Driving the Ring of Kerry
 

Has anyone driven the Ring of Kerry? My boyfriend and I would like to drive it on our vacation to Ireland this summer, but I have heard that it is extremely dangerous. Can anyone comment?

Hi,

Don't miss driving the Ring of Kerry - it is beautiful!

I've driven the Ring of Kerry and I don't think that I'd call it dangerous, actually. The road goes up and down, and definitely has curves in places, but I've driven scarier roads on my way to ski areas in the U.S.

People seem to be fairly courteous and there are lots of turnouts along the way if you need them. Think about going the opposite direction from the majority of traffic on the Ring of Kerry. Also, get an early start!

Best Regards,
Julia

The big tour coaches as a rule circumnavigate the Ring of Kerry anticlockwise so if you stick with that direction then you will not be forced into a ditch when you meet one head on.

The Ring of Kerry IS very nice, but in the summer it can be VERY congested with Tour Buses and other traffic. As an alternative, consider the Slea Head Drive and Connor Pass in Dingle and/or the Ring of Bearra and Healey Pass out of Glenngarriff. I've heard wonderful things about Mizen Head as well, but I can't speak from personal experience.

In the summer, Ring of Kerry will be very crowded. If you want bang for the buck, the Dingle Peninsula would be my first choice, followed by Mizen Head and Beara/Healy Pass. Ring of Kerry would be my last choice. If you have the time, do the Ring of Kerry. There are some nice areas near Valentia Island, and maybe a boat trip out to the Skellig Islands from Portmagee. ((b))

And if you are in Portmagee, to tag off Budman, a pub on the corner of the road that goes up into the hills has THE best lemon sole I ever had! (For some reason, we didn't drive across the bridge to Valencia Island. Next time!)

We drove the ROK in October - clockwise - and only met two buses, but that was enough. Then to recover, we stopped in the gift shop in Waterville and DH bought himself this denim pullover jacket, which he deserved for doing such a fine job of driving on the narrow roads of Ireland! (By the time you get to Waterville, all the bus excitement is pretty much over, as I recall.)

We drove teh Ring of Kerry once and next time took the bus. The poor driver won't get to see a single thing while driving. Its definitely beautiful, I'd recommend the bus tour.

I definitely agree with the above response. Don't drive it yourself; take the bus tour and both of you will be able to enjoy the scenery!

I haven't driven the Ring of Kerry, but I have done Slea Head and the Connor Pass in Dingle. I understand that the Dingle Peninsula is more rugged than the Ring of Kerry, so I guess you have to pick whichever one is more to your taste. The Slea Head drive seemed easy enough (my mom was driving) but the Connor Pass was hair-raising - and well worth it for the views. There were places where you could stop to take in the view. I'm just glad we were driving a stick shift and that my mother was a good driver! ;)

My daughter and I drove the Ring of Kerry last June; she was the driver, which I appreciated, but I could have done it in a pinch, and she didn't feel that she had missed anything by doing the driving. It was a glorious trip! I can't say enough good things about it. I'd definitely recommend driving rather than taking the bus because that way you can take the Skellig Ring, where the buses don't go, which I thought was the highlight of the trip, and because you can pull off and check out whatever appeals to you. We started out a bit after the tour buses leave, going counterclockwise (the same way the buses go)and had no problems with them. Although it was June it wasn't particularly congested--we may have been a bit ahead of high season. Yes, some of the roads are narrow and twisty (particularly if you do take the Skellig Ring, so when you get there you can make up your mind whether or not to do it). You have to drive carefully, but you won't be driving fast, and there's no way you could call it "extremely dangerous." I say, drive it, particularly if the weather is good. We were luckly--we had sun and a clear day. I'll never, never forget the turquoise of the sea or the lakes on the way back to Killarney--it was one of the peak experiences of my life, truly. I would also put it way ahead of the Slea Head drive, partly because of the weather, admittedly--we drove the Dingle Peninsula in drizzle--but also because there's more of it! Don't miss it.

Perception of danger is relative. I drive in and around Boston every day - driving the Ring of Kerry was like a day off. If you are a nervous driver you might not like it, if you are not, you will be fine.

But, I agree with those who recommended Dingle/Slea Head over ROK. Check out Budman's posts on Ireland. I always find his advice to be right on the money.

My wife and I toured the Ring of Kerry during our honeymoon in September, 1991 and had a grand time. I found the driving safe but you must get used to driving only a foot or two from a stone wall occasionally. We spent one night on sunny, rugged Valentia Island, the very southwest tip of Eire. The B & B where we stayed had a palm tree in the front yard. I recommend it.