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If you go into Lickeen Woods this Friday, you’ll certainly be in for a big surprise. A family fairy trail and unicorn rides are taking place in the picturesque woods in Glencar, Co Kerry at 6pm on 22 June.
Local national schools and members of the community have been hard at work building an ethereal fairy walk in the woods over the past few months. This event is the perfect opportunity to witness the fruits of their labour.
There will be a fairy walk, unicorn pony rides, fancy dress, penalty shootout, face painting and much more. The whole family will be entertained and delighted at the variety of choices.
The event is being held by Kerry Pony Rides (KPR), which is owned by Josie and Tom Kissane. This is the second year the trail has taken place and Josie fully intends to continue the new-found tradition next summer. She also has plans for a Halloween woodland pony walk later this year.
During the pony ride, the guided walker has a lead on the horse and the child rides the horse through the nearby Macgillycuddy’s Reeks in Kerry. The breathtaking mountain range contains Ireland’s biggest mountain, Carrauntoohil.
The rides are mainly aimed at first-time pony riders and young children. However, Josie recommends the event to fans of woodland walks and also those who have never taken the time to explore the beautiful Lickeen Woods before.
Josie previously worked with ponies and horses in America but she has been living locally in Kerry for decades and started her pony ride business in Killarney six years ago. KPR has 14 horses in total, 12 of which are ponies with names such as Lemonpie and Merrylegs.
Josie has done many similar forest pony walks in the past for parties and celebrations.
“I started painting pony’s tails and manes which people really liked and then unicorns became very popular, so the unicorn pony rides were only natural really,” she said.
She hopes to see around 300 people at the event. According to Josie, over 140 people attended the trail last year.
A 15-minute guided pony ride costs €5. The event will help raise funds for the maintenance of Lickeen football field and clubhouse. Anyone in the area is welcomed to attend the event which will begin at 6pm in Lickeen Woods.
For more information call Josie on 087-7445094 or visit www.kprponyrides.com.
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