Killarney

Killarney is a town in County Kerry in southwest Ireland. It has a resident population of about 14,000 (as of 2022) but in summer they're outnumbered by tourists, because this is one of the most scenic areas of Ireland, firmly on the tourist circuit for over 150 years. Its lakes command great views of Ireland's highest mountains, and the landscape is protected as Killarney National Park. It's the usual starting point for the Ring of Kerry, the 214-km circuit along the coast of Iveragh Peninsula.

Killarney in Irish is Cill Airne, "church of sloes" or blackthorns. The origin of this is obscure, but other suggested derivations are even more obscure, so sloes it is.

Understand
The area around Killarney had industry from metal ores in prehistoric times, and from the 7th century became a centre for religious learning, with monasteries on Inisfallen and elsewhere. From 1747 it became one of the first places to try to promote a tourist trade, as part of Viscount Kenmare's efforts to improve his estate. This didn't get very far in an era when very few people could enjoy the luxury of leisure travel, and travel within Ireland was especially tedious. That changed with the arrival of the railway in 1853, encouraged by Henry Arthur Herbert who now owned the estate. Hotels popped up, and tourists flocked to enjoy the antiquities and scenery around the three lakes, and the longer circuit of the Ring of Kerry.

Muckross House and the estate changed hands a couple of times then in 1932 were gifted to the nation, to become Ireland's first national park. The park has expanded considerably since then, and now ranges from genteel municipal gardens at the edge of town to forest with herds of red deer and wild mountain terrain. (There are no fees or gates, but you might pay for parking or other activities.) There are also large tracts of mountain that are beyond the park but protected in similar ways: this larger area is also described here.

Bus tours of the Ring of Kerry start from Killarney and always go anti-clockwise, to Killorglin, Caherciveen, Portmagee, Waterville, Derrynane, Kenmare and back to Killarney. Independent travellers starting from Tralee, Killarney or Kenmare will probably do best to go clockwise. Starting from other towns on the circuit, go anti-clockwise as you've a few hours start and should always be able to keep ahead of the wagon train.

The tourist information centre is Visit Killarney on Scott's St, the alley off College St. It's open M-Sa 9:30AM-5:30PM.

Get in
You might prefer to fly into Dublin, which has a much greater range of flights and onward transport, or into Shannon two hours drive away.

Trains run to Killarney every couple of hours from Mallow (some starting from Cork), and continue north to Farranfore (for Kerry Airport) and Tralee. There's one direct train daily from Dublin Heuston, but usually you change at Mallow, with journey time 3 hr 20 min and a walk-up single fare of €43. Change also at Mallow for Limerick and Galway. See Irish Rail for timetables, fares and online tickets. Dublin Coach M7 runs six times a day from Dublin Burgh Quay and Red Cow Luas station via Limerick, Adare, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale to Killarney, taking 4 hr 20 min. From Dublin airport take their bus for Portlaoise, Waterford or Dundrum and change at Red Cow. Bus M7 runs 6:15AM-11:45PM; it starts every 30 min but most buses either branch north at Limerick for Bunratty and Ennis, or at Abbeyfeale for Tralee.

Bus Éireann 40 treks cross-country every hour or so, from Rosslare ferry port via Wexford, New Ross, Waterford, Dungarvan, Youghal, Cork, Macroom and Ballyvourney to Killarney, continuing to Farranfore and Tralee.

Bus 14 runs 4 or 5 times a day from Limerick via Adare, Newcastle West, Abbeyfeale, Castleisland, Kerry Airport and Farranfore.

Bus 271 runs 3 or 4 times a day from Tralee via Castleisland, Kerry Airport and Farranfore to Killarney.

Bus 270 runs 2 or 3 times a day from Kenmare. It swings east of the park so you don't get the scenic route.

are adjacent in town centre. The railway ticket office is open M Sa 7AM-1:45PM, Tu-F 7AM-5:45PM and there are ticket machines and toilets.

By car from Dublin follow M7 to Limerick, N21 to Castleisland then N22 / 23 into Killarney, say 4 hours.

Get around

 * It is a common and wise custom of those who make this tour, and are not pressed for time, to hire the carriage at the hotel in Killarney and continue with it "all the way round." It is absolutely marvellous what these mountain bred horses can get through "thinking nothing" of thirty miles for days together or even fifty miles in a single day. - Travelogue of 1858

Town is compact, but you need horsepower or wheels for Killarney National Park - a bike works well.

