Life Is Full of Sweet Spots

”Eloquent speech

is not from lip to ear,

but rather from

heart to heart.”

— William Jennings Bryan

A last stop in the picturesque Ring of Kerry area was the Muckross House. Completed in 1843 for Anglo-Irish member of congress, Henry Arthur Herbert, the estate occupies a prime setting by the banks of Muckross Lake. With 65 rooms and extensive gardens, the Victorian mansion is famed for its 1861 visit by Queen Victoria and her party. (1)

Extensive preparations were made for the Queen’s stay with specially commissioned tapestries, mirrors, Persian carpets, silverware, musical instruments, linen, china and servants’ uniforms. The curtains, which still hang in the dining room, were exclusively woven, probably in Paris, for the occasion. Sadly, the extent of the money invested may well have cost the Herberts their home. (2)

The promise of the gift of gab is a 200-year-old tourist hook for those who kiss the Blarney Stone, though one might want to think twice about that. First, it requires a climb up 128 narrow steps of the Castle’s tower house; then, upon reaching the top, you must bend over backwards to kiss it. Figuring we were already sufficiently eloquent, we opted out. Given the long line of those queued up for their chance to gain the promised powers, apparently many others thought otherwise. (3)

New Street, running through the center of Bantry, is crammed with shops, hotels and pubs, including the old Bantry Railroad Hotel. Now known as the iconic Anchor Tavern full of eclectic artefacts and memorabilia from days gone by, it is a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists alike. (4)

A harbor town located in West Cork, Bantry is renowned the world over for the production of Bantry Bay Mussels. (5)

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Tenth of a continuing series of Ireland travels through words and images.
Photos 1-3 by Mary O’Connor • Photos 4-5 by Jan Logozzo

© 2023