Six things to do in County Kerry
IRELAND— If the weather is right and the sea is friendly, you should be able to get on and off Skellig Michael in a day. That leaves days to enjoy Ireland in general and County Kerry in particular.
Here are a few highlights and recommendations for the trip: Kerry International Dark- Sky Reserve: Tucked between the mountains and the sea, the coast of Kerry near Waterville is uniquely untroubled by light pollution, which makes it a mecca for stargazing. The Kerry Dark Sky Reserve has worked with local councils to install special street lighting that cuts light glare even further, producing an environment that, on clear nights, opens up the heavens like a rolled-out carpet of stars. Inexpensive tours are available, with access to binoculars and high-powered telescopes. Valentia Island: Just across a narrow bridge from Portmagee, this windswept island is full of attractions, such as the lighthouse at Cromwell Point and the nearby Tetrapod tracks — petrified footprints left behind on a sandy beach by a primitive amphibian nearly 400 million years ago.
The peak of Geokaun Mountain has been opened up to the public by the shepherd who owns the land, and it offers stunning vistas over the island to the sea and the mainland, while Knightstown is probably the prettiest harbour town in this part of Ireland. Butler Arms Hotel: Until actors Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley stayed here while filming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Butler Arms’ most famous guest had been comic actor Charlie Chaplin, a regular here until he bought his own place in town.
More than 130 years in business on the harbour walk in Waterville, Butler Arms is still run by the Huggard family.
Golfers and fly fishermen have stayed here for generations, and with its tweedy vibe and hunting prints, you expect to find retired pro golfer Arnold Palmer sitting in one of its many bars or lounges. Valentia Island Ice Cream: Joe and Caroline Daly set up their ice cream business in an outbuilding of their dairy farm near the centre of Valentia Island several years ago. From the patio of their newly expanded café, you can gaze down to the sea over the fields where their Friesian cows produce the milk.
Trinity City Hotel: Located within walking distance of Temple Bar, St. Stephen’s Green, Trinity College and countless other Dublin landmarks, this recently refreshed 198-room hotel is probably the most convenient place to stay if you just have a day to enjoy the city.
The lobby evokes an Andalusian nightclub and the most striking rooms are probably the ones in the loft of the old fire station. Killarney National Park: Every turn of the road reveals a ridiculously picturesque view in this vast parkland of more than 10,117 hectares.
There’s Muckross House, a stately mansion, and Ross Castle, a medieval ruin, set among forests and lakes between mountains, with herds of deer to enhance the views even further.
The effect is nothing less than a John Constable landscape brought to life.
Nearby Killarney has plenty of nightlife, if you’re tired of the pastoral, and loads of accommodations, with roads lined with hotels right up to the gates of the park. Rick McGinnis was hosted by Failte Ireland, which didn’t review or approve this story.