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Killarney, Co. Kerry
Description
Killarney National Park is 10,289 hectares of mountains,
woodlands, and the lakes of Killarney.
The peaks encompass Mangerton, Torc, and Shehy, and the Purple
Mountains. To the west are the MacGillycuddy's
Reeks, the highest mountain range in Ireland.
The lakes are Lough Leane, Muckross Lough, and Lough Guitane
Centered around a 4,000-hectare Bourne Vincent Memorial Park
- formerly Muckross Estate - the park was presented to the State by Mr. and Mrs.
W. Bowers Bourne and their son-in-law Senator Arthur Vincent in 1932, to become
Ireland's first national park. Later,
the lands and waters of the former Kenmare estate were added, to increase the
park to its current size. The park was
designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1981, under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere
Programme.
What to See and Do
Visit Ross Castle, built for the O'Donoghue chieftains
during the first half of the 15th century. From Ross Castle, take a boat trip to
Innisfallen Island, wander ancient native woodlands of rowan, ash, holly, and
yew, and then visit the 6th century Abbey ruins.
Visit Muckross Estate - a House, Traditional Farms, and
Gardens.
Drive up to Ladies View, a gorgeous spot looking back at the
valley from the top of Mangerton Mountains.
See Serpent Lake, where St. Patrick banished all the snakes
of Ireland.
Hike around the wooded, Killarney Lake District. Look for Irish Red Deer feeding in the
meadows. They are the largest native
Irish mammals, surviving in the area for over 12,000 years.
Take a lovely hike up through mossy woods to Torc Waterfall,
located off the N71 toward Kenmare. It
is a waterfall over a 60-foot rock
face. Keep going on the trail up into
the wooded hills above the waterfall for a spectacular view.
Take a horse-drawn carriage through the Gap of Dunloe.
Where to Eat and
Drink
Visit the Pancake Cottage, on the Sneem-Moll's Gap Road
R568, for some good, old-fashioned pancakes (www.pancakecottage.com). Sunday there
is a Farmer's Market at Dunloe Golf Course on the Gap of Dunloe Road,
1PM-5PM. For farm-fresh goodness, visit
the Country Market, Fridays 11:30AM to 1:30PM at St. Mary's Parish Hall on St.
Anne's Road in Killarney.
Where to Sleep
Lots of fine accommodations along the N71 road to Kenmare -
B&Bs, lakeside, cottages, and hotels.
Neptune's Hostel is a basic, backpacker place in town. Killarney Railway Hostel is a better pick, on
the edge of town.
How to get there
Located in the heart of Killarney.
By car:
From Tralee, take the N22 north to Killarney. The lakes are
along the N71 road to Kenmare.
By bus:
See www.buseireann.ie
website for all current travel details and restrictions.
When to go
From April to October, when the days are longer and the sun
comes out.
My experience
We had a wild camping experience here.
We found what appeared to be a great camp spot - next to the
lake, tucked away under a tree, the remnants of an old campfire affirming that
the spot had been used before by souls such as we. Ah! At
last, our home for the night. Big sigh
of relief. We had a wonderful night
camping there. End of story.
We came back through Killarney later, and went back to the
same spot to camp. This second
experience was a little different.
It looked like rain. Sure enough, the
rain started coming down. Unafraid, we
pitched our tent anyway, making sure to tuck the corners of our tarp under the
tent securely, to deter the water from getting in. We cinched the back of our tarp snuggly
around the tent, and staked down the front, to diminish loud flapping noises
caused by the wind. That sound can
really keep you awake. We were tired,
and fell asleep fast, to the patter of raindrops on the tent, our bodies tucked
away from the wet edges, where the raindrops seeped in.
Just before dawn, I was awakened by a wet sensation. It was not the usual wetness caused by the
usual rain. This time, an actual pool
encircled my lower body. My eyes opened
to darkness, and I felt around beside me.
Half of our tent was underwater.
I was so alarmed by the water that I did not notice the cloud of midges
that came in with it.
I woke up my travel companion, and we decided to
vacate. We were sleeping in the lake. The rain was so heavy overnight that it
increased the lake levels to reach us.
More midges devoured us when we opened our tent. We packed everything up as fast as we could,
piled it into the car, and drove away, with all the windows down, to blast out
the stray midges.
We arrived at a hostel and camped out in the parking lot
until the world awakened. Because we
were on such a strict budget, we couldn't stay at the hostel, but I needed a
shower and to do our laundry. The kind
staff member let me do our laundry for 5 euro, and shower meantime. My travel companion slept in the car.
Later, we counted the red midge bites on our ankles and arms
and faces. They turned into round, red
bumps and went away after a few days.
Watch out for the rains, it brings out those suckers. They are deadly; so tiny they get inside your
tent through the screen.
Written by Liz O'Malley - Summer of Travel 2007
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