Travel Guides: All Countries / Europe / Ireland / County Kerry
 |  | Travel Reviews : County Kerry |
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| | | | Review by Patricia Finn from London
Welcoming friendly wonderful historic Kerry where you will find peace and tranquillity or you can enjoy a stomping night in Ballybunion out with a few friends. Eat the local produce guaranteed to please the palate. Great fishing waters and golfing.
Take a trip back in time to quaint Kerry
From the Daily Mail
There are many of us Brits who still completely overlook the idea of Ireland as a holiday destination. Although most concede it's attractive, there are lingering suspicions that the Anglo-Irish relationship is still not entirely friendly, that there is nothing to do, the climate grim and the facilities perhaps backward.
Those who avoid Ireland for these reasons have no idea what they are missing. Over the years I have never encountered the slightest hostility. The people are charming and, because much of the country's economy depends on tourism, there is plenty to do. Children are especially welcome and genuinely loved by the Irish, making it ideal for a family holiday.
County Kerry, in the far southwest of Ireland, has a reputation for being not just one of the most beautiful places on the Emerald Isle, but in Europe. The stunning Atlantic coastline, with its bays and harbours surrounded by mountains, lives up to this billing. The lush plain of the Vale of Killarney, a few miles inland, provides a contrast of a different sort of magnificent scenery.
Kerry is also famously wet. Old hands will tell you that you can go there in the summer, be rained on for a week, and never see the spectacular landscape. All I can say is that for a week in late spring, it didn't rain until the seventh day.
Kerry, though, is prepared for all eventualities. When it is fine, you can walk around the Dingle Way or take a motor tour around the 125-mile Ring of Kerry, circumnavigating the Iveragh Peninsula and Ireland's highest mountain range, MacGillicuddy's Reeks.
When it is raining, museums, exhibitions and other indoor attractions are to be found in or near most of the centres of population.
The main towns in the area -Tralee, Killarney, Dingle and Kenmare - have a wide selection of shops and restaurants. With seafood another important part of the local economy, tanks of lobsters in restaurant windows await the diner's attention.
And, with the pound so strong against the Irish punt, prices are reasonable. This also makes a motoring holiday a bargain, with petrol considerably cheaper than in Britain.
Travel guide: County Kerry
Take a trip back in time to quaint Kerry
From the Daily Mail
There are many of us Brits who still completely overlook the idea of Ireland as a holiday destination. Although most concede it's attractive, there are lingering suspicions that the Anglo-Irish relationship is still not entirely friendly, that there is nothing to do, the climate grim and the facilities perhaps backward.
Those who avoid Ireland for these reasons have no idea what they are missing. Over the years I have never encountered the slightest hostility. The people are charming and, because much of the country's economy depends on tourism, there is plenty to do. Children are especially welcome and genuinely loved by the Irish, making it ideal for a family holiday.
County Kerry, in the far southwest of Ireland, has a reputation for being not just one of the most beautiful places on the Emerald Isle, but in Europe. The stunning Atlantic coastline, with its bays and harbours surrounded by mountains, lives up to this billing. The lush plain of the Vale of Killarney, a few miles inland, provides a contrast of a different sort of magnificent scenery.
Kerry is also famously wet. Old hands will tell you that you can go there in the summer, be rained on for a week, and never see the spectacular landscape. All I can say is that for a week in late spring, it didn't rain until the seventh day.
Kerry, though, is prepared for all eventualities. When it is fine, you can walk around the Dingle Way or take a motor tour around the 125-mile Ring of Kerry, circumnavigating the Iveragh Peninsula and Ireland's highest mountain range, MacGillicuddy's Reeks.
When it is raining, museums, exhibitions and other indoor attractions are to be found in or near most of the centres of population.
The main towns in the area -Tralee, Killarney, Dingle and Kenmare - have a wide selection of shops and restaurants. With seafood another important part of the local economy, tanks of lobsters in restaurant windows await the diner's attention.
And, with the pound so strong against the Irish punt, prices are reasonable. This also makes a motoring holiday a bargain, with petrol considerably cheaper than in Britain.
Travel guide: County Kerry
All's fair in the crazy court of the Goat King
From the Mail on Sunday
Only in Ireland will you find a festival as silly as the Puck Fair, where a wild animal is crowned king of the town. For three days in mid-August a mountain goat lords it over Killorglin, a small, lively market town and angling centre on the Ring of Kerry. It's conclusive proof that in Ireland it's still possible to be a romantic.
The six-year-old mountain goat captured on Kerry's Mount Brandon is hoisted 50ft in the air by rope to the top of a stand. He looks bewildered, but is in no danger - close supervision by animal welfare officers make sure of that.
The Puck Fair (the name derives from Phuic, the Irish word for goat) begins at 7pm on August 10 each year when, with Killorglin's streets thronged with people and stalls selling everything from balloons to chain saws, the goat is enthroned atop his platform overlooking the town. From here he reigns until sunset on August 12 when he is brought down, paraded through the town and let back into the mountain fields, a little confused but unharmed.
A soft rain was falling and pipe bands were leading a brilliantly coloured parade as I arrived in Killorglin. Chewing heather, the newly-crowned King Puck looked on nonchalantly, like an emperor viewing gladiators.
