County Kerry - Heritage/Historical

1. Crosses (Historical)

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2. Heritage Centres

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Blasket Islands

The most westerly land in Europe are a unique group of islands, inhabited for thousands of years, they were finally abandoned in 1953, when the last inhabitants were moved to the mainland. On the Great Blasket, life has stood still, there is no electricty, no phone, no television, no cars, only the sound of the sea, the cry of the gulls, unspoilt beaches, extraordinary bird life an a uniquely peaceful atmosphere.
No similar sized community in any part of the world has produced such a wealt of great literature. We recommend that you come early, visit the houses of the famous writers, swim on the magnificent White Strand, or walk back the four miles to the west end of the Island. The Island café povides the best of home cooking at very reasonable prices. Return to Dun Chaoin in late afternoon.

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3. Railway Museums

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Tralee & Dingle Light Railway

The Tralee-Blennerville section of the narrow-gauge line is open and trips run in summer on the track between Ballyard (near the Aqua Dome) and Blennerville Windmill. Travel behind loco no 5T, the only surviving T&DLR engine. On-board commentary.

The train is powered by T. & D. Loco No. 5 - the last surviving Tralee & Dingle engine - and the passenger carriages are fitted out in the traditional style. An exclusive range of railway mementos is available on board.

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4. Towers (Round)

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Aghadoe Church and round Tower

An old monastery was founded here by St. Finian the Leper in the 7th century. It is referred to as existing in 992, and a stone church here is mentioned in 1044. The western part of the existing church is the oldest. It was finished in 1158 by Auliff Mor na Cuimsionach, a member of the O'Donoghue family, who was buried here in 1166. It has a Romanesque west doorway, with the innermost order plain, and the two outer ones bearing Romanesque decoration. The east window, with a head and a flower at the intersection, was inserted in the 13th century. The eastern part of the church was added at about the same period; a part of the eastern portion may have served as living quarters at some stage. On top of the south wall is an Ogham stone bearing the inscription BRRUANANN. The nearby round Tower has been much altered, but it still stands to a height of about 22 feet.

Parkavonear Castle:
In a field to the south-west of the church is a round castle dating from the 13th century. The two storeys which remain are joined by a staircase within the wall, and the first floor has the remains of a fireplace. It stands in the middle of a roughly square enclosure surrounded by a wall and moat. Nothing is known of its history, though it is traditionally known as 'The Bishop's Chair or Pulpit'.

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5. Monuments

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The Speir Bhean Monument

The Speir Bhean (spirit woman) monument situated opposite the Franciscan Friary was erected to commemorate Kerry's four leading poets; Piaras Feirtear (1616-1653); Geoffrey O'Donoghue (1620 - 1690); Aogan O Rahilly (1670 - 1726) and Eoghan Rua O'Sullivan (1748 - 1784). Piaras Feirtear was hanged where the Friary now stands.

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6. Interpretative Centre

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Kerry the Kingdom

Kerry the Kingdom is one of Ireland's top visitor attractions. It comprises 3 superb elements:
Kerry In Colour:
The Multi-image audio-visual presentation Kerry In Colour brings the visitor on a tour of County Kerry: its spectacular scenery, historic monuments, towns and traditions.

Kerry County Museum:
The Kerry County Museum is a new and exciting departure for Irish Museums. Priceless archaelogical treasures stand side-by-side with the most modern interpretive media. The museum is 'Visitor friendly' with history brought to life by the imaginative use of slide presentations, scale models, and audio and video displays. The Kerry Today section has live link-ups with Radio Kerry and the Irish language station, Radio Na Gaeltachta.

Geraldine Tralee:
Geraldine Tralee is an unique experience of urban life in medieval Ireland. Visitors are brought back in time to the Middle Ages and are ferried by time car through the reconstructed streets, houses and abbey of Medieval Tralee. Special sound, lighting and odour effects help to make this an almost life-like experience. Synchronised commentaries are provided in a choice of 8 languages. And it never rains in Geraldine Tralee!.
Commentaries provided in Irish, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Japanese.

The Ashe Memorial Hall also houses a Café, Craft Shop and the Tralee Tourist Information Office.
Temporary Exhibitions "From Marconi to the Music of the Stars" for 1996.

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7. Local Tours

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Killarney Day Tour

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8. Cathedrals (Historical)

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Ardfert Cathedral Church and Friary

Saint Brendan, the Navigator chose Ardfert to be the site of his monastery. Today you will find three medieval churches, an ogham stone and a number of early Christian grave slabs in the site. This is a fine example of an Irish medieval church.

