Killarney National Park

As we headed out from Kenmare toward Killarney the road was persistently uphill. It was only when we approached the top that the significance dawned on use - we were heading deep into the mountains. Checking the map to make sure we were going the correct way and we realised we were headed for Moll's Gap.

The approach continued to have our surroundings bathed in so much mist and rain we could barely see anything. The road had improved but was still very narrow. As we got closer to the gap, the road unstraightened itself and began meandering in an easy-going sort of way. At the gap itself we were able to get some sense of the drama of the location - close to the top of the peaks, it took a while for hearing to return with the pressure.

As we began descending on the other-side we entered Killarney National Park and at several viewpoints were able to glimpse the spectacular site of the upper and lower loughs. At the bottom there was short causeway linking a pair of crags: evidently the amount of traffic it was having to support was having a negative effect and there were visible signs of it bellying out under the load.

We cam out at Killarney which seems to expanded dramatically since I was last there. We carried on though over more terrible roads through Mallow to Mitchelstown when we were able to connect with the main road to Cork - now a motorway. From there it was almost motorway all the way to Belfast. At least once we crossed the border, main trunk roads were that.