It was not as if I had been spared clues about what was in store for me at the fair. When the bus dropped me off at Milltown, four miles from Killorglin, I had asked a passing old man for directions.
'Mind yourself, now,' he replied, 'that's a deadly spot.' And crossing the River Laune an hour before the fair began I had spotted an inebriated man already staggering homewards, holding on to the side of a horse-drawn caravan for support.
The sound of hornpipes in the distance promised a lively welcome, as a continuous flow of horse-boxes made their way into town. Killorglin's 28 packed pubs were soon paying homage to another favourite monarch - Ireland's high King Arthur (Guinness).
Hoisting King Puck on to his lofty pedestal using rope and manpower was not the only unsophisticated machinery in operation during the festival. Sacks of potatoes held open the doors of O'Neills in Langford Street, while sawdust on the floor prevented revellers from slipping over during sessions that go on until the small hours.
Customers from O'Neills were already spilling out on to the pavement. Men in dark blazers and wide shirt collars, hands in pockets, swayed from side to side in the pub's doorway. To enter I had to wait for a break in their wobbling.
Travel guide: County Kerry
All's fair in the crazy court of the Goat King
From the Mail on Sunday
Only in Ireland will you find a festival as silly as the Puck Fair, where a wild animal is crowned king of the town. For three days in mid-August a mountain goat lords it over Killorglin, a small, lively market town and angling centre on the Ring of Kerry. It's conclusive proof that in Ireland it's still possible to be a romantic.
The six-year-old mountain goat captured on Kerry's Mount Brandon is hoisted 50ft in the air by rope to the top of a stand. He looks bewildered, but is in no danger - close supervision by animal welfare officers make sure of that.
The Puck Fair (the name derives from Phuic, the Irish word for goat) begins at 7pm on August 10 each year when, with Killorglin's streets thronged with people and stalls selling everything from balloons to chain saws, the goat is enthroned atop his platform overlooking the town. From here he reigns until sunset on August 12 when he is brought down, paraded through the town and let back into the mountain fields, a little confused but unharmed.
A soft rain was falling and pipe bands were leading a brilliantly coloured parade as I arrived in Killorglin. Chewing heather, the newly-crowned King Puck looked on nonchalantly, like an emperor viewing gladiators.
It was not as if I had been spared clues about what was in store for me at the fair. When the bus dropped me off at Milltown, four miles from Killorglin, I had asked a passing old man for directions.
'Mind yourself, now,' he replied, 'that's a deadly spot.' And crossing the River Laune an hour before the fair began I had spotted an inebriated man already staggering homewards, holding on to the side of a horse-drawn caravan for support.
The sound of hornpipes in the distance promised a lively welcome, as a continuous flow of horse-boxes made their way into town. Killorglin's 28 packed pubs were soon paying homage to another favourite monarch - Ireland's high King Arthur (Guinness).
Hoisting King Puck on to his lofty pedestal using rope and manpower was not the only unsophisticated machinery in operation during the festival. Sacks of potatoes held open the doors of O'Neills in Langford Street, while sawdust on the floor prevented revellers from slipping over during sessions that go on until the small hours.
Customers from O'Neills were already spilling out on to the pavement. Men in dark blazers and wide shirt collars, hands in pockets, swayed from side to side in the pub's doorway. To enter I had to wait for a break in their wobbling.
Travel guide: County Kerry
Dingle is cream of the craic
From the Daily Mail
So that'll be a Guinness, a white wine and a bag of four-inch nails. Ah, it must be Dingle. A town where hardware and leather shops double up as pubs. Where tourists come to swim with a dolphin, and where the supermarket window displays an artist's fashion dress made from recycled rubbish.
This Irish fishing town is near the far end of the Dingle Peninsula that juts for 40 miles into the Atlantic, west of Tralee.
The peninsula road is narrow, its scenery spectacular. High mountains and soft hills fall down to sandy coves that, on a hot summer's day, are among the best unspoilt small beaches in the world.
Dingle town attracts all sorts. Walkers and cyclists turn up to recover from tackling the hills.
Tourists arrive in coaches that may look small on Europe's motorways, but appear as over-sized giants next to the Georgian houses and fishermen's cottages of Dingle. Backpackers, carrying their holiday homes, creep into town like snails.
Somehow Dingle copes with us all. I first visited 15 years ago, attracted by its reputation as a Gaelic-speaking centre of Celtic learning.
Dingle was a place you could find a bookshop selling coffee (back then that was astounding) and an award-winning fish restaurant called Doyles, selling fine oysters. It's still there.
Dingle's ability to surprise hasn't changed. But I reckon the town satisfies most of us, whatever we're looking for.
The Irish language is still very much alive here, and causes no problems for nonspeakers. Mind you, at the new Skellig Hotel, the public loo doors are labelled in Irish with no helpful symbols. I learned (the hard way) that Mna is for ladies and Fir is for the blokes.
Travel guide: County Kerry
Dingle is cream of the craic
From the Daily Mail
So that'll be a Guinness, a white wine and a bag of four-inch nails. Ah, it must be Dingle. A town where hardware and leather shops double up as pubs. Where tourists come to swim with a dolphin, and where the supermarket window displays an artist's fashion dress made from recycled rubbish.
