Tralee (Traigh Li, "Beach of the River Lee"), the lively county town of Kerry county, lies in the southwest of Ireland, 2mi/3km above the outflow of the River Lee into Tralee Bay.
Tralee once had a harbor, linked with the sea by a canal. It is now mainly a market town and tourist center, and also the gateway to the Dingle Peninsula with its many remains of the past. The famous Ring of Kerry is within easy reach.
Since Tralee was set on fire by its garrison in 1643 and again in 1691 before its surrender to the enemy, no older buildings have survived.
St John's Church, a 19th century neo-Gothic building by the Dublin architect McCarthy, has fine stained glass by Michael Healy in the sacristy. In Tralee one can also see a number of Georgian houses.
In Tralee one can see a number of Georgian houses in the center of the town, and just north of the church in Ashe Street, the 19th C. Court House with an Ionic portico.
This Georgian period house has been fully restored and allows visitors to travel back to the early 1800s in Tralee. See how the middle class family of Sir Robert Day lived.
Address: Georgian House Visitor Centre, 3 Day Place, Tralee , Ireland
Close to the Ashe Memorial Hall in Tralee the new theater building of the Siamsa Tire was opened in 1991. The architectural style of the building was taken from the Irish stone forts, especially Staigue Fort. Behind the name Siamsa Tire lies a national peoples theater which has pledged itself to promote Celtic culture. The programs include music, dance and drama.
Address: Siamsa Tire, Town Park, Tralee , Ireland
Tips: Open for performance only from May to Sept.
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
About 12mi/20km east of Tralee near the N25 lies Crag Cave, an impressive dripstone cave. The first systematic exploration of the cave was in 1981, when it was discovered that this was one of the largest cave systems in Ireland with tunnels almost 2.5mi/4km long. Safe pathways were laid and lighting installed. Crag Cave was opened to the public in 1989.
Address: Crag Cave, Castleisland , Ireland
Hours:
March 17 to June 30: 10am-6pm
July 1 to August 31: 10am-7pm
September 1 to October 31: 10am-6pm
Parking: Free
Disability Access: Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
Tralee and Dingle Steam Railway is part of the famous Tralee & Dingle Light Railway (1891-1953). It has a folklore and tradition that dates back over 100 years ago.
North of the Franciscan frairy near Tralee on the R551 lies Ballyheige, a quiet seaside resort with a good sandy beach. On beautiful Kerry Head, sticking out into the Atlantic to the west of the village, hexagonal quartz crystals from the Kerry mountains can be found. Near Ballyheige is Banna Beach, where Roger Casement was landed from a German submarine in 1916 to take part in the Easter Rising. Shortly afterwards he was captured and later executed.
A short distance east of Ardfert are the ruins of a Franciscan friary (13th-15th C.: National Monument). The church has cylindrical columns and a beautiful south window. Two sides of the 15th C. cloister, originally roofed with stone slabs, have survived.
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