Travel Guide for the Ring of Kerry, and Killarney National Park - Backpack and Snorkel Ireland Purple Travel Guide
We start in Killarney National Park where we will visit Ross Castle and Muckross House, and then we will drive the popular Ring of Kerry, where we will relax on Derrynane Beach, before we drive for 3h to our hotel outside Bunratty. We provide detailed information and the best things to see and we show lots of photos so you know what you can expect.
Today, we do a lot of driving.
Please keep on reading, as we will present to you a spectacular and affordable hotel called Rossmanagher House.
1 = Killarney
2 = Ross Castle
3 = Muckross House
4 = Torc Waterfall
5 = Ladies View
6 = Moll’s Gap
7 = Derrynane Beach
8 = Bunratty
Here at Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guides, we typically promote self-guided walking tours.
But we realize that not everybody likes to walk by themselves in a foreign city. So, just in case that you rather go with ab guide: NO PROBLEM! Please see the tours below.
Table of contents
Ross Castle
Ross Castle is located on an inlet called Ross Island on the edge of Lough Leane. It was likely built in the late 15th century by the Irish chieftain O'Donoghues Mór (Ross). Its design is typical of a 15th century tower house and keep.
The front entrance of the tower opens to a small anteroom that is secured by an iron grill at the outer wall, which could be closed with a chain from the inside. The anteroom has small access holes (murder holes) which allow defenders to attack anyone inside the room.
The entrance door that leads from the anteroom to the narrow staircase that connects each floor of the tower was made of two layers of thick Irish oak that were riveted together on a 90-degree angle, which strongly enhanced the resistance against an attack.
The door opened inward and was secured by two heavy beams that were fitted into the stone structure.
The first floor was used for storage and the second floor was used as living space for the house attendants and guards. There was usually no furniture on the second floor and straw was used to sleep on.
The third floor was used by the house attendants and guards to prepare and eat food, and as additional living space for them.
The chieftain and his family used the fourth floor as sleeping, and living space. It was designed and decorated more luxuriously, and had an arched stone roof.
The fifth floor was used as the great room, where the chieftain ate and entertained, and as the last sanctuary in case of an attack. As such, it had a stone floor that acted as a fire break from fire in the lower floors.
Windows at the lower levels were thin vertical slits that were too small for attackers to get through, but big enough for the defenders to fire arrows and guns at the attackers. The windows on the upper levels, that attackers would typically not reach, were larger and illuminated the space much more efficiently.
Irish legend has it that O'Donoghue and his horse fell out of the window of the castle’s grand chamber and vanished into the lake. He is said to sleep in a great palace at the bottom of the lake and awakens every seven years on the first morning of May. That’s when he rises on his white horse and everyone who sees him you will enjoy good fortune for the rest of their lives.
The castle was one of the last to surrender to Oliver Cromwell's army in the Irish Confederate Wars from 1641-1653.
Its defenders strongly believed in the Irish prophecy that the castle could not be taken by land and would only fall to a warship: Ross may all assault disdain. Till on Lough Lein strange ship shall sail.
The Cromwellian commander knew of this prophecy. He launched a large ship on the lake, and as expected, the defenders surrendered, fulfilling the prophecy.
Ross castle is open daily from late February until early October, typically from 9:30am - 5:45pm and the last guided tour leaves at 4:55pm. Access to the interior is by guided tour only. Access to most of the castle grounds is free.
Due to the narrow stairwells, only groups of up to 15 people are permitted. The small group sizes can lead to long waits on weekends.
Please be advised that absolutely no photography or videography are permitted inside the castle.
Since today’s itinerary is packed, you may not have time to attend a guided tour. But worry not, you will be able to get into Bunratty Castle tomorrow, which is a much larger version of Ross Castle.
Muckross House
The Herbert family had connection to the Kerry area since 1656, and became rich in the 18th century, built Muckross House in Tudor style in 1843. The family was well connected to British royalty, and got to host Queen Victoria in 1861 during her visit of Killarney.
Renovating and redecorating Muckross House with its 65 rooms for the visit of the Queen cost a fortune and was one of many contributing factors for the financial difficulties the family faced and that eventually resulted in the sale of the estate in 1897.
The mansion and grounds were purchased by Sir Arthur Edward Guiness in 1899, who rented it out to wealthy people as a hunting lodge.
Sir Arthur Edward Guiness was the great-grandson of the Guiness beer inventor Arthur Guinness, and he was the philanthropist who donated St. Stephen's Green to the Dublin Corporation for public use.
The house changed owners few times until in 1932, it was donated to the people of Ireland as the Bourn-Vincent Memorial Park. This made it the first National Park of the Irish Free State, which is now the Republic of Ireland, and which was only 10 years old at that time.
