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The Guide
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 Map of Kerry
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Other Attractions
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Images from around Kerry
 Skellig Michael
Ladies View
Gap Of Dungloe
Kilarney
Torc Waterfall
Crag Caves
Blasket Centre
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 Ardfert Cathedral - ruined 13th century Cathedral and Templenahoe and Templenagriffin
churches on the site of a monastery founded by Saint Brendan with
Romanesque carvings, guided tours (Entry IR£1.50)
Beaches in County Kerry - golden sandy beaches on the Dingle Peninsula including Inch Strand,
Castlegregory beach which is popular with surfers and Slea Head
(not safe for swimming). Ring of Kerry beaches include White Strand
near Cahirciveen and Rossbeigh Strand, a long sandy beach safe
for swimming with a campsite at Glenbeigh. Ballinaskelligs at
the end of the Iveragh Peninsula, has a nice beach and on the
north coast of Kerry, the long Banna Strand and Ballybunion beaches
are popular and often busy with holidaymakers in summer.
Ballaghbeama Pass - The scenic Ballaghbeama Pass cuts across the mountains in the
centre of the Iveragh Peninsula and offers an alternative route
to the Ring of Kerry
Beara Peninsula - Only the northern edge of the Beara Peninsula is in County Kerry,
most is in Cork. The Ardgroom stone circle and Derreen Gardens
near Lauragh (Entry IR2.50) on the Kerry side are worth visiting,
however.
Blasket Islands - currently there is only a small ferry service to Great Blasket,
the biggest of the six small inhospitable islands off the coast
of the Dingle Peninsula, which runs from Dunquin. The islands
are the most westerly land in Europe. The last residents moved
to the mainland in 1953 and the islands are now home to only seabirds.
There is a café and campsite on Great Blasket.
Crag Caves - Limestone cave system near Castleisland and Tralee, which has
stalactite and stalagmite formations over one million years old.
It was lit and opened to the public only recently, after its discovery
in 1983. Café and shop, (Open March to November Tel: 066 41244.
Entry IR£3)
Fishing in County Kerry - seatrout, salmon and brown trout can be caught in the rivers Flesk
and Laune near Killarney and in the three Lakes of Killarney.
Phone Killarney tourist office on 064 31633 for permit details.
Sea trout fishing on Lough Currane and trout and salmon fishing
on the Inny River, also sea fishing trips from Dingle Town on
the Dingle Peninsula and from Waterville on the Ring of Kerry.
Killarney National Park - Much of the stunning scenery around the Lakes of Killarney is
inside the 10,236 hectare Killarney National Park just southwest
of Killarney town. The main attraction of the park is its lakes,
Lough Leane (the Lower Lake or lake of learning), Muckross Lake
and Upper Lake which are corralled between the rugged Torc, Mangerton,
Shehy and Purple Mountains. As well as wild mountainous scenery
the Park also contains a castle, two mansions and some interesting
religious ruins. Ross Castle, the 15th century home of the O'Donoghues
was the last place in Munster to surrender to Cromwell's forces.
Lake cruises are run from the castle. Boats to Inisfallen Island,
which has the ruins of a monastery and a 12th century oratory,
also run from Ross Castle. St Finian the Leper founded the monastery
on Inisfallen in the 7th century and the 13th Irish history Annals
of Inisfallen (now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford) were also
written there. Muckross house is open to the public and contains
exhibitions on local heritage and crafts as well as 19th century
furniture. The Muckross Estate in the centre of the park, has
attractive lakeside gardens and an arboretum and also incorporates
Muckross Traditional Farms, a set of 1930s style farmhouses complete
with traditional livestock (Muckross House Tel: 064 31440. Entry
to house IR£3.80. Muckross Farms IR£3.80. Joint ticket IR£5.50)
Jaunting car tours run from Muckross. The ruin of the 15th century
Muckross Abbey, which was burnt by Cromwell's troops in 1652,
is also near the house. Knockeer House isn't open to the public,
but it has beautiful gardens. The Gap of Dungloe road through
McGillycuddy's Reeks (mountains) and the Purple Mountains, on
the edge of the park, is extremely packed in summer, but further
along the N71 towards Kenmare there are scenic viewpoints at the
Torc Waterfall near the entrance to Muckross House, at the Ladies
View and at Molls Gap. Bus and horse drawn jaunting car tours
of the Park and the surrounding area leave from Killarney town
daily in the summer. (Tel: Killarney Tourist office on 064 31633).
