Killarney’s Autumn Colors

This weekend, we went to Killarney for an overnight trip. We chose Sunny Bank B&B offering a hot breakfast and located across from the bus station, which is about a half mile from the heart of downtown Killarney. An idea spot and wonderful hosts. We pulled into the bus station to be welcomed by a big surprise – there is an outlet mall in the same building as the Killarney bus station. We ended up spending an hour shopping the following day just before leaving town, but know all too well that if there is good weather it must be enjoyed. By “good” we mean anything short of a blustery downpour kind of day. So, we checked into the B&B then ventured to the park. We walked through a portion of the park, enjoying the changing colors of the leaves and found our way to Ross Castle where we took a tour. After such a long walk, we shared a cab with a lovely woman from Oklahoma back to town. Upon introducing ourselves, she said she was from Oklahoma and I began to say “that is…” as I tried to recall the full name of Eskimo Joe’s, but she automatically began to answer “Oklahoma is above Texas.” This made me slightly sad since she must have encountered others who did not know where her home state was, let’s hope that was just in Ireland! Murphy’s Pub offered us a warm and delicious late lunch then we wandered around town extensively and did a bit of Christmas shopping, finally stopping into Mac’s for dessert before proceeding to dinner. Yes, we dined backwards! We had orange/mango cheesecake with a chocolate milkshake. The BEST milkshake we’ve had in Ireland (and one of the best other places too). It ranks in the top three with Gifford’s and Taylor’s Refresher. We ate simple sandwiches for dinner.

Cork is a wonderful place to live and a great-sized city, but downtown parks are not abundant. For this reason, I had almost forgotten my moldy leaf allergy (also known as Mid-Atlantic October). Killarney reminded me of that and the bright golden beauty that autumn offers us. Definitely a worthwhile getaway and a place to return to.

When I was admiring the scene pictured below, I thought, “this could be Autumn in New England” then wondered if there was someone in New England admiring a view and thinking, “this could be somewhere in Ireland.”

Killarney in Autumn