This Irish fishing town is near the far end of the Dingle Peninsula that juts for 40 miles into the Atlantic, west of Tralee.
The peninsula road is narrow, its scenery spectacular. High mountains and soft hills fall down to sandy coves that, on a hot summer's day, are among the best unspoilt small beaches in the world.
Dingle town attracts all sorts. Walkers and cyclists turn up to recover from tackling the hills.
Tourists arrive in coaches that may look small on Europe's motorways, but appear as over-sized giants next to the Georgian houses and fishermen's cottages of Dingle. Backpackers, carrying their holiday homes, creep into town like snails.
Somehow Dingle copes with us all. I first visited 15 years ago, attracted by its reputation as a Gaelic-speaking centre of Celtic learning.
Dingle was a place you could find a bookshop selling coffee (back then that was astounding) and an award-winning fish restaurant called Doyles, selling fine oysters. It's still there.
Dingle's ability to surprise hasn't changed. But I reckon the town satisfies most of us, whatever we're looking for.
The Irish language is still very much alive here, and causes no problems for nonspeakers. Mind you, at the new Skellig Hotel, the public loo doors are labelled in Irish with no helpful symbols. I learned (the hard way) that Mna is for ladies and Fir is for the blokes.
Travel guide: County Kerry
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| | | | The dolphin of Dingle Bay
At Dingle, the Ocean World exhibition includes a vast elevated tank of sharks that swim past your head, making especially disturbing eye contact. There are also smaller tanks of seafish that children can reach in and touch.
A boat service operates out of Dingle Bay, taking passengers into the harbour to see Fungi, the local dolphin, leaping out of the water alongside the boat. He is a regular and obliging performer, so much so that the operators promise you your money back if he doesn't show. The more adventurous can also go on fishing trips, or even diving.
Outside Killarney is the great Victorian house of Muckross, set in what remains of the last natural oak forest in Ireland. As well as having all the usual attributes of the stately home - fine furniture, an imposing kitchen complete with 19th-century fittings and pots and pans - it has grounds with several nature trails, and jaunty carts wait to take you on a tour of the parkland around the shimmering lake.
At Kenmare, perhaps the most delightful town in the region, a Seafari cruise leaves from the pier. It calls itself 'Ireland's premier eco-nature, history and seal watching cruise', and in two hours takes a ten-mile journey around offshore islands, where you can see not just wildlife but also ruined castles.
The roads in Ireland are, by comparison with this side of the water, pretty empty, too. As you drive round, the main obstacles are sheep, not just out on the mountains, but in little towns as well - in the latter, often with puzzled-looking men running a few moments after them trying to fathom where they have gone.
Kerry's towns, especially Killarney, have a good selection of pleasant, well-equipped hotels at reasonable prices. While the restaurants are good, Irish cuisine will not always appeal to more modern tastes, or to those who don't like seafood.
Self-catering avoids this problem, and allows you to take advantage of the excellent local produce in a country where specialist foodsellers have not been obliterated by the supermarket. If you prefer to self-cater, however, you will find that, unlike in Britain, there is a serious shortage of roses-round-the-door holiday cottages for hire; Ireland's history is very different.
We rented a splendid Victorian house - Glen Ellen at Milltown near Killarney - and came away with the impression that, although Ireland presents itself as a modern European country, a greater part of its charm lies in the fact that to go there is to take a trip back in time.
The dolphin of Dingle Bay
At Dingle, the Ocean World exhibition includes a vast elevated tank of sharks that swim past your head, making especially disturbing eye contact. There are also smaller tanks of seafish that children can reach in and touch.
A boat service operates out of Dingle Bay, taking passengers into the harbour to see Fungi, the local dolphin, leaping out of the water alongside the boat. He is a regular and obliging performer, so much so that the operators promise you your money back if he doesn't show. The more adventurous can also go on fishing trips, or even diving.
Outside Killarney is the great Victorian house of Muckross, set in what remains of the last natural oak forest in Ireland. As well as having all the usual attributes of the stately home - fine furniture, an imposing kitchen complete with 19th-century fittings and pots and pans - it has grounds with several nature trails, and jaunty carts wait to take you on a tour of the parkland around the shimmering lake.
At Kenmare, perhaps the most delightful town in the region, a Seafari cruise leaves from the pier. It calls itself 'Ireland's premier eco-nature, history and seal watching cruise', and in two hours takes a ten-mile journey around offshore islands, where you can see not just wildlife but also ruined castles.
The roads in Ireland are, by comparison with this side of the water, pretty empty, too. As you drive round, the main obstacles are sheep, not just out on the mountains, but in little towns as well - in the latter, often with puzzled-looking men running a few moments after them trying to fathom where they have gone.
Kerry's towns, especially Killarney, have a good selection of pleasant, well-equipped hotels at reasonable prices. While the restaurants are good, Irish cuisine will not always appeal to more modern tastes, or to those who don't like seafood.
