The village of Sneem in Co. Kerry is the knot (an tSnaidhm) on the Ring of Kerry. It’s a happening spot, replete with the colourful paint jobs so popular in this part of the world. Images of Burano in Italy came to mind more than once.
Driving through on our way to Derrynane from Kenmare, I pulled up, arrested by the large red building that is Dan Murphy’s bar. It was the name. Of course, it was the name. But not because I’m a Murphy. No, the words of a song came to mind – the stone outside Dan Murphy’s door.
Generally attributed to Johnny Patterson, the story behind the song could be more complicated than that. Whether it was Patterson or Dane who wrote it, the song has been covered by the likes of the Dubliners, Slim Whitman, and Don Duggan. I doubt there’s a Dan Murphy’s bar in the country that doesn’t have a stone outside its door. The one in the song though, is in Ennis. Or so I hear tell.
Most likely descended from the Daniel Murphy who built the local Catholic church, Murphys is now a focal point of the village. The wonderful Patrick Comerford found a link between Johnny Patterson and the Beatles. It’s worth a read, even if it turns out that Patterson has been getting the credit Dane should have gotten for all these years.
For such a small place, the village has achieved world renown. China (panda) and Israel (steel tree) donated two sculptures on its Sculpture Trail. Another commemorates the two-week stay of French president Charles de Gaulle shortly after his retirement. His nanny was from Sneem. The one that caught my eye was the latest addition – that of footballer John Egan.
On the way over we drove by Moll’s Gap with its stunning views of the McGillycuddy Reeks. Named after a póitín-maker Moll Kissane, I wondered if she was any relation to the sheep-farming Kissanes just up the road on the Killarney side of the Gap. The sheep with the red markings are theirs. The Kissanes have been doing what they do for more than 200 years and have opened their working farm to visitors. Time your visit and you’ll see their sheep dogs in action. I was a great fan of the BBC TV programme, One man and his dog, and I’ve made note of the Kissanes for the next time I’m down in Kerry.
Moll’s Gap is now home to Avoca – one of the many shops and cafés that cater to visiting tourists in search of Irishness that can be packaged and brought home. We’d see a lot of them in our few days – and the sameness of the offer was uninspiring. There’s a market for exclusivity here.
Driving across to Sneem and beyond, the scenery is breathtaking. More than once we stopped to admire a house in the distance, seemingly very much in the middle of nowhere. We wondered about living here – what it would be like. I like my aloneness but would this level of remoteness be too much, even for me? Sadly, it wasn’t that I’d have no neighbours, it was more about being safe. Crime against the elderly in rural Ireland first raised its ugly head back in 1983 and is still prevalent today. That said, there’s something magically appealing about this house and where it is.
Next time
- Visit the way to the fairies went
- Check out the storytelling festival in November
2 responses
I want to know where the fairies went.
Nowhere 🙂 they’re still there