Article
by Nicola Brady & Pól Ó Conghaile in independent.ie on 26 January 2019
'It's
a hard life," said the old man sipping a pint outside Reidy's pub.
He'd
sat down an hour before, but still had the pack on his back and the bike clips
on his trouser legs. Around him, Killarney was in fifth gear. Tourists thronged
Main Street, a July sun was beating down, and a breeze dangled the song of a
busker in and out of earshot. A local next to the man surveyed the scene, and
threw in his tuppence.
"'Tis,"
he said. "Very difficult."
Trying
to capture the tone of a Kerry conversation is like trying to fold water. But
let's just say the men didn't seem too troubled. Nor was I, earwigging in the
background. There are worse trials in life than summery pints in the Kingdom.
Last
week, you voted Kerry Ireland's Favourite Home Holiday Destination in our
Reader Travel Awards. There were common themes to your comments - scenery,
food, adventures, childhood memories. Tourism goes back at least 250 years
here, and that shines through in its confidence and visitor infrastructure.
But
there's more to the Kingdom than that.
There's
a secret sauce. An X-Factor. Kerry feels like magic realism. A normal road can,
without warning, deliver you into a cinematic explosion of scenery.
You'll
stumble on a tiny chocolate factory overlooking St Finian's Bay; a bright
yellow pancake cottage near Moll's Gap. Every conversation is a rabbit hole.
It's 2019, and still a summer beauty pageant held midweek in a giant tent with
music by the Garda Band will be one of the most-watched TV events of the year.
At times, I wouldn't be surprised to see an animated character cross the
street, or An Fear Marbh sit upright in the sea.
Kerry
is devastatingly beautiful landscapes. But it's also Pauline Bewick and Brendan
Kennelly. It's Amy Winehouse playing a stripped back Love is a Losing Game in
St James's Church. It's football. It's how you feel when you hear Mícheál Ó
Muircheartaigh's voice. It's Peig and Puck Fair. Saint Brendan and Star Wars.
Fungie and Francis Brennan. It's a particular kind of cuteness.
The
'Kingdom' tag apparently dates back to 65AD, when the O'Connor clan took
control, but it's since taken on a life of its own. Kerry is a country within a
county, somewhere that blurs the lines between various visions of Ireland, that
knocks you off guard and keeps you that way. It's a feeling, as much as a
place.
I
like that Kerry doesn't stand still. It doesn't rest on those tourism laurels.
It values vibrant small businesses. Its food scenes are improving -
particularly in Dingle and Kenmare. Its 'Reeks District' was re-branded just
last year, and already Rough Guides has named it one of the best places in the
world to visit. Kerry is rooted in the past, looking to the future, and your
favourite home holiday for 2019.
'Tis
very difficult, all right. - Pól Ó Conghaile
The
Foodie's Take
There's
no shortage of great places to eat in Kerry. Karen Coakley (pictured) is a TV
chef and food blogger from Kenmare, who runs food tours of the town every
Wednesday in the summer as Kenmare Foodie (kenmarefoodies.com). Here, she tells
us about the foods she loves to eat, and the local spots on her tours.
"I
have this passion for food, and a passion for where I live. There are two roads
from Kenmare to Killarney, and I'd always come through the National Park. I
just drove through it now, and I had to keep stopping the car to take videos
for Instagram to show everyone how beautiful it is.
"Killarney
National Park is the most amazing place, and literally within 10 minutes of my
house I'm in the middle of it. I know Killarney is seen as a touristy
destination, but to me, it's just beautiful.
"People
always ask me where to eat in Kenmare, but there really is just so much choice.
In general, you can't get a bad meal in Kenmare, the standard is really high.
For myself and my husband, if the sun is shining then it's the Boathouse Bistro
(dromquinnamanor.com). It's right on the water, overlooking Kenmare Bay and the
islands. They've got a fantastic gin list and great scampi.
