SLÍ CHIARRAÍ THUAIDH NORTH KERRY WAY Your Guide Book to Walking The North Kerry Way on the Wild Atlantic Way - a walking trail from Tralee to Kerry Head in Ballyheigue. OVERVIEW GRADE: Moderate ESTIMATED TIME: 2 days FORMAT: Linear & Circular START POINT: Tralee TRAIL QUALITY: *** START POINT GRID REF: LENGTH: 48 km Q 835 141 CATEGORY: Walking/ END POINT: Ballyheigue Hiking Trail END POINT GRID REF: TYPE: National Q 751 280 Waymarked Trail ORDNANCE SURVEY MAP: WAYMARKING: OSI Discovery Series Yellow arrow on black Sheets 63 and 71 background DOGS ALLOWED: Yes CLIMB: 450m Please note: The information contained in this activity brochure, in all formats, is provided as a guide only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information, Kerry County Council expressly disclaim any liability or responsibility for the accuracy of the information THE NORTH KERRY WAY IS contained herein. No endorsement, whether expressed or implied, is given by Kerry County Council. All information is correct at time of going to print. MARKED ON THE GROUND BY STANDARD BLACK POSTS CARRYING THE YELLOW ‘WALKING MAN’ LOGO AND AN ARROW INDICATING DIRECTION 2 5 THIS GUIDEBOOK The way has been SERVES AS A divided into five COMPANION section with an ON THE WALK – accompanying map CONFIRMING THE for each section, WAY TO GO AND detailing points IDENTIFYING of interest. PLACES OF INTEREST PLEASE KEEP TO THE MARKED PATHS ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS should not be necessary, but for those who like to carry them, sheets numbers 63 and 71 are suitable (Discovery Series 1:50,000). 4 INFORMATION SOURCES: www.irishtrails.ie www.activeme.ie www.discoverireland.ie www.gokerry.ie www.kerryyournaturalescape.ie BY RAIL BY BUS BY AIR RAILWAY STATION BUS STATION KERRY AIRPORT Casement Station, Casement Station, Kerry Airport is located John Joe Sheehy Road John Joe Sheehy at Farranfore, in the centre of Tralee Road, Tralee 18km from Tralee. http://www.irishrail. http:// www.kerryairport.ie ie/travel-information/ www.buseireann.ie/ Tel: (066) 9764644 tralee-casement Tel: (066) 7123566 Tel: (066) 7123522 WHERE TO STAY There is a wide range Advice can be obtained of accommodation to from the Failte Ireland suit every budget in the Tourist Office which Tralee/Ballyheigue/ is located in the Ashe North Kerry area. Memorial Hall, Denny Street, Tralee Tel: (066) 7121288 6 THE LANDSCAPE IS UNCLUTTERED AND THERE IS A FEELING OF SPACE AND GREAT OPENNESS WITH VISTAS TO THE HORIZONS THE NATIONAL TRAILS OFFICE ENCOURAGES TRAIL USERS TO APPLY THE ‘LEAVE NO TRACE’ PRINCIPLES: 1. Plan ahead and prepare 2. Be considerate of others Practising a leave no trace ethic is very simple: 3. Respect farm animals and wildlife 4. Travel and camp on durable ground ‘MAKE IT HARD FOR OTHERS TO SEE OR HEAR 5. Leave what you find YOU AND LEAVE NO TRACE OF YOUR VISIT’. 6. Dispose of waste properly 7. Minimise the effects of fire 8 THE NORTH KERRY WAY IS ONE OF IRELAND’S LONG-DISTANCE PATHWAYS APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL WAYMARKED WAYS COMMITTEE The North Kerry Way Average walkers should is one of Ireland’s find little difficulty in long-distance completing the way in two pathways approved days, but it can be broken by the National Way up into shorter stages. marked Ways Committee. Its total length is 48km (almost 30 miles). 10 BIRDS, ANIMALS, INSECTS – A VARIETY OF CREATURES GREAT BIODIVERSITY A multitude of birds nest and forage along AND SMALL, CAN ON THE NORTH the shorelines including KERRY WAY: seagulls, shags, cormorants BE SPOTTED AS YOU FROM START and herons and due to the area’s mild winter climate, WANDER ALONG THE TO FINISH, THE a wide variety of migratory birds can be found. ROUTE. NORTH KERRY The roadside hedgerows WAY HOSTS A boast hundreds of varieties DIVERSE RANGE of plants and wild flowers. OF HABITATS Marine animals such as sea otters, seals, AND SPECIES porpoises, dolphin and even an occasional whale can be spotted looking west to the wild and abundant Atlantic Ocean. 