Muckross House & Torc Waterfall
Another delightful stop in Ireland was Muckross House. The house and grounds were absorbed into Killarney National Park in the 20th century. It’s a magnificent house – completed in 1843 and situated near the shores of Muckross Lake. The grounds of the house now also hold traditional farms as well as shops. I bought a lovely hand-loomed scarf from the Mucros weavers. Actually, mom & I bought the same scarf, we both liked it so much! We figured we live far enough apart that we won’t be wearing it at the same time/place.
We toured the house – I highly recommended it, our guide was lively and entertaining – and then took a jaunting cart ride two kilometers to Torc Waterfall, another highlight of the park. Our driver was a sweet boy named Kevin who’d be driving carts since he was 13. (he was all of 18 now!) We enjoyed hearing about his horses and a bit about the flora in the park. The cart took us near to the waterfall, then we hiked 10 minutes or so through the forest to find it. It’s just so, so lovely. I wish we had planned for a couple of days just to take some of the hikes in the park. If we are ever able to visit Ireland again, we’ll probably spend time just staying in Killarney and hiking the park. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend seeing the house & the park. It’s just such a lush area.
