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This section of the Best Places to Visit in Ireland describes on
two incredibly scenic and popular drives along the coast of Ireland's
Southwest. While the tour of the Ring of Kerry is the most popular,
the crowds on the Dingle Peninsula have increased over the last few years. The towns and villages along both routes are modest in size, although
you will find no shortage of pubs, places to eat and tourist shops. Most
attractions are modest, but the views are the reason for visiting. While many approach both
drives as an endurance race, zipping from one end to the other with limited
stops, we urge you to take your time and inspect your surroundings.
One of the beauties of Ireland is that is it not like your home, take some
time to find out why.
Finally,
like the rest of Ireland, many of the attractions in the Southwest are open
only in summer, so check locally if you are going to visit in other seasons.
The Ring of Kerry drive is downright crowded in summer and you
may find yourself behind a convoy of tour buses at almost anytime of the
day. Most of the tour buses drive the Ring in a counter-clockwise
direction and some tourists who drive themselves prefer to drive the same
route in a clockwise direction to avoid the crowds. In addition, many drivers
prefer to take the clockwise route because you will be driving on the left
in Ireland and this means you will be driving on the side of the road that
will give you the most direct views of the ocean.
Below is our overview map of the Ring of Kerry. For
a more detailed road map of the Southwestern Ireland, click on this symbol
 . When
used in the following text, the map symbol will link to a detailed road map
centered on the location mentioned in the text. Zoom the interactive
map to for more detail, or use the hybrid view to see satellite imagery of
the area. If you get lost, simply zoom out to find your location. For now, the overview
map below) will work just fine.
The Ring of Kerry circuit, an approximately a 103-mile route (173 km), is the
most famous "drive" in Ireland. It runs along the coastline of the
Inveragh Peninsula. Along the way, you will see picturesque villages, historical sites,
beautiful landscapes and spectacular coastal scenery. Traffic on the road
can be congested in high tourist season, so start your tour early in the
day. Driving the route and seeing sights of interest to you along the way
will take most of the day, so budget your time accordingly.
Although Killarney is the logical start/stop for the Ring Drive, the town
has become about as touristy as you will find in Ireland. There are
good quality restaurants and numerous pubs, as well as toe-tapping
music. In summer, however, the crowds are large and the town is a continual
traffic jam. On the other hand, how could say you visited Ireland and
didn't stop in Killarney? For more information about Killarney, visit
the Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce
website.
Killarney is also the gateway to Killarney National Park. Although
you could simply drive through the Park on your Ring of Kerry tour, we
recommend that you give it a closer look and consider spending a day there
if its attractions appeal to your interest. Since there are a number
of attractions at
Killarney National Park, we cover it
later
in this section.
Most of the tour buses drive the Ring in a counter-clockwise
direction from Killarney and some tourists who drive themselves prefer to
drive the same route in a clockwise direction to avoid the crowds.
In addition, many drivers prefer to take the clockwise route because you will be
driving on the left in Ireland and this means you will be driving on the
side of the road that will give you the most direct views of the ocean.
If you want to take the clockwise approach, set out towards Kenmare and
follow the N70 all the way round to Killorglin and then
take the N72 to return to Killarney. If you have time, you may also want to
include a
visit to Valentia Island, which requires a minor deviation from the official
Ring of Kerry Route.
As we noted above, the main reason to visit the Ring of Kerry is to
experience the natural beauty of the Inveragh Peninsula. With the exception
of Killarney (population 13,427), most towns are quite small; however you
will find no shortage of tourist facilities, pubs, shop and good fun.
We list the "main" towns and attractions that you will pass through during
your tour (presuming you are traveling the route counterclockwise from
Kenmare around the peninsula. If you desire to start from Killarney
and head clockwise to Killorglin, the list is reversed.
Kenmare
(pop. 1701) was named one of Kerry's first Heritage Towns.
It is a small known for its golf course, Lace Museum and the Kenmare Stone
Circle, another of Ireland's mysterious, prehistoric burial grounds.
Sneem (pop. 279), a popular destination for families, is a colorful
little village that has an "artsy" orientation. You will find several
galleries here, as well as sculptures placed around the town.