Self-catering avoids this problem, and allows you to take advantage of the excellent local produce in a country where specialist foodsellers have not been obliterated by the supermarket. If you prefer to self-cater, however, you will find that, unlike in Britain, there is a serious shortage of roses-round-the-door holiday cottages for hire; Ireland's history is very different.
We rented a splendid Victorian house - Glen Ellen at Milltown near Killarney - and came away with the impression that, although Ireland presents itself as a modern European country, a greater part of its charm lies in the fact that to go there is to take a trip back in time.
Guinness and Timmy 'The Banker' O'Sullivan
Like many pubs in rural Ireland, O'Neills is an interesting hybrid. Half pub, half food shop, there is a counter selling loaves of bread and groceries on one side and a bar on the other. One can imagine locals popping in to buy a can of peas and ending up drinking all night.
Halfway through my second pint of Guinness my hand was grabbed and I was pulled into the middle of the pub by a man with a large whiskey nose and huge ears. His dance style was not so much Irish jig as alcoholic dance cocktail; a thunderous stamping on the floor with the heel of his right foot.
His name was Timmy 'The Banker' O'Sullivan, a local farmer and so nicknamed because he has never had a penny in his life to bank. I retreated to the bar and watched as he started flicking up the dresses of some local elderly ladies and continued dancing with the broadest of smiles on his face.
One elderly lady I spoke to was not impressed with Timmy's antics. Two weeks earlier, she explained, she had belted him across the shoulders with a fire poker. Now, she wanted him hoisted above the town for three days instead of the goat. 'Then at least your man would be out of the way.'
'He's from the mountains, you know,' her friend offered as an explanation for Timmy's behaviour. 'They're good people, but when they come down here they go a little crazy.' I asked her if he had ever been married. 'No, what woman would stand for such nonsense?'
In Killorglin's pubs it felt as though I'd stumbled across a competition to see who could deliver the best anecdote, with locals all competing for the wittiest remark. By 3am, the loaves of bread on the counter of O'Neills were being employed as armrests.
At an unholy hour, I made it back to my bed. Earlier in the day all hotels were full and all I managed was a sofa in the dining room of a guesthouse, half-a-mile outside town.
Guinness and Timmy 'The Banker' O'Sullivan
Like many pubs in rural Ireland, O'Neills is an interesting hybrid. Half pub, half food shop, there is a counter selling loaves of bread and groceries on one side and a bar on the other. One can imagine locals popping in to buy a can of peas and ending up drinking all night.
Halfway through my second pint of Guinness my hand was grabbed and I was pulled into the middle of the pub by a man with a large whiskey nose and huge ears. His dance style was not so much Irish jig as alcoholic dance cocktail; a thunderous stamping on the floor with the heel of his right foot.
His name was Timmy 'The Banker' O'Sullivan, a local farmer and so nicknamed because he has never had a penny in his life to bank. I retreated to the bar and watched as he started flicking up the dresses of some local elderly ladies and continued dancing with the broadest of smiles on his face.
One elderly lady I spoke to was not impressed with Timmy's antics. Two weeks earlier, she explained, she had belted him across the shoulders with a fire poker. Now, she wanted him hoisted above the town for three days instead of the goat. 'Then at least your man would be out of the way.'
'He's from the mountains, you know,' her friend offered as an explanation for Timmy's behaviour. 'They're good people, but when they come down here they go a little crazy.' I asked her if he had ever been married. 'No, what woman would stand for such nonsense?'
In Killorglin's pubs it felt as though I'd stumbled across a competition to see who could deliver the best anecdote, with locals all competing for the wittiest remark. By 3am, the loaves of bread on the counter of O'Neills were being employed as armrests.
At an unholy hour, I made it back to my bed. Earlier in the day all hotels were full and all I managed was a sofa in the dining room of a guesthouse, half-a-mile outside town.
Thriving music scene
The pubs are legendary, including Foxy John's, a bar that doubles up as a hardware shop and bicycle hire business, and Dick Mack's, a leather shop with wellies and shoes for sale alongside the drink.
Here, the surprise for visitors seeking out quaintness are the brass stars in the pavement - testimony to visits by stars like Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts and Robert Mitchum, and to the canny approach of the locals to tourism.
The locals have also made much of Fungie, the bottlenose dolphin who has been leaping around the harbour for the past 16 years. He's the star of postcards and a cash mammal for the boat trip trade.
As the ultimate crowd-pleasing presence, he has been the subject of much stout-fuelled debate. Is Fungie a genuine, if loopy, solo dolphin - or some sort of animatronic device sponsored by the tourist board?
The music scene is thriving in Dingle's pubs of an evening.
Much of it is sing-along diddley-eyedye stuff that has everyone - the Americans, Europeans, us Brits, even the Japanese - smiling and humming along. And there's now a big range of places to eat. Choose from chips on polystyrene to places that serve up John Dory with citrus couscous, slow roasted tomatoes and pesto.
Thriving music scene
The pubs are legendary, including Foxy John's, a bar that doubles up as a hardware shop and bicycle hire business, and Dick Mack's, a leather shop with wellies and shoes for sale alongside the drink.
Here, the surprise for visitors seeking out quaintness are the brass stars in the pavement - testimony to visits by stars like Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts and Robert Mitchum, and to the canny approach of the locals to tourism.
