Cycling the Ring of Kerry
(conclusion)

From the summit of Coomakesta Pass was a long descent through the towns of Caherdaniel and Castlecove, followed by another climb (though short) a few miles out of Castlecove.

(Above: Near Caherdaniel, the southern section of the Ring of Kerry)

Farther down was Sneem, which, the welcoming sign proclaimed, was "voted Ireland’s tidiest city" in 1987 (or something like that). I had read that the place also had an outstanding collection of outdoor sculptures so I wanted to look around and check out the place. I changed by mind abruptly as I came upon the town center—it was, quite literally, overrun by tourists and tour coaches. So perhaps the lesson to be learned from all this is, if one is allergic to mobs of tourists, one would be better off visiting the Ring of Kerry outside the peak tourist season—a piece of advice that I would most definitely follow if I were to return to this part of Ireland.

Much disappointed, I hurriedly left Sneem without having seen any of its attractions ("Sneem" sounds as if, sometime in its history, someone misspelled it).

(Above and Below: Near Castlecove)

Most of the final 17 miles were on a pleasant tree-lined road, and mostly flat, but nothing out of the ordinary.

I reached Kenmare, where I was to spend the night, just before 4PM. Another nightmare of a town! There were cars and tour buses everywhere—the main street was clogged with slow-moving queue of cars. Thankfully, my place for the night was away from all this abomination—and was in a much quieter setting opposite the Kenmare Golf Club. Here Erasmus and I took shelter from humanity’s maddening noise.

(Above and Below: The colorful town of Kenmare/Neiden)

End.

Last Update: October 21, 1999