"For
seafood, Packie's (packiesrestaurant.ie) is an institution. It's been going
for, frankly, I don't know how long. Everything is local and seasonal.
Mulcahy's (mulcahyskenmare.ie) is another favourite - he has so many seasonal
signature dishes and his sushi is exceptional.
"Poffs
(facebook.com/poffsfood) does amazing brunch, with fabulous eggs benedict. For
coffee and pastries, we have Maison Gourmet, a French patisserie that's on my
food tour. There are three bakers in there, they're all French, and they make
everything from scratch. It's the real deal!
"We
visit some great producers on my food tours - people love the story behind
Kenmare Ice Cream (facebook.com/Kenmare.Ice.Cream; above), for example, and we
finish up at Tom Crean Fish & Wine (tomcrean.ie), run by the famous
explorer's granddaughter, Aileen Crean-O'Brien (below). She tells her story
about him, and how she herself went to Antarctica to walk in his footsteps.
Outside
of Kenmare, I love the Strawberry Fields pancake cottage
(strawberryfield-ireland.com), between Moll's Gap and Sneem. They serve the
most amazing pancakes with local toppings, and you can sit outside and look at
the mountains.
For
a foodie experience with a difference, there's Atlantic Irish Seaweed
(atlanticirishseaweed.com), run by John and Kerryann Fitzgerald. They do
seaweed discovery walks and workshops.
"That's
one thing my food tours have taught me, that there's a beauty in keeping things
local. There's an amazing connection between the producers and hotels and
restaurants in Kenmare. It's a very special place."
In
conversation with Nicola Brady
The
Adventurer's Guide
With
Rough Guides recently lauding the Reeks District as one of the world's best
places to explore in 2019, there's a real buzz around the region the travel
bible described as simply "spectacular". Piaras Kelly (pictured) runs
Kerry Climbing (kerryclimbing.ie) with his wife, Catherine, and takes people
walking, climbing and scrambling up the mountains.
"I
love Carrauntoohil. Obviously there are lots of different routes up to the top
- my personal favourite is a rock climb called Howling Ridge.
"That
goes up the north face, and it's doable for everybody with even a half decent
level of fitness, even if you're never climbed before. We do get people who are
a bit nervous, but part of my job is helping people get over their fears.
"We
often get people who have come down to do Carrauntoohil for the first time, and
one of the more straightforward routes is probably the Devil's Ladder. Once
they've done that a few times, they often come back to do Howling Ridge with
ropes, helmets and the full kit.
"The
Brother O'Shea's Gully route requires the same level of fitness and time, but
the only difference is it has more sections where you need to use your hands.
It's not rock climbing, but you definitely couldn't do it with your hands in
your pockets. A rough guide for any ascent is between six and seven hours, up
and down.
"You
could have a view of your feet all day if the cloud is down, but on a
half-decent day all the routes have stunning views. I know it like the back of
my hand, I've climbed it thousands of times - there are routes that I've
pioneered, and it's literally on my doorstep - I live at the foot of
Carrauntoohil.
"It's
not my mountain, but I feel like it is.
"Kayaking
is my other passion. I live pretty close to the lakes of Killarney, so when I'm
not on the vertical I can get onto the horizontal fairly easy. I'll paddle down
the river, finishing in Killorgan, and many other stops along the way.
There's
a lot of history there, on the lakes, and Inishfallen Island. We're just
blessed. We have the mountains and the sea, the rivers and the lakes.
"For
kayaking, I would probably recommend Irish Adventures (irishadventures.net)
which run trips in Dingle. They'll take you out to see Fungie, and they also do
sunrise trips out in the harbour, which are pretty special.
I'd
also highly recommend the Cappanalea Outdoor Education Centre (cappanalea.ie)
in the Reeks - they do stand-up paddle boarding, white-water kayaking, bush
crafts and stuff for kids too.