12 The starting point is adjacent The landscape is uncluttered to the Fáilte Ireland Tourist and there is a feeling of Office in the Ashe Hall, space and great openness, Denny Street, Tralee. with vistas to the horizons. From here, the Way goes It is a journey to be enjoyed through Tralee Town Park at any time of year, each on towards the bank of season bringing its own an old ship canal, past charm and freshness. Blennerville and along by a sea wall to the Spa. By following these markers it should be possible to A country road then brings complete the entire route the walker to a splendid firm without any great difficulty. beach that stretches from Banna right into Ballyheigue. Please keep to the The nature of the terrain marked paths changes here as the path A: Ashe Memorial Hall, traverses the low hills of Tralee – the start of the Kerry Head and loops back North Kerry Way to finish at Ballyheigue. There is infinite variety on this walk with the Atlantic Ocean always in sight, sometimes a mile or so away, but more often at one’s feet. 14 B. The Canal Walkway - C. A nature reserve is a tower mill and the F. Views of Tralee what was once the tow for a range of bird tallest of its kind in Bay with the Slieve path of the Tralee Ship species including Europe at 21.3 metres high. Mish Mountain Canal, opened in 1846 waders, geese and range and right to and was used as a other water birds. E. Tralee Canal lock Fenit Harbour & Marina supply line to Tralee gates used for raising and the Lighthouse by freighters for D. Blennerville and lowering boats. on Samphire Island. over 100 years. Windmill, Ireland’s largest working Windmill, G. The Spa (opportunity for refreshment break) 16 H. A ring fort (located J. As you leave the laneway, on private property) – you will notice a finger sometimes called “Raths” post some metres to or “Lioses” and one of the right, with the legend many in this area. “Casement’s Fort”. It was here that Sir Roger I. Scrahan Cross with a Casement was captured new vista of low hills of on Good Friday 1916. Kerry Head and away to the left the Atlantic Ocean. 18 K. Ruin of Rahoneen M. Before going down on Just over 1km from N. Banna Strand is a blue Castle, said to have to the beach, stand for a here towards Banna is flag beach and is a popular been the residence of moment on the dune and a memorial to Roger bathing resort with a the Bishop of Ardfert. look westwards over the Casement, a little behind lifeguard service during ocean. The promontory the sand dunes so cannot the summer months. L. Carrahane Strand on the right is Kerry Head. be seen from the beach. where many species Straight in front is low and of birds can be seen. jagged Illaunabarnagh and to its left the distinctive dome of Mucklaghmore. 20 22 O Cul Trá – The Back out it is possible to walk views stretching from projecting from the sand. Strand is a flat heath which onto these rocks, but the Maharees all along The most famous wreck contains a rabbit warren beware of being trapped to Barrow and over to associated with the Bay is and in spring and summer by the incoming waters. Kerry Head. the ‘Golden Lyon’- a cargo skylarks fill the air with song. Under no circumstances ship on a voyage from should you bathe anywhere R. Ballyheigue Bay shoals Copenhagen to India with P. Rockbeg and its larger in this area. a long way out resulting a cargo that included twelve companion, the Black Rock, in many ships having large chests of silver bullion. are separated by a deep Q. A place to stop and foundered here. At certain The captain and crew channel. When the tide is admire the expansive times of the year and all managed to get depending on the tides, safely ashore, as well their timbers can be sighted as all the bullion! 24 S. Ballyheigue is a 1800’s on the site of an older popular seaside resort mansion and remained the where refreshments residence and accommodation of the Crosbie family, are available. (local landlords) until it burned down in 1921. Dominating the village In recent years the and giving it a distinctive grounds have been character is the castle ruin. turned into a golf course. It was built in the early 26 28 cliff-side and some white posts. This is Glendahalin – The Glen of St. Dahalin. For as long as can be remembered, people have come here to pray and to bathe their eyes in the waters of the Holy Well. The custom is as alive today as it ever was for this is Tobar na Súl – the Spring of the eyes. W. A spectacular vista including the Slieve Mish T. The line on the map here U. This bend in the sunken day the seaside resort of Range and, to the west, marks the ‘Track of the Red track commands a sweeping Ballybunion can be seen the sacred peak of Ditch’ – An Claí Rua. This is vista of land and ocean and behind it, Cnoc an Óir. Mount Brandon. The an archaeological artefact of with the mouth of the Almost straight in front Maharees Peninsula unknown origin but thought River Shannon, its waters is Loop Head with juts into the Bay and to be some thousands of stretching to the coast of its lighthouse.