It's melting in the mountains so it is !!!!

Well the sun just keeps on shining and the Mountains just keep on calling. As I sit down and finally get a chance to write this, my eyes are drawn through wide open patio doors to the stupendous view of Binn Chaorach and the Mighty Reek's. They are a truly awe-inspiring range and it's been great to be lucky enough to spend so much time out in them recently...especially in THIS weather!!! 

Been an extremely busy and at times,testing few weeks of Kerry Climbing with heaps of Corrán Tuathail ascents under my belt and some truly amazing memories gained along the way (as well as a few tasty photos). We have guided the "straight forward" to the "much more serious!", the "speedy" and the "not so rushed"....

 

 

I've enjoyed a few sensational invigorating swims surrounded by top less female French tourists in Ireland's highest lake and my stick thin freckled red legs have now got the perfect sock lines!!! 

The rock is so warm you'd almost fry a steak on it and even been spotting tiny young trout trapped in rock pools in the river Gaddach in the Hags Glen .  


 Isn't it great....By God we needed a bit of sunshine.... 

Also been a bit angered and frustrated at times too though I'm afraid...Still litter being discarded needlessly and some filthy Ejit even felt the need to have Ireland's highest "Crap" behind a summit cairn during the week....

 

Excuse my French but like - WTF!!!!....

And I was only worried about sheep crap in the streams when I was gulpin' down litres....




But lets not go into all that eh....Not in this post anyway. ....

Will leave that for another day when the rain is back lashing off the patio doors and wind is blowing the dog 'round the garden...Lets enjoy this while it lasts...

A return to Innisfallen

After the heat of yesterday where temps hit a whopping 29 degrees here in Kerry we decided to take a nice leisurely paddle last evening out to the wonderful Innisfallen Island on the beautiful Loch Lein....

Innisfallen or Inishfallen (from Irish: Inis Faithlinn, meaning "Faithlinn's island") is an island in Lough Leane; one of the three Lakes of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. It is home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey, one of the most impressive archaeological remains dating from the early Christian period found in the Killarney National Park.

 

The monastery was founded in 640 by St. Finian the Leper, and was occupied for approximately 850 years. Over a period of about 300 of these, the monks wrote the Annals of Innisfallen, which chronicle the early history of Ireland as it was known to the monks. The monks were dispossessed of the abbey on August 18, 1594, by Elizabeth I.

The location of the monastery on the island is thought to have given rise to the name Lough Leane (Irish Loch Léin), which in English means "Lake of Learning". According to tradition the Irish High King Brian Boru received his education at Innisfallen under Maelsuthain O'Carroll.^[2] Maelsuthain has been credited as the possible originator of the Annals.

 
There wasn't a ripple on the water as we left from the O'Donogue stronghold of Ross Castle and took a relaxing gentle stroll around the Island and 13th century ruins before calmly kayaking back by sunset....good for the mind,body and soul I tell ya!!! I can see why the monks set up camp here all those centurys ago...
Ireland is simply stunning....it truly is....

We are all very quick to slate this country of ours at times and yes we have our fair share of woes...but on days and evenings like these the grit and grind is quickly forgotten and fades into much smaller significance....Life is good, appreciate each and every day...things could always be worse.