Gary's 2005 Ireland Pictures

RING OF KERRY
Iveragh Peninsula

Scenery
We went over a mountain pass in the westernmost part of the peninsula, and near the top was these rocks and flowering plants.

Scenery

Staigue Fort

This is Staigue Fort. It is one of the largest and best preserved of Ireland's ring forts. The fort was built of dry-fitted stone (no mortar), and it was probably built sometime between 500 BC and AD 300. The fort is about 80 feet across, and the walls are about 12 feet thick at the base. In order to get to Staigue Fort, you have to drive up a 4 km one-lane road. The first third to half of the road has virtually no pull-offs to let other drivers by. After that there is a pull-off every now and then. It was harrowing going around blind corners with no idea as to whether anyone was coming at that instant around the corner. We made it without a problem. We must have chosen a time of day when few people were going to see the fort. The thing that was mind-boggling though was that new houses are being built up and down the road, especially as you get close to the fort. The more houses there are, the more traffic there will be, the more chance for something bad to happen. Not sure why people would subject themselves to that kind of thing by building a house there. Like I said, it boggles the mind.

This is the inside of Staigue Fort. You can see the steps leading to the top of the wall. The hole below the steps led into a cavity that was inside the wall. The hole is not the entrance to the fort.

The inhabitants had a million dollar view of the bay between Iveragh and Beara Peninsulas.