"A
tour of Muckross Lake would probably be my favourite cycling trip - you can
cycle the whole way around, and there's a lovely little hunting
lodge-turned-coffee shop called Dinis (facebook.com/diniscottage), so you can
break up the cycle with a coffee and a nice bit of cake.
"There's
also a beautiful area called Glencar, just on the other side of the McGillycuddy
Reeks. Everybody's very familiar with the side of Carrauntoohil near the Gap of
Dunloe, but not many people know that if you continue on for another couple of
miles, you're really in the heart of the Reeks district. If I was to tell
someone how to get off the beaten track, I'd tell them to go to Glencar."
In
conversation with Nicola Brady
The
Hotelier's Hotlist
John
Brennan (pictured, right) is Managing Director of The Park Hotel Kenmare
(parkkenmare.com), the award-winning property he runs with his brother,
Francis. The pair welcome thousands of guests through their doors each year,
and are never short of a tip or two for getting the most out of the county…
"I
love Kenmare Bay. The estuary is 37 miles long, and it's bordered by the Ring
of Kerry and the Ring of Beara. So from a scenery point of view, it's
absolutely magnificent. Nothing will thrill me more than going down Kenmare Bay
on our boat, and going into Helen's bar in Kilmakilloge for an open crab
sandwich. If I can do that, on any day of the year, then I'd consider that a
blissful day in Kenmare.
"We
like the boats, and we have a few of them. We leave Kenmare, go down to
Oysterbed, and then perhaps go over to O'Carroll's Cove, or for a walk on the
beach at Derrynane (below). Or we might scoot over to Cahersiveen, Valentia
Island and, if the day was nice, over to Dingle for a bite to eat.
We
love to go to Out of the Blue (outoftheblue.ie) for lunch - they do superb fish
and chips, with mushy peas. If we were overnighting in Dingle, we'd go to The
Chart House (thecharthousedingle.com).
"There's
not a day that we'd go out on the boat without seeing dolphins. You can also
see basking sharks and you'd absolutely always see seals. If you go out as far
as the Skelligs, around the fabulous Bull Rock, you might see puffins and
gannets, too. We saw a sunfish one day - he's a real stupid fish! He has a big
flipper on his back that keeps flopping over; he's a real weird-looking fella.
"I
can't stand the smell of fish on the boat, though, so we never fish. I've only
gone fishing once - I couldn't physically take a fish off a hook.
"One
thing that our guests always love, that might be a bit of a surprise, is a walk
on the Old Kenmare/Killarney road. We drive guests out there and they walk the
old road back. It is an 8km walk, and it's right across the mountain where no
one would ever be.
"We
had two people from New York with us just over the New Year, and they loved it
- I knew they would. I dropped them over, and they weren't back 'til 4pm. They
enjoyed it so much that they said they just sat and looked at the views, they
couldn't tear themselves away.
"We
do that as a complimentary guided walk every Saturday morning for guests at The
Park. What's nice about it is it's the old road, so it's only a dirt track, but
it's nice and wide, and it comes over a part of the mountain you'd never come
across.
"The
Halloween Howl is a fantastic event in Kenmare. The whole town is transformed
into a Dracula-like setting, with fantastic events, children's parties and a
huge parade in the town. Families love it, and we'd have loads of people who
come down for that every year, because the kids just get such a buzz out of
it."
In
conversation with Nicola Brady
The
Literary Tourist
Catherine
Moylan (pictured) is the chairperson of Listowel Writers' Week (writersweek.ie), which takes place on the
last weekend of May and sees world-renowned authors flock to this pretty Kerry
town. But there's plenty more to see in the county that inspired countless
poems, songs and plays…
"I
was born and bred in Listowel. I grew up here and, like a lot of people, went
away for a few years. But I'm back over 10 years now, and it's an honour to be
chairperson of the Listowel Writers' Week (May 29 to June 2).
"Sometimes,
I think you appreciate a place more when you go away for a while and return
home - it gives you a renewed enthusiasm for a place.
"This
year will be the 49th year of Writers' Week, so it's actually the oldest
literary festival in the country. There are an awful lot of people whose work
has been discovered at the festival. The original aim was to both provide an
audience for emerging writers, and to celebrate established writers. And it
still does that to this day.
"We
have a young adults book festival, too; 900 students descended upon the town
last November. We did little quirky things, like competitions for the best
six-word stories - some of them were incredible.
"We
have a film club in the local cinema in Listowel every Thursday, and you have
people who come who are anywhere from nine years old to 90. There's a little
discussion there afterwards, and it's all very informal, but unassuming and
lovely. We're so lucky to have that.
"I
often tell people who come to visit that they need to think of the hinterland.
Listowel is only one place, but many of the writers who come get inspiration
from all around us.
"Ballybunion,
with its Blue Flag beach, is just nine miles away. Collins Seaweed Baths are on
the ladies' beach, and have been on the go for 90 years.
When
I have friends visiting, we'll usually go for lunch in Listowel, have a wander
around, and check out the boutiques. Then I'll take them out to Ballybunion for
a dip in the sea and a lovely seaweed bath. You can have a cup of coffee on the
beach and it's just magic. It'd cure anything!
"There's
a cliff walk just above the beach, and a new one called Bromore Cliffs. Michael
Flahive, who set up the walk (bromorecliffs.com), has lived in the area for
years, and he'll regale you with tales of his youth and adventures… he's a natural-born
storyteller! I've been there three times and each time I go, I hear another
story.
"There's
a song, The Cliffs of Dooneen, which Christy Moore is famous for. People assume
that the cliffs are in Clare, but they're actually just up from Ballybunion.
I'd recommend driving from Ballybunion into Ballylongford to see the hometown
of Brendan Kennelly, too. It's a lovely, quintessentially Irish town.
"We
always joke that there must be something in the water in Listowel, between all
the songwriters and the poets, the playwrights and the writers! They all grew
up in a town that respected and revered the spoken and the written word."
In
conversation with Nicola Brady
The
Musician's Ear
Tríona
Duignan is a music promoter based in Dingle, who has worked on Other
Voices (othervoices.ie) from the very
beginning. Here's her take on her home county…
"Music
has always been a big part of my life. My dad, Eoin, is a traditional musician,
so I grew up with music around the house. Other Voices [the winter festival and
TV show] had a huge impact on me - it's been great to be a part of it from the
beginning and to see it build from such a small thing to what it is now.
"Seeing
bands in this small, intimate setting makes such a difference. That's what
Other Voices is all about - the intimacy, being able to enjoy the vibrations
and the music and the energy.
"In
Dingle, Nelliefreds (facebook.com/nelliefreds) and McCarthy's
(facebook.com/McCarthysdingle) are both great for live music. The folk concerts
in St James' Church are intimate and special too.
"I
haven't actually been up there yet, but Mike the Pies (mikethepies.com) in
Listowel is doing really well, and it's supposed to be brilliant. There's a
nice music venue called Sol y Sombra (solysombra.ie) - it's a tapas bar in a
church in Killorglin.
"We're
spoiled in Kerry - there always seems to be something going on. The Dingle Food
Festival (dinglefood.com) is a great weekend for food and music. All the
restaurants take part in the food trail, you can get little samples everywhere
you go. There's a great buzz around the town. I have a café in Dingle called
Pantrí (facebook.com/pantridingle), and I got DJs playing out there for the
whole weekend, which was great fun.
"One
thing I love is heading out to the Blasket Islands (above). It's absolutely
breathtaking. A perfect day for me would be getting up early, having a good
breakfast in Pantrí, then making a picnic of a few bits from The Little Cheese
Shop (below,on Gray's Lane), bread from Bácús (bacus.ie), chocolates and salads
from Crinkle Stores, then heading off.
Even
driving around Slea Head is beautiful, we're so spoilt with the scenery. I've
travelled all around the world but the Dingle Peninsula is the most beautiful
place I've ever seen.
"I
kind of love the wild, wintry days in Kerry. If you drive out west you can see
the waves crashing - at Clogher beach, the waves can almost be crashing on top
of your car. There's just something so great about the blustery weather, going
out for a windy walk on the beach then going for a nice cosy pint.
"Tig
Bhric (westkerrybrewery.ie) bar is just opposite Wine Strand, and they have a
lovely fire, candles on the tables and an old record player, which is really
nice. It's a microbrewery as well, so you can have a pint of their own brew.
"Skellig
Rock is gorgeous. I went to the Skelligs once, and on the boat trip over there
were schools of dolphins and whales all around us. Then when we arrived on the
island, there were loads of baby puffins. They're only there at certain times
of year, so we were so lucky to see them. The man driving our boat had caught
some fish, so we bought that off him and cooked it up back in the cottage we
were staying at in Waterville. That was a cool day."
In
conversation with Nicola Brady
Six
Super Places to Stay
Looking
for somewhere special to stay in the Kingdom? Travel Editor Pól Ó Conghaile has
six suggestions from his Little Black Book...
1.
Castlewood
House, Dingle
"Pure class
and comfort from start to finish" was how readers described Brian and
Helen Heaton's now-iconic Irish guesthouse. Castlewood (pictured above) which
won 'Best Irish Welcome' in our Reader Travel Awards 2019, also placing highly
in 'Ireland's Favourite Small Stay' and - no surprise for regulars here - 'Best
Irish Breakfast'. B&B starts from €96 per room in February, with a host of
special packages available.
Contact: 066
915-2788; castlewooddingle.com
2.
Killarney
Park Hotel
Kerry
has no shortage of five-stars, with The Park Kenmare, The Dunloe, Sheen Falls,
Aghadoe Heights and The Europe just some of the jewels in its crown. The
Killarney Park is a surprisingly intimate and central stay that seems to reach
out and embrace you even as you walk down the drive. Staff have that Kerry
kindness too - nobody will forget your name, but they won't over-use it,
either. B&B from €230.
Contact:
064 663-5555; killarneyparkhotel.ie
3.
Cahernane
House, Killarney
Killarney's
worst-kept secret re-opened last year after a €6m refurb, with a new look
complemented by antique details like the banker's desk used at reception.
B&B with dinner starts from around €95pp. If you like this, take a look at
Ard Na Sidhe (ardnasidhe.com), a beautiful Arts & Crafts house overlooking
Caragh Lake near Killorglin.
Contact:
064 663-1895; cahernane.com
4.
Ballygarry
House, Tralee
Its
Nádúr Spa, friendly staff and new Restaurant 58 (harking back to the year it
opened) were just some of the reasons Ballygarry House made our Fab 50 last
year. B&B with dinner is currently available on special from €89pp. Other
Kerry four-stars worth checking are Parknasilla and the Great Southern in
Killarney, recently taken over by the Scally family.
Contact:
066 712-3322; ballygarryhouse.com
5.
John
O'Farrell's modern Irish guesthouse is set just a mile outside Dingle, and it
boasts some of the best views on the peninsula. Previously named Ireland's No1
B&B in TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards, prices start from €100 per
room... but it's worth paying extra for the sea views.
Contact:
066 915-1518; pax-house.com
6.
Camp
like a champ!
Camping
and caravan parks featured widely in Reader Travel Awards nominations, and
you're spoiled for choice in Kerry. Manix Point, Wave Crest and Glenross are
just a sample - or, for a treat, why not splash out on a glamping adventure at
Dromquinna Manor? Luxury tents start from €150 per night.
Contact:
camping-ireland.ie; dromquinnamanor.com
NB:
All prices subject to availability/change.
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