The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Discovering Kerry’s hidden delights by treasure trail
BRITTANY husband-andwife Alain and Blandine Moisan have returned to their native France, but they’ve carried with them memories and souvenirs aplenty having toured Kerry as part of a unique and wholly unexpected treasure-trail gift.
Their children, Stéphanie, Adeline and Erwann, visited the Kingdom in April and, after falling in love with our county, they decided that a trip to Kerry would be a perfect present for their parents.
The imaginative siblings created a treasure trail, handing their parents a list of clues and instructions to follow before they took a surprise ferry to Ireland. By following the trail the couple enjoyed the music, media, food, drink, scenery and culture, giving them a list of enveloped clues to guide them around the Kingdom.
A visit to The Kerryman on Denny Street, Tralee was part of the trail, and the excited couple told us of their beautiful trip.
“We stayed in Tom and Eileen’s farmhouse in Castlemaine last night and we had a lovely stay. It was a relaxing end to what had been a very busy few days,” Alain said.
“We were in Dingle yesterday and we enjoyed a pint in Dick Mack’s Pub. Later on, we toured Slea Head. The scenery was beautiful, it reminded us of home [Brittany] as it’s surrounded by sea, but it’s much more mountainous.
“We were a bit scared travelling on the narrow roads and driving on the left, but the drivers here are very cautious. The people of Kerry are very considerate as a whole. Even when we were looking for your office a gentleman went out of his way to help us get here!”
After enjoying an Irish coffee in Hanafin’s in Annascaul, Alain and Blandine explained that they were ready to take on the Ring of Kerry, where they would take in the gorgeous scenery and pick up a good read from the Kenmare Bookshop recommended by their children.
The trip proved the perfect respite for the couple having come through a year in which their family has been beset by health-related problems.
“We’ve always wanted to visit Kerry after listening to stories we’d heard. We read an article in last week’s Kerryman documenting our trip and it was a lovely surprise to see a picture of our children,” Blandine explained
“The whole trip in Kerry has been one great surprise after another!”