County Kerry

COUNTY KERRY – WHY GO?

County Kerry has all the visual melodrama you could want: dramatic mountains, brooding cliffs and miles of deserted coastline.  The much-sung Ring of Kerry is a 110-mile scenic drive around its finest peaks. Unmissable is the scenic Dingle Peninsula, where the Atlantic bowls in and dolphins frolic in the bay. Discover Kerry's wild and dramatic scenerys, islands teeming with wildlife, and a traditional Irish heritage that still thrives.

MUST SEE, MUST DO

Lakes of Killarney
Explore lovely Caragh Lake on foot then maybe set off for the Gap of Dunloe – an eight-mile mountain pass – followed by a trip through the three Lakes of Killarney; starting at the 15^th century Ross Castle on Lough Leane. Walk to Torc waterfall, tumbling 18m into Muckross Lake, where Muckross House sits at the heart of the Killarney national park. Or make a day of it touring the scenic 179km Ring of Kerry.

Slea Head Peninsula
Slea Head Peninsula is one of the loveliest places you’ll ever see and offers a wealth of activities. Swim with Fungi the resident dolphin (preferably in a wetsuit), go fishing or enjoy bracing coastal walks. Keep in shape with a round of golf or some arm-in-arm tramping around the bay.

Dingle
Dingle itself is well worth exploring, and you can go rock fishing or take a boat ride to the nearby Blasket Islands. The town also has an aquarium with a shark tank. There are a wealth of Bronze Age relics around, especially in the Loch A'Dúin Valley, on the northern side of the Conor Pass. 

Blasket Islands
These six rugged islands lie 3km off the coast of the Dingle Peninsula. Teeming with birdlife, including plump puffins, the islands have retained a unique culture with their preservation of the pure Irish language. Many books have been written by islanders about their lives in these isolated communities.

MAKE A DATE

February
Watch an Irish jig or three at the All Ireland Dancing Championships in Killarney.

March
Take in some Irish films and new movie releases at the Dingle film festival.

July
Killarney's Summerfest is the stage for two weeks of music, theatre and story telling.

August
Dingle Bay plays host to boat races and a regatta – so find your sea legs.

October
Sample some local delights at the Dingle Food and Wine Festival.

 
COUNTY KERRY ROMANCE
Take a stroll along the beach at St Finian’s Bay and enjoy a rugged Atlantic sunset together.