Ireland IX - Beara and Mizen Peninsulas

By the middle of my second week in Ireland, I was quite sure my luck with weather was about to run out! The forecast was looking worse, and my ninth day, scheduled for exploring the two southernmost peninsulas in Ireland, was supposed to be cloudy all day. Instead, it ended up being a spectacular day with nearly perfect conditions for photography. This region of Ireland is dotted with dozens of ancient and mysterious stone circles, about which little is known for sure. Most are hidden away in farmer's fields or secluded in the mountains. It's a unique experience visiting these, alone in places that time has forgotten. I visited four of these stone circles on this day, along with beautiful lakes, mountain passes, coastline, and another ancient megalithic portal tomb. A highlight of the day was incredible Dunlough Castle, one of the oldest in Southern Ireland, dating back to 1207 and set in a spectacular location at the very tip of the Mizen Peninsula. At the end of the day I visited Knockdrum Stone Fort, thought to have been built more than 1,500 years ago.