Killarney is a popular tourist destination due to its location to the Ring of Kerry, its beautiful National Park, historical sites and its proximity to the three wild Atlantic peninsulas- Dingle, Beara and Iveragh. It’s also a busy bustling town full of great Irish pubs, shops and restaurants.
Our first day in Killarney we drove the Ring of Kerry which starts and ends in Killarney. It’s a popular drive around the Iveragh Peninsula with scenic look outs, waterfalls and and historical sites. The entire route is 179kms and can take a whole day if you stop at all the suggested sites and towns along the way.
Our first two stops were historical sites.
Ross Castle a typical 15th century stronghold. It’s located just outside town and in Killarney National Park. It’s also alongside a Lough Leane (a lake) and has great views over the lake and National Park. We walked around the outside but you could do tours inside.
From Ross Castle we went to Muckross house which is a Victorian mansion. It’s also located in Killarney National Park and alongside Muckross Lake and Lough Leane. It had many different owners since being built in 1883. The final owner’s family presented the property to Ireland which eventually became part of Killarney National Park. Tours through the house are available too.
We continued on through winding roads and picturesque changes in landscapes. We drove through rocky and grassy valleys with trees that looked like pine trees and then parts were lush with ferns.
Our next stop was a lookout called Ladies View and named so because Queen Victoria’s Ladies in Waiting loved the view. The view was a stunning view of the Killarney Lakes.
There were many other lookouts and waterfalls to visit but we had seen so many amazing views from lookouts and waterfalls already, especially the waterfalls in the Norwegian fjords.
Next on the route was the stone ruins of the circular Staigue fort. It was thought to have been built in the Iron Age.
To get to the fort was along a single lane road which became very interesting at times!
We drove through lots of towns along the way. But the goal was to find a nice pub for lunch in one of the smaller towns. We found it in Glenleigh. There were three small pubs all close together. We chose The Towers and knew it was good because it was full of locals.
After a very hearty lunch we continued along the winding roads back to Killarney. At one point we hit fog and rain. But when the sun came out the view over cliffs were of beautiful beaches and rough sea.
As we made our way closer to Killarney the tourist buses started to appear. The buses have to go anti clockwise and because we started early we didn’t come across them until we were near the end of the ring.
We also saw a heap of bike riders! There is no way I would attempt such a ride with hills, narrow roads, cars, cliffs and of course the tourist buses! I was amazed!
Back in Killarney we went to find a pub. The town was buzzing and full of people in Kerry jerseys heading to a Gaelic football game. We eventually chose a pub which was showing the game. It’s a very interesting sport. A cross between AFL and soccer. It was a really dingy pub so we moved on and found a pub more up our alley with nice wine and food.
The following day we left for our next stop Kinsale via Blarney Castle to checkout the famous Blarney Stone. Blarney Castle is located in County Cork and is one of the most visited castles in Ireland not just for the stone but for its surrounding countryside and gardens.
We were those tourists wanting to checkout the fuss of the Blarney Stone which if kissed is supposed to give you eloquence or the gift of the gab.
We climbed the many stairs of the tight spiral staircase both intending to kiss the stone. Everyone around us were excited while watching the people ahead either kiss the stone or chicken out. There were also whispers about the germs on the stone. But I was determined to do it germs or not. I did coat my lips with chap stick before my turn. As it turns out I didn’t really get close enough so it just ended up being an air kiss.
From the castle we drove on to Kinsale a small coastal town known for its food.
We were staying in Perryville House which is a beautiful restored Victorian house right in town and opposite the harbour.
Our room wasn’t ready so we went for a walk around town to find somewhere to sample the famous Kinsale food. There were of course many pubs to choose from. The pub we did choose had Aperol which we have found is quite rare in Ireland. So it was a spritz for me and a local beer for Steve.
After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon in another pub that was more of a bar and with a good play list.
We had booked a nice restaurant for dinner but unfortunately we didn’t make it because I was sick. Steve had picked up a stomach bug a few days before and it got me.
So our time in Kinsale was cut a bit short. It was a beautiful little town and it would’ve been nice to spend some more time there.
If you ever get to Kinsale we would highly recommend Perryville House. Some of the staff reminded us of Faulty Tower. But it really was a beautiful guest house and had a very yummy breakfast that was included in the price.