Killarney
Killarney
The next morning we departed Dublin to stay in Killarney a few days. We took the train from Heuston Station Dublin to Killarney with one transfer (35 euro). It was around 3 hours total and very comfortable. Once we arrived we walked to our Airbnb called #5 Central Killarney Apartment in the center of town. It was a very comfortable 2-bedroom with amazing hosts. We then walked to the Ross Castle as we were taking a water bus tour in the Killarney Lake with Killarney Lake Tours ($12/ person). Surprisingly it was a beautiful warm and sunny day so cruising along the lake couldn’t have been more perfect. There is seating inside along open windows, and there is an outdoor seating in the back. There is a moderator explaining what you are seeing as you cruise along the lake. Since I was sitting outside I was not able to hear him very well, so if you want to listen to the narration, you should sit inside. Afterward we walked around the Ross Castle. There is a guided tour you can take that cost $5.00/person, but you have to reserve in advance (although you may get lucky). We got tickets for that day for after the water cruise but then decided against going due to the number of spiral steps you need to go up and down and my daughter’s bad foot. We tried to get a taxi back to our Airbnb after the castle but the wait was too long as there was a big soccer event going. Luckily, I found a horse-drawn carriage to give us a ride back to the city. Killarney is a cute little town with a lot of shops and restaurants.
The next morning we had an all-day Ring of Kerry Tour set up with Killarney Executive Tour Company. This day could not have been more perfect. The pick-up spot was a 5-minute walk from our Airbnb. It was a smaller 20-seat bus that was very comfortable. The driver, Dennis, was very informative and gave details about everything throughout the entire trip. We had a number of stops, including Kerry Bog Village (be sure to get your Irish Coffee next door at the Red Fox Inn–I had a Baileys and hot chocolate) and Caherciveen, Waterville (where Dennis made lunch reservations for us ahead of time). You order at the counter and get the food there, or they will bring the items out to you depending on what you ordered. It was quick and good. We then visited Coomakishta Pass, Sneem, and Ladies View. Every stop was so beautiful. The towns were so quaint. This was such an enjoyable day and quite affordable (adult tickets were 35 Euro). Everything ran on schedule, the other passengers were all so nice, and Dennis did a great job of running everything. I would highly recommend doing this day trip tour.
That night after dinner we went to Danny Mann Pub in Killarney for drinks and music. The following morning we had breakfast at The Shire, which is a tribute to the Lord of the Rings. The breakfast was good and reasonably priced. Be sure to walk into the bar area adjacent to it to see the Lord of the Rings tribute.
After breakfast we didn’t have anything scheduled for the day so we decided to take the Big Red Bus, a hop-on/hop-off shuttle bus for Killarney & National Park. An all-day pass cost $15.00 per adult. It picked us up in the city center and made stops at Ross Castle, Torc Waterfall, Muckross House, and Muckross Abbey. We got off the bus at the Muckross House location. We walked through the gardens, and they were absolutely beautiful. After the gardens we walked to the Muckross Traditional Farms. We walked along the path to the three separate working farms that were recreated. These homes showed how the homes were set up and where the family slept with actual items that were used in these homes. They also had women in the homes baking bread and making butter (which we were allowed to sample). There were animals as well. If you have trouble walking, they do offer a shuttle that will drop you off and pick you up at each location along the trail. After the farmhouses we continued our walk to the Muckross Abbey. Once we finished there we walked out to the main road and took the Red Bus back to the City Center.
The following morning we set up for a driver to take us to Dingle Town and the Sleh Head Drive. Unfortunately our driver was not the most communicative so rather than it being a “tour,” it was more like a driver who stopped off at different places with no explanations. It was pretty frustrating but there was nothing we could do, so we tried to make the most of the situation and learned to speak out when we wanted to stop somewhere such as the Fairy Fort, where we paid $2.50 a person to get food for the animals and were able to pet and feed sheep, horses, donkeys, and lambs. We stopped at several different locations along Sleh Head Drive that were just stunning. We visited Dunbeag Fort where we paid $3.50 to see a 12-minute video and then crossed the street to see the 500 BC Dunbeag Fort. Another place we stopped at for the view was across the street from the Cashel Murphy, which is a historical landmark. We didn’t visit it due to my daughter’s injured foot, but I would suggest it if you have the time. Dunquin Pier was a steep walk down, but well worth it for the view. After we finished the Sleh Head Drive we visited the town of Dingle. There were cute shops and restaurants. We had a quick breakfast at The Diner and then a crepe at McCarthy’s Crepe later on. On our way back to Killarney we stopped at the Inch Strand Beach for a quick view. The entire trip took us 6½ hours.