You could be forgiven for thinking that you might have strayed from the scenic Irish roads of the Wild Atlantic Way drive and somehow ended up in the foreign shores of Egypt when you come across The Way the Fairies Went sculptures in Sneem, County Kerry. The project was designed by sculptor James Scanlon and comprises of four pyramid shaped natural stone structures with stained glass. The sculptures are also known locally as The Pyramids.
The pretty village of Sneem is renowned for its scenic location but in recent times it has gained attention for its collection of public sculptures. Located beside St Michael's Church, The Way the Fairies Went was created to celebrate the village winning the national title in the Tidy Towns Competition in 1987. Taking inspiration from stories from his youth as well as local sights and place names, James' vision for the pyramids was as though a mythical fairy spirit had magically created them and promptly disappeared from sight again. The resulting stone structures blend comfortably into their countryside location. The entrances to each of the pyramids are designed to fit nothing larger than a small child or a fairy.
Nearby is a statue of the Goddess Isis, which was a gift to the people of Ireland from the people of Egypt.
A short 13km drive from Sneem to nearby Gleesk Pier will bring you to one of only two coral beaches in Ireland. This small, rare geological beach consists not of sand but of dried and sun bleached coralline algae known as Maerl.
