguish ruminant proprietary; a nugget of information gleaned at our first stop of the day, a sheep farm.

Widest road we've seen in a long time

Random pull over

Traffic impasse

Roadside sheep

Our sightseeing tour started in Kennmare, location of the Kissane Sheep Farm; a thousand acre plot of land with somewhere between 1500-2000 sheep and lambs. We were fortunate to have arrived in time for the first sheepdog herding demonstration. When we got to the fields we joined a busload septuagenarians all buzzing about the pervasive presence of insects. The dogs could be heard barking in the distance, a faint warning for the unknowing grazers strewn throughout the surrounding acreage. Shortly thereafter, we met Kasey, Jane, Captain, and Max; four border collies that would collectively heard fifty (or so) sheep. John, one of the farm owners, briefly explained the commands and talked about how the dogs are trained. Within minutes, the sheep were gathered in a compact flock flanked by the four meticulous workdogs. Their remarkable instinct and athleticism were quite impressive, traversing the expansive and treacherous terrain with ease. The dogs absolutely love the task, although, the sheep's sentiments are quite the opposite - instinctively fearing for their lives. Our visit ended with a sheep sheering and a final loop around the farmhouse where we stumbled upon another herding demonstration. We enjoyed the private affair without the echos of septuagenarians commenting on the mist-like clouds of insects.

Sheepdog demonstration

Success

That's all from one sheep

We left the farm, took a slight detour opposite our intended direction, and headed to a lookout point only minutes away from Kennmare. The panoramic view overlooked Moll's Gap and foreshadowed our next activity, head through the pass on our way to Killarney. Much to my dismay, while driving I noticed a signification amount of discomfort in my facial region, an irritation synonymous with bug bites. During a routine roadside photo opportunity, further inspection revealed about 20 or so bites on my face and neck alone (those damn tiny bastards ate me alive!!!). Luckily the histamine tingle was ephemeral and we continued towards one of the most scenic passageways encountered in our travels. The road through Moll's Gap is fifteen and a half kilometers long and we completed our tour in a little over an hour; stopping several times along the way to take pictures of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks mountains and the surrounding landscape.

View towards Moll's Gap from Kennmare lookout point

Stranger taking our picture

En route to Moll's Gap

Once we made it to the other side of Moll's Gap we entered Killarney. Our hotel wasn't located downtown, rather, it was a few kilometers outside city limits backing to a lake. Before checking-in, we ate lunch and leisurely strolled the pedestrian area. By the time we finished eating and sightseeing it was late in the afternoon, the perfect time to relax for the remainder of the evening on our balcony admiring the tranquil water of Lough Lein (Leane). This was one of the rare occasions we spent more than usual on an accommodation, however, with a room overlooking the lake and McCarthy Mór castle ruins, the value equaled the experience.