County Kerry
Tralee is the capital town and administrative centre of County Kerry. More than just a stop-off point on the way to the Dingle Peninsula, there's no shortage of lively pubs, restaurants and hostels. One of the busiest times of the year for Tralee is the last week of August when lovely girls come from all over the world to enter the Rose of Tralee competition. Viewed by some as an archaic beauty pageant, by others as a great weekend of fun, its popularity never seems to wane. Tralee was founded by the Normans in 1216 and has a long history of rebellion.
Ireland's traditional peatlands are also well represented at the Peatlands World Museum. Housed in a beautifully restored nineteenth century courtyard, explore the fascinating history and science of the boglands, including their exploitation and future importance.
One of Ireland's biggest tourist attractions, the Ring of Kerry is one of Ireland's premier tourist attractions. The views are spectacular, though at high season the traffic tends to get quiet heavy in the afternoons. Your journey is best left until a little later in the day.
Travelling anti-clockwise from Killarney, Killorglin is the first town on the Ring. Killorglin is most famous for it's annual Puck Fair, held over three days in August. To synopsise, a wild goat is captured and enthroned for the weekend, there's plenty of drinking and singing, and everyone has a great time. There's also a cattle and horse fair. These rituals honour the wild goats that ran through the town, warning the residents of the arrival of Cromwell's army.
Sites of interest in the town of Killarney reflect its strong religious and educational history. Killarney was a Church foundation from the 5th or 6th Century, house settlement began here from around 1500.
Killarney National Park is the largest national park in Ireland. It contains spectacular mountains, woodlands and lakes. It encompasses 10,000 Hectares that include the famous Lakes of Killarney and the Muckross Demesne. The combination of mountains, and valleys, lakes and islands, rivers, waterfalls, bogs and woodlands forges a distinctive and beautiful landscape. The lakes lie sandwiched between the mountains of the McGillicuddy's Reeks and lower agricultural lands North and East of Killarney.
There are also numerous historical buildings within the Killarney National Park - a 7th century monastery on Innisfallen Island - a Norman castle on Ross Island - a 15th century monastery in Muckross and a large Victorian Mansion called Muckross House with exquisite gardens.
