Kerry good show: County Kerry is packed with wonderful sights, including the Gap Of Dunloe 'Are we in the part of Ireland that England owns?' asked my six-year-old as we wind along country lanes lined with yellow gorse, hedgerows overtaken by red fuchsia and past woodland ferns and waterfalls.
'This is magical,' cry the children in chorus. It's love at first sight. I remember feeling like that, too, when I first went to Ireland as a child - the warmth of the people, the chill of the mist, the rambling wildness so different from the manicured, pretty parts of England that I knew.
We were doing half of the Ring of Kerry in our travels, driving to the furthest point (37 miles away), then retracing our journey with a different stop each night, providing the children with short car journeys and long spells in the fresh air.
Parknasilla, where we start, was described by George Bernard Shaw after his visit in 1909 as 'part of our dream world'. A century later, nothing has changed. Surrounded by 500 acres of woodland and seashore, there are seven walking routes through forests, along beaches and past lush, subtropical vegetation, thanks to the Gulf Stream. Wonderful - especially with the ready wit of hall porter P. J. (Patrick Joseph, of course), our guide.
Sneem, just down the road, is a quintessential Irish village. Brightly painted houses and shops surround a green, the church overflows on Sundays and the best black pudding in the world is made by butcher Peter O'Sullivan.
Heading towards Kenmare, you pass the turning to the Eclipse Centre - stables where you can go on horseback to explore 90 acres of land, some of it bordering the Blackwater river. You can also try archery, fishing and quad surfing.
At Sheen Falls Lodge, we are greeted by the roar of the Sheen River cascading over the rocks just under the hotel, and a roaring fire.
The hotel's position is sublime, with the falls thundering away and the blue of Kenmare Bay glimpsed through the trees. Just to the right is Sheen Bridge, dating from 1777, its beautiful arches of stone reflected in still waters.
A couple of jumps disturbing the deep pool give us hope of fishing for salmon. My six-year-old son deftly puts prawns on the hook while my eight-year-old daughter goes off picking wild flowers.
But what the children love best is the Seafari - a seal-watching expedition out to the Kenmare River Marine Park, sheltered between the Breara and Iveragh mountain peninsulas. There are grey and common seals at this rookery, which had 50 new pups last year. A former marine biologist comes out daily and can get close to the seals in his boat without frightening them. They're a joy to watch in their natural surroundings.
Unusually for Ireland, Kenmare has more restaurants than bars, but the food at The Park Hotel at the top of the town is so good we don't venture out.
The food is just one of the strengths of the hotel, built in 1897 to break the journey for rail passengers travelling to Parknasilla; another is its superlative Samas spa.
Meaning 'indulgence of the senses', it allows you to do just that with gorgeous treatments. Our last stop, Aghadoe Heights had a wonderful spa and views over Lough Lein.
From here, mythological lovers Oisin and Niamh 'went west' to Tir na nOg 'the land of eternal youth'.
Maybe my children will come back one day, like me, in search of just that.
Travel Facts
Doubles at the Parknasilla Resort from £112 per night (00353 64 667 5600, www.parknasillahotel.ie). For more information, see Discover Ireland (www.discoverireland.ie).
source: dailymail
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