Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [244]
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Kerry Airport (KIR; 066-976 4644; www.kerryairport.com) is at Farranfore, about 15km north of Killarney along the N22 and then about 1.5km along the N23. Ryanair ( 0818 303 030; www.ryanair.com) rules the roost with daily flights to Dublin, London’s Luton and Stansted airports, Grenoble in France and Hahn in Germany.
The small airport has a cafe, bureau de change, an ATM and wi-fi. Virtually all the major car-hire firms have desks at the airport.
Bus
Bus Éireann ( 064-663 0011; www.buseireann.ie) operates from the east end of the Killarney Outlet Centre, offering regular links to Cork (€16, two hours, 15 daily); Dublin (€23, six hours, six daily); Galway (€22, seven hours, seven daily) via Limerick (€16.50, 2¼ hours); Tralee (€8, 40 minutes, hourly); and Waterford (€21.50, 4½ hours, hourly).
Train
Killarney’s train station is behind the Malton Hotel, just east of the centre. Irish Rail ( 064-6631067; www.irishrail.ie) has up to three direct trains a day to Cork (€20, 1½ hours) and nine to Tralee (€9.50, 45 minutes). There are direct trains to Dublin (€36, 3½ hours), but you usually have to change at Mallow.
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GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
Bus Éireann services between Killarney and the airport run roughly two hourly (adult/child €5/2.50, 20 minutes).
A taxi to Killarney costs about €35.
Bicycle
Bicycles are ideal for exploring the scattered sights of the Killarney area, many of which are accessible only by bike or on foot.
O’Sullivan’s Bike Hire ( 064-663 1282; per day €15) has branches on New St, opposite the cathedral, and on Beech Rd, opposite the tourist office.
Car
The centre of Killarney can be thick with traffic at times. Budget ( 064-663 4341; Kenmare Pl) is the only car-hire outfit with an office in town. Otherwise contact the companies at the airport.
There is a sizeable, free car park next to St Mary’s Cathedral. The central car parks cost €1 per hour, 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Saturday.
Jaunting Car
If you’re not on two wheels, Killarney’s traditional transport is the horse-drawn jaunting car ( 064-663 3358; www.killarneyjauntingcars.com), also known as a trap, which comes with a driver known as a jarvey. The pick-up point, nicknamed ‘the Ha Ha’ or ‘the Block’, is on Kenmare Pl. Trips cost €40 to €70, depending on distance; traps officially carry four people. Jaunting cars also congregate in the N71 car park for Muckross House and Abbey, and at the Gap of Dunloe.
Taxi
The town taxi rank is on College St.
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AROUND KILLARNEY
Castles, gardens, lake adventures and more are part of a visit to Killarney National Park, immediately south of the city. Just beyond, there’s surprisingly rugged scenery including the too-lovely-for-words Gap of Dunloe, with its babbling brooks and alpine lakes, plus even more rugged scenery beyond.
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KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK
You can escape Killarney for the surrounding wilderness surprisingly quickly. Buses rumble up to Ross Castle and Muckross House, but it’s possible to find your own refuge in the 10,236 hectares, among Ireland’s only wild herd of native red deer, the country’s largest area of ancient oak woods and views of most of its major mountains.
The glacial Lough Leane (the Lower Lake or ‘Lake of Learning’), Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake make up about a quarter of the park. Their peaty waters are as rich in wildlife as the surrounding soil: cormorants skim across the surface, deer swim out to graze on the islands, and salmon, trout and perch prosper in a pike-free environment. The Lower Lake has vistas of reeds and swans.
Designated a Unesco Biosphere Reserve in 1982, the park extends to the southwest of town. There are pedestrian entrances opposite St Mary’s Cathedral (Map), with other entrances (for drivers) off the N71.
Knockreer House & Gardens
Near the St Mary’s Cathedral entrance to the park stands Knockreer House, with gardens featuring a terraced lawn and a summerhouse.