Killarney Lake District
Visitors who want to see the Killarney lake district have the choice between doing so on their own or taking advantage of the sightseeing trips organized by local agencies. Most people opt for a package covering travel in a jaunting car (a light open horse-drawn car), on ponyback and by boat. One such trip - almost the standard tour - is the following: by jaunting car from Killarney round the north side of the Lower Lake to Kate Kearney's Cottage; from there on a pony, in a jaunting car or on foot over the Gap of Dunloe and down to the Upper Lake; then by boat from the south end of the lake by way of the Middle Lake to Ross Castle; and finally back to Killarney by jaunting car.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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The lakes around Killarney, of varying size, lie in a breathtakingly beautiful landscape of mountains and hills formed by glacial action. The largest of the lakes is the Lower Lake, also known as Lough Leane, immediately southeast of Killarney. It is separated by a tongue of land from the smaller Middle Lake or Muckross Lough. A narrow channel links these two lakes with the Upper Lake, the smallest of the three. 4mi/6km away to the east is Lough Guitane. To the south, where the hills rise to 2,700ft/820m are numbers of smaller lakes, mostly mere hill tarns. The shores of all these lakes have a dense covering of woodland - oak, arbutus, bamboos, giant ferns, etc. In early summer the roads are bordered by banks of tall foxgloves and the hillsides are covered with huge and brilliantly colored rhododendron bushes.
Related Attractions
Devil's Punchbowl
Past Muckross House and Brickeen Bridge, to the south of Killarney, the road continues along the Muckross lake to join the N71, which here traverses the park between the lakeside and Torc Mountain (1,740ft/530m). On the east side of the hill the River Torc flows down from a little mountain lake known as the Devil's Punchbowl and plunges over a 60ft/18m high sandstone cliff called Torc Cascade.
Dinis Island
Past Muckross House, to the south of Killarney, along the north side of Muckross Lough with its curiously shaped limestone rocks is Brickeen Bridge, leading to Dinis Island, where boats can be hired for trips on the three lakes.
Innisfallen Island
From the pier at Ross Castle near Killarney visitors can be rowed out to the quiet little island of Innisfallen, with the remains of a monastery (National Monument). Here at the beginning of the 13th C. were written the "Annals of Innisfallen," now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. On the northeast side of the island is a small 12th C. church of red sandstone. Innisfallen still preserves the old native woodland of Ireland - rowan, ash, yew and holly.
Kerry County Life Experience
To attract more visitors to the area of Muckross House the Killarney National Park recently gained the Kerry County Life Experience. This gives visitors an insight into the life and work of farmers in the 1930s. Three large farmhouses and their outbuildings were reconstructed and completely furnished. The adjoining land is farmed according to the methods employed at that time.
Mangerton Mountain
The path to the top of Mangerton Mountain (2,756ft/840m) passes the Devil's Punchbowl. From the top there are breathtaking views of hills near and far, lakes, valleys and arms of the sea - at their most impressive when passing clouds cast their shadows and showers of rain are gusting by.
Ross Castle
Near the town of Killarney is Ross Castle, a tower house surrounded by walls with round towers. There was an old prophecy that the castle would be taken only by an attack from the water. In 1652, taking advantage of this, Cromwell's General Ludlow had a large boat brought up and launched in the Lower Lake: whereupon the defenders, seeing this as a fulfillment of the prophecy, at once surrendered.
The castle contains 16th and 17th C. oak furniture.
The castle contains 16th and 17th C. oak furniture.
Hours
April 1 to April 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
May 1 to May 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
June 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 |
September 1 to September 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
October 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Guides
Guided tour included with admission.
Tomies Wood
A charming walk is through Tomies Wood (there and back about 4.5mi/7km). Here, on the west side of the Lower Lake, few people are usually encountered, although the views of the lake district are most impressive.
Torc Cascade
Past Muckross House and Brickeen Bridge, to the south of Killarney, the road continues along the Muckross lake to join the N71, which here traverses the park between the lakeside and Torc Mountain (1,740ft/530m).
On the east side of the hill the River Torc flows down from a little mountain lake known as the Devil's Punchbowl and plunges over a 60ft/18m high sandstone cliff to form the beautiful Torc Cascade.
On the east side of the hill the River Torc flows down from a little mountain lake known as the Devil's Punchbowl and plunges over a 60ft/18m high sandstone cliff to form the beautiful Torc Cascade.
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