County Kerry, Ireland, and the Carrig Country House

By Sally Franz

Think of all the great spiritual people in history who went away for solitude. They went to the hills, to the ocean, and to towers. They sang, they prayed, they listened. They had a longer attention span than I do.

I’m not much of a mystic. I am more like a tiny turtle. I look for a sunny log or a warm rock. I claw my way to a safe place and simply use my dwindling energy to breathe. I really can’t do much more than that some days. When I finally start to heal I can barely lift my little turtle head to watch the leaves float down the stream or listen to the roar of the wind in the bending trees. I don’t think about much. I just bathe in the sounds and sights around me.

If life has “sucker punched” you silly and you are struggling to get from point A to point B, then come on a healing journey. Come away to peaceful lands and secret gardens. Come with me on an adventure of beauty and joy. The Carrig Country House in Kilorglin, County Kerry, Ireland is my healing place.

It is morning and an Irish breakfast is just the ticket to fuel up for a day of adventures. The fare consists of eggs, wonderful meats, and of course potatoes. It is just one flight down the stairs. The smell of coffee is in the hallway as you make your way to the dining room.  You can have your eggs anyway you’d like them along with English slabs of bacon or sausage. But save room for the homemade breakfast breads, granola, cheeses, yogurt, fruit, juices, and amazing local jams.

I love to explore the area on foot. Depending on how much walking you are up for, you can get to the beach, walk up the mountain, or make it as far as the famous pub the Red Fox Inn, which is next to the Kerr Bog Village Museum on the official Ring of Kerry Road. You will pass gates, old stone walls, bridges, fields, and streams. The gates in Kerry are mostly about keeping cows and horses from wandering the back lanes. Bring a map so you can be back in time for dinner. I learned this the hard way. Thankfully the neighbors are friendly and helpful with directions.

Bring an umbrella and a light rain poncho. The photography is excellent even with a slight drizzle. And the weather changes often. Lake Carrig and the nearby Dooks beach are all great places for hikes. Also, there are fun pubs and coffee shops and a fantastic art gallery in nearby Kilorglin. If you travel in the summer coordinate your stay with the annual Puck Fair. It is the oldest fair in Ireland. It celebrates a wild puck goat who ran into town warning the villagers of the invading Cromwell and English troops, thus sparing many lives and belongings.

Sally Franz and her third husband live on the Olympic Peninsula. She has two daughters, a stepson, and three grandchildren. Sally is the author of several humor books including Scrambled Leggs: A Snarky Tale of Hospital Hooey and The Baby Boomer’s Guide to Menopause. She hosts a local radio humor segment, “Baby Boomer Humor with Sassy Sally”.