| Can you find Ireland on the map of the world? If you | | | | hotel. It was positively the very best smoked salmon |
| can, congratulations because you know your | | | | I have ever had! |
| geography. | | | | Our final night we stayed in a small village called |
| My name is Linda Shute from New jersey and I'd like | | | | Waterville during the day we again raced on the |
| to tell you about my trip to Ireland and "The Ring of | | | | beaches and took in more wonderful sights. |
| Kerry". | | | | That night we went to a local pub, danced and had a |
| The "Ring of Kerry" is not a ring you can wear on | | | | wonderful dinner and exchanged addresses and |
| your finger, it's located in the South West of Ireland. | | | | phone numbers from new found friends. It was the |
| County Kerry has beautiful lakes and mountains, | | | | most fabulous vacation! |
| magnificent waterfalls and their coast line is studded | | | | The next day I was off to the rental car agency to |
| with inlets that can take your breath away with their | | | | continue on my trip around Ireland via the Bed and |
| beauty. | | | | Breakfast routes. |
| The ring is the path I took as I traveled 130 miles in | | | | My first stop was a place called Bunratty Castle and |
| 6 days by horseback through this majestic land. | | | | Folk Park. This is a very old castle built around 1450 |
| I have always hungered to travel to far away places | | | | by Sioda MacConmara. It was restored and furnished |
| and meet the folks who live there. | | | | by the late Lord Gort during the 1960s. |
| Being an avid horse enthusiast, and riding since | | | | This was the first old castle I had ever been in, what |
| childhood, I like to combine these two pleasures | | | | a thrill! I was so happy I could afford such a |
| whenever I can. | | | | wonderful trip thanks to my secret cash machine. |
| As I was flipping through the pages of a travel | | | | As I left the castle and I walked about the Folk Park |
| catalog from Equitours, they offer worldwide riding | | | | and saw refurbished Thatched Roofs, Blacksmith |
| holidays, I found a trip to Ireland I just couldn't pass | | | | shops and homes which were shared by both animal |
| up. | | | | and human during the winter months for combined |
| Picked up the phone and booked the horseback trip, | | | | heat. |
| then I got a bright idea extend the trip to include a | | | | By animals I don't mean dogs and cats. I'm talking |
| week of traveling via rental car and stay at | | | | about large animals like horses, cattle, sheep and such |
| Bed-and-Breakfast homes. This will ensure I would | | | | all living under one roof. |
| get off the beaten path to meet the local people. | | | | The only thing which divided the animal side from the |
| Off to the travel agent I went with checkbook in | | | | human side was a small amount of dirt floor space. It |
| hand. I paid for the airline tickets and booked the | | | | made me glad to think we don't have to live like this |
| rental car and picked up the Bed-and-Breakfast | | | | any longer. |
| information. | | | | I love my horses and dogs but I don't really want to |
| I arrived at Shannon Airport filled with excitement. I | | | | share sleeping quarters with them all winter long just |
| found my driver and was taken to the riding stables. | | | | for the benefit of heat. |
| I met the other people who would be sharing this trip | | | | My next stop was Blarney Castle. I was amazed at |
| with me. | | | | the very narrow circular stairways in this castle of |
| There were elderly women from England, a young | | | | rock. I have herd many saying about kissing the |
| woman from Italy, three others from the United | | | | Blarney Stone and I wanted to actually see what all |
| States. Our guide, Les Little, was an ex-jockey born | | | | of this was about so up to the top of the castle I |
| and raised in Ireland. Since we arrived in the morning | | | | climbed. |
| at various times the first day was a short ride so we | | | | While climbing the stairs low and behold don't I meet |
| could get better aquatinted with each other and our | | | | and guy from northern New Jersey, my home state. |
| assigned mounts. | | | | We recognized each others accent and struck up a |
| My horse for the week was a spirited bay mare | | | | conversation. It's such a small world in some ways |
| named Melody. | | | | both of us were on vacation. |
| I learned that Melody was an Irish Thoroughbred and | | | | Once at the top there was no way in this world I |
| she use to race over timber. In other words she was | | | | was going to kiss that blarney stone for anyone! You |
| a Steeplechase race horse. | | | | have to lie down, hang over the edge of the castle |
| These are the ones that jump over fences which | | | | wall, and kiss the underside on a particular stone. It's |
| may be either bushes or wood fences and | | | | a good idea if you have someone hold your feet and |
| sometimes water. I was ecstatic about this we were | | | | legs so you don't fall off the edge of the wall. Not |
| well suited for each other. | | | | for me no way! |
| I quickly lost all fear of being stuck with some slow | | | | My favorite Castle was Kilkenny Castle still in use |
| hack horse I would hate for the duration of the trek. | | | | today and part of it has been turned into a museum |
| Early the next morning after a hearty breakfast we | | | | for tourist. My next stop was The Irish National Stud |
| were handed our brown bag lunches and set off to | | | | Farm and Museum. A fact I found very interesting |
| mount up. | | | | here was that each of the stallions stalls or boxes as |
| We rode around the Lakes of Killarney and past Ross | | | | they called them had its own distinctive lantern type |
| Castle. | | | | roof complete with skylights. |
| We climbed the Devils Elbow and wound our way | | | | The original owner believed that stars dictated not |
| into the mountains. One of the advantages of | | | | only our own destiny, but also the destiny of horses. |
| traveling by horseback is that we can leave the | | | | And it was considered very important that the moon |
| roads to cut through the fields and forest. | | | | and stars should exercise their maximum influence on |
| You get to see very beautiful places you can't get to | | | | their subjects thus skylights for each stallion were |
| in a car. We visited such places as Glenbeigh, Glencar, | | | | incorporated into the roofs of all stabling he built. |
| Waterville, and Hogshead. We galloped on the beach | | | | One item I did not expect to see in The Irish Nation |
| at Rossbeigh where Melody and I won the races | | | | Stud Farm was a Japanese Garden. So I took my |
| with such ease. | | | | first tour of a meticulously well kept garden with all it |
| We rode around part of Caragh Lake which offers | | | | hedges and finery trimmed into different forms, each |
| huge salmon to those who like to fish. We stayed at | | | | with its own story of life. At the end of the garden I |
| the Glencar Hotel which caters to the sport | | | | came to the Horse Museum where I found the |
| enthusiast. Fishermen come here from around the | | | | skeleton of Arkle. |
| world because it's so close to Caragh Lake and they | | | | He was a famous race horse who fractured his pedal |
| will smoke your salmon for you so you can have it | | | | bone in the hoof during his last race in 1966. |
| shipped home. | | | | At last much to my dismay, my vacation has come |
| The smoked salmon we ate at the Glencar Hotel | | | | to an end and I must return to New Jersey. |
| was fresh from Caragh Lake and smoked at the | | | | |