For our last day in Ireland, we went on a horse drawn carriage tour from town, through Killarney National Park, to Killarney Lakes. 

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

It was good timing to go through the park in the morning, because we were able to see dozens of red deer grazing. 

At the lake, we boarded a small boat for a guided tour to Innisfallen Island.  On the island, our group learned about the ruins of the 7^th century Innisfallen Abbey.  When we arrived, there were several deer grazing around the ruins.  They didn’t seem too bothered by us; they have become used to the tourists coming to their island on a regular basis.

Following our boat tour, we visited Killarney House and Gardens, which are also part of Killarney National Park.  Originally, the house was the stable block of the Kenmare House, a French chateau style mansion, built by Valentine Browne in 1726. 

The morning had been quite gloomy, but the skies cleared for our final afternoon in Ireland.

Well, folks, that about wraps up this Irish adventure—finally!  (We returned home from our six weeks in the U.K. in early October!)

Later this year, we will be traveling to Sicily and Turkey, and then Spain and Portugal.  In between, I will be competing in swimming at the National Senior Games, in Des Moines, Iowa.  Stay tuned!