The locals have also made much of Fungie, the bottlenose dolphin who has been leaping around the harbour for the past 16 years. He's the star of postcards and a cash mammal for the boat trip trade.
As the ultimate crowd-pleasing presence, he has been the subject of much stout-fuelled debate. Is Fungie a genuine, if loopy, solo dolphin - or some sort of animatronic device sponsored by the tourist board?
The music scene is thriving in Dingle's pubs of an evening.
Much of it is sing-along diddley-eyedye stuff that has everyone - the Americans, Europeans, us Brits, even the Japanese - smiling and humming along. And there's now a big range of places to eat. Choose from chips on polystyrene to places that serve up John Dory with citrus couscous, slow roasted tomatoes and pesto.
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| | | | Rambling from Rossbeigh beach
In the morning an overpowering stench of animals greeted me. It was Fair Day, when livestock are bought and sold in the street. I waded through a mini-river of dung and straw that used to be Killorglin's main street, where cattle were lined up outside shops and pubs while country men clad in tweed flat caps and Wellington boots discussed their purchases over a pint inside.
The origins of the festival have been lost in antiquity. Historians agree that the male goat was a pagan symbol of fertility, and the festival may have been a celebration of fruitful harvests in pre-Christian times. Everyone has their own theory and accounts from locals are the most exciting.
One version concerns a farmer who was so fed up at not being able to sell his favourite goat that he hoisted it up high enough for all prospective buyers to see. Others concern Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads; locals did not want to be ruled by England, so they crowned a goat as their monarch. But the most frequently-aired version of events is of Roundheads frightening a herd of goats, which ran through the town, alerting locals to the approaching soldiers.
From Killorglin, you are well-situated to slip away to surrounding areas when the swell of animals and Guinness gets too much. I joined up with some local ramblers to scale one of the mountains that climb straight up from Rossbeigh beach, nine miles away.
Our reward was the vista at the top - the whole of Dingle Bay, sandwiched between the Slieve Mish mountains to the north and the Macgillicuddy Reeks to the south. These can also be climbed, including one at 3,414ft, the highest peak in Ireland.
Out at sea the Blasket Islands nestled in the Atlantic like a herd of hippos, and the shadows of a few gentle clouds in the blue sky made their way slowly eastwards across the Slieve Mish mountains, with Inch beach below. As a hangover cure, it's a lot better than a Bloody Mary.
Over the next two days Dingle's fresh breezes and fish restaurants acted as an effective drying-out clinic. Dingle's major tourist attraction is another animal - Fungie the Dolphin, but as yet the town hasn't felt the urge to crown him.
Rambling from Rossbeigh beach
In the morning an overpowering stench of animals greeted me. It was Fair Day, when livestock are bought and sold in the street. I waded through a mini-river of dung and straw that used to be Killorglin's main street, where cattle were lined up outside shops and pubs while country men clad in tweed flat caps and Wellington boots discussed their purchases over a pint inside.
The origins of the festival have been lost in antiquity. Historians agree that the male goat was a pagan symbol of fertility, and the festival may have been a celebration of fruitful harvests in pre-Christian times. Everyone has their own theory and accounts from locals are the most exciting.
One version concerns a farmer who was so fed up at not being able to sell his favourite goat that he hoisted it up high enough for all prospective buyers to see. Others concern Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads; locals did not want to be ruled by England, so they crowned a goat as their monarch. But the most frequently-aired version of events is of Roundheads frightening a herd of goats, which ran through the town, alerting locals to the approaching soldiers.
From Killorglin, you are well-situated to slip away to surrounding areas when the swell of animals and Guinness gets too much. I joined up with some local ramblers to scale one of the mountains that climb straight up from Rossbeigh beach, nine miles away.
Our reward was the vista at the top - the whole of Dingle Bay, sandwiched between the Slieve Mish mountains to the north and the Macgillicuddy Reeks to the south. These can also be climbed, including one at 3,414ft, the highest peak in Ireland.
Out at sea the Blasket Islands nestled in the Atlantic like a herd of hippos, and the shadows of a few gentle clouds in the blue sky made their way slowly eastwards across the Slieve Mish mountains, with Inch beach below. As a hangover cure, it's a lot better than a Bloody Mary.
Over the next two days Dingle's fresh breezes and fish restaurants acted as an effective drying-out clinic. Dingle's major tourist attraction is another animal - Fungie the Dolphin, but as yet the town hasn't felt the urge to crown him.
Just road and a few houses
But Dingle is not everyone's glass of black stout. On Saturday night, as my partner and I walked into town, we met an American woman.
We were ready for a good meal, great music and off-the-wall pub chat.
She, however, was not happy. 'What's along that road? Just road and houses?' she snapped. Well, yes. The road into Dingle is just road and a few houses.
Roads with hedgerows frilly with bramble blossom, foxgloves and fuchsias. Roads with lanes that lead down to the sea and up to the hills. Roads with mystical standing stones that have been there for centuries.
'So is this all there is to Dingle?' whined the visitor. 'Nothing is open except bars and restaurants.'
