Met the flights from Manchester and Stansted at Faranfore airport in Kerry. Unfortunately the Stansted flight was about an hour late due to bad weather.

We collected our minibus for the week at the airport and drove the short journey to our home for the first 4 days at the foot of the Magillycuddy Reeks.

As always Eileen our host gave us a great welcome. As it was already after 7.00pm when we arrived we just sorted out rooms then went out straight away to have dinner at Kate Kearneys Cottage.

Most women were very much looking forward to their first Irish pint of Guinness! We were also treated to some traditional Irish music.

The weather forecast for the week was not good to put it mildly!!! Today was to be the best, so we wanted to make the most of it.

We drove to Muckross House in the Killarney National Park and Marian and myself dropped everyone so that they could have a wander around the grounds of the estate.

We would meet in the coffee shop after we had driven the minibus to the end of the walk.

Todays walk consisted of walking a section of the Kerry Way, but also included an extra walk up Torc Mountain.

Near the start of the walk we passed Torc Waterfall which was quite impressive after all the rain of the past weeks.

The actual walk up Torc Mtn is done on railway sleepers, which is one of the favoured methods of combating erosion in the Irish Mountain side.

When we got to the top we had great views of the Killarney Lakes and the Magillycuddy Reeks.

In fact this was the first time I had ever had such a view from the top!!

After rejoining the Kerry Way we passed through the rocky ravine of Esknamucky Glen, and passed through woodland of natural oaks.

All in all we were very lucky with the weather, mainly sunny with a one or 2 heavy showers.

At the end of the walk we all enjoyed a cup of tea before driving back. We decided to have dinner again at Kate Kearneys Cottage, as everyone had enjoyed it so much

We woke to very black looking skies and high winds, it had rained very heavily in the night.

We decided on a shorter walk today. We made a short journey to the Hags Glen, at the foot of the Magillycuddy Reeks.

Almost as soon as we got out of the minibus the rain started!! Not heavily but just constant drizzle, a good soft Irish day!

We walked above the Gladdagh river, which looked very impressive after all the rain. We should have had views of Carrauntoohil (Ireland's highest mountain) but not today.

At one point we were supposed to cross what is usually a tiny trickle of water, today it was a 'ragging torrent' so we decided against it and stayed on the same side of the river.

We went as far as Lough Gouragh along rough and very boggy paths, and then we decided that we had all had enough so we headed back.

As it was such a miserable day we spent the afternoon at one of Killarneys hotels relaxing in the swimming pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. We spent the evening in Killarney and had a drink in the oldest pub in Killarney and had a very enjoyable meal.

Another soft day! Todays plan was to walk up to the Gap of Dunloe and then continue on the Kerry way through the Black Valley.

We headed off in the rain up to the Gap along the winding county road. It was quite atmospheric with clouds swirling around the mountains above.

One or 2 of the women did not wish to do the full walk, so at the Gap of Dunloe they returned with Marian who would then bring the van round to meet the rest of us.

We continued on the Kerry Way, through the Black Valley, with marvellous views of the Magillycuddy Reeks (if we could have seen them!)

We followed lovely boreens (country lanes) lined with stone walls. We had to rescue 2 young American women on our walk. They were totally lost and in the middle of nowhere, no maps no proper walking gear!

They were supposed to meet their bus at Kate Kearneys Cottage where we had started our walk! They were miles out of their way so I decided it was safer for them to finish the walk with us and we would get them back to Killarney.

We had a 200m climb towards the end of the walk up to a boulder-strewn pass, it was a bit wild on the top but everyone seemed to enjoy the challenge.

We arrived at the bottom of the pass to find that Marian had just arrived at the same time as us, what good timing. More good food, Guinness and traditional music at Kate Kearneys that night.

Today is the day we move to the Dingle Penninsula, a long day, but the sun was shinning!

We left shortly after 09.00 having said our goodbyes to Eileen who had looked after us so well.

We headed towards Dingle, passing a glorious stretch of sandy beach known as Inch Strand, a short stop was made there for photos.

