Ring Of Kerry Day Tour Preview

Aghadoe Heights would be the first recommended stop if starting this tour in Killarney. There is a great opportunity of getting a panoramic photo of the McGillicuddy's reeks mountain range (including Ireland's highest mountain - Carrauntoohil). the lakes, Ross Castle, and Killarney. Parking is available in the public car park next to the Aghadoe Heights Hotel and simply walk across the road to the viewing platform. There is a panoramic map there with all of the points of interest marked on it for your assistance.

The Kerry Bog Village explores Ireland’s rural history, heritage, and lifestyle. Visitors will experience the culture, customs, and living conditions of our great ancestors, through the famine years, and late 19th century. The village has period thatched cottages, fully furnished with authentic antiques, complete with sound effects and figurines. Outdoors, they display a fabulous array of rural farm equipment, used by turf cutters and farmers of the time period. In the village, you will also see the once almost-extinct, ‘Kerry Bog Pony’, and the world’s tallest dog, the ‘Irish Wolfhound’.

The adjacent "Red Fox Inn" is an ideal location for tea, Coffee, or lunch, or even a nice Irish Coffee if you're in the mood!

About 5 kilometers after Glenbeigh, there is a little Lay by on the right-hand side of the road. If you are lucky enough to find a parking spot, there is a super opportunity to capture a panoramic photo of the Dingle Peninsula across the bay.

The Old Barracks serves as a Heritage Centre for the Iveragh Peninsula. It is home to various exhibitions that relate to the local area, including The Great Southern and Western Railway, The Life and Times of Daniel O’Connell, The Fenian Rising of 1867, The 1916 Rising, and Monsignor Hugh O’ Flaherty (The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican).

In the center of Cahersiveen, you will find the Daniel O’Connel memorial church. Built between 1888 – 1902 this church is the most dominant feature/landmark in the town. It is one of the few catholic churches in the world dedicated to a lay person (Daniel O’ Connel) . It is constructed of Northern Irish granite (Co. Down) and built in a combination of Gothic revivalist and medieval-style architecture. The laying of a marble slab which serves as the cornerstone took place in 1888. This marble block is very special as it was a gift from Pope Leo XIII sourced from the catacombs in Rome.

Knightstown itself is one of the few ‘town-planned’ villages of Ireland. The village of Knightstown was laid out by Alexander Nimmo in 1830-31, but it wasn’t built until the early 1840’s when the quarry was greatly expanded and the works were moved to Knightstown. Nimmo envisaged a bridge when he lined up the main street (Market Street) with Renard Road across the channel on the other island.

The village was planned in a grid pattern like many towns in Europe at the time. The houses in the slate yard were built for slate workers in the 1840’s. Both Jane Street & Peter Street (named for the then Knight of Kerry and his wife) followed at a later date, along with the house formally known as Reidy’s shop.

The Tetrapod imprints are thought to date from Devonian times – somewhere between 350 and 370 million years ago. This site is of international significance as it represents the transition of life from water to land – a momentous turning point in evolution and provides the oldest reliably dated evidence of four-legged vertebrates (amphibians) moving over land. The Valentia Island Tetrapod footprints are the most extensive of the four Devonian trackways in the world. (The others are in Tarbet Ness, Scotland; Genoa River, NSW Australia; Glen Isla, Victoria Australia). Access to the trackway is by a pathway down to the rocks.

When the great municipal buildings were being erected in London in the mid 19th century, Valentia Slate was used extensively. These included the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral, and many of the Underground Railways such as Waterloo, Charing Cross, Liverpool St., Black Friars. It was also used in the Paris Opera House.

Fogher Cliffs, on Geokaun Mountain, are one of the most spectacular photo stops in Ireland! Walk or drive to the top of the Mountain which is one of the most westerly parts of Ireland and indeed Europe.

In The Skellig Visitor Centre, you can experience many aspects of those offshore Skellig islands, while remaining on dry land. Located right on the waterfront, it is a one-stop shop for all, with an exhibition area, audiovisual, and gift shop, as well as a fully licensed restaurant.

Through re-creations and models, you can study the works and lives of the Skellig monks of the early Christian period, their activities, their endurance, and their dedication to gaining a foothold on a tiny, inhospitable, offshore island, and creating a community there that survived for some 600 years. In The Skellig Experience’s 80-seat auditorium, through a 14-minute film presentation, you can follow the footsteps of those Skellig monks, and wonder at the legacy of the architecture that they left behind.

Waterville is a beautiful little seaside town overlooking Ballinaskelligs Bay. There is an interesting link between the town and the famous Hollywood actor Charlie Chaplin as he and his family visited there for 10 years on summer vacations from 1959. There is a life-size statue in his honor on the seafront promenade. Waterville is a good place to stop for lunch on the Ring Of Kerry and there are a number of very nice cafes, bars, and restaurants to choose from.

