International Tourism in Ireland – A Spooktacular Day in Killarney:The birds were chirping with the sun shining therefore immediately I realized it was the beginning to an exciting fun filled day. Following a delicious traditional Irish breakfast at the Dingle Benners Hotel we continued our adventure to visit Killarney.

Upon arrival at the Ross Castle stunning landscapes were evident along with wildlife present such as friendly ducks that were quite used to tourists. We boarded the Water boat that took us for a scenic tour of the lakes surrounding the castle. The captain explained in great detail the small islands, mountains, plants & nature. He also spoke about the White Tailed Eagles living amongst the trees that overlook the Ross Castle. This was interesting where I have only seen Bald Eagles in Canada however unfortunately none of them were visible for us to see. The most exciting part of the scenic cruise was learning these aspects since Emily Longmire and I researched wildlife and nature in Ireland for an assignment in International.

A nice Irish man named Mike took us on a scenic tour of the National Gardens talking about many similar aspects of Ireland as the Captain on the Water boat cruise. Mike was very informative and knew tons about the area and his ancestry. His lovely horse was named Nancy who was so pretty and was nothing but friendly.

Once we were settled into our Killarney at the Castlelodge Guesthouse Hotel, a few girls and I toured the town soaking up all of the culture and experiences possible. Killarney is a beautiful quaint town rich in history and vibrant in life. The town offers many traditional Irish pubs and exquisite culinary.  Whether shopping for souvenirs or just something nice for you to enjoy, this is the place. The prices were reasonable and customer service was outstanding!

Many of us girls were intrigued in participating in the Ghost Tours recommended by our instructor Nicole Robinson. In previous years students had thought it to be an exciting excursion and that it was. Approaching the bus the intense eye catching graphics said it all. The tour bus was converted into a haunted house extremely scary with artificial body parts, spider webs, smoke, flickering lights and skeletons. On the bus, the driver discussed the history of Ireland especially enforcing the folk art stories of the area. Already anxious and scared, a man in a black cape jumped out of a coffin grabbing Jessica Drennan’s leg resulting with her in my lap. No matter how frightened we were listening to this scary man speak some part of me was still excited for the unexpected. We headed to the Lakeview Hotel on the water where paranormal activity is evident of a young girl then later visited the local Abbey where we continued to be thrilled, eager and nervous. Many moments throughout the driver delivering stories the other man dressed in the black cape would scare us unexpectedly. This resulted in 19 people running, hair pulling, jumping, screaming and of course laughing hysterically. This was a great highlight of the day and made Killarney that more special to me.

After a long eventful day we nuzzled into our comfy beds and snoozed on waiting the next day of fun filled adventures.

Breanna Hall

Tourism Management Student

NSCC Kingstec Campus