Note on All Tours |
As well as the main route each tour has a number of diversions:
these are placed between square brackets eg [ ]. Some diversions are cul de sacs and involve coming back the same way. |
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| Tour texts are very brief, only mentioning highlights. Read the text through before beginning the tour. |
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| Each of the tours has a bibliography which mentions the maps and other publications covering the area. It is well worth while having the appropriate Ordnance Survey Map. For the driver the Ordnance Survey Map 'Ireland South' reasonably adequately covers all routes (1:250,000, 0.25":1 mile). The cyclist & walker will want the (1:50,000, 1.25":1mile) Discovery maps and for the walker the more detailed map of the Killarney area (1: 25,000, 1":2.5 miles). |
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| (Route Description: Seascape - beach, cliff, rocky shore - mountain, lake - over 2,000 archaeological remains - the most extensive and most varied of the Peninsular fingers. A route for a day or a week. The 166 kms direct route should take about five hours - but with stops allow for a very full day. Best toured anti-clockwise.) |
| R562 west |
| [after 5 kms. unmarked road left, left again in front of Dunloe Castle Hotel, straight through next junction, along by Ireland's highest mountains, MacGillycuddy Reeks (29L). At T-junction go left. After Lough Acoose first surfaced road right. Follow signposting to Glenbeigh. Along western side of Caragh Lake (2RK). Rejoin main route - N70 - a few miles east of Glenbeigh. ]. |
| Main route by Killorglin (1RK), where it joins the N70, Glenbeigh |
| [short drive on R564 to 5 kms of safe sandy beach on Rossbeigh spit (3RK) - (Lifeguard mid July to mid Sept) ]. |
| From Mountain Stage - great high panoramas over Dingle Bay - to Kells Bay. Gleensk Viaduct is a fine example of railway engineering. Kells Bay (4RK), safe sandy cove. Panoramas over Dingle Bay from the Golden Mile. A good place to stretch your legs. To Caherciveen. |
| [Nearby is Leacanabuaile (5RK), excavated and refurbished 9th Century stone fort - turn right after church in Caherciveen, over the sea inlet, left at T-junction and right at Kimego school to fort. Return to crossroads at school and turn right for Ballycarbery Castle, the ruin of a large fortress once the seat of MacCarthy Mór. Sold in the 16th Century to Sir Nicholas Browne for £80]. |
| In Caherciveen (6RK), 'The Barracks', Interpretative Centre - history of barracks, Fenian Rising, Iveragh Peninsula; exhibition. |
| [R565 to Portmagee. Over the bridge to Valentia. Skellig Interpretative Centre (7RK) - exploration of unique nature, antiquity and history of Skellig Rocks. T-junction right, second surfaced road left (from Chapeltown) to mouth of disused slate quarry - one of the great panoramas of Kerry - over Valentia Harbour. Glanleam Gardens dating from 1830s - exotic trees and shrubs. Return to Portmagee.] |
| [Day trip to Skellig Rock (11RK) a very special experience. Needs to be booked in advance. 11am from Portmagee via Little Skellig - with 40,000 gannets - the second biggest gannetry in the world - to Sceilig Mhicil. Large colonies of sea birds April to July. Finest example in the world of early Christian monastery from 600AD - back on mainland about 5.00pm] |
| [Unmarked road south, opposite the pier in the centre of Portmagee village, to top of Coom an Easpaig (8RK) - panorama over the ocean and the Skelligs. From highest point walk west along rough track - one of the great panoramas of sea, islands, mountain and lake. To Ballinskelligs beach(9RK) - life-guard mid July to mid Sept.] |
| [West from village, through a series of unmarked roads to Cill Rialaig eremetical site (10RK) - early religious settlements associated with hermits. Ruins of several clochans (small groups of simple stone houses) - Pre-Famine village - a number of houses restored as artists' studios, - inscribed pillars, a church and an oratory. Return to Ballinskelligs]. |
| [Via R566 and R567 to N70, to Waterville]. |
| Main route N70 from Caherciveen to Waterville. |
| [1 km after Waterville, turn right. Follow this unmarked road to Hog's Head (12RK)- fine panoramas of Waterville and Kenmare Bays. Return to N70 by same route.] |
| [Immediately beyond Waterville unmarked cul-de-sac along southern shore of Lough Currane (13RK) ]. |
| Coomaciste (14RK) - panorama north west over Ballinskelligs Bay and south over Derrynane Bay (Beach - Lifeguard mid July to mid Sept). |