Yes, that's right. Come eight on a summer Saturday night, the craft shops and the deli are closed. The boat trips are heading back to harbour. The New Age natural therapy centre has shut up shop.
Late night shopping malls, traffic lights and son et lumiere have yet to arrive here.
She moaned on: 'Well I think it's terrible. I have never known a town like it.'
Happily, neither have I.
Travel facts:
The closest airport to Dingle is Kerry International - about a 45-minute drive. Ryanair flies to Kerry from Stansted (visit Ryanair.co.uk for details). Alternatively, both Shannon and Cork airports are two hours away. A ferry service also runs between Swansea and Cork. The websites http://www.dingle-insight. com and http://www.dinglepeninsula.ie offer lists of accommodation in and around Dingle.
Just road and a few houses
But Dingle is not everyone's glass of black stout. On Saturday night, as my partner and I walked into town, we met an American woman.
We were ready for a good meal, great music and off-the-wall pub chat.
She, however, was not happy. 'What's along that road? Just road and houses?' she snapped. Well, yes. The road into Dingle is just road and a few houses.
Roads with hedgerows frilly with bramble blossom, foxgloves and fuchsias. Roads with lanes that lead down to the sea and up to the hills. Roads with mystical standing stones that have been there for centuries.
'So is this all there is to Dingle?' whined the visitor. 'Nothing is open except bars and restaurants.'
Yes, that's right. Come eight on a summer Saturday night, the craft shops and the deli are closed. The boat trips are heading back to harbour. The New Age natural therapy centre has shut up shop.
Late night shopping malls, traffic lights and son et lumiere have yet to arrive here.
She moaned on: 'Well I think it's terrible. I have never known a town like it.'
Happily, neither have I.
Travel facts:
The closest airport to Dingle is Kerry International - about a 45-minute drive. Ryanair flies to Kerry from Stansted (visit Ryanair.co.uk for details). Alternatively, both Shannon and Cork airports are two hours away. A ferry service also runs between Swansea and Cork. The websites www.dingle-insight. com and www.dinglepeninsula.ie offer lists of accommodation in and around Dingle.
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| | Destination Guide : County Kerry |
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| | | Bustling capital |  | Why go on holiday to County Kerry?
With its bustling capital, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle and the Iveragh peninsulas, as well as the usual quota of pubs, lively music and small historic towns, it's no wonder Kerry is such a popular holiday destination.
How much does it cost?
Accommodation in Killarney ranges from £10 for a dorm bed to £80 for a good quality hotel room, with B&B starting about £20 a night. Cottages can be rented from £100 a week (low season). Expect to pay from £250 in high season.
Scheduled flights to Killarney in high season cost around £250 but you have to change at Dublin.
Rail and air fares can vary greatly and you should always check with the operator for exact prices.
When should I go?
July and August, the best months for weather, also bring the crowds, making costs high and accommodation harder to come by, so go off peak for a bargain.
In the winter the weather can be miserable and tourist facilities shut down. June and September are probably the best times for a visit. Summer temperatures range from 15-20C (58-68F), winter 2-10C (35-50F)
Why go on holiday to County Kerry?
With its bustling capital, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle and the Iveragh peninsulas, as well as the usual quota of pubs, lively music and small historic towns, it's no wonder Kerry is such a popular holiday destination.
How much does it cost?
Accommodation in Killarney ranges from £10 for a dorm bed to £80 for a good quality hotel room, with B&B starting about £20 a night. Cottages can be rented from £100 a week (low season). Expect to pay from £250 in high season.
Scheduled flights to Killarney in high season cost around £250 but you have to change at Dublin.
Rail and air fares can vary greatly and you should always check with the operator for exact prices.
When should I go?
July and August, the best months for weather, also bring the crowds, making costs high and accommodation harder to come by, so go off peak for a bargain.
In the winter the weather can be miserable and tourist facilities shut down. June and September are probably the best times for a visit. Summer temperatures range from 15-20C (58-68F), winter 2-10C (35-50F)
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| | | Archangel's rock | | What should I do when I'm there?
Walk or cycle in Killarney National Park, with its three lakes and stunning coastline. Take a boat trip or swim with Fungie the dolphin in Dingle Bay.
Visit Ross Castle, Lord Brandon's cottage, the Gallarus Oratory and the seventh century monastery perched on top of Skellig Michael castle. Eat hearty Irish food and drink stout in the pub while listening to great live music.
What's Killarney like?
It's the number one tourist town in Ireland. Though leprechaun-adorned tourist shops abound, Killarney is a fun place to visit and right next to the National Park. Take a horse-drawn car around the centre of town to Pugin's St Mary's Cathedral.
Fishermen will love the trout and salmon fishing in the lakes and the Rivers Fles and Laune. In the National Park see 14th century Ross Castle, the ruins on Inisfallen Island, Muckross Abbey and Muckross House, with its gardens and traditional farms.
What should I see next?
Drive the Ring of Kerry, a 179-kilometre road circuit around the scenic Iveragh Peninsula. Be warned, it gets incredibly crowded with traffic in summer.
Killorglin village holds its annual Puck Fair Festival on the second weekend in August, when local pubs stay open till 3am. For a glimpse of the past, visit the Kerry Bog Village Museum, Staigue Fort, and Derrynane National Historic Park.
