Ireland
- Sightseeing - Sightseeing in Kerry
County
Kerry is deservedly renowned for its scenic vistas and picture postcard
beauty. The coastline is magnificent and inland you will find rolling
green hills, Ireland's highest mountains, Carrantuohill and Mount
Brandon and pretty lakes.
The southwest coast of the region has three peninsulas: the Beara,
the Iveragh, and the Dingle; and the road known as the Ring of Kerry
makes a complete circuit of the Iveragh Peninsula. The most visited
part of Kerry is Killarney and the Ring of Kerry, though it is very
easy to get off the tourist trail and find a piece of Ireland all
to yourself.
The Ring
of Kerry and the Iveragh Peninsula
The
Ring of Kerry is a 104 mile (166 km) drive around the coastline
of the Iveragh peninsula. The trip can be made comfortably in one
day and the scenery is stunning with breath-taking views over the
Atlantic. There are plenty of bus tours of the Ring of Kerry that
also take in the main tourist attractions of the area.
Bus
Tours
Bus Eireann
The Travel Centre
Killarney
Tel: + 353 64 30 011
June-Sept only
Corcoran's
Tours
8 College Street
Killarney
Tel: + 353 6436 666
Deros Tours
Main Street
Killarney
Email: deroscoachtours@eircom.net
Website: Deros
Tours
O'Connor's
Tours
Ardross
Ross Road
Killarney
Tel: +353 64 31052
Parks
Derrynane House
National Historic Park
Caherdaniel
Tel: +353 66 947 5113
Fax: +353 66 947 5432
3.5km from Caherdaniel - off N70 - Ring of Kerry
Derrynane House
is the ancestral home of Daniel O'Connell, lawyer, politician and
statesman. Situated on 120 hectares of parklands the House displays
many relics of O'Connell's life and career.
The
Inner Ring
A beautiful
drive which skirts the foothills of McGillycuddy's Reeks and Lough
Acoose and crosses one of the most wild landscapes of Ireland -
the Ballaghbeama Pass - before joining the Ring of Kerry road at
Moll's Gap and returning to Killarney. About 2.5 hours drive.
The
Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula
is the most westerly part of Europe and stretches away from the
mainland offering mountains for hiking, sandy beaches and some of
the best celtic ruins in Ireland. The films Ryan's Daughter and
Far and Away were filmed on the peninsula.
Visitor
Centres
Blasket Centre
Museum
Dún Chaoin
Tel: +353 66 915 6444
Fax: +353 66 915 6446
The Blasket
center celebrates the cultural and literary traditions of the Blasket
Islands and the history of Corca Dhuibhne, the Gaeltacht (Irish
language) area.
Dingle Oceanworld
Aquarium
Near Dingle Harbour
Dingle Town
Tel: +353 66 915 2111
Fax: +353 66 915 2155
Website:
Dingle Oceanworld.ie
The Freshwater
Experience
Emlagh
Lispole
Tel: +353 66 915 1045
Fax: +353 66 915 1804
Email: info@freshwaterexp.com
The Celtic and Prehistoric Museum
Cill mhic an Domhnaigh
Ceann Trá
Tel: +353 66 915 9941
Ceardlann
Craft Village
The Wood
Dingle
Tel: +353 66 915 1778
A cluster of traditional cottages set on the hillside above Dingle
town and harbor. Local craft workers produce and sell handmade felts,
fun jewelry and mosaics, and traditional Irish musical instruments,
silver jewelry and ceramic pictures.
Historical
Buildings
Eask Tower
Carhoo Hill
Dingle
Tel: +353 66 915 1850
Eask Tower is a 40 foot (15m) solid stone tower which was built
in 1847 as a signal for Dingle Harbour. From the top of Carhoo Hill
you'll get panoramic views of Dingle Harbour, Connor Pass, Slea
Head, and, on the far side of Dingle Bay, the high peaks of the
Iveragh Peninsula.
Archeological
Sites
The Dingle Peninsular
hosts some of Ireland's oldest and most impressive archeological
sites. You can see ring forts, beehive huts, oratories and stone
crosses and the best of these ancient monuments lie west of Dingle
town and include Dún Beag, near Ventry; and the medieval
church of Kilmakedar. Contact the Dingle Peninsula Tourist office
for more information.
