The Ring of Kerry

So two weekends ago, I went on a trip sponsored by University College Cork's (UCC) International Program to go to the Ring of Kerry. Anna, Katie and I signed up because we had heard its one of the most beautiful traveling routes in all of Ireland. It was supposed to be a relaxing weekend too - which we definitely needed with all of our papers being due soon.
So, on Friday we boarded a super small bus, with lots of German and French kids that go to UCC, and headed to County Kerry. Most of the trip was on the bus, since the ring of kerry, is a circular driving route through some of the most rural and most beautiful parts of Ireland. We had the best bus driver ever, Tommy, who took us on some old windy dirt roads that most tourist coaches aren't allowed to take people on.
We got to stay in a hotel which was awesome and comfy! Marian, our guide for the weekend is a Gaelic instructor at UCC, and she taught us Irish phrases the entire weekend which was fun. She also is a resident of Kerry and we drove through her "town" which consisted of three cottages on about a couple hundred acres of rolling hills and mountains. Kerry only recently got electricity in the past few decades, so it's more rural than I feel most people would imagine.
We got to learn Ceili dancing one night, which was really fun actually! We also had two speakers, one was just a resident of Kerry who told us about her life growing up (it sounded like a history lesson about life in America in the 1920s, not the late 1950s/early 1960s!) It was amazing seeing how life was and still is in parts of County Kerry - very, very different from the U.S. Another speaker was a local Kerry man who plays for the Kerry Gaelic Football team and has won a few All-Irelands, so.... he is essentially the Irish Tom Brady. That was really awesome too.
Besides that we toured the Ring of Kerry. Stopped at the Skellig Experience Center, since we were unable to take a boat to the rock Skellig Michael (which is a monastery on top of a huge giant rock in the middle of the atlantic - google it, it's worth it!), some beaches, daniel o'connell's house (google him!), and a cliff walk/hike, and a few other small walks with some amazing views.
Overall, it was a lovely weekend. Some history, beautiful sights, relaxing room, comfy beds, traditional irish meals everyday - great, great time. Here are some of the beautiful pictures from the Ring:

sheep going up the hill! amazing to see!