Then onto Dingle and Ventry where we were to start walking a stretch of the Dingle way along Slea Head to Dunquin.

Marian and I dropped the women off at a tea shop while we dropped off the minibus at Dunquin.

We then set off walking along Ventry Beach - stunning pale sands, shells and sea weed, lots of sea air...

Beyond the beach we walked along more pretty Boreens, before starting to climb and soon getting brilliant coastal views.

We then walked though a short section that is said to perhaps have the densest concentration of archaeology in all Ireland!

Every few feet we passed Clochans which are small round buildings known as beehive huts built of stone, no one knows for sure what their purpose or even who built them.

Also there were plenty of fields where there were sites of former stone-walled enclosures circular or irregular shaped, which used to house an entire community.

Towards the end of the walk we had the opportunity to climb Mt Eagle, 4 of us took on the challenge, while the others walked down to Dunquin with Marian for a cup of tea.

We did not have the time to get all the way to the top, but it was worth the effort we had such superb views down into Dunquin and of the Blasket Islands.

We then joined the others in Dunquin and walked up to Dunmore head with more great views of the Blaskets.

Marian took most of the women onto Brandon Bay hostel at Clochan via Dingle and the Connor Pass, while a few of us went into Dingle to do breakfast & packed lunch food shopping.

Dinner that night was in the pub next door to the hostel. Brandon Bay independent hostel has a lovely location next to Brandon Bay.

Today was supposed to be the best day of the week according to the weather forecast. They were right. It was a day to catch the boat to Great Blasket Island.

There was very little wind so the 20 minute crossing was easy with calm seas.

Great Blasket Island was inhabited up until 1953, in fact had a population of 160 in the 1940s but this started to dwindle.

Even then there was no electricity or machinery and it was a cashless, co-operative economy.

We started off by wandering around the abandoned village, where there were lots of hares running about and then headed to the beach to watch the seals playing in the sea.

I think they enjoyed watching us as much as we enjoyed watching them!

Next we started our walk around the island. We climbed all the little hills the highest being 292m An Cro Mor. What views we had!!

Amazing! Blue blue seas with the white waves crashing against the rocks, views back to the mainland and outlying islands.

It was also a bird watchers paradise. We were lucky enough to see many choughs flying around.

We were worried that we might have to spend the night on the island as the ferry was a bit late (in fact 90 minutes late!)

Knowing how laid back everyone is in this part of the world I wouldn't have started worrying until dusk! As a result we were quite late getting back so it was dinner again in the pub next door, what hardship!!

Last walking day and one of very mixed weather! Sunshine one minute pouring rain the next, we even had one short hail shower!

We walked around the country lanes from the hostel following part of the Dingle way again.

Following the coast around, with views of the sea most of the way, we had wonderful views of Benoskee Mountain across Brandon Bay.

Now and again in front of us we could see the Brandon Massif peeping through the clouds.

When we reached Brandon Point we walked up a small hill to get even better views.

Returning to the hostel, some of us attempted to walk back along the beach but this proved impossible.

Dinner that night was in a small pub just 4 miles up the road in Brandon Village.

We had a wonderful evening full of laughter as we looked back over the week!

A very early start for most of us this morning!

2 women though decided they wanted a relaxing morning.

The rest of us set off just after 0700 to Dingle to go and see Fungi the dolphin, who has been a wild resident in Dingle Bay for nearly 30 years!

2 women decided that they were going to brave the cold seas in wet suits and try to swim with Fungi.

We had a great time despite the grey day and it only rained once.

We got a good look at Fungi, in fact he stayed around the boat for well over an hour, though after all I think the women in the boat saw more of him than the swimmers!

Afterwards we all had a late breakfast in Dingle and a quick look around the town, before heading back to the hostel to pack the minibus for our trip to the airport.

On the way we stopped at a pub in the village of Annuscaul which was owned by the explorer Tom Crean.

Tom Crean had been on several of the expeditions with Capt Scott and Ernest Shakelton to Antartica and the South Pole, they were many amazing photos taken of some the expeditions back in the early 1900's.

After a last pint it was on to the airport and sadly time to say our goodbyes.