Walking the Essex way/ County Kerry

Puck fair! One of many tales of Kerry...
The word Puck really means puc an Irish word for a male goat...County Kerry Puck fair is one of the oldest most traditional gatherings at over 400 hundred years old.
If its to be believed a mountain goat was crowned King. Our bus driver and tour guide Brian was telling us all this tales that I had to go and buy myself some books on the history of the area, and its amazing how I relate to its history. Because you see, in my Homeland we too have very similar fables or even true stories coming down the centuries.

Anyway! The story goes like this. In early August every year a group of people go up in the mountains and catch a wild goat. It is brought back to the town and the Queen Puck, traditionally a young school girl crowns the goat. (((King Puck)))....the King is then placed in a cage and enthroned on a high pedestal  for three days. On the 3rd day of the fair, he is brought down and  he gets taken back to the mountain...

So many tales as how the festival came about....Apparently- Cromwell and his army were on the rampage robbing the people of its valuables in the area and disturbed a herd of goats. A puck goat was separated from the rest of the herd and ran towards Killorglin...He arrived in the town in such a state that the locals knew danger was approaching. They managed to save all of their valuables and stock. The town honours the goat by staging the festival in the second week in August.

I love it! So many stories and superstitions  that has survived  for hundreds of years...

Walking the Essex way

As I mentioned before I had a little break in Ireland County Kerry is fascinating full of narrow paths and hills I felt right at home....The Irish are very good at telling a tale and the history is so fascinating I was enthralled by it all....
Like the story of the Rose of Tralee!
A tale about love and tragedy.
Mary O'Connor came to work as a kitchen maid for a well to do family, then the eldest son William, falls in love with Mary however his family does not allow the marriage.
William who was wrongly blamed for a killing during Daniel O'Connor meeting in Tralee was forced to flee the country. After being away for six years he returns in the spring of 1849, having been cleared of murder.
He returned to Tralee hopping to find his Love, but it was not to be, he arrived on the day of Mary O'Connor's funeral. He was heart-broken, Later he married a local girl and moved to America they had two daughters, but the marriage was not a happy one so he returns to Tralee, he ends up with a terrible depression and sought solace in alcohol....He died in 1864 at the age of 44 and was buried beside Mary...

Such tales! I could've listen to them all day, our bus driver and tour guide Brian, was brilliant he had so many stories and he made them come alive....
And this is my little tale of the Rose of Tralee
And if you have any Irish blood you can enter the festival that occurs in Tralee every year, so that you can be crowned the Rose of Tralee...

Walking the Essex way

Just got back from a little break in County Kerry with friends Collette and Sue.
So much history! On our first day and our first tour was to Ross Castle at the National park where we had a trip on the lake such a big expanse of water, the park covers 10.236 hectars and its combination of mountains and woods lakes and waterfalls gives the area a unique scenic beauty.

The park is famous for its native and natural habitat of yew and oak woods, some are over 200 years old. In 1981 the park was designated a special Area of Conservation, Ireland's only native herd of red deer roam freely throughout the park, I did glimpse a few deer from the boat but it was a little too far to get a good shot. After the boat ride we take a ride on a (((jaunting cairt))) I mean to say horse and cart through the beautiful park....

So now we are back on the bus and on our way for more beautiful scenery's, unfortunally it was not to be, we were met with a very thick mist, we had a couple stops but the scenery was a little sparse.
We stopped by one of the Bog Villages which now is a museum, and we had a well deserved coffee or should I say an Irish coffee! It was very nice too..

The lake in the national park

Ross Castle.

Ross Castle Photo taken from the boat

The big lake at National park

Jaunting cairt.. 

Coffee break

Ruins