Staigue Fort is regarded as one of Ireland's largest and best-preserved
round, stone forts. It is located
north of Staigue and is about 12 miles (20km) south of Sneem. Only the walls survive today, but it is believed that this fort is the
typical model for a chieftain's fort. It is thought that
the fort is at least 1500 year old and once enclosed the homes of the
clan's members. The fort is unusual in the height and thickness of its
walls.
Derrynane House (and National Park - near Cahirdaniel) was the home
of Daniel O'Connel, the Emancipator, who was a heroic figure in Ireland's
fight for independence. The house is has been turned into a museum of
O'Connell's life. The grounds are extensive. See the Heritage Ireland
website for
information on hours and facilities.
Waterville (pop. 546) is known for its, golf, sport-fishing and nested
position between Lough Currane and Ballinskelligs Bay.
The area
is one that has been popular with movie stars and golf professionals.
You may be able to see Skelling Michael Island offshore this area. If you
are interested in the Skelligs, we cover a visit to Skellig Michael
here.
Valentia Island
(Knightstown pop. 156) can be reached by
diverting south of the Ring of Kerry Road and crossing the bridge to the
island at Portmagee (pop. 376). Many visitors to Valentia Island
travel here to see the Skellig Experience or to take a boat trip to
Skellig Michael.
Cahirciveen (pop. 1294), the capital of the Inveragh peninsula,
lies
on the eastern reach of Valentia Harbor and is a center for sports
fishing. Daniel
O’Connell, known as the Liberator for his role in the pursuit of Ireland’s
freedom from England, was born in Carhen near Caherciveen and is a local
"son", but see Derrynane House near Cahirdaniel for his home and museum.
If you have missed Valentia Island earlier in the route, you can take a
ferry to Knights Town on Valentia Island from here.
The “Old Barracks” (late 19th century) is a popular local
attraction. It was the Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks and now serves as
an informal heritage center for the Inveragh Peninsula. The building itself
is quite unusual, but the heritage center is a little underwhelming.
For more information see the official site of the
Old Barracks.
Those of you interested in the ancient,
round, rock forts that are scattered across Ireland will find two to explore
quite near Cahirciveen. Cahergall Fort
is a partially rebuilt circular
stone fort, located just to the northwest of Cahirciveen. It is worth
seeing if you have the time. While in the area, see the Leacanabuaile
Stone Fort, just a short distance northwest. Dates for both forts are
indeterminate, but some archaeological evidence suggests they may be over
1500 years old.
Try this
site
for some interesting pictures and commentary on
the forts and other historic monuments of County Kerry
Finally, in the area of Cahirciveen you will
find some fine views of Blaskett Island and the Dingle Peninsula.
Glenbeigh (pop. 280), located at the foot of Seefin Mountain, is known
for its sandy beaches (popular with walkers) and panoramic views of the Bay
of Dingle and the Dingle Peninsula.
Trekkers
might be interested in testing the Glenbeigh Horseshoe (from Seefin Mountain
to Drung Hill) reputed to be one of the best mountain walks in County
Kerry. Along the way, you will see glacial lakes and some pleasant mountain
scenery. Expect wet weather and soggy vegetation - dress accordingly.
Killorglin (pop. 1627) is known to many as the doorway to the Ring of
Kerry. The town is situated on the River Laune and is a noted sport-fishing center.
In
addition, Killorglin is known for its Puck Fair held annually on August 10 -
12., during which a wild goat is captured, crowned King Puck and reigns over
the fair. Popular folklore is that fair is the modern continuation of a
medieval fair (others say it originated with the Celts somewhere in
prehistory). In any event, it is yet another time for drinking, singing and dancing.
Hard to believe, but the event attracts over 100,000 visitors each year.
At this point,
you
can head back to Killarney or continue west to the Dingle
Peninsula, if you are in the mood for more of nature's beauty.
In the next section, we cover two
"side-trips" for those traveling the Ring of
Kerry, then move on to the
Dingle Peninsula
and other
attractions in the Ireland's Southwest.
If you need to find
information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web
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