Bike hire is available at Killarney Rent a Bike (three locations, aka O' Sullivan's), Lyne's and Killarney Bike Rental.

Budget Car Rental have a desk within Hannigan's Hotel, open M-Sa 9AM-6PM.

Bus KY03 runs every hour or so between the railway station and the Brehon and Gleneagles hotels south edge of town.

Bus KY02 to Ross Castle and the boat jetty is only running once or twice a day in early 2021.

For bus tours around the Ring of Kerry, see County Kerry.

Taxis are usually waiting at the railway station and outside McSorley's Bar on College St. Operators include Taxi Killarney +353 87 191 1955, Shane's +353 86 202 7212 and Sage Taxis +353 64 770 8995.

Jaunting Cars were once a common tourist conveyance but are now almost confined to Killarney. They come in various configurations but typically seat four, with a single horse and a driver known as a "jarvey". They'll trot you round town and out to Ross Castle and Muckross; tours of Dunloe Gap involve a transfer from town by boat or conventional car then the jaunting car takes you up the lane.

See

 * Town centre along High St is typical 19th-century low-rise, pleasant enough but always busy with traffic. St Mary's RC Cathedral, west along New St, is a grand neo-gothic structure completed in 1855.
 * Lakes or loughs: the one next to town is Lough Leane, the largest and lowest of the three. The name means "lake of learning" probably referring to its monasteries. For the visitor it's the lake of viewing, as it creates an unbroken vista west towards the mountains. South is or Middle Lake, smaller but 75 m deep, as it fills a glacial scour. A pleasant hike circles it, crossing by old stone bridges. Further southwest is : the fall on the river is only 2 m so small boats can travel between the lakes; perhaps the supposed lake monster does likewise. The river flows into Muckross Lake at, where there's a weir and a back-channel direct into Lough Leane.
 * is the largest island in Lough Leane: boat trips often visit. The ruined abbey dates from 640 AD, though what you see is from the 12th and 13th centuries. The Annals of Inisfallen were compiled here from 1092 and are now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
 * is the 110-m cascade of the Owengarriff Rive. It descends 20 m but not in a clean drop. The river flows out of the Devil's Punchbowl, a corrie lake beneath Mangerton Mountain, following the fault line that underlies this area. There are several walking trails, and after you've slogged up them for a while, you'll probably guess how the "Cardiac Steps" got their name.
 * is a viewpoint on N71 climbing out of Killarney towards Kenmare. Coaches and motorists often make a stop here, and there's a cafe and gift shop.
 * Lakes or loughs: the one next to town is Lough Leane, the largest and lowest of the three. The name means "lake of learning" probably referring to its monasteries. For the visitor it's the lake of viewing, as it creates an unbroken vista west towards the mountains. South is or Middle Lake, smaller but 75 m deep, as it fills a glacial scour. A pleasant hike circles it, crossing by old stone bridges. Further southwest is : the fall on the river is only 2 m so small boats can travel between the lakes; perhaps the supposed lake monster does likewise. The river flows into Muckross Lake at, where there's a weir and a back-channel direct into Lough Leane.
 * is the largest island in Lough Leane: boat trips often visit. The ruined abbey dates from 640 AD, though what you see is from the 12th and 13th centuries. The Annals of Inisfallen were compiled here from 1092 and are now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
 * is the 110-m cascade of the Owengarriff Rive. It descends 20 m but not in a clean drop. The river flows out of the Devil's Punchbowl, a corrie lake beneath Mangerton Mountain, following the fault line that underlies this area. There are several walking trails, and after you've slogged up them for a while, you'll probably guess how the "Cardiac Steps" got their name.
 * is a viewpoint on N71 climbing out of Killarney towards Kenmare. Coaches and motorists often make a stop here, and there's a cafe and gift shop.
 * is the 110-m cascade of the Owengarriff Rive. It descends 20 m but not in a clean drop. The river flows out of the Devil's Punchbowl, a corrie lake beneath Mangerton Mountain, following the fault line that underlies this area. There are several walking trails, and after you've slogged up them for a while, you'll probably guess how the "Cardiac Steps" got their name.
 * is a viewpoint on N71 climbing out of Killarney towards Kenmare. Coaches and motorists often make a stop here, and there's a cafe and gift shop.
 * is the 110-m cascade of the Owengarriff Rive. It descends 20 m but not in a clean drop. The river flows out of the Devil's Punchbowl, a corrie lake beneath Mangerton Mountain, following the fault line that underlies this area. There are several walking trails, and after you've slogged up them for a while, you'll probably guess how the "Cardiac Steps" got their name.
 * is a viewpoint on N71 climbing out of Killarney towards Kenmare. Coaches and motorists often make a stop here, and there's a cafe and gift shop.
 * is a scenic mountain gorge west of the lough, created when a glacier broke through and bruised its way north. It's flanked by Macgillycuddy's Reeks to the west and the Purple Mountains east. Tour groups transfer to pony carts for the ride up. The lane traversing the gorge is a public road so you may drive it, but it's very narrow, and cars come into conflict with other cars, bikes, more cars, pony carts and yet more cars.
 * stand near the north end of the gap: they're from the 5th or 6th century though their present position and arrangement is modern. They're burial markers, naming various maci mocoi toicaki (sons of the Tóecraige tribe).
 * at 1038 m (3407 ft )is Ireland's highest mountain, midway along the ridge of Macgillycuddy's Reeks. The ascent is a strenuous hike, hazardous in poor weather, usually 5-6 hours there and back via Devil's Ladder trail. If you're hard enough walk the whole ridge, with some half a dozen peaks of around 900 m. If you only want a Sunday stroll, or the weather's iffy and you prefer a low-altitude Plan B, park at Cronin's Yard and make your way up Hag's Glen.
 * is a straggling village north of the lough, partly bypassed by N71. It has the cylindrical stump of 13th-century Parkavonear Castle and Aghadoe Cathedral, built 1158 over an earlier monastery church and falling into ruin in the 17th century. But the main attraction is the sweeping view over the lough towards the mountains, so there's a cluster of hotels here.

