Overview
The Ring of Kerry is a 179 km (111 mi) loop of the Iveragh Peninsula in the south-west corner of County Kerry. It starts and finishes in Killarney, drops south on the N71 to Kenmare, then runs the coast on the N70 through Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen, Glenbeigh and Killorglin before closing on the N72. In clear weather you could drive it non-stop in about 3.5 hours. Don’t. Most people give it a full day and still leave things out, and that is the right way to do it.
One thing to settle before you set off: which way round. Tour coaches are required to drive anti-clockwise, starting via Killorglin. To stay out from behind them, cars often go clockwise, starting via Kenmare – the trade-off is meeting the coaches head-on on the tight bends. There is no perfect answer; pick the coach-free road and drive the corners carefully.
History
The road was laid in the early 19th century. Moll’s Gap is named for Moll Kissane, an innkeeper who sold poitín to the road gangs in the 1820s. The idea of a tourist circuit goes back further, to the mid-18th century when Viscount Kenmare pushed travel to his estate, and it took off once the railway reached Killarney in 1853. The land is far older again: the late-Iron-Age Staigue stone fort dates to roughly 300–400 AD, Ross Castle to the 15th century. Other set pieces along the way:
- Muckross Abbey (founded 1448) – a ruined Franciscan friary built around an ancient yew tree in the cloister.
- Derrynane House, home of Daniel O’Connell, above its sheltered beach.
- The Kerry Cliffs, cut from rock over 400 million years old, the south-west’s answer to the Cliffs of Moher.
The loop is part of the Wild Atlantic Way, the 2,500 km coastal route, and the country around Portmagee is one of only three Gold Tier International Dark Sky Reserves in the northern hemisphere.
What to see and do
| Stop | Highlights | Admission |
|---|---|---|
| Ross Castle (Killarney) | 15th-century tower on Lough Leane. | Exterior free; guided tours €5. |
| Muckross House & Gardens | Victorian mansion, working farms, National Park centre. | Gardens free; house tours from €9.50. |
| Muckross Abbey | 1448 Franciscan ruin with its old yew. | Free. |
| Torc Waterfall | 20 m cascade, short walk from the car park. | Free. |
| Ladies View | The viewpoint that impressed Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting in 1861. | Free. |
| Moll’s Gap | Long view to the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. | Free. |
| Kenmare | Heritage town with galleries, a stone circle and cafés. | Free parking in the centre. |
| Staigue Stone Fort (near Caherdaniel) | Iron-Age ring fort, partly restored; coffee van in summer. | €1 honesty box. |
| Blind Piper Pub (Caherdaniel) | Traditional pub doing solid pub lunches. | Free parking nearby. |
| Derrynane House & Beach | O’Connell’s home; sandy beach with the Abbey Island ruins. | House €5; beach free. |
| Ballinskelligs Beach & Castle | White-sand strand and a 16th-century tower. | Free. |
| Kerry Cliffs (Portmagee) | 1,000 ft sea cliffs on private land. | €5. |
| Geokaun Mountain & Fogher Cliffs (Valentia Island) | Island panoramas; steep walk to the top. | €5 per car / €2 on foot. |
| Skellig Ring detour | Scenic loop through Ballinskelligs and Portmagee, with views of the Skellig Islands. | Free; some parking fees. |
| Dark Sky Reserve (Portmagee area) | Gold Tier reserve, for stargazing after dark. | Free. |
If you have to choose, the Kerry Cliffs near Portmagee give you the most for a fiver and a short walk, and the Skellig Ring detour is the stretch of road most worth the extra time.
Practical information
- Driving time – 3.5 hours without stopping; allow 7 hours or more with stops.
- When to go – late spring to early autumn for mild weather and long days. Winter is good for the Dark Sky Reserve but some attractions cut their hours.
- Parking – most big stops have small car parks (Ross Castle, Torc Waterfall, Moll’s Gap and so on). Arrive early in peak season.
- Fees – many viewpoints are free; the charged sites are Staigue Fort (€1), Kerry Cliffs (€5) and Geokaun Mountain (€5 per car).
- Roads – the N70 narrows and twists, with the odd one-way bridge. Take it slow, especially in rain.
- Toilets and food – public toilets at Killarney National Park, Kenmare and the larger villages; food in Killarney, Kenmare and the Blind Piper.
- Staying over – Killarney has the range of hotels and B&Bs; for somewhere quieter, try Kenmare or Portmagee.
- Safety – check tide times before any coastal walk, including Derrynane, and expect patchy mobile signal on the remote sections.
Combine it with
- Aghadoe – ruins and a viewpoint over the Killarney lakes, a short drive from the start of the loop.
- Ballinskelligs – already on the route; the beach and castle make a good picnic stop.
- Killarney National Park – beyond Ross Castle, the trails, Muckross House and Torc Waterfall add a day of walking.
- Dingle Peninsula – about two hours north, for the Slea Head drive and the town of Dingle.