After another lovely breakfast at the Brehon Hotel, we once again boarded the bus and traveled north through Tralee, the capital of Kerry County. Tralee takes its name from the river Lee which flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Tralee Bay, home to the annual Rose of Tralee International Festival, a celebration of Irish culture and heritage held every year during the month of August. This five-day festival culminates in the crowning of the Rose of Tralee, a tradition inspired by the ballad by the same name written by William Pembroke Mulchinock about his forbidden love, his maid Mary O'Connor.
We made our way to the town of Listowel. Described by some as the "Literary Capital of Ireland", a number of internationally known playwrights and authors have lived there, including Bryan MacMahon and John B. Keane.
The highlight or our morning was a stop at John B. Keane's Bar for tea and scones and a lovely visit with John B. Keane's son Billy Keane. Billy delighted us with an animated telling of his father's life story, which included revolutionary works such as Sive, one of the nations most beloved plays and The Field, a novel which inspired the Academy Award nominated 1990 movie by the same name.
After our visit to Listowel, we took a short ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary before driving along the coast of scenic County Clare to visit the Cliffs of Moher. One of Irelands most beloved natural landmarks which features winding trails leading to the spectacular viewing points. The weather cooperated just long enough for us to take in the spectacular views of the Cliffs as well as a vista of the Aran Islands laying tranquil on the waters of Galway Bay.
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