Kerry Way May 19, 2025 Day 5 - Waterville to Caherdaniel

Hillwalk Tours Coastal Route Overview  After several days of hiking, your feet may just decide that this short walk is exactly what you need. With the Atlantic Ocean to your right and Lough Currane to the left, this is one of Ireland’s most beautiful hikes. From the top of Coomakista Pass you can enjoy spectacular coastal panoramas of the Kenmare River, Derrynane Bay and the surrounding islands. If you choose to follow the Derrynane Mass Path from there, you can even dip your toes into the sea at one of the beautiful beaches along the way.

Daily Information 

Distance:   18.1 Kms   [113.1 Kms]

Walking time:   3h 50m [25h 13m]

Avg walking speed:   4.7 Kms/hr  [4.5 Kms/hr]

Elevation G/L meters: 291:(301)  [2,556 (2,609)]

Total Daily Steps: 24,350 [150,719]

I have received feedback that I will soon run out of superlatives in describing the Kerry Way walk 😊 Today was described as a gem “one of Ireland’s most beautiful hikes as per Hillwalk tours description” The walk lived up to expectations and more!

Short at 18kms John and I ambled along at a leisurely pace…stopping for a little late morning snack and later for some pop (lemon flavour…it was delicious 😋)at Derryname House home of Irish politician liberator Daniel O’Connell.

I did my best with a selfie…I thought I was getting better 😂 Hopeless 😩 

Mid morning snack items

Breakfast…always a treat was a little different today!

An omelette 😋

Before leaving for the day today I had a look at my Tilley hat…ouch starting to look like it could use a little TLC with a “salt” brim. Hmmm maybe as a result of a few strenuous days in the sun.

When I return home what to do…what to do? On the 2022 Camino Primitivo with Paulo…he or maybe it was me 😉 had the bright idea of washing it at high speed and throwing it in the dryer. See for yourself what happened…not a good look for a Canadian so it was replaced 😢.

The day started with a little humour as we received a thoughtful suggestion from a fellow walker from Germany 🇩🇪 that a side road would alleviate the heavy traffic on the road back to Waterville.

Much appreciated…thank you…off we went. Only problem is the main highway with NO shoulder was blocked off up the road for a cycling competition.

End result our much smaller country lane…with NO shoulder…received ALL the traffic. Had to be very careful!

Soon though we were heading out of Waterville with a beautiful coast walking trail. A number of statues…

A local legend Mick O’Dwyer Gaelic Football player

With Charlie Chaplin who spent time in Waterville 

No idea?

The Irish word for the day is Codology

Definition: Codology is an Irish informal word for the art or practice of bluffing or deception 

Sample Usage: John and I simply concluded that one person stands head and shoulders above anyone…living or deceased…in the use of Codology. Anyway another eat word added to my vocabulary!

John related a very interesting personal story about Gaelic Football. 

First a few facts. The 2025 National Gaelic GAA championship will be held Dublin this July. All 32 counties in the Republic of Ireland (26) and Northern Ireland (6) have teams vying to be champions.

The county of Mayo where John was born last won the championship in 1951. As they were celebrating 🎉 on their return from the championship match they came across a funeral procession in a town.

The local parish priest took great exception to their boisterous celebrations and stated “you have disrespected the funeral” and he placed a curse “As long as any of the championship team players live the county of Mayo will not win another Gaelic football championship”

Well no championship since 1951…the last team member passed away in 2021. So as John says “they can’t use that as an excuse anymore” 😳

I am currently watching an under 20 Gaelic Football match…really interesting. John Googled and determined that Toronto has some Gaelic Football matches. I can’t wait to see one…will be asking “who wants to go with me?”

Some may wonder how John and I interact during the many hours walking. Do you talk all the time? Do you ignore each other? Well neither. 

My best estimate is that 80% of the day one or the other is out in front walking. 🚶 The other times we are interacting…talking about this and that…taking a snack break etc. John as I have mentioned in blogposts is knowledgeable on so many things…me I know a little bit here and there 😊. I am very fortunate in having the opportunity to learn about Ireland…its history…current successes and challenges.

Together John and I are solving shall we say “World problems” while walking 😉. This mirrors my experience in walking many days with my good friend Paulo from Brazil.

Reflecting on this…a little story and a possible question/conclusion. Pa (dad) and his friend Joe would walk most nights along the train tracks behind my home in what was St. Boniface (now amalgamated into Winnipeg) solving “World problems”. 

In later years Joe would drive to pick up Pa every Friday and drive maybe 500 meters or so to McDonald’s. They would order two senior coffees…get free refills…solve “World problems” and Joe would leave with the National newspaper (they don’t need it).

Here is what struck me today…have I come full circle in life? 🤣 Are we doing what Pa and Joe did many years ago? 🤔 I will leave that thought hanging at the moment regarding “World problems” solving. Must grab what I can at breakfast… bananas, cookies, whatever I can fit in my pockets for a morning snack “it’s extra stuff…they won’t need it” 😇

As far as meeting fellow walkers they are few and far between. Overall most walkers are from Germany 🇩🇪 we met the fellow from Israel 🇮🇱 again today and another woman from the United States 🇺🇸 

Supper at the only bar in Caherdaniel…

A different Guinness beer pie…delicious with Brandy and ginger ale…much smoother than Irish Whiskey!

Day 6 tomorrow on to Sneem…another short day less than 20 kms with 450 meters elevation gain. Day 7 is the longer day at 32 kms…we are just warming up for that.

The scenery today was spectacular…I will simply defer to pictures below. There is no way for me to properly capture the views on my iPhone…hopefully you get a sense on how special this country and scenery is.

Wedge tomb