Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [261]
Áines Café & Wine Bar ( 066-718 5388; The Square; meals €6-18; 8am-10pm) Where Tralee’s glitterati try to affect boredom while their kids go nuts playing football metres away on the Square. Lots of salads, steaks, hot specials and cute little sandwiches. Heaters over tables outside make trying to affect that Continental lifestyle palatable.
Genting Thai ( 066-719 4285; 11 Courthouse Lane; mains €8-18; noon-9pm Mon-Sat) It’s the real deal here at this little bistro as well-mannered as a Thai dancer. The menu is actually Thai (without a lot of masses-friendly Chinese numbers like sweet and sour pork) and is both perfectly spiced and often spicy; people’s tongues deadened by Irish cooking will thrill to the many dishes rated with three chillies on the menu.
Manna Organic Store ( 066-711 8501; New Rd; 8am-6pm Mon-Sat) has organic produce, groceries and various feel-good potions and lotions. Wheatgrass grows in the window. The farmers market ( 10am-4pm) sprawls across the main square.
Drinking & Entertainment
The local arts group Samhlaiocht ( 066-712 9934; www.samhlaiocht.com; Old Presbytery, Lower Castle St) stages exhibitions and special events such as the Kerry Film Festival (www.kerryfilmfestival.com) in early November.
PUBS
Castle St is thick with mass-market pubs, many of them offering live entertainment. There are some reasonable cafe-bars on the Square where you could easily pass an afternoon watching Tralee coming and going.
Baily’s Corner ( 066-712 6230; Ashe St) Baily’s is deservedly popular for its traditional sessions, with local musicians performing original material most weeknights.
Seán Óg’s ( 066-712 8822; Bridge St) Fair diddling trad is on at this rambling and raucous bar from Sunday to Thursday.
THEATRE
Siamsa Tíre ( 066-712 3055; www.siamsatire.com; Town Park; shows per person €15-30; booking office 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) In a pleasant location in the town park, near the tourist office, Siamsa Tíre, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, re-creates dynamic aspects of Gaelic culture through song, dance, drama and mime. There are several shows a week from May to September at 8.30pm. Winter shows range from dance to drama and mainstream musicals.
Getting There & Away
Bus Éireann ( 066-716 4700; www.buseireann.ie) has buses from the bus station next to the train station, east of the town centre. Eight daily services run to Dublin (€23, six hours), going via Listowel (€7, 30 minutes) and changing in Limerick (€15, two hours). There are hourly buses to Waterford (€20.50, 5½ hours), Killarney (€8, 40 minutes) and Cork (€17, 2½ hours).
Irish Rail ( 066-712 3522; www.irishrail.ie) has services from the train station, including three direct daily services to Cork (€32, 2¼ hours), nine to Killarney (€9.50, 45 minutes) and one direct to Dublin (€36, four hours) and others requiring a change in Mallow.
Getting Around
There’s a taxi rank on the Mall, or try Jackie Power Tours & Cabs ( 066-712 9444; 2 Lower Rock St). Tralee Gas & Bicycle Supplies ( 066-712 2018; Strand St) hires out bikes (€12 per day).
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AROUND TRALEE
Crag Cave
This cave ( 066-714 1244; www.cragcave.com; Castleisland; adult/child €12/5; 10am-6pm daily mid-Mar–Dec, 10am-6pm Wed-Sun Jan & Feb) was discovered in 1983, when problems with water pollution led to a search for the source of the local river. In 1989, 300m of the 4km-long cave were opened to the public; admission is by 30-minute guided tour. The remarkable rock formations include a stalagmite shaped like a statue of the Madonna, at least to some.
The cave is signposted from both Castleisland and the Abbeyfeale–Castleisland stretch of the N21. Castleisland is well connected with both Tralee and Killarney by bus.
Ardfert
pop 950
Ardfert (Ard Fhearta), about 10km northwest of Tralee on the Ballyheigue road, is most notable for the soaring Ardfert Cathedral ( 066-713 4711; www.heritageireland.ie; adult/child €3/1; 9.30am-6pm