Killarney Tourist Attractions
|
|
Killarney (Cill Airne, "Church of the Sloe") lies near the coast in the southwest corner of Ireland. Nearby lie the well-known Killarney Lakes.The beauty of the surrounding area and the wide range of recreation and leisure activities it offers make Killarney one of Ireland's most popular tourist centers. Once a typical little country town but now largely given over to the tourist trade, Killarney itself has little in the way of sights.The Roman Catholic cathedral, St Mary's (by Pugin, 1855) and the Protestant parish church, also St Mary's, are both in Early English style.Opposite the Franciscan church (1860), near the station, stands a monument to the "four poets of Kerry" (17th and 18th C.): Pierce Ferriter (d. 1653), Geoffrey O'Donoughue (d. 1677), Aodhagan O'Rahilly (d. 1728) and Eoghan Ruadh O'Sullivan (d. 1784).
National Museum of Irish Transport
In East Avenue Road, which leads to the Killarney bus station, is the National Museum of Irish Transport. As well as a collection of vintage vehicles, including a 1907 "Silver Stream," designed by an Irishman, and a 1910 "Wolseley Sidderly," in which Yeats explored the area, there are old bicycles and motorcycles and a complete workshop of the 1930s.
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.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.
Killarney National Park
Some 23sq.mi/60sq.km of the Killarney area has been designated a National Park. Included are the Lower Lake, Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake and their shores. The heart of the National Park is the Bourne Vincent Memorial Park around Muckross House. This park was presented to the Irish nation in 1932 by the Bourne family and Senator Vincent from California. There are various waymarked paths through the region.
Knockreer House
A few minutes' walk westwards from the center of Killarney stands Knockreer House, surrounded by beautiful gardens.Killarney National Park Education Centre is based in Knockreer House, the last of the Kenmare mansions, and has spectacular views over the National Park.
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.
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.
Muckross Friary
3mi/5km south of Killarney in a lovely woodland setting, we come to Muckross Friary (15th C.: National Monument), one of the best-preserved Franciscan abbeys in Ireland. The church, with a massive central tower, contains a number of tombs. The very beautiful cloister is surrounded by arcading in different architectural styles, and in the center is a huge yew (a tree frequently found in monasteries, since it provided good wood for carving). Three flights of steps lead to the monastery rooms on the upper floor.
Muckross House
Past Muckross Friary, to the south of Killarney, on the main road, in a park with magnificent plantations of rhododendrons, stands Muckross House. Some of the rooms, with their Victorian furniture, can be visited, including the rooms occupied by Queen Victoria during her visit in 1861. In the basement are several workshops (smithy, weaving room, pottery and saddlery) where visitors can watch craftsmen at work.
Muckross Traditional Farms
An additional attraction at Muckross House is an outdoor representation of the lifestyles and farming traditions of a rural community of the 1930s. This is not a museum but a real working community consisting of farmers' houses, laborers' cottages and a blacksmith's forge.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Derrycunnihy
Past Mangerton Mountains, the road continues southwest, flanked by rocky hillsides to the Upper Lake, and comes to Derrycunnihy, a place of enchanting beauty where a waterfall dashes down over rocks in a setting of dense greenery. To the northeast the old road to Killarney goes through a wildly beautiful valley. Higher up, on the Kenmare road, is one of the finest viewpoints in the area, Ladies' View. The name derives from the fact that Queen Victoria and her ladies-in-waiting stopped here 100 years ago to admire the view.From the Upper Lake it is possible to return to Ross Castle by boat, sailing along narrow waterways with wooded shores, past the "Eagles's Nest" and Dinis Island.
Gap of Dunloe
The western part of the Killarney National Park extends from the Upper Lake to the southwest shore of the Lower Lake by way of Purple Mount (2,698ft/822m) and its northern foothills. This range of hills is separated from Macgillicuddy's Reeks to the west by the rocky defile known as the Gap of Dunloe, best reached from the R562, which follows the north side of the Lower Lake. From the road to the Gap, which goes off on the left just after the golf courses, can be seen Dunloe Castle, set amid trees, and a group of ogham stones (National Monument).It is customary to drive as far as Kate Kearney's Cottage, but from there the climb to the pass (some 2.5mi/4km) is usually continued in a jaunting car, on a pony or on foot. There are five little lakes, fed by a rapid mountain stream. The highest of these is Serpent Lake, into which St Patrick is said to have consigned all the snakes he expelled form Ireland. The mighty rocks bearing the marks of glacial action which flank the gorge give an excellent echo. From the top of the pass (784ft/239m) there are superb views of hills, valleys and lakes in the varied shades of green, yellow and brown presented by the vegetation and the red sandstone rocks.
Dunloe Castle Hotel
An expanded tree collection is to be found within sight of the Gap of Dunloe.
Aghadoe
3mi/5km from Killarney, on high ground to the right of the R562, stand the church and round tower of Aghadoe (National Monument), formerly belonging to a monastery. Built into the south wall of the church is an ogham stone. To the southwest of the church are the ruins of a circular keep (13th C; National Monument), in a rectangular enclosure surrounded by walls and a moat. From the hill above there are panoramic views of the lakes and their islands, the twin hills to the southeast known as the Paps (2,248ft/685m), Mangerton Mountain and Carrantuohill (3,360ft/1,024m) to the southwest.
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.
| Highlights: |
|---|
Kerry Woollen Mills
The mills, 9mi/14km from Killarney on the Killorglin Road (R562) date from as far back as the 17th C. The excellent soft water of the nearby river is used for washing the dyeing the cloth. The full range of woolen manufacturing is still carried out.
Pan Celtic Week
This annual festival takes place in mid-May and includes daily events celebrating the Celtic culture. Traditional dancing, music and sport, along with a pipe band competition are the highlights of the festival.
Killarney Model Railway
Killarney Model Railway is over 1000 sq. ft. with over 50 trains that transport the visitor through landmarks of Europe.
Map of Killarney Attractions
Map - Killarney Area
