County Kerry Contains Some of Ireland’S Most Iconic Killarney Scenery: Surf-Pounded Sea Cliffs and Soft Golden Strands, National Park
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd CountyPOP 145,500 / AREA 4746 SQ KM Kerry Includes ¨ Why Go? Killarney ..................... 255 County Kerry contains some of Ireland’s most iconic Killarney scenery: surf-pounded sea cliffs and soft golden strands, National Park .............260 emerald-green farmland criss-crossed by tumbledown stone Ring of Kerry .............. 267 walls, mist-shrouded bogs and cloud-torn mountain peaks. Killorglin .....................268 With one of the country’s finest national parks as its backyard, the lively tourism hub of Killarney spills over with Caherciveen ..............269 colourful shops, restaurants and pubs loud with spirited Valentia Island ............271 trad music. The town is the jumping-off point for Kerry’s Dingle Peninsula ........ 279 two famed loop drives: the larger Ring of Kerry skirts the Dingle Town .................281 mountainous, island-fringed Iveragh Peninsula. The more Blasket Islands ..........290 compact Dingle Peninsula is like a condensed version of its southern neighbour, with ancient Christian sites, sandy Northern Kerry ..........292 beaches and glimpses of a hard, unforgiving land. Tralee ..........................292 Kerry’s exquisite beauty makes it one of Ireland’s most Listowel ......................295 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 When to Go? ¨ Jacks Coastguard Lots of festivals take place throughout the county during the Restaurant (p270) warmer months, particularly from June to August (when ¨ Smuggler’s Inn (p275) you’ll need to book accommodation well ahead). ¨ Idás (p285) Some of the highlights on Kerry’s annual calendar in- clude Listowel’s Writers’ Week in June and Dingle town’s ¨ Spillane’s (p292) races and regatta in August. Killorglin’s famous Puck Fes- ¨ Tom Crean Fish & Wine tival, which dates back to the 17th century, also takes place (p279) in August. Even in the depths of winter, you’ll find storytellers and musicians taking part in impromptu sessions in pubs Best Walks throughout the county. ¨ Muckross Lake Loop (p261) ¨ Bentee Loop (p270) ¨ Mt Brandon (p289) ¨ The Saint’s Road (p289) ¨ Carrauntoohil (p267) Ù# Ù# 254 CLARE Kilrush \# Labasheeda \# e# 0 20 km #\ 0 10 miles \# Carrigaholt Killimer #\ Tarbert \# \# Glin Kilbaha Ballylongford \# LIMERICK Mouth of the Cashen #\Ballybunion 4¼N69 ATLANTIC Shannon Bay OCEAN \# Ballyduff\# Athea Listowel #\ R Kerry iv er Head F Abbeyfeale \# ea Ballyheigue le \# Ballyheigue 4¼N69 Maharees Bay \# Banna Islands Banna #\ Ardfert Mullaghareirk Brandon Rough Strand Mountains Point Point 4¼N21 Brandon Tralee Fenit Tralee Mt \# #\ \# #\ Bay Bay Spa #9 Brandon \# #æ Brandon (951) Brandon #3#\ Castlegregory Crag Cave \# Blennerville Creek \# R #\ Kilcummin \# R Castleisland i Cloghane #\ v Sybil c Slieve Mish 4¼N70 4¼N22 e 4¼N23 r Point Ballydavid Connor 4¼N86 Camp Mountains \# B Farranfore l Saint's Pass a Ballyferriter \#Lougher #\ Ballydesmond #\ \# #\ Annascaul \# c #7 Road #\ #– k Clogher \# #\ Castlemaine w #\ \# Dingle Inch 4¼N22 Kerry Dunquin#\ a R Ventry Lispole t #5 Dingle Airport Annagh e Inch Cromane r Slea Head Peninsula Point #\ #\Killorglin Bog Blasket Drive Glenbeigh KERRY \# Islands \# Lough Killarney Dingle Rossbeigh 4¼N72 Rathmore Kells Caragh Gap of #] Bay Strand 4¼N70 Inishvickillane Bay Carrauntoohil Dunloe #4 Lough R Been Hill #R2 #1 Leane Kells (668m) Derrynasaggart KnocknadobarR \# (688m) Glencar #\ c Mountains COUNTY KERRY COUNTY KERRY KERRY Ballaghisheen #÷ Caherciveen c Pass Killarney 4¼N22 Valentia \# R c National Park Island f# Coomacarrea Ballghbeama #\ (772m) Gap 4¼N71 Knightstown ny n Deriana #\ 4¼N70 I Iveragh Portmagee r Lough \# ve Peninsula Kenmare Ri 4¼N70 Ballingeary Ballinskelligs Waterville Sneem\# Tahilla #\ #\6 \# Saint #\ #Lough \# er 4¼N71 Skellig iv Beara COU Finan's Currane Parknasilla e R ar Peninsula Islands Bay m Caherdaniel #\ en #8 \#\# K \# nt Derrynane Castlecove Lauragh Ring of Kerry #\Glengarriff \# Kealkill Scariff \# Y KE Y c R Island Ardgroom \# Healy Sugarloaf Ballylickey Coulagh Pass Bay \# Mountain CORK rr Eyeries (574m) \#Bantry Y H Y \# #\ Bantry Drimoleague Dursey Allihies Durrus 4¼N71 I Bere Island Bay \# G Island ¤# #\ hli Gortnakilly Dunmanus Kilcrohane \# Bay G ht S County Kerry Highlights 1 Travel by boat and by bike 4 Go fly fishing for brown 7 Discover the monuments through the Killarney Lakes and trout (p263) or salmon on along the Saint’s Road (p289) the Gap of Dunloe (p266) Killarney’s beautiful Lough on the Dingle Peninsula 2 Hike to the 1000m summit Leane 8 Take a boat trip to the of Carrauntoohil (p267), 5 Hire a bike and cycle remote monastic ruins atop Ireland’s highest peak around the incredibly scenic the Skellig Michael (p276) 3 Scuba-dive (p292) the Slea Head Drive (p288) 9 Cruise through fresh and crystal-clear waters around 6 Tee off at the spectacularly saltwater habitats on a safari Castlegregory’s Maharees situated Waterville Golf Links at the Tralee Bay Wetlands Island (p275) on the Ring of Kerry Centre (p293) .