Moll’s Gap

The jaunting carts drew us to the Black Valley of Ireland, mainly because we’re a literal family and “jaunting” sounded so cheerful and fun.

So, we committed to one of the oldest tours in Ireland, the Gap of Dunloe Adventure tour, which involved an open boat ride across the Lakes of Killarney and a horse-drawn buggy ride through Killarney National Park.

We took off from Ross Castle, in a boat perfectly appointed for our group of nine, easily imagining other large groups from 200 years ago settling into similar boats and enjoying exactly the same, spectacular views.

Our captain Cathal (Gaelic for Charlie, which seemed like a good sign), provided lessons in history, geography and Irish culture as he guided us over Lough Leane and past Moll’s Gap.

Our Moll posed delightedly on the front of our boat as we glided past her lovely, eponymous gap. I later learned that mountain pass, cut by the glaciers that melted into the three lakes that surrounded it, was named for Moll Kissane, who made a mean potato whiskey and served it in the unlicensed public house she ran back in the 1820s. Later, I raised a glass to Moll, who probably worked some crazy hours and never imagined she’d be honored in such a lasting way.

Our trip involved a portage, during which our guide enlisted Vinnie to help haul a few boats through a shallow pass, and some absolutely beautiful scenery. We landed at Lord Brandon’s Cottage, where we had a quick lunch and then settled into our jaunting carts. We are, for the most part, a very tall family so we sat sideways with overlapped knees for most of the seven-mile ride.

But, again, those views and our charming jarvey guide made us forget those knocking knees. The MacGillycuddy Reeks (had to work that in because I love the name), Purple Mountain, and the Ring of Kerry in general offer such magnificent evidence of how really beautiful this old earth can be if we sit back and enjoy the views.

Many thanks to Killarney Jaunting Cars for offering us the opportunity to do so from both land and water.