On our way to Inch Beach, we made a stop between Tralee and Dingle, at the Tom Crean Memorial Garden.  Here, we learned about this adventurous Irish Antarctic explorer who died in 1938 at the age of 61.  He had made three expeditions to Antarctica: 1901 – 1904, 1910 – 1913, and 1914 – 1917.

Following his last expedition, Crean returned to his home village of Anascaulin, on the Dingle Peninsula, and opened a pub, The South Pole Inn.  The pub, located across the street from the memorial garden, is still in operation by different owners and is filled with Tom Crean memorabilia.  It was closed while we were there, but we did enjoy a lovely walk along the river next to the pub.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Inch Beach, a four-mile-long wide, sandy beach, was our next stop.  Home to one of Ireland’s most popular surf schools, it is a terrific beach for surfing, walking, bird watching, and collecting seashells. And, the day we were there, it was awesome for photography!

Next, we visited the Kerry Creamery for a guided tour and lunch.  It was interesting to learn how creameries operated years ago, before the rise of modern technology in Ireland.

By the time we arrived at Muckross House and Gardens, in Killarney National Park, the skies had cleared, and we enjoyed yet another gorgeous rain-free day in Ireland! 

Built in 1843, the house was given to Ireland in 1932, the first National Park in the Republic of Ireland. The gardens were so beautiful, though, we opted to spend our time outdoors during our visit, rather than touring the house.

The remainder of the afternoon and evening was spent exploring the charming town center of Killarney, the subject of my next post: IRISH ADVENTURE #22: CHARMING KILLARNEY