| Derrynane House (15RK) centre of small national historic park dedicated to the memory of Irish Liberator Daniel O'Connell. Nature Trail. Luxuriant gardens. House has large collection of O'Connell memorabilia and an audio visual on O'Connell's life. From Coomaciste to Castlecove practically any turn right leads to safe sandy coves. Western outskirts of Castlecove signpost left to 2,000 year old Staigue Stone Fort (16RK) - the finest unrefurbished stone fort in Ireland. |
| Sneem (17RK) - Ireland's Tidiest Town, 1987 - garden village - two beautifully landscaped village greens with flowers, trees, shrubs, colourful houses. On the right of the Catholic Church in Sneem see the prize-winning 'The Way the Fairies Went' - a creation by James Scanlon with four pyramid shaped, natural stone structures with stained glass panels. The largest collection of international outdoor sculpture in Ireland - to the memory of late Irish President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh - national memorial abstract steel sculpture inspired by the shapes of mountains, megalithic monuments, waves. Great steel tree unveiled by Israeli President Herzog. Two-ton white Chinese marble panda. The leacht or grave-stone on Ó Dálaigh's grave is by Séamus Murphy. In the grounds of the Catholic Church there is a gaunt bronze statue of the Risen Christ. Bronze medallion of General de Gaulle on a great rock in the north square commemorates the General's visit to Sneem in 1969. Life-size bronze of world wrestling champion Steve Casey in the south square. Gaunt sculpture of risen Christ - Catholic Church grounds - commentary on 'moving statues' - ask! |
| N70 runs by Kenmare Bay to outskirts of Kenmare (18RK), Tidiest Town in Ireland 2000. Also winner Entente Florale (from entries in 11 European countries), designated as a heritage town - strong association with landlord days - see Interpretative Centre. Approx 2 kms before town ruins of Dunkerron Castle on right. Was the seat of O'Sullivan Mór for over 400 years also the site of a pre-gaelic fort. O'Sullivan defeated and ousted from castle during the Cromwellian wars. In Kenmare, walk in Reenagross (new tree plantings from all five continents, also mature beech, oak etc. ... sea, mountains). Walk along the pier. See great limestone sculpture of musicians. Left along N71 via Moll's Gap (19RK) and Ladies View (20L) to Killarney. |
| Bibliography: Ordnance Survey Map 1/4" Ireland South ; Maps 78, 83 & 84 (1:50,000); Iveragh Archaeological Survey; Discovering Kerry; Guide to Derrynane National Historic Park. |
BALLAGHBEAMA & CARAGH LAKE
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| (Route Description: A very full half day's drive. The first half of this 96 km route gives an unparalleled experience of Kerry mountains. But it is not for the faint-hearted - particularly the stretch from Moll's Gap to beyond Loch Brin. While it is surfaced the road here is narrow and uneven with space for only one vehicle, few passing places, some precipitous drops and a maximum speed of 15 - 20 kms an hour. It is still a very special route and highly recommended. The second part of the route is by Caragh Lake, the second largest lake in Kerry.) |
| N71 south to Moll's Gap (21L/19RK): right onto R586. After less than one km go right on unmarked road north-west, steep fall. At T-junction go left. |
| [A right turn leads through Graigue Valley - turn right after crossing Gearhameen River to get to Lord Brandon's Cottage (22L) - back along Coumeenduff - the Black Valley (25L) - by church - three lakes - eventually along unsurfaced road in Curraghmore Valley to cul-de-sac under the southern slopes of Carrauntuohil (Lake District map pgs 32 and 33).] |
| Through boulder-strewn glacial valley - Lough Brin (23L), said to have a monster. Turn right onto R568 and right again after less than one km - on first surfaced (unmarked) road to Ballaghbeama (20RK) - 'the Pass of the Leap'. Mountains feel as if they are closing in. |
| [First road left leads to Cloon Lake (21RK) - sheer mountain backdrop.] |
| At T-junction go left. Right at next T-junction. Second next surfaced road on left. At T-junction turn left (follow signposting to Glenbeigh) along western shore of Caragh Lake (2RK ); good fishing, one of the cleanest lakes in Europe. Right onto N70 (traditional Kerry Bog Village built in recent years beside Red Fox Inn - see Kerry bog ponies). To Killorglin (1RK). Having passed through Killorglin then turn right at T-junction along R562 by the banks of the Laune to Killarney. |
| Bibliography: Ordnance Survey 1/4" Ireland South; Sheets 78, 83 & 84 (1:50,000); Discovering Kerry. |