To get away from the crowds, head for the equally lovely Dingle Peninsula, making sure to stop in Tralee and the quaint Dingle Village en route. Then go swimming with Fungie, the famous Dingle Bay dolphin.
Where can I go to get away from it all?
A boat trip to the Skellig Islands, 12 kilometres out in the Atlantic, might be just the thing. Small Skellig is a bird sanctuary and you cannot land on it. Bring your binoculars for great birdwatching from the boat.
The larger of the two is Skellig Michael (Archangel Michael's Rock), a 217-metre jagged rock with the remains of monastic buildings built by the early Christians. Limits are put on visits to Skellig Michael of 250 per day - so book ahead in high season.
What should I do when I'm there?
Walk or cycle in Killarney National Park, with its three lakes and stunning coastline. Take a boat trip or swim with Fungie the dolphin in Dingle Bay.
Visit Ross Castle, Lord Brandon's cottage, the Gallarus Oratory and the seventh century monastery perched on top of Skellig Michael castle. Eat hearty Irish food and drink stout in the pub while listening to great live music.
What's Killarney like?
It's the number one tourist town in Ireland. Though leprechaun-adorned tourist shops abound, Killarney is a fun place to visit and right next to the National Park. Take a horse-drawn car around the centre of town to Pugin's St Mary's Cathedral.
Fishermen will love the trout and salmon fishing in the lakes and the Rivers Fles and Laune. In the National Park see 14th century Ross Castle, the ruins on Inisfallen Island, Muckross Abbey and Muckross House, with its gardens and traditional farms.
What should I see next?
Drive the Ring of Kerry, a 179-kilometre road circuit around the scenic Iveragh Peninsula. Be warned, it gets incredibly crowded with traffic in summer.
Killorglin village holds its annual Puck Fair Festival on the second weekend in August, when local pubs stay open till 3am. For a glimpse of the past, visit the Kerry Bog Village Museum, Staigue Fort, and Derrynane National Historic Park.
To get away from the crowds, head for the equally lovely Dingle Peninsula, making sure to stop in Tralee and the quaint Dingle Village en route. Then go swimming with Fungie, the famous Dingle Bay dolphin.
Where can I go to get away from it all?
A boat trip to the Skellig Islands, 12 kilometres out in the Atlantic, might be just the thing. Small Skellig is a bird sanctuary and you cannot land on it. Bring your binoculars for great birdwatching from the boat.
The larger of the two is Skellig Michael (Archangel Michael's Rock), a 217-metre jagged rock with the remains of monastic buildings built by the early Christians. Limits are put on visits to Skellig Michael of 250 per day - so book ahead in high season.
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| | | Irish music | | Where's good for nightlife?
Most Killarney pubs have live music. Some, such as The Laurels, on Main Street, specialise in catering to the tourist crowd. Try O'Connor's, Courtney's, Charlie Foleys or McSorley's for a more authentic crowd.
Tralee's Castle Street is thick with pubs - Kirby's Brogue Inn, Greyhound Bar and Fiddler Bar have entertainment most nights. Betty's is recommended for traditional Irish music at the weekend.
Siamsa Tire, also in Tralee, is the venue for the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, with performances from May to September. In all the villages you stop in you'll find pubs (often in surprising quantities for such small settlements) and music.
What's the food like?
Irish meals are usually based around meat - especially beef, lamb, pork chops and boiled hams. Traditional Irish breads and scones are delicious for tea.
Other typical dishes include bacon and cabbage; mashed potatoes with butter, cream and green onions; a cake-like bread called barm brack; and a filled pancake called a boxty. The main meal of the day tends to be lunch.
Irish whiskey and a Murphys or a Guinness are the drinks of choice; Irish spring water for the abstemious.
What should I buy?
Irish music CDs and tapes are sold at Music Kingdom, Killarney.
You can buy quality craft goods from around Ireland in Killarney stores, including Aran sweaters, tweeds from Donegal, lace, Irish whiskey, handmade cheeses, Claddagh rings from Galway, enamel work, willow or rush basketwork and Connemara marble.
What is there for children to do?
Organised horseriding trips are available from the Killarney Riding Stables in Ballydowney. Kids will love the Tralee and Dingle Steam Railway, which runs between Tralee and Blennerville, and the Blennerville Windmill, restored to full working order.
In Tralee, take the kids to the Aqua dome, complete with water slides and wave pools. Nearby Fenit's Seaworld has pirate stories woven around the fish in the aquaria. Dingle also has an aquarium specialising in local sea-life.
Kerry has many good beaches but check tides and currents before swimming, as they can be strong.
Tourist office
Tourism Ireland, 103 Wigmore Street, London W1U 1QS. Tel 0800 039 7000.
Where's good for nightlife?
Most Killarney pubs have live music. Some, such as The Laurels, on Main Street, specialise in catering to the tourist crowd. Try O'Connor's, Courtney's, Charlie Foleys or McSorley's for a more authentic crowd.
Tralee's Castle Street is thick with pubs - Kirby's Brogue Inn, Greyhound Bar and Fiddler Bar have entertainment most nights. Betty's is recommended for traditional Irish music at the weekend.
