County Kerry Contains Some of Ireland’S Most Iconic Scen- Killarney National

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popCounty 145,000 / area 4746 sq km Kerry

Why Go? Killarney...... 265 County Kerry contains some of Ireland’s most iconic scen- Killarney National . ery: impossibly crenulated coastlines, endless green fields Park...... 270 criss-crossed by tumbledown stone walls, and mist-shroud- ed mountain peaks and bogs. Ring of Kerry...... 277 With one of the country’s finest national parks as its Skellig Islands...... 284 backyard, the lively tourism hub of Killarney spills over Kenmare...... 288 with colourful shops, restaurants and pubs with spirited Dingle Peninsula...... 290 trad sessions. Killarney is the jumping-off point for Kerry’s Dingle Town...... 292 two famed loop drives. The larger Ring of Kerry skirts the Iveragh Peninsula, fringed by islands scattered offshore. The West of Dingle...... 299 compact Dingle Peninsula is like a condensed version of its Northern Kerry...... 303 southern neighbour, with ancient sites, sandy beaches and Tralee...... 304 glimpses of a hard, unforgiving land. Listowel...... 307 Kerry’s exquisite beauty makes it one of Ireland’s most popular tourist destinations. But if you need to escape from the crowds, there’s always a mountain pass, an isolated cove or an untrodden trail to discover. Best Places to Eat ¨¨Jacks Coastguard Restaurant (p282) When to Go? ¨¨Smuggler’s Inn (p286) Scads of festivals take place throughout the county during ¨¨Out of the Blue (p298) the warmer months, particularly June to August (when you’ll need to book accommodation well ahead). These are ¨¨Spillane’s (p303) some of the highlights on Kerry’s annual calendar are: ¨¨Listowel’s Writers’ Week is in June . ¨ Best Places to Stay ¨Dingle town has races and a regatta in August. ¨¨Killorglin’s Puck Festival, which dates back at least as ¨¨Gormans Clifftop House far as the 17th century is also held in August. (p302) Even in the depths of winter, you’ll find storytellers ¨¨Aghadoe Heights Hotel and musicians taking part in impromptu sessions in pubs (p276) throughout the county. ¨¨Teach de Broc (p309) ¨¨Parknasilla Resort & Spa (p287) k # \ le

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