Places to Explore

• Adare

  A once-upon-a-timefied spot with several thatch cottages amid wooded surroundings on the banks of the River Maigue, Adare is famed as one of Ireland's prettiest villages. Perhaps it's more correct to say... (more)

• Annascaul

  An important livestock center until the 1930s, this village near the junction of the Castlemaine and Tralee roads has a wide road, as cattle trading was once carried out in the streets. The town also has... (more)

• Baile an Fheirtéaigh (Ballyferriter)

• Bantry

• Blarney

  "On Galway sands they kiss your hands, they kiss your lips at Carney, but by the Lee they drink strong tea, and kiss the stone at Blarney." This famous rhyme celebrates one of Ireland's most noted icons—the... (more)

• Castletownshend

  This town has an unusual number of large, gracious stone houses, most of them dating from the mid-18th century, when it was an important trading center. The main street runs steeply downhill to the 17th-century... (more)

• Ceann Sleibne (Slea Head)

  From the top of the towering cliffs of Ceann Sleibne at the southwest extremity of the Dingle Peninsula, the view of the Blasket Islands and the Atlantic Ocean is guaranteed to stop you in your tracks... (more)

• Ceann Trá (Ventry)

  The next town after An Daingean along the coast, Ceann Trá has a small outcrop of pubs and small grocery stores (useful, since west of Dingle Town you'll find few shops of any kind), and a long... (more)

• Cork City

  The major metropolis of the south, Cork is Ireland's second-largest city—but you have to put this in perspective. It actually runs a distant second, with a population of 123,000, roughly one-tenth... (more)

• Cork Harbour

• An Daingean (Dingle Town)

  Backed by mountains and facing a sheltered harbor, An Daingean, the chief town of its eponymous peninsula, has a year-round population of 1,400 that more than doubles in summer. Although many expect Dingle... (more)

• Dún Chaoin (Dunquin)

  Once the mainland harbor for the Blasket islanders, Dún Chaoin is at the center of the Gaeltacht, and attracts many students of Irish language and folklore. David Lean shot Ryan's Daughter hereabouts... (more)

• Fermoy

  An army town dating mainly from the mid-19th century, Fermoy was a major crossroads on the Dublin-Cork road (N8), but nowadays most through traffic uses the bypass; the east-west road that passes through... (more)

• Glengarriff

• In and Around Killarney

  With its glacial landscape enhanced by subtropical vegetation, Killarney's views are legendary. Yes, the lakes really are sapphire-blue (at least when the sun is out), and seen from a distance, the MacGillicuddy's... (more)

• Kinsale

  Foodies flock to Kinsale, a picturesque port that pioneered the Irish small-town tradition of fine dining in unbelievably small restaurants. Back in the early '80s, Kinsale had a village-size population... (more)

• Limerick City

  Before you ask, there's no direct connection between Limerick City and the facetious five-line verse form known as a limerick, which was first popularized by the English writer Edward Lear in his 1846... (more)

• Listowel

  The small, sleepy market town of Listowel comes alive for its annual horse-racing festival during the third week of September. Writers' Week in June attracts international names for a more restrained but... (more)

• Midleton

  Midleton is famous for its school, Midleton College, founded in 1696, and its distillery, founded in 1825 and modernized in 1975, which manufactures spirits—including Irish whiskey—for distribution... (more)

• The Ring of Kerry

  Along the perimeter of the Iveragh Peninsula, the dramatic Ring of Kerry is probably Ireland's single most popular tourist route. Stunning mountain and coastal views are around almost every turn. The only... (more)

• Shanagarry

  There are three reasons to come to Shanagarry, a farming village known chiefly for its Quaker connections: Ballymaloe House, one of Ireland's first country-house hotels; Ballymaloe Cookery School and Gardens... (more)

• Skibbereen

  Skibbereen is the main market town in this neck of southwest Cork, and a good base for nearby sights. The Saturday country market and the plethora of pubs punctuated by bustling shops and coffeehouses... (more)

• Timoleague

  The romantic silhouette of its ruined abbey dominates the view when you're approaching Timoleague, a village of multicolor houses on the Argideen River estuary. The town marks the eastern end of the Seven... (more)

• Tralee

  County Kerry's capital and its largest town, Tralee (population 21,000) has long been associated with the popular Irish song "The Rose of Tralee," the inspiration for the annual Rose of Tralee International... (more)