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9. Archaeological

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Ballyferriter Museum

Local archaeology, natural history, and history as well as periodic temporary exhibitions.

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10. Castles (Historical)

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Ross Castle

Ross Castle, Killarney, Co. Kerry may be considered a typical example of the stronghold of an Irish Chieftain during the Middle Ages. The date of its foundation is unsure but it was probably built in the early 15th century by one of the O'Donoghue Ross Chieftains.

It is surrounded by a fortified bawn, its curtain walls defended by circular flanking towers, two of which remain. Much of the bawn was removed by the time the Barrack building was added on the south side of the castle sometime in the latter half of the 17th century.

Inside, the hall is small, there is a circular stone staircase in the north east corner and this leads directly to all the chambers and eventually to the parapets. The most important chamber is the Great Hall and this is situated at the uppermost level, it has two large six-light windows. The finest fireplace is located here and this room would have been the centre of activity in the castle. At one end separated by an oak partition is a kitchen and above this a minstrel's gallery. The castle contains 15th and 17th century furniture.

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11. Forts (Historical)

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Dunbeg

Promontory and Hill forts 500 BC - 500 AD Defence Structures and Refuge of last Resort during the Iron Age.

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12. Homes (Historical)

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Muckross House, Gardens And Traditional Farms

Listed among the top tourist attractions in Ireland, situated in the heart of the beautiful Killarney National Park and found close to the shore of Killarney’s lower lake is Muckross House, one of Ireland's largest stately homes.

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13. Museums

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Ballyferriter Museum

Local archaeology, natural history, and history as well as periodic temporary exhibitions.

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14. Monastic Sites

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Kilmalkedar

The ancient monastery of Kilmalkedar, founded in the seventh century by St Maolcathair, is one of the foremost Early Christian sites of the Dingle Peninsula. The existing church is a twelfth-century building consisting of a nave to which a chancel was added at a later date, as was the usual practice. Many of the features which typify Irish Romanesque architecture are present. The bold antae with animal-head decoration are well preserved, as is the round-headed doorway with blank tympanum. The high pitched gables (one with finial) survive intact, but of the original barrel-vaulted roof only the merest fragments remain. In the nave is a good example of blind colonnading, recalling Cormac's Chapel at Cashel, with which it is often compared. late-Romanesque geometric motifs adorn the columns of the chancel arch.

A number of interesting objects stand outside the church. These include a tall slender Ogham stone perforated with a circular hole near the top; a large ringless cross devoid of any decoration and therefore possibly unfinished; and a beautiful sundial stone marked in segments corresponding to the divisions of the monastic day.

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15. Historic Hotels

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Parknasilla Hotel

The grandfather of poet Robert Graves rented the original house at Parknasilla as a summer residence. It was bought by Southern Hotels, who in 1890 erected a new hotel nearby, designed by the architect of the Park Hotel and Ashford Castle. Southern Railways, who found themselves in the curious position of owning a winter resort hotel nowhere near a rail station. Their passengers had to be conveyed by horse and carriage the not inconsiderable fifteen miles from Kenmare.

The view is magnificent: the bay is spread out before the hotel and is scattered with small islands - the hotel owns two, and you can walk to them over a footbridge and picnic there if you wish. There is also a little private rocky cove, hidden beside the indoor pool, where sailing boats and a motor boat for water skiing await your pleasure. There are large, well-tended grounds with palm trees, horses if you wish to ride, and a prize winning village to explore a few miles down the road. The staff are particularly delightful.

The hotel has been entirely refurbished and a new wing added since its Victorian heyday. Bedrooms have good modern bathrooms and are close capeted. Furnishings are in pleasant plain shades, in no way frilly or country-house, but everywhere is spotless. A large sun-lounge sitting room provides promptly served freshly-prepared snacks; a more formal drawing room has chandeliers and a large fireplace, where a fire is lit each evening; the dining room has sea views and pleasant peach-coloured decor. The food is tasty, the service impeccable.

The Ring of Kerry on which the hotel stands is one of Ireland's most noted beauty spots. Great bushes of crimson fuchsias and clusters of orange day-lilies line the narrow road which circles the Kerry Peninsula.

Parknasilla does not have designer-chic, but it does have a finer setting and far better service and food than many places with far greater pretentions.

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16. Maritime Museums

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Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium

Dingle Oceanworld is an experience not to be missed! Walk through the underground water tunnel and come face to face with deadly sharks or hold a star fish. You will be amazed with the amount of sea life to be found here!

Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium

17. Stones (Historical)

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Dunloe Ogham Stones

Seven of the eight Ogham stones in this group were discovered in a souterrain at Coolmagort in the nineteenth century and have been set up on this site close to Dunloe Castle. The tallest stone is 8 feet high. There is also a prostrate slab taken from the grounds of nearby Kilbonane church.

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18. Jails (Historical)

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Tarbert Jail

Ireland in the 1830's:
These were hard years for the Irish people. In these difficult and unsettled times, punishment was handed out often and harshly. One poor soul to suffer under this system was Thomas Dillon. As you experience the Bridewell Courthouse and Jail you will follow the horror of the judicial regime of the 1830's and the fate of Thomas Dillon. This is an experience of the past, the scenes, the sounds, the character expressions. These all add to the authentic atmosphere of that time.

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19. Abbeys

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Killagha Augustinian Abbey

The Abbey was erected on the site of an older monastery of St. Colman some time after 1216 by Geoffrey de Marisco for the Canons Regular of St. Augustine and dedicated to Our Blessed Lady. In 1302 it was the third richest monastery in the Diocese of Ardfert, and its Prior was a Lord of Parliament. Only the church, with a single long nave, remains. The windows, doors and niches of sandstone are of 13th century date, while the limestone work, including the fine east window, was inserted in the 15th century. The Abbey was suppressed in 1576 and the domestic buildings to the south were destroyed by Cromwell's soldiers.

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20. Friaries

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Killarney Muckross Friary

Muckross Friary:
The Friary was probably founded by Donal McCarthy around 1448 for the Observantine Franciscans, and completed by about 1475. It is one of the best preserved of the Irish Franciscan friaries. The eastern part of the church was begun first and the western part later. The south transept was added around 1500. The tower, which was inserted after the church was built, is the only Franciscan tower in Ireland which is as wide as the church. The most remarkable part of the friary is the cloister with an old yew tree in the centre surrounded by a cloister arcade different on each side, indicating various building phases. There are buildings on the first floor above it. on the east side was possibly the monks' day room, and above it a dormitory. On the north side lay a store, above which was the refectory with a kitchen beside it. The ground floor on the western side was probably a cellar, while the Guardian lived on the first floor. To the north of the choir of the church is a three-storey building; the ground floor was the Sacristy while the sacristan probably lived on the floor above. The Friary was suppressed in 1541. In 1587 it was leased to the Earl of Clancarty and in 1595 to Captain Collum. The Friary was formally re-established in 1612 after it had been re-occupied and partially restored in 1602. The restoration work was completed by 1626, but the community had to leave again in 1629. shortly afterwards the friars returned once more, but were finally driven out by the Cromwellians in 1652.

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21. Monastery

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Ballinskelligs Monastery

This monastery was founded for monks who came to the mainland here from the offshore island of Skellig Michael in the 12th or 13th century. As with their former monastery, this one was also dedicated to St. Michael. The buildings have been partially eroded by the sea. The two remaining churches seem to date however from the 15th century, and have windows and a door with dressed stones. Adjoining one of the churches is a 15th century cloister garth with a large hall on the other side of it.

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22. Windmills

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Blennerville Windmill

The 200 year old working windmill is the centrepiece of a major craft and visitor complex which includes a multi-lingual audio-visual presentation on the history of Blennerville and an exhibition on 19th century emigration from Co. Kerry.

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23. Mills (Historical)

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Kerry Woollen Mills

The older mill buildings date from the 17th Century, when a woollen manufacturing industry was established in this pleasant rural area near the MacGillycuddy Reeks. The nearby river was harnessed to drive a wooden water turbine. This was replaced in 1928 by a steel unit, which still provides 50 horse power for part of today's requirements. The excellent quality soft water is used for washing and dyeing the cloth. The full range of woollen manufacturing processes has been carried out in this location from early times to present day.

The older buildings have recently been refurbished to provide better facilities for visitors. Tours of the mill production are available at certain times, (Advance booking advisable). A wide range of information on the processes are available.

Visitors are invited to visit the mill shop, which stocks a unique range of fine quality woollen goods, and other Irish made crafts. Round off the visit by enjoying a delicious homemade snack in the tea-room.

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24. Stone Circles

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Eightercua

Its four monumental stones, up to 10 feet in height, extend east to west for 30 feet. This appears to have been part of a more complex structure. There are traces of an enclosure, or possibly the base of a cairn, on the south side, as well as what looks like remnants of a megalithic tomb adjoining the alignment.

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25. Farmsteads

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