Travel from Killarney in a ‘counter-clockwise’ direction, passing through the towns of Killorglin, Waterville, Sneem and Kinmare before returning to Killarney. 

 

Killorglin is town famous for the ‘Puck Fair’ held in the month of August where the wild goat is brought in and crowned king of the fair for a three day festival. Horses, pony’s, sheep and cattle are sold during the event. Music, song and dance is performed daily. 

 

Shortly after departing Killorglin, make sure you stop and visit John Mulvehill, of the Red Fox. Here you can enjoy a traditional Irish coffee and a visit to the ‘bog-village’ to experience what the ’thatch houses’ would have been like 100 years ago. In the fields, adjacent to the bog village, you will see the ‘bog-ponies’. These ponies, small and sturdy would have been used for carrying out the turf from the peat bogs. 

 

Waterville is a small town that has a choice of two 18 hole championship golf courses, also known for surfing, fishing and watersports. In Waterville you will get a chance to see the ‘cable houses’, which were built for the people who layed the telecommunication cable from Valentia Island to Newfoundland in the late 1800’s.

 

Leaving Waterville, you will see the ‘peat bogs’ and the scenery of the Macgillycuddy Reeks. The highest mountains in Ireland stretching to almost 1100 metres. The road rises to a spectacular viewing point, known as Culmachich which overlooks the Skellig Rocks, an old monastic settlement which dates back over 1600 years ago and recently the film location for the movie, Star Wars.

 

As you wind through the mountains, you arrive in the town of Sneem, which straddles the River Sneem. Various references to states men and women who have visited the town, such as Charles de Gaulle, once the president of France and Erskine Childers, one of Ireland’s former presidents. The location is an ideal spot to enjoy lunch in one of the many local Irish restaurants. 

 

Winding your way through the woodlands of Kerry, arrive at the tranquil, if not sleepy town of Kenmare, ceann na mara (head of the sea). Stop at the Fairgreen and walk up to the ‘standing stones’, an old Celtic Druid site or visit Quills, a woollen outlet. 

 

Arriving back into Killarney, consider a ‘jaunting car’ ride through The Killarney National Park, which is one of the first national parks in Ireland, created when the Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish Free State in 1932.