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By travelling the Ring of Kerry anticlockwise , you get a gradual introduction to the wild grandeur of the coastline scenery, with the Dingle Peninsula and the dim shapes of the Blasket Islands visible in the distance. The first stop on the way out from Killarney is the pleasantly unexceptional hillside town of KILLORGLIN , whose main claim to fame is the Puck Fair , held over three days in mid-August, a bacchanalian event with a wild goat captured and enthroned, plenty of dancing and drinking, plus a cattle, sheep and horse fair. These rituals honour the wild goats which, stampeding through the town, warned residents of the approach of Cromwell's army. The fair's pagan origins, however, date back to the Celtic festival of Lughnasa, three days of feasting and ritual sacrifices to celebrate the beginning of harvest. For B&B accommodation the comfortable Riverside House on Ballykissan Rd (tel 066/976 1184; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79), or the homely Failte Towers , Iveragh Rd (tel 066/976 1155; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79) are good options. Inexpensive hearty bar food is served at the pleasant Kerry's Vintage Inn , Upper Bridge St (till 9pm in summer), and the hugely popular, but pricey, Nick's Restaurant (tel 066/976 1219) comes recommended. For such a small town, Killorglin has some excellent bars : the lively Kerry's Vintage Inn holds traditional music sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings during the summer; The Old Forge Inn is an atmospheric old bar on the steep main street, attracting a young crowd; and Coffey's , at the bottom of the main street beside the bridge, is a plain old bar with traditional music on Thursday. In GLENBEIGH , eight miles southwest along the N86 from Killorglin, almost everything is given over to tourism - despite plenty of accommodation, the town illustrates the disadvantages of sticking rigidly to the Ring. However, there are wonderful views all along the coastline and across to Dingle, and a spectacular seven-mile long Blue Flag beach just a mile away. For accommodation , try the family-run Village House B&B in the main street (tel 066/976 8128; GBP40-55/?50.79-69.84), or the tiny Horseshoe Hostel (closed Nov-March; tel 066/976 8606) at the end of the main street, catering for walkers and cyclists, and offering dorms and private rooms (under GBP26/?33.01). Sweeney's and The Towers are a couple of lively bars ; both serve good bar food , and the latter has a good deal of rock and traditional music at weekends. By taking the road up past Caragh Lake , you'll find some of Kerry's best mountain scenery, full of deep silences and the magical slanting light of the west. If you're on a relaxed budget and are looking for comparative luxury, you could stay at the Glendalough House , a mid-nineteen th-century country house on the shores of Caragh Lake (tel 066/976 9156; GBP90-110/?114.28-139.67). Alternatively, you could carry on up to the three small lakes of Coomnacronia, Coomaglaslaw and Coomasaharn (good trout fishing, but you'll need a licence). The lack of trees that contributes to the feeling of austerity in this area was not an original feature of the landscape; Sir William Petty, Cromwell's surveyor general, had an iron mine at Blackstones and felled the forests to fuel a smelter.
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