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Ireland The West Coast Hostels, Eurail Passes, and Backpacking Tips |
KILLARNEY
By the time you reach Killarney (Cill Airne) you will have seen plenty of touristy Irish towns, but nothing will prepare you for a Killarney summer weekend chock-a-block with tour coaches. Still, with a national park and three lakes right on its doorstep, there are easy escapes for walkers and cyclists. Killarney is also a convenient base for touring the Ring of Kerry (see Ring of Kerry section later).
Killarney's busy tourist office (t31633), open Monday to Saturday (closed 1 to 2.15 Pm) year-round and on Sunday from June to august, is on Beech Rd. The main post office is on New St. Web Talk on High St and Cafe Internet on New St provide Internet access daily.
Killarney National Park
Killarney’s 10,236-hectare national park has a pedestrian entrance immediately opposite St Mary's Cathedral, and a drivers' entrance off the N71. Within the park are beautiful Lough Leane, Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake.
The restored 14th-century Ross Castle is a 2.5km walk from St Mary's Cathedral. Entry to the castle is 4 €. Hour-long cruises of Lough Leane leave the castle daily in summer; make bookings at the tourist office. From late September to May boats depart on weekends only.
The core of Killarney National Park is Muckross Estate, donated to the government in 1932 by Arthur Bourn Vincent. The estate is 5km from Killarney and you can walk around the estate's rooms, with their faded 19th-century fittings, daily for 5 €.
Gap of Dunloe
In summer the Gap, a heather-clad valley at the foot of Purple Mountain (832m), is Killarney tourism at its worst. Rather than paying over 35 € for a one-hour horse-and-trap ride through the Gap, consider hiring a bike and cycling to Ross Castle. From here take a boat across to Lord Brandon's Cottage and cycle down through the Gap and back into town via the N72 and a path through the golf course. Including bike hire, this should cost you about 18 €. The 90-minute boat trip alone justifies the trip.
THE RING OF KERRY
The Ring of Kerry, a 179km circuit around the Iveragh Peninsula, with its dramatic coastal scenery, is one of Ireland's premier tourist attractions.
Most travellers tackle the Ring by bus on a guided day-trip from Killarney. By car or on bike, dealing with big buses on the narrow roads can be frustrating; getting off the main highway can provide some relief. The Ballaghbeama Pass cuts across the peninsula's central highlands and has spectacular views and remarkably little traffic. The shorter Ring of Skellig, at the end of the peninsula, has fine views of the Skellig Rocks and is also less touristy. You can forgo roads completely by walking the Kerry Way, which winds through the Macgilly-cuddy's Reeks mountains past Carrantuohil (1038m), the highest mountain in Ireland.
THE DINGLE PENINSULA
The Dingle Peninsula is just as beautiful as, and far less crowded than the Ring of Kerry, with narrow roads that discourage heavy bus-traffic.
The region’s main hub, Dingle Town (An Daingean), is a fishing village with a dozen good pubs. The western tip of the peninsula, noted for its extraordinary number of ring forts and high crosses, is predominantly Irish-speaking.
Dingle Town
In the winter of 1984 fisherfolk noticed a solitary bottlenose dolphin that followed their boats. Tours (915 2626) leave Dingle's pier for a one-hour trip to find Fungie the dolphin. The cost is 8 € (free if Fungie doesn't show, but he usually does). You can swim with him for 12 €; wetsuit hire is extra.
Open daily, Dingle Oceanworld (915 2111), opposite the harbour, has a walkthrough tunnel and touch pool for 6 €.
East of Dingle Town
From Tralee the N86 heads west along the coast. The 'quick' route to Dingle Town is south-west from Camp via Anascaul and the N86. The scenic route follows the R560 north-west and crosses the wildly scenic Connor Pass (456m).
West of Dingle Town
From Dingle follow signs for the 'Slea Head Drive', a scenic coastal stretch of the R559. First stop is the village of Ventry and its excellent post-office-cum-delicatessen-cum-wineshop. A few kilometres south-west, Slea Head offers some of the peninsula's best views.
THE BURREN
County Clare's greatest attraction is the Burren, a harsh and inhospitable stretch of country battered by the cranky Atlantic Ocean. Boireann is Irish for 'Rocky Country', and the name is no exaggeration.
The Burren is an area of major interest, with many ancient dolmens, ring forts, round towers and high crosses. There's also some stunning scenery, a good collection of hostels and some of Ireland's best music pubs.
Doolin
Tiny Doolin, famed for its music pubs, is a convenient base for exploring the Burren and the awesome Cliffs of Moher.
Doolin's popularity among backpackers has skyrocketed over the past few years, and at night the three or so pubs are packed with a cosmopolitan crowd. In summer it can be difficult to get a bed, so book ahead. Some of the hostels rent bikes for around 10 € a day plus deposit.
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