Are there any morning tours leaving Killarney that return no later than mid afternoon?

One option is the boat trip on the Lower Lake.See www.derostours.com. An alternative is to take a jaunting car or a hired bicycle or even walk through the National Park to Muckross House and tour the house and perhaps the traditional farms.There is an attractive restasurant there too. If you start early you can probably do both topurs by misaftermnoon

What exactly are you looking for?

You can drive to Muckross and visit the house and grounds on your own in 1/2 a day.

I'm looking for something that will get me out of town a ways - gap of Dunloe, etc. The only trips that I've seen leave about 10:30 and don't get back until 4 or 5.

We drove from Kenmare one morning to Killarney and walked the grounds of Muckross House, picnic lunched in the gazebo, walked up to the top of Torc waterfall, walked back the wrong way and got lost (we do that alot!), found the car, checked into our B&B, then high-tailed it to the Gap of Dunloe where Patrick and Dolly took us on a 1.5 hour jaunting car ride. You can do any or all of that on your own at your own pace.

The only time I personally felt rushed was on the drive to the Gap because it was nearing dusk and I had no idea how late the ponies would working.