Ireland's Kerry Way has a tale to tell at every turn

There are stories all along the Kerry Way hiking path as it follows an ancient network of boreens (small country paths), butter routes, Mass paths and coach roads in Ireland's southwest -- and it's not hard to read the landscape. In the Gap of Dunloe, for example, massive boulders strewn over this rugged mountain valley just west of Killarney speak unmistakeably of the glacier that scoured the hills tens of thousands of years ago.

The Kerry Way tracks right past the Gap as it traces a 215-kilometre circuit around the Iveragh Peninsula, amid mountain ranges older than the Himalayas. Most hikers begin inland, in Killarney -- but it doesn't take long before the trail leads seaward, where sandstone ridges jut out into the Atlantic.

Millions of years ago, sediments yielded to geological pressure here, becoming sheets of slate that are still quarried in the area today -- which is why the fishing villages boast dark slate roofs. Even the drystone walls that outline hayfields and sheep pastures tell tales: each of the stones was laid by hand to divide the land between families, and sometimes foes.  

A little bit of wet
The stones bear watching, as I discovered when I hiked the Kerry Way from Sneem to Waterville with guide Keith O'Flaherty from SouthWest Walks Ireland. Our collegial group of eight hikers set out one morning from the pastel-hued houses of Sneem village, under a forecast calling for showers. I wasn't worried, although previous wet days had left the grassy track squelching underfoot. "It wouldn't be a walk, would it, if we didn't get some wet?" asked Keith, and I agreed, thinking of trusty boots that stayed dry in Rocky Mountain streams, and the raingear tucked into my daypack.

The Kerry Way curves slightly away from the coast here, along a gentle valley where farmhouses anchor the slopes and rusty-sounding bleats drift across from moving carpets of sheep on the hills. Then the sign-posted path climbs out of the valley on boggy ground -- grass tufted and framed by the bright yellow blooms of thorny gorse bushes -- to reveal the first glimmers of the sea beyond the Kenmare River.

"There's very little walking on the main road," Keith noted as we found the morning's pace, over tussocky grass that splashed and sucked at our heels. "A lot of the time we're on butter routes. This was a major butter producing area, so donkeys with panniers would have taken the butter over the track we're on today to Kenmare, the market town."

When Keith asked if we wanted to walk up a small peak for the best views before stopping for lunch, we quickly agreed, rewarded with an expansive view of rocky headlands folding into the river as it widened to embrace the Atlantic.

It was on the descent towards lunch that I slipped on a rain-slicked stone. One minute I was standing; the next I was sitting soggily in a boggy puddle. There was no damage done, unless you count pride and the red sandstone mud that still lingers on my hiking pants -- but consider it another story chalked up for the stones.

Palm trees and ancient forts
The 17-kilometre day ended with more stones, these ones piled in a circular wall up to 6 metres high and 4 metres thick. "Staigue Fort is one of the largest and finest stone forts in Ireland," Keith told us as we entered through a narrow, lintel-covered passage in the wall to explore an inner circle that, in the early centuries AD, a wealthy landowner or chieftain might have used for shelter or livestock protection.

The Fort offered stunning views over the water to the Beara Peninsula as a stiffening breeze drove cloud shadows over the rounded hills. We didn't linger to watch the sheep fertilizing and mowing the bracken and grasses, however. Under darkening skies, we headed instead to the nearest pub, stepping inside to a coal fire blazing in a cast-iron grate just as the rain began to bucket down. Outside, the palm trees -- courtesy of the warm Gulf Stream waters that bathe this part of the Irish coastline -- swayed in the wind.

Days spent on a long-distance hiking route soon take on a comforting rhythm, and the Kerry Way is no exception. A hearty breakfast in a local B&B, followed by hiking boots and walking sticks, set the tone. Lunch was enjoyed along the trail, which handily ended near a Guinness-serving pub. Meanwhile, the luggage was driven to the next B&B, lightening the load.

SouthWest Walks offers both guided and self-guiding hiking: the latter lets you follow the route on your own, armed with detailed maps, plus accommodation and luggage transfer. It's great for couples or small groups, but if you're on your own, you need to balance the risks of solitude against the benefits -- although the Kerry Way can be pastoral, some of the trails are tough and the weather can change very quickly.

Besides, as I discovered, having a guide along gives you the stories the stones don't tell -- like how the legendary Irish heroes Oisin and Niamh left for magical Tir Na nOg from the tip of Rossbeigh Strand on the north side of the peninsula. Sometimes the stones need help to unlock their secrets, after all.

Top Ten Sights
Whether you drive the Ring of Kerry road route, or hike the paths of the Kerry Way, these sights are worth stopping for.

* Killarney National Park: the Gap of Dunloe and Kate Kearney's Cottage, Muckross House and Abbey, Ladies' View and Moll's Gap viewpoints, and Torc Waterfall

* Kenmare: Lace & Design Centre and stone circle

* Sneem: sculptures and waterfalls

* Staigue Fort: Iron-Age drystone fort

* Derrynane House: once home to 17^th-century "The Liberator" Daniel O'Connell.

* The Skellig Islands: not to be missed if weather permits the boat trip out to the bird sanctuary and ancient monastic settlement

* Valentia Island: the Skellig Experience Centre

* Portmagee: fishing village

* Ballycarbery Castle: 15^th-century home to O'Connell's ancestors

* Rossbeigh Beach: Blue-Flag sandy beach

If You Go
For information, contact www.tourismireland.com">Tourism Ireland and the >Kerry Way. http://www.southwestwalksireland.com">SouthWest Walks Ireland offers guided and self-guided hiking and cycling options.