Ireland Guide
Kerry
Kerry has been making visitors' romantic dreams of Ireland come true since the eighteenth century, when the grandeur of the lakes and mountains around Killarney first came to widespread attention. The scenery here is, of course, still magnificent. Most of the one million tourists who come to Kerry every year, however, stick rigidly to Killarney and the Ring of Kerry, the scenic drive around the neighbouring Iveragh Peninsula, so it's pretty easy to avoid the crowds.
The Iveragh itself measures around sixty by thirty kilometres, with plenty of tracks across its vast, rugged hinterland and coastal branch roads such as the Ring of Skellig to explore by car, bike or on foot. The island of Skellig Michael off the end of the peninsula, one of the most remarkable hermitages in the world and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remains the ultimate place to get away from it all. At the southeastern corner of the peninsula, Kenmare contrasts well with Killarney, providing some excellent accommodation, restaurants and nightlife in a trim, picturesque setting.
The Dingle Peninsula, one of Ireland's strongest Gaeltacht areas, has nurtured not only great footballers, but also a fine community of musicians and the extraordinary writers of the wild Blasket Islands, who put their rich oral tradition of Irish-language story-telling to paper in the early twentieth century.
Highlights
1 Killarney National Park Beautiful – and popular – landscape of mountains and lakes, that can be explored by boat, bike and on foot.
2 The Skelligs Remote, inhospitable islands, haunt of seabirds and the ghosts of early medieval hermits.
3 Caherdaniel Hillside village with a great beach and plenty of outdoor activities.
4 Kenmare An agreeable base with a great selection of places to eat, sleep and drink.
5 The Blaskets Lonely islands off the scenic Dingle Peninsula, with an astonishing literary heritage that's imaginatively documented in the visitor centre.
6 Gallarus Oratory A unique, early Christian remnant and a graceful, evocative piece of architecture.