Rediscovering my Childhood | My Week in Kerry

As some of you may have already noticed, myself and Sam did not go abroad this summer. We did not book a city break or a weekend away, like we had been doing previously. This, my friends, is because we are saving up for a big trip after final year! So when my mom approached me with the idea of returning to our old childhood haunt, Glenbeigh in County Kerry, I jumped at the chance! I really want to visit more places around Ireland, and this kind of stay-cation, with my family and our partners, is just what I needed. 

It was really nice to return to a village that we had holiday-ed in many moons ago, but to also show our loved ones memories from our past. Of course, my brother Rob and his wife Renata could not make the trek from the States, but we all traveled from Longford, Dublin, Limerick and West Cork for the occasion. 

With all that, and ten years later, it was like we never left. 

Setting off on Sunday morning, we made it down to the Ring of Kerry in about five or six hours, with plenty of stops along the way for food, coffee, pee breaks and to stretch our legs. It was the longest drive I have ever done, and with torrential rain, I didn't know if I was gonna make it. When we arrived, we did the first thing we knew best, to head to the Towers for dinner and a pint! 

The Towers is a really busy pub/hotel in the village that we have always returned to, year after year, and it is a place that holds many memories. It now holds the memory of my first ever pint of Guinness. I have fond memories of drawing smiley faces in the heads of my parents' pints when I was small, and cringing at the taste when I licked my finger. Look at me now!

Rossbeigh beach will hold a special place in my heart for as long as I live, as I have rode the waves, surfed the dunes, and failed at any attempt to fly a kite. I'll always be fond of its rocky descent to the wide beach when the tide is out, dodging jelly fish that have washed up onto the sand, and paddling my feet in the fresh sea shore. 

I had every intention to write this blog post before I even left for Kerry, knowing that I would need pictures and content for this post, but I just enjoyed myself so much, I really forgot some essentials! I didn't even take a picture of the old Sunbeam, a washed up boat wreck on Rossbeigh beach. Every time I have seen it, it has been washed away a little more each time. In my defense, my first couple of days on the beach, I felt very ill, and my last couple, my bladder didn't hold out long enough to take a picture of it before turning back to head to RossPoint. My pewny bladder is my biggest downfall. 

Something I am going to start looking for everywhere I go is hiking trails. I just really enjoy being out in the forest, up the side of a mountain, pushing myself to the top. I found a Fairy Forest trail (for kids). Did I go? HELL YEAH! My parents and I, and Sam brought Ozzy, my dog, to the Fairy Forest. Myself and Sam even went a second time, but continued past the trail of fairies. 

 

 

We got a bit excited and got into the true hiking spirit and went off track. We literally just ignored the trail and went directly up the mountain, figuring out the way to the top. It was really challenging and really rewarding! Although the way back down was another story. We destroyed ourselves in mud and slid half the way down the mountain as we slipped a couple more times than we should have. It was great fun nonetheless, and we continued on the original trail when we got back down. Our one kilometer Fairy walk turned into a two and a half hour hike. 

As if we weren't already exhausted, the following day we walked the beach, and then went on another hike, up another mountain. This was a short trek but a bloody steep one. Myself and Sam were two cranky babies trailing behind everyone else, because our legs were so tired from the day before. I have to say though, the views were SO worth it!   

So after a seriously exhausting and active holiday, myself and Sam were beached-out and decided to leave a couple of days early. This was part of my reason, but I also wanted to go to my friend Laura's surprise going-away/21st birthday party in Dublin! So a fantastic holiday of quality time with my family ended with some quality time with my college fam, and I was a happy camper. 

It was a week well spent in the end, with a new-found fitness regime, a whole new level of holiday fatigue, and a heap of sleep to catch up on after late nights playing board-games and drinking in The Towers. Even Ozzy had a great time, but I'm sure my little grumpy boy was just as tired as I was coming home.  

Have you ever been to Kerry? Or taken a complete family trip, dog and all?  

 

Until next time,

Lots of love

xoxo