Ballybunion

Ballybunion is one of the top seaside resorts in the country. Situated in the northwest corner of county Kerry, Ballybunion is perhaps most famous for the visit of Bill Clinton, during which he played a round of the golf on the world-renowned links course.

The castle which stands on the cliffs today, is where a promontory fort stood when the O'Connors were chieftains. The O'Connors had been chieftains over the area for centuries until the arrival of the Normans in Kerry in 1177. The Normans, subsequently, built their castle on the position where the fort had been and the ruins of the the castle stand today overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Ballybunion can boast one of the finest beaches in the country. Fronting the town, the beach continues for two miles south. Boats for angling and pleasure trips are available. However it is the links golf course for which Ballybunion is most famous. During the weeks prior to the British Open Golf Championship, many of the top American golfers, such as Tiger Woods and Tom Watson, come to play the links course in preparation for the Open.

Today there is an active development committee and a tidy towns committee which have transformed Ballybunion. Ceol Ciarraí are in the process of building a Folk Theatre in the town.

Ballybunion has a wide variety of accommodation available as well as some excellent restaurants. There are up to 5 daily bus services to Tralee from where trains to destinations around the country are available.