Dingle Peninsula
Tourism
Comharchumann Turasóireachta Chorca Dhuibhne
Dingle
Email: dingle@eircom.net
Sciuird Archaeological
Adventures
Sciuird
Holyground
Dingle
Tel: +353 66 915 1606
Email: archeo@eircom.net
Guided mini-bus
tour provides insight into life on the Dingle Peninsula over the
past 6,000 years. Tour includes visits to 4 or 5 archaeological
sites and some walking. May-Sept
Advance bookings essential
Walking
Tours
Dingle Guided Tours
c/o The Mountain Man
Strand Street
Dingle
Tel: +353 66 915 2400
Guided walks
of the peninsula's scenic highlights including Mount Brandon. June-Sept
Hidden Ireland
Tours
Dingle
Tel: +353 66 915 1868
Website:
Hidden Ireland
Tours
Guided tours around the cliff walks, hills, mountains, woods, and
lakelands of Dingle, interspersing commentaries on local history,
archaeology, folklore, and culture along the way. Reservations essential.
May - Sept
Killarney
Guided Walks
Currach, Aghadoe,
Killarney, Co Kerry,
Tel: +353 64 33471
All year walking
tours of Killarney. Great relaxing walks where the emphas is on
fun and relaxation.
Cruises
Fungie the
Dolphin Tours
The Pier
Dingle
Tel: +353 66 915 1967
Dingle Bay
Cruises
Dingle Marine Eco Tours
Tel: +353 86 285 8802
See the Dingle
Peninsula from Dingle Bay with a commentary on the archaeology,
geology, history, birdlife, wildlife, and local folklore. May -
Sept.
The Skellig
Rocks
Weather
permitting a trip to the Skellig Rocks is a fine way to spend a
day. The Island of Skellig Michael was once the spartan retreat
of a group of monks, who lived in the beehive-shaped stone cells
at the summit.
Cruises
Skellig Islands
Sea Cruises
Skellig Experience
Tel: +353 66 947 6306
Seanie's
Sea Quest
Tel: +353 066 947 6214
Email: seanie@iol.ie
Joe Roddy
Tel: +353 66 947 4268
Dez Lavelle
Tel: +353 66 947 6124
The
Beara Peninsula
The Beara is
less wild than Dingle. At the southwestern tip is Dursey Island,
accessible only by Cable Car, and there are the attractive villages
of Allihies and Castletown Bearhaven. It is a much less touristy
than the Ring of Kerry and equally as attractive.
Visit Garnish
and Lehanmore to see archeological sites such as Ring Forts and
Wedge Graves. The beaches at Garnish are both beautiful and safe
and can get busy during the summer months.
Killarney
Killarney
is a busy centre of tourist activity in southern Ireland not least
because of the surrounding landscape and its three shining lakes,
Lough Leane (the Lower Lake), Muckross Lake (the Middle Lake) and
the Upper Lake.
Historical
Buildings
Muckross House
National Park
Killarney
Tel: +353 64 31440
Fax: +353 64 33926
Website: Muckross
House
Victorian Mansion
built in 1840 containing fine examples of Irish furniture, craft
shops and a restaurant. The estate includes beautiful gardens, the
ruins of Muckross Abbey and a fascinating recreation of farms showing
how life was lived in rural Ireland in earlier times.
The estate gives
access to paths around Muckross Lake, and on to spectacular scenery,
the 20 metre Torc Waterfall and up the iste of the Torc mountain
if you wish.
Ross Castle
Ross
Castle was built in the 15th century on the shore of Killarney's
Lower lake by O'Donoghue Mór, who lost it after the Desmond
rebellion at the end of the sixteenth century. The castle was the
last irish castle to hold out against Oliver Cromwell. In the
18th adn 19th century the castle was used as military barracks.
It has now been restored and is open to public.
Parks
Derreen House
Derreen Garden
Lauragh
Killarney
Tel: + 353 64 83588
Derreen House and gardens are open to the public and stocked with
plants that flourish in the mild sea climate, including tree ferns,
bamboo, rhododendrons and camellias. April - Sept
Tours
Lakeland
Tour
7 High Street
Killarney
Kerry
Tel: + 353 64 32496
Fax: + 353 64 35088
Kenmare
Kenmare is the
place for shopping in Kerry. With designer boutiques and delicatessens
it is organised in an X-plan and the main street has neat rows of
colourful terraced buildings.