Ring of Kerry - One of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland and therefore
usually heaving with coaches tours in summer, the Ring of Kerry
is a 112 mile route along the N70 from Killarney around the Iveragh
Peninsula. Sites to see around the Ring, (as well as the rugged
coastal scenery) include Staigue Fort a huge ancient dry stone
fort with an earthen bank and ditch dated around 200AD (Access
IR50p) with an interpretative centre, the Staigue Fort Exhibition
Centre (Entry IR2) between Castlecove and Caherdaniel, Derrynane
National Historic Park and house, which was the home of the O'Connells
and has lots of Daniel OConnell memorabilia (Entry IR2), The Barracks
Heritage Centre in Cahirciveen, the town which was the birthplace
of Daniel OConnell (Entry IR3), The Kerry Bog Village Museum near
Glenbeigh, which has reconstructed 19th century traditional turf
cutters cottages (Entry IR3.50). Activities on the Ring of Kerry
include lake, river and sea fishing from Waterville, scuba diving,
rock climbing and watersports from Caherdaniel. Sandy beaches
which are safe for swimming include at those Cahirciveen and Rossbeigh
Strand at Glenbeigh.
Kenmare Druid Circle - Large Bronze Age Druid stone circle, which has 15 stones surrounding
a dolmen tomb
Skellig Ring - Route around the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula from Waterville
to Portmagee which passes the interesting ruined Ballinskelligs
monastery which is thought to have been founded by the Skellig
monks after they left the island around the 12th century near
a pretty a deserted beach where there is also a ruined castle
Skellig Islands - Steep rocky islands off the Iveragh Peninsula which can be reached
on boat trips from Portmagee, Ballinaskelligs and Cahirciveen.
There are limits on the number of people who are allowed onto
Skellig Michael at one time so that the well persevered monastery
site is not damaged so it is advisable to book ahead. The islands
are also impossible to reach during windy weather. Some boatmen
licensed to run trips to the Skellig islands include Mr Lavelle
Tel: 066 76124 and Mr McCrohan Tel: 066 76142 from Valentia Island,
Mr Roddy Tel: 066 74268 and Mr Walsh Tel: 066 79147 from Ballinaskelligs
and Mr O'Keefe Tel: 066 77103 from Portmagee. The return trip
to Skellig Michael usually costs around IR20.
Skellig Michael - The larger of the two Skellig Islands looks like the steep cone
of an extinct volcano and was named Skellig Michael by the monks
who made it their home between the 8th and 12th centuries in dedication
to St Michael the Archangel and patron saint of high places. The
fascinating remains of their monastery include six beehive huts
and two churches on a terrace 550 feet above the sea and two other
oratory churches on other ledges and a hermitage on the 714 feet
high rock's upper peak. Skellig Michael is eight miles away from
the mainland and rough seas make it inaccessible for much of the
year, but records surviving from this remote community include
the kidnap of one of the monks by the Vikings and the death of
the abbot in AD823. The island later became a marriage destination
for 16th century couples after the change to the Gregorian calendar
meant that they were forbidden to get married during lent on the
mainland. Skellig Michael is famous for its rocky cliffs where
kittiwakes, storm petrels, fulmars, razorbills, guillemots, gannets
and puffins can be seen during summer.
Little Skellig - The boat trips don't land on Little Skellig but often go past
to show you the thousands of nesting seabirds
Valentia Island - Small island attached to the mainland by bridge near Portmagee,
The Skellig Experience centre has displays about the monastery
on Skellig Michael and the wildlife of the Skelligs (Entry IR3),
boats to the Skelligs, accommodation, pubs, eateries in Knightstown
the main town and the smaller Chapeltown, sea fishing trips, scuba
diving from the Valentia Hyperbaric Diving Centre (066 76225),
Des Lavelle dive centre (066 76124), The Dive Centre (066 76204)
Quick guide to Kerry
Inis recommends - The Dingle Peninsula
Tourist Attractions
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