20 Attractions to Explore Near Ring of Kerry

Staigue Fort is probably one of the best examples of an ancient ringfort in Kerry. The fort is thought to have been built during the late Iron Age, probably somewhere between 300 and 400 AD, as a defensive stronghold for a local lord or king. The fort consists of a massive circular rampart surrounded by an external bank. The wall is up to 5.5m high and 4m thick, surrounding a circular area of 27.4m in diameter. It shows great skill and craftsmanship in the area of stone building.

This is a woodland garden that has a selection of narrow paths leading to the sea. You can choose a short stroll of about 40 minutes or take all day discovering the 8 miles of paths. Throughout the garden a rich patina of moss, lichens ferns and saxifrages gives a sub-tropical feel to the whole area. As a foil to the luxuriant plantings, there are great natural outcrops of rocks. The garden is open to the public every day all year round.

The Beara Way is an stunning long distance walking trail in Counties Cork and Kerry. It is a 206-kilometre long circular trail around the Beara Peninsula that begins and ends in Glengarriff, County Cork, also passing through parts of County Kerry.It is typically completed in nine days. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by the Beara Tourism and Development Association.

Glanmore Lake is a freshwater lake in the southwest of Ireland. It is located on the Beara Peninsula in County Kerry. Well-known as a fishing lake, Glanmore is one of the nicest lake swims on the Beara peninsula, set at the base of Lackabane Mountain with the trees reaching up to the sky it could be deep in the Canadian wilderness.

Uragh Stone Circle on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork is without doubt one of the most beautiful and most mystical places in Ireland. This monument consists of a five stone circle with a huge outlier in close proximity. This enormous monolith is at least three metres high and totally dominates the monument. It is set radially to the circle aligned along the NE-SW axis. There are a number of other monuments nearby, including a multiple stone circle and some boulder burials.

A beautiful lake in County Kerry, Ireland. Waterville lies on its western bank, close to the Atlantic Ocean, it empties into Ballinskelligs Bay. Raheen lies on its southern bank. It covers an area of 2,500 acres and is 3.5 miles long and 2 miles at the widest point. The lough is famous for its salmon and Sea trout fly fishing.

The Ring of Beara is a road trip peninsula that runs through two counties in Ireland. It’s a lot lesser known the famous “Ring of Kerry”, but it’s arguably even more beautiful thanks to its wild landscape, untouched beauty and unique spots.

Gleninchaquin Park, in County Kerry, provides breath-taking landscapes and scenery in which it is a sheer delight to wander around. Explore streams with log bridges, mountain paths with carved steps, rock passages, glens, lakes and waterfalls. This magnificent valley makes for a great day out for the experienced walker – high level routes, to those more inclined to the gentler terrain.

Derrynane House was the home of Irish politician and statesman, Daniel O'Connell. It is now an National Monument and part of a 320-acre national historic park. The house is located on the Iveragh peninsula on the Ring of Kerry near the village of Derrynane in County Kerry, Ireland. The house displays relics of O'Connell's life and career. Guided tours of the house are available, along with a visual presentation. Access for visitors with disabilities is limited to the ground floor.

An extensive sandy beach in Derrynane Bay, County Kerry. The sheltered dune-backed beach is a crescent of white sand overlooking Abbey Island with its ancient burial ground and ruins of a long-forgotten mediaeval church. The area is rich in biodiversity and of significant national importance. It is a safe and sheltered beach, ideal for swimming and other water sports.

The Hungry Hill is an Irish mountain, belonging to the Beara Peninsula in County Cork. Rising to 685 metres above sea level, it is considered the 130th highest peak in Ireland. A magical place, which should make hiking enthusiasts dream! There is a cairn at the summit and a number of standing stones to the south and east of the mountain. At its eastern foot are two lakes — Coomadayallig and Coomarkane — which both drain into the Mare's Tail waterfall.

The Loher Fort was probably built in the 9th century and served as a fortification of a farm yard. Behind the high walls both humans and animals found protection from attackers. Within the fort, the remnats of two buildings can be found – one of them with a circular, the other one with a square layout. In the interior are a large round house and a smaller rectangular house; archaeology has shown that these were preceded by wooden buildings. A souterrain was located in the circular house.

Moll's Gap is a gap in County Kerry and has an elevation of 237 metres. Moll's Gap is situated south of Derrylea. It offers views of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountains, and is a popular tourist location. The rocks at Moll's gap are formed of Old Red Sandstone, which are small quartz grains laid down over 350 million years ago; unlike most of the Old Red Sandstone around Killarney which is stained red by iron oxide, the rock at Moll's gap is stained green by chlorite.

Lough Coomloughra is a lake in County Kerry and has an elevation of 469 metres. Lough Coomloughra is situated north of Maghanlawaun, close to Lough Eagher. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and a good picnic location too.

Derreenataggart Stone Circle is about 1.5km west of Castletown Bere, close to the road and open to the public. It is about 8m in diameter and twelve stones of a probable fifteen survive. Thirty metres south-west of the circle, site CO115-011001 is "a raised sub-circular area of rough ground with a recent rectangular depression at its western edge".

Carrauntoohil is the legendary highest mountain in Ireland. It is on the Iveragh Peninsula in the Reeks District in County Kerry, close to the centre of Ireland's highest mountain range, MacGillycuddy's Reeks. As Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil is popular with mountain walkers, who most commonly ascend via the Devil's Ladder route. Its ascent is considered a real challenge for hikers and requires experience and preparation.

This is the second-highest peak in Ireland, at 1,008.2 metres , on both the Arderin and Vandeleur-Lynam lists. It is part of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks range. It also offers some of Ireland's "most intimidating" hill-walking, and is often climbed as part of the Coomloughra Horseshoe, described as "one of Ireland's finