A Castle and Killarney’s Town Center

Killarney Ireland, with a population of about 14,500, was the largest city that we visited or stayed in while in Ireland, other than our arrival and departure stays in Dublin.

Killarney is located on the northeastern shore of Lough (lake) Leane, which is part of the Killarney National Park.  Actually, the town promotes itself as ‘the town within the park’.

Horses and carts for the tourist trade were evident upon our arrival in Killarney and anywhere else in the area that visitors might frequent as well…

We had a lot possible sightseeing choices to make on arrival.  As usual, so much to see with so little time!  We had to choose between a couple of cathedrals, a friary, a castle, the Muckross House and Abbey, exploring the city center or more sightseeing in the Killarney National Park.  To learn more about all of the area’s attractions, go to https://killarney.ie/.  

These carts and horses are referred to as “Jaunting Cars”.  By definition, but apparently not by current use, a jaunting car is a light 2 wheel carriage carrying 2 to 4 persons and pulled by a single horse.  At one time, it was the typical conveyance for people in Ireland.

By way of example, the Jaunting Car Tour to Ross Castle, our first bit of exploration in Killarney, picks you up near the city center, takes you out to the castle, returning you after the one hour tour.  The cost per person is 30E/$36.00 US.  To learn more, go to http://killarneyjauntingcars.ie/.

FYI…we drove to the castle where we saw a large number of Jaunting Cars with their drivers at the castle. (Note: A Jaunty driver is called a ‘Jarvey’) Laurie is always concerned about horses in the tourist trade, and some of them didn’t look very good, but this handsome horse seemed to be very well cared for.

These colorful punts or small fishing boats were moored on a creek next to Ross Castle.  Apparently, visitors can rent them for paddling around or fishing…but I couldn’t find any information about them other than some vague referral that implied that you can’t rent them without a guide/boatman.

Those colorful boats in the previous photo are moored just the other side of the bridge.  When you cross the bridge, a plethora of ducks, geese and swans meet you looking for a handout.  It appeared that they are well fed!

This is Ross Castle (Irish Gaelic: Caislean an Rois).  It was built in the late 1400s on the edge of Lough Leane and both it and the lake are now part of Killarney National Park.

The castle with its tower house is the ancestral home of the O’Donoghue clan.  Ownership changed hands in the 1580s when MacCarthy Mor took it over.  He then leased the castle and lands to Sir Valentine Browne, ancestor to the Earls of Kenmare.  Ross Castle was one of the last castles to surrender to Oliver Cromwell’s forces during the Irish Confederate Wars. 

To learn about these wars, you can go to the following website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Confederate_Wars.

This is a view of the side of Ross Castle that faces 4,700 acre Lake/Lough Leane…one of 3 connected lakes.  Lough Leane’s name means “lake of learning” which probably is in reference to the monastery on the island of Innisfallen located in the lake. 

The ruins of the Innisfallen Abbey, a 10 minute boat ride from the castle, are reputed to be one of the most impressive archaeological remains that date from the Early Christian Period.  The monastery was founded in 640 and it was occupied for about 950 years.  According to legend, King Brian Boru was educated at the abbey.  The monks were dispossessed of the abbey in 1594 by Queen Elizabeth I.  

What a ‘heroic’ figure in this photo… Laurie had me pose for this one!

As I stated before, Oliver Cromwell’s forces captured Ross Castle.  It was in the early 1650s.  The Irish believed a prophecy that Ross could never be taken until a warship “could swim on the lake”, an unbelievable prospect!  To quote:

“Ross may all assault disdain

Till on Lough Lein strange ship shall sail”

As it turned out, Cromwell’s forces built ships in Kinsale, brought them by water as far as they could, and then dragged them and their artillery across land with oxen to the lake and the castle.  The sight of the ship unnerved the defenders and the castle soon submitted. 

The Irish death toll from the 11 year long Irish Confederate Wars is estimated to have been a minimum of 200,000 to as high as 620,000 people with about two-thirds of them being civilians.  The total population of Ireland at the time was only about 1,500,000!  The Irish defeat led to the mass confiscation of Catholic owned land and the English Protestant domination of Ireland for over 200 years…

Despite the Castle’s warlike history, its setting on Lough Leane is peaceful and quite beautiful.

 

FYI…There is a legend the castle’s founder/builder leaped or was sucked out of the window of the grand chamber at the top of the castle and he disappeared into the waters of the lake, taking with him his horse, table and library.  He’s said to now live in a great palace at the bottom of the lake where he keeps an eye on what’s going on…

As it turned out, we did not get to tour the interior of the castle.  We arrived just as they closed the doors after admitting the final tour group.  FYI, admission to the interior of the castle with a tour guide is only 5E/$6.00 US for adults and 4E/$4.80 for seniors. 

With plenty of daylight remaining, we headed back to Killarney’s town center to explore, do a little shopping and decide where we wanted to eat dinner.  It is a very colorful and lively place indeed!

Tourism is far and away the largest industry in town!  Other than Dublin itself, Killarney has more hotel beds than any other Irish city or town… Most of the tourists come from the USA, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany and other European countries.  In addition to all the other attractions in the area including the park, ruins, castles, lakes and mountains, Killarney is also strategically located on a famous tourist route/scenic drive, The Ring of Kerry.

 

To learn about The Ring of Kerry and to see some terrific photos of the scenery, go to https://www.ringofkerrytourism.com/index.html and https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ring+of+kerry&FORM=IARRTH&ufn=ring+of+kerry&stid=0d674485-a2eb-5c79-2737-6e043617f92f&cbn=EntityAnswer&cbi=0&FORM=IARRTH.

The following photos are just random pictures of Killarney’s colorful town center.  It is so bright and cheerful that it makes the visitor feel the same way!  Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to do any shopping so I was able to relax, take photos, watch people and enjoy my surrounding…

Mac’s Bar can be found at http://www.macsofmainstreet.com/.  Need a haircut?  Julie’s Barbershop is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Juliesbarbershopkillarney-719659921380547/.

J. O’Leary, at 33 Main Street in Killarney may look like another pub/restaurant but it’s really an antique store.  With its classic look it adds to the ambiance of the town center.  From 1885 until 1974, it was a home.  That plaque on the wall states that it was the family home of Jerry O’Leary, a person of some local importance.

We wandered down a colorful side street or two.  This is Plunkett Street providing a typical street scene...with one exception.  What?!!  A Burger King in at the end of the street in downtown Killarney!  Even though it’s in an old building, that fast food business kind of clashes with the feeling…that old town ‘look’. (There are actually 20 Burger King’s located throughout Ireland)

OK…I’d rather focus on the Porter House Restaurant or Courtney’s Bar at the right side of the photo!  The Porter House bills itself as Gastropub…and the menu looks great.  Check it out at http://theporterhousekillarney.com/. 

 Courtney’s has been operating as a Public House since 1891 and it has been owned by the Courtney family since it opened.  The interior of Courtney’s Bar is classic!  For more information and some great photos of this bar, go to https://courtneysbar.com/.  So little time…so many bars and restaurants! 

I’m not into shopping…with 2 exceptions.  I love a good bakery and a quality butcher shop.  As we noted in Scotland, every decent sized town or village in Ireland boasts at least one butcher shop.  T. Cronin and Sons has a great street presence doesn’t it?  In the USA, it would be hard for a store like this to survive!  

The handsome Killarney Towers Hotel is a dominating structure in the town center.  The Killarney Towers Hotel and Leisure Centre features 182 rooms, 2 restaurants, 4 bars and a nightclub.  It is one of three luxury Killarney Hotels owned by the O’Donoghue Ring Hotel Group.  A fourth hotel is located in nearby Castleisland County Kerry.

I checked the rates for the Killarney Towers.  In March a twin bed room would cost 105E/$126.00 US and in June, the same room would cost 150E/$180 US.  When you consider that these are bed and breakfast rates and that the hotel is right in the center of town, the prices are pretty reasonable.  To learn more, go to https://www.odonoghue-ring-hotels.com/killarney-towers-hotel-leisure-centre.  

…yet another street view!  What makes these Irish tourist towns pop is their age/history, their colorful facades and the fact that they’re clean and safe. 

Starting at the left, there is Salvador’s, featuring pizza, seafood and steaks, followed by Robertino’s Italian Restaurant “The Med”…then T. Cronin’s Butcher Shop which is next to The Smoke House on the far side.

 

Salvador’s Restaurant bills itself as offering traditional Irish Cuisine with a continental touch.  Website: https://www.salvadorsinkillarney.com/.  Robertino’s “The Med” features traditional Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.  It has a very appetizing menu!  Website: http://robertinosrestaurant.com/.

Finally, there is the Smoke House.  This restaurant features steaks, burgers, lamb, venison and chicken… Guess who their butcher is!  Yes indeed, T. Cronin’s…right next door!  The Smoke House website is at https://www.thesmokehouse.ie/. 

…and one last colorful restaurant for this post. (We ate dinner in one that I haven’t featured yet)  That attractive green building with the planters and coach lights is Foley’s Seafood and Steak Restaurant.  Just beyond the restaurant is Foley’s Town House/Guest House. 

The restaurant and townhouse was originally built in 1795 as a coaching inn.  In the late 1800s, part of the building was occupied by the Royal Irish Constabulary and local Fenian rebels were jailed here during the 1867 rebellion.  For more information about Foley’s Guesthouse, you can go to https://www.foleystownhouse.com/#home.  The restaurant is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/foleystownhouse/?rf=187984147902518.

Despite all of my photos of bars and restaurants, you can be assured that plenty of gift shops, clothing stores and specialty stores line the streets of Killarney.  Instead of a photo, I decided to use a postcard in this instance.  I stopped into Granda Charlie’s Auld Sweet Shop to take a look myself.  The postcard shows Granda Charlie in front of C. O’Loughlin’s back in 1944 with his grandson in front of the store in 2014.  

This is Niall O’Loughlin, Grandpa Charlie’s grandson and proprietor of Granda Charlie’s Auld Sweet Shop, which originally opened in 1941.  

I spent some time chatting with Niall…about his business, his grandfather and the massive variety of candy offered in his charming store.  He is very proud of the family business.  I assured him that I’d find my wife, her sister and her husband and bring them back to the store.  The ladies loved it…and yes, they bought some goodies!  The Auld Sweet Shop is right on Main Street in Killarney.  FYI…Niall and his candy store are on-line at https://www.facebook.com/grandacharlies.

The number of restaurants, bars and shops in Killarney is a bit mind boggling, especially when you consider that the town, including the surrounding area, only has about 15,000 residents!  The fact is that the Republic of Ireland accommodated 8,700,000 tourists in 2016.  With a population of only 4,762,000, that means that there was 1.83 tourists for every citizen of Ireland!

As for Killarney itself, the travel site Trivago named Killarney as #8 out of the top 10 Global Travel Destinations.  As a matter of fact, Killarney was the only site in Ireland that made the top 30! 

That’s all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave