Sadly, today I drove away from Kerry to my next stop in Doolin to the north. On my way north I made a first stop in the city of Limerick at King John’s castle, yes that King John. I had never been on previous trips so it was nice to visit someplace new!

The castle is not complete any more. Due to repeated sieges and the passage of time only parts of the walls still remain. It probably only took about an hour to go through the whole space. There are normally a variety of interactive exhibits geared towards kids but they’ve been removed due to COVID.

After King John’s Castle I continued north to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. I had been before and it is a great way to see a well appointed medieval castle and some typical traditional housing. The best part was the scent of burning peat on the air! It always smells so homey. The worst part was the rainfall that started just before I left the car. Hooray typical Ireland….

There were a few animals around the grounds including Irish Wolfhounds!

Once again, I managed to arrive at a place that was hosting a film crew. I was told that a Hallmark movie was being filmed at Bunratty. It looks like it is going to be a Christmas special as there were decorations on several of the buildings around the grounds.

When I finally got to my lodging for the next three nights I found a note on the door with my name on it. Given that last time I stayed in Doolin I was sent to another B&B than the one I booked I was a bit nervous. Turns out that they were just gone for a bit and had left instructions on how to get in. Seemed weird to leave it on a note outside but I guess it’s a pretty trusting town.

And the best part of coming back to Doolin was finally getting to eat at McGann’s pub again!