Siamsa Tire, also in Tralee, is the venue for the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, with performances from May to September. In all the villages you stop in you'll find pubs (often in surprising quantities for such small settlements) and music.
What's the food like?
Irish meals are usually based around meat - especially beef, lamb, pork chops and boiled hams. Traditional Irish breads and scones are delicious for tea.
Other typical dishes include bacon and cabbage; mashed potatoes with butter, cream and green onions; a cake-like bread called barm brack; and a filled pancake called a boxty. The main meal of the day tends to be lunch.
Irish whiskey and a Murphys or a Guinness are the drinks of choice; Irish spring water for the abstemious.
What should I buy?
Irish music CDs and tapes are sold at Music Kingdom, Killarney.
You can buy quality craft goods from around Ireland in Killarney stores, including Aran sweaters, tweeds from Donegal, lace, Irish whiskey, handmade cheeses, Claddagh rings from Galway, enamel work, willow or rush basketwork and Connemara marble.
What is there for children to do?
Organised horseriding trips are available from the Killarney Riding Stables in Ballydowney. Kids will love the Tralee and Dingle Steam Railway, which runs between Tralee and Blennerville, and the Blennerville Windmill, restored to full working order.
In Tralee, take the kids to the Aqua dome, complete with water slides and wave pools. Nearby Fenit's Seaworld has pirate stories woven around the fish in the aquaria. Dingle also has an aquarium specialising in local sea-life.
Kerry has many good beaches but check tides and currents before swimming, as they can be strong.
Tourist office
Tourism Ireland, 103 Wigmore Street, London W1U 1QS. Tel 0800 039 7000.
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| | Fact File : County Kerry |
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| | | County Kerry | | Did you know?
Staigue Fort dating back 2000 years is one of Ireland's finest dry-stone buildings, boasting a 5m circular wall up to 4m thick.
Language
English, Irish (Gaelic)
Visas
No visa is required for UK citizens, but take your passport for identification.
Getting there
Regular flights are available from London to Kerry International Airport with Ryanair. The airport is also served by frequent flights to Dublin.
Flying time from London
60 mins.
Getting around
This is driving, walking and cycling country. Just remember that country cycling is for the fit, includes hills and there is frequent rain. Off the coast, you can do numerous boat trips.
Currency
Euro
Costs
Litre of petrol 54p; pint of beer £1.73; moderate restaurant meal £7.50-£15; roll of film £2; four-mile taxi ride £4.
Weather
Winter can be miserable, so June and September are probably the best times. Summer 15-20C (58-68F), winter 2-10C (35-50F).
Time difference
None, it's on GMT
International dialling code from the UK
00 353
Voltage
220V 50Hz AC; flat three-pin plugs - no adaptors necessary.
Opening hours
Offices open 9am-5pm weekdays, shops open 9am-5.30/6pm Monday to Saturday, with Thursday and/or Friday late opening.
Health - Before you go
No vaccinations needed.
Health - When you are there
You do not need an EHIC form to get free treatment in Eire - but you do need proof of UK residency. Obtain information regarding treatment from the Health Board of the region you are staying in.
Warnings
The over-commercialised Ring of Kerry is choked with tour buses throughout the summer, but the rest of the country is big enough to explore without the crowds.
Emergency
Police dial 999. British Embassy in Dublin: 29 Merrion Road, Ballsbridge Dublin 4, Tel. (00 353 1) 205 3700.
Customs
You might be invited to a pub for its good "craic" (pron. "crack"), which describes having a good time hanging out with friends. People really do sing and play music in pubs. Join in - it's fun and will be appreciated.
Pets
Eire allows pets entry but has restrictions on certain breeds of dog, and all dogs have to have been resident in the UK for at least six months before their visit.
Tipping
Some places add 10-15% and no additional tip is required. Some don't but if you want to tip, round up the bill or add 10% at most. Taxis don't have to be tipped, but 10% is fine.
Tourist office
Tourism Ireland, 103 Wigmore Street, London W1U 1QS. Tel.0800 039 7000.
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| | Available rental properties in County Kerry |
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| |  | | Ardmullen 3 bed ( O )
Ardmullen is just out side Kenmare, it is ideally located on the Rings of Kerry & Beara. One can enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery Ireland has
|  | | Ardmullen 3 bed ( W)
Ardmullen is just out side Kenmare, it is ideally located on the Rings of Kerry & Beara. One can enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery Ireland has
|  | | Bun Cill Athta
Situated 2 miles from Kenmare, this is the real get away from it all, well appoinited house in stunning mountain side location, with panoramic views o
|  | | Carrig Beag -Victorian Terrace Loving restored
Situated in a quiet Cul de Sac adjacent to Kenmare town. Lovingly restored while retaining it Character. Ideal location in a quiet area yet close enou
|  | | Ardmullen 4 bed Detached
Ardmullen is just out side Kenmare, it is ideally located on the Rings of Kerry & Beara. One can enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery Ireland
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Holiday Rentals in County Kerry |
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 |  | Unspoilt and charming (1) | | | Family and kids (1) | | | Beach (1) |
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