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Kenmare
Ring of Kerry
It's no wonder that, since Victorian times, visitors have been attracted to the scenic Iveragh Peninsula. In this dramatic chunk of Ireland, mysterious ancient ring forts stand sentinel on mossy hillsides. Early Christian hermit-monks left a lonely imprint of their devotion, in the form of simple stone dwellings atop an isolated rock crag far from shore…a holy retreat on the edge of the then-known world. The tidy town of Kenmare makes an ideal home base for those driving the "Ring of Kerry" route around the peninsula.
At a Glance
▲▲▲ Ring of Kerry Loop Drive Famous, scenic 135-mile loop road, featuring Iron Age ring forts, Daniel O'Connell's Derrynane estate, and grand views of the rugged coast and islands.
▲▲▲ Skellig Michael Craggy pinnacle of an island, topped with monks' huts, reachable by a boat from Portmagee, then a steep hike — an excursion for hardy hikers with extra time.
▲▲ Kissane Sheep Farm Working sheep farm on scenic hillside, with demonstrations of sheep shearing and dog herding.
▲ Kenmare Charming little launchpad for the region, with vividly colored shop fronts and go-for-a-stroll atmosphere, far from the assembly-line tourism of Killarney town, and offering one of Ireland's most intact and easily accessible stone circles — more than 3,000 years old.
▲ Muckross House and ▲ Muckross Traditional Farms Fine lakeside manor house surrounded by lush gardens, adjacent to folk park devoted to rural farm life over the past 200 years.
▲ Killarney National Park Ireland's best national park, laced with hiking trails, waterfalls, and drives through old-growth forests dotted with postcard views of the lakes of Killarney.
