The Long Way RoundNotebook No 69September 2025
Why we drive it counter to the buses and what you see.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
Every travel guide directs you along the Ring of Kerry clockwise, following the procession of tour coaches. We take a different approach, preferring to drive it in reverse. This subtle shift in direction changes the entire pace of your day, opening up a more personal view of the landscape.
Slea Head
Taking the anti-clockwise route brings you to Caherdaniel and Derrynane in the quiet of a late morning. You will reach the Skellig viewpoint for lunch, and then, as the afternoon fades, you trace the Killarney lakes road bathed in the soft, low light. The tour buses consistently remain ahead of you on this path.
This orientation selects for a different rhythm for the day. You are seeing the Ring of Kerry in a more deliberate manner.
The Ireland Edit Way
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
To understand Ireland, stop looking at the castles and start looking at the kitchen table.
From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.