Coomakista Pass is an elevated mountain pass located between Portmagee and Caherdaniel on the Ring of Kerry and is one of the best photo-stops in Ireland. There are panoramic photo opportunities from both sides of the car park here. From one side, you can get a fantastic view of Waterville, Ballinaskelligs Bay, and an Iron Age Round Fort. From the other side, you get the wonderful Caherdaniel Bay and, on a clear day, a spectacular view of the World Famous Skellig Islands!

Derrynane House was the home of the famous "Catholic Emancipator" Daniel O' Connel. There is something here for all tastes. There are tours available of the house, there are lovely walking trails through the gardens and walking trails to the local beaches.

O' Carroll's Bar and Restaurant at O' Carroll's Cove near Caherdaniel claims to be Irelands only beach bar. There are few better places in Ireland to be on a warm summer's day for a drink or a meal! The beautiful sandy beach right outside the door is ideal for a family visit!

Staigue Stone Fort is one of the finest examples of an Irish Stone Fort in existence. It is thought that it was built around the late Iron age - possibly 300 to 400 bc. The fort consists of a massive circular rampart surrounded by an external bank. The wall is up to 5.5m (18ft) high and 4m (13ft) thick, surrounding a circular area of 27.4m (90ft) in diameter. Staigue fort shows great skill and craftsmanship in the area of stone building. The technique of dry-walling so well demonstrated here has a long tradition in Ireland. The survival of so many early structures throughout the Irish countryside is partly due to the mastery of the craft of interlocking stones to achieve total stability, even in large building works like Staigue fort. One of the most intriguing things about the fort is that there are ten flights of steps, built in an X shape, along the circular internal wall giving access to the top of the rampart.

Sneem is thought by many to be one of the prettiest villages in Ireland. Here you can learn of the county’s local geology at the Kerry Geopark and experience the sensory garden, riverside wildlife trail, and rare coral beach. Check out the local farmer's market for delicious treats.

Kenmare is a picturesque market town nestled on the shores of Kenmare Bay, It is a wonderful base to start a Ring Of Kerry tour as there is a great selection of places to eat, sleep and shop. One of the quirky facts about Kenmare is that it is one of the few places in Ireland where you can buy locally made lace! The local Heritage center has an upstairs shop where visitors can learn about the process of lace making.

At Moll's Gap, you will be impressed by the breathtaking views of the Upper Lake - one of the famous Lakes Of Killarney, the Black Valley, and MacGillycuddy's Reeks Mountains. On a clear day, you will also get a great view of the famous "Gap Of Dunloe". There is an Avoca shop located here too where you can sample some great irish products, or perhaps a coffee or snack.

Ladies View is one of the most spectacular photo stops in the Country! Ladies view received its name from the view much admired by Queen Victoria's ladies in waiting when they visited here in 1861.

Torc waterfall is one of Irelands most beautiful waterfalls and is about a 200-meter walk through scenic woodland from the car park. The waterfall is about 20 meters high and the Owengarriff river which feeds it rises in “The Devil’s Punchbowl” on nearby Mangerton mountain. If you want a good viewing point of the nearby lakes, then push yourself a little further and climb the 100 or so steps immediately to the left of the waterfall.

Muckross House was built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, the water-colorist Mary Balfour Herbert. This was actually the fourth house that successive generations of the Herbert family had occupied at Muckross over a period of almost two hundred years. William Burn, the well-known Scottish architect, was responsible for its design. Building commenced in 1839 and was completed in 1843.

During the 1850s, the Herberts undertook extensive garden works in preparation for Queen Victoria's visit in 1861. Later, the Bourn Vincent family continued this gardening tradition. They purchased the estate from Lord and Lady Ardilaun early in the twentieth century. It was at this time that the Sunken Garden, Rock Garden, and the Stream Garden were developed.

Ross Castle sits on the edge of Killarney’s lower lake and was built by O’Donoghue Mór in the 15th century. The Castle came into the hands of the Brownes who became the Earls of Kenmare and owned an extensive portion of the lands that are now part of Killarney National Park. Legend has it that O’Donoghue still exists in a deep slumber under the waters of Lough Leane. On the first morning of May every seven years, he rises from the lake on his magnificent white horse and circles the lake. Anyone catching a glimpse of him is said to be assured of good fortune for the rest of their lives. The large rock at the entrance to the bay is known as O’Donoghue’s prison. Ross Castle was the last stronghold in Munster to hold out against Cromwell. It was eventually taken by General Ludlow in 1652.