Moll’s
Gap is a pass on the watershed
of the Iveragh Peninsula and has
fine views to the north of the Macgillycuddy's
Reeks. It's a world famous panoramic
beauty spot on the Ring of Kerry,
in between Kenmare and Killarney.
Thousands of tourists visit Moll’s
Gap every year to enjoy
the scenery and nature. The rocks
at Moll's Gap are
part of a group of rocks known as
Old Red Sandstone.
Moll’s
Gap is named for Moll
Kissane, an ancestor of
John Kissane who is running the
farm now. She ran a small pub (or
sibin) here during the construction
of the Killarney – Kenmare
road in the 1820’s. In her
time, Moll Kissane was popular
for her illicit home-made poitin
or whiskey, which she sold in her
sibin.
Poitín
(anglicised as putcheen) is an
Irish whiskey. The term is a diminutive
of the word pota (or pot), since
Poitín was traditionally
distilled in a small pot.
For
centuries, Poitín has been
produced in pot stills under the
bright moon, and because of this,
came to be known as "the shine" or
moonshine. The home-brew was strong,
some brands were as strong as 80%
volume (160 units), and had a distinctive
dry grainy flavour with a delicate
aftertaste that became sweeter as
it developed. Some rural Irish people
still pour it on wounds and sores,
as they believe it to have disinfectant
properties. With as high an alcohol
volume as it has, it certainly does.
In
1661, King Charles II introduced
a levy on spirits in Britain. In
Ireland, however, it was totally
ignored. Ninety-nine years later,
the Crown tried again by outlawing
private distillation unless specifically
licensed by the State. Overnight,
a large proportion of the Irish population
became "criminals" as has
anyone who has distilled it privately
since. Poitín recently has
been legalised for consumption in
Ireland, though legal production
for export has been allowed for some
time.
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