Muckross House is open year-round, starting at 9:15am until at least 5:30pm, longer between April and October.
The adjacent Traditional Farms have different opening times - please consult the website.
At the time of writing, admission was Euro7 per adult for Muckross House and another Euro7 for the Traditional Farms.
Torc Waterfall
Torc Waterfall in Irish is Easach Toirc, which means Cascade of the Wild Boar.
The waterfall is 66 ft (20 m) tall, and forms a 360 ft (110 m) long cascade. From the parking lot, there is a short trail that brings you fairly close to the waterfall.
The waterfall is formed by the Owengarriff River, which originates at Devil’s Punchbowl lake which lies 1.8 miles (2.9 km) to the south-south-east.
According to legend, the devil put a curse on a local man damning him to transform every night into a wild boar. To hide his shame, the man secretly in a cave and the entrance is where Torc Waterfall is now. At that time, however, there was no waterfall.
One night, a local farmer was looking for some missing animals and he found out about the curse. The man offered the farmer lots of money to not reveal the secret, but the farmer revealed it anyway. Furious, and full of anger, the man burst into a ball of flames and disappeared into the Devils Punchbowl lake. Shortly after that, the Owengarriff River emerged and flew towards the cave, creating a waterfall that is hiding the entrance to the cave forever.
Ladies View
Ladies View is a scenic viewpoint that was named after one of the female aides from Queen Victoria, who visited the Kerry area in 1861 including Muckross House, admired the area. At that time, the female aides were called Ladies-in-Waiting, and thus the name Ladies View, or sometimes Ladies’ View.
Ladies View is, according to the Irish Times, one of the most photographed places in Ireland, and the Daily Edge named it one of Ireland's Finest Views on Instagram.
There is a parking lot at the vista point and, if it is full, there is another parking lot behind the curve to the west. Across the street from the main parking lot is a café where you can buy lunch and then enjoy the food and the view from the upper deck of the cafe.
Moll’s Gap
Moll's Gap is a mountain pass that offers views of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountains, the highest mountain range in Ireland.
It was formed 25,000 years as a glacial breach, where a glacier breached the mountain range and eroded the gap.
Moll's Gap is named after Moll Kissane, who operated an unlicensed pub here in the 1820s.
For everyone interested in geology: the rocks here are formed of Old Red Sandstone from more than 350 million years ago, but at Moll’s Gap it is not stained by red by iron oxides as elsewhere around Killarney, but by green chlorite.
Derrynane Beach
Derrynane Beach is one of the best beaches in Ireland. You can stop here to relax.
During low tide, you can walk along the beach to the west to Derrynane Island, where you can visit the ruins of Derrynane Abbey (Ahamore Abbey) and its partly overgrown graveyard. In the graveyard, you may find the graves of Mary O'Connell (wife of Daniel O'Connell) and the 18th century Gaelic poet Tomás Rua Ó Suilleabháin.
If you love Irish history, then you can explore Derrynane House, which is located about 0.5 miles (800 m) from the parking lot. Derrynane House was the home of Irish politician and statesman Daniel O'Connell, whose monument you have seen in Dublin, and next to it, the bridge that was named after him.
Derrynane Beach is good for relaxing and sunbathing, and good for swimming in summer. The rest of the year, the water is too cold. Just make sure to only swim in the designated swimming areas because there can be dangerous undercurrents in the other areas.
There are no restaurants or food stalls at the beach, but there is a public restroom.
Where to stay in Bunratty
Bunratty is a small village in County Clare with about 350 inhabitants, which traces its origins back to a Viking settlement in the 10th century. The settlement was, however, destroyed in 955AD and a castle was built here by the Anglo-Normans in 1277.
Bunratty means Mouth of the Ralty River.
Bunratty itself has a couple of hotels and Airbnbs. Together with neighboring Shannon and Limerick, this region has lots of accommodations.
Right outside of Bunratty is, however, one of the most spectacular hotels that we have seen in Ireland and one where we truly regret for not staying longer: Rossmanagher House.
Here is the accommodation that is available when you visit:
Rossmanagher House (book)
Located in a historical building from the 17th century French Hugenot immigrant family D’Esterre, Rossmanagher House is a bed and breakfast hotel that is beautifully decorated in grandiose historic style.
You may expect to pay upwards of $500 per night for a stay in this hotel, but in reality, it is a super competitive price around $150.
You will, however, need to pay cash when you arrive. No credit cards accepted!
The manager is super friendly and helpful and will provide a tour of the mansion when you arrive.
The hotel is only open seasonally, and there is no 24/7 lobby, so make sure that you arrive during normal check-in time: 4:30pm - 9:30pm.
Breakfast is served in a dining room that is as beautifully decorated as the rest of the house on fine china dinnerware.
If you want to feel like royalty, then we can only recommend this hotel.
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