Killarney
A Kerry town at the gate of Ireland's first national park, with lakes, oak woods and the country's highest mountains behind it, and a 2,000-metre runway thirteen kilometres up the road.
- Arrival
- Kerry Airport · KIR
- To the town
- About 13 km north of Killarney
- Private jets
- Kerry, 2,000 m runway, customs; Shannon for US preclearance
- Best time
- May to August
The city
Lakes, deer and the Reeks.
Killarney National Park begins almost at the edge of town. Presented to the State in 1932 as Ireland's first national park, it now covers more than 10,000 hectares of lakes, woodland and mountain, and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Its red deer are the last native herd in Ireland, and above the lakes rise the McGillycuddy's Reeks, the highest range in the country.
Muckross House and its gardens, with the traditional farms, are the most visited corner of the park, Ross Castle tells the story of its own restoration, and a short uphill walk leads to Torc Waterfall. Farther in, the Gap of Dunloe runs down to Lord Brandon's Cottage and the Black Valley. In Kenmare, two hotels hold two MICHELIN Keys each.
Arriving
Farranfore for the town, Shannon for the Atlantic.
Kerry Airport, at Farranfore, lies thirteen kilometres north of Killarney. For flights that need a longer runway, or a return to the United States already cleared through US customs, Shannon is the alternative.
- Paris 1 h 30
- Brussels 1 h 35
- Palma de Mallorca 2 h 30
- Marrakech 3 h 15
- Hong Kong 13 h 20 long-range jet
When to go
May to August.
Atlantic and wet. May to August is best: May and June are among the sunniest months in Ireland, July and August the warmest, with highs of 17 to 18 °C. Late autumn and early winter are the wettest stretch, at 140 to 166 mm a month.
- 8° J 160
- 8° F 118
- 10° M 113
- 12° A 77
- 14° M 84
- 17° J 74
- 18° J 77
- 18° A 97
- 16° S 117
- 14° O 140
- 10° N 149
- 9° D 166
What to see and do
Days in and around Killarney.
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Landmark
Muckross House and Gardens
The house and gardens of the Muckross Estate, with working traditional farms beside them.
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Landmark
Ross Castle
A castle on the lakes with a free exhibition on its history and renovation.
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Landmark
The Gap of Dunloe
A mountain pass ending at Lord Brandon's Cottage, a café on the edge of the Black Valley.
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Culture
Killarney House and Gardens
Restored and reopened in 2016 as the national park's visitor centre, the house has a fifteen-room exhibition and gardens with Ireland's longest herbaceous border.
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Golf
Killarney Golf & Fishing Club
Founded in 1893 on the shore of the lakes, the club has two eighteen-hole courses, Killeen and Mahony's Point, where red deer roam the fairways.
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On the water
Killarney Lake Tours
Sailing from Ross Castle, an hour on Lough Leane passes O'Sullivan's Cascade and the monastic ruins of Inishfallen Island.
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Nature
Carrauntoohil
Ireland's highest mountain, at 1,038 metres, is climbed from Cronin's Yard through the Hag's Glen, a round trip of about 12 km and four to five hours.
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Culture
Muckross Franciscan Friary
Franciscans founded the friary in 1448 under the patronage of the McCarthy Mór, and an ancient yew still stands at the centre of its cloister.
Official site
On the calendar
A date to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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13–19 Sep 2027
Golf
Ryder Cup
Biennial team match between Europe and the United States, held at Adare Manor in County Limerick; competition runs 17 to 19 September.
Adare Manor, Adare, about 74 km away
In 10 months
Where to stay
Two Keys in Kenmare, one each in town.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Park Hotel Kenmare A railway hotel of 1897 with two Keys, rooms over the gardens or the Kenmare River, a daily tour of its art collection and the Landline restaurant.
- Sheen Falls Lodge The Marquis of Lansdowne's summer house on a 300-acre estate by the falls of the Sheen, two Keys, 72 rooms and a 1936 Buick Roadmaster in the garage.
- The Killarney Park A family-owned hotel of 67 rooms with one Key, two minutes' walk from the national park.
- The Victoria A Victorian country house of 33 rooms, one Key, whose grounds run down to Lough Leane.
Where to dine
Hotel dining rooms, in town and at Kenmare.
These are the fine-dining rooms of three of the Key hotels on this page, one in Killarney and two at Kenmare.
- The Peregrine Signature restaurant, The Killarney Park Contemporary, seasonal The Killarney Park, town centre
- Landline Signature restaurant, Park Hotel Kenmare Irish, seasonal Park Hotel Kenmare, about 30 km south
- The Falls Restaurant Signature restaurant, Sheen Falls Lodge Seasonal, local produce Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, about 30 km south
Elsewhere in Ireland
More reasons to come.
Flying to Killarney?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.