Do

 * What's on? Listen to Radio Kerry on 96.2 - 97.6 FM, or read The Kerryman or Kerry's Eye.
 * Boat trips in summer start from the jetty by Ross Castle. Operators are Lily of Killarney Watercoach, Killarney Lake Tours and Gap of Dunloe Tours which are small open boats.
 * Gaelic games: Kerry GAA the county football team usually play home games at (capacity 38,000), 1 km north of town centre along Lewis Rd. Don't try to park around here on match days! The county hurling team play at Austin Stack Park in Tralee.
 * has a gym, pool and fitness classes. It's 2 km east of town centre on the bypass N22, and open M-F 7AM-10PM, Sa Su 8AM-4PM.
 * Cinema: and  are both central.
 * Horse and pony riding: and  are east of the main road near the abbey.
 * Golf: there are courses at within the racetrack,  northwest,  on the north lake shore, and  further west.
 * Golf: there are courses at within the racetrack,  northwest,  on the north lake shore, and  further west.

Buy

 * There's a east edge of town, with Tesco and Aldi.
 * There's a east edge of town, with Tesco and Aldi.

Eat

 * The first glance shows the traveller in the midst of what a Golgotha he stands. In the wretched corner set apart for the paupers the earth is covered with deal planks and fresh remnants of coffins in shocking profusion. - Famine scenes at Aghadoe in 1849
 * - so eat up all your dinner and be grateful, and less of those snarky online comments about how inexpertly they seared your monkfish.



Stay safe
As in most places, traffic is your main hazard. Take usual care of valuables and avoid idiot drunks.

The hills demand suitable clothing, footwear, stamina, and the ability to read map and compass - even when the weather is fine, and it can sour suddenly.

Connect
As of May 2021, Killarney has 4G from all Irish carriers, and close to the railway and bus stations there's 5G with Eir. There is mobile coverage on the main roads around town but not along the back lanes far side of the lough.

Go next

 * Ring of Kerry by car can easily be done in a day. If as suggested you go clockwise against the buses, the first stretch is over Moll's Gap to Kenmare. But if you decide to follow them, take N72 west via Aghadoe to Killorglin, where the main attraction is Kerry Bog Village.
 * The Dingle Peninsula lies to the north. Go that way for boat trips to the Blasket Islands.
 * The peninsula south is Beara, with a portion in Kerry but mostly in County Cork; a road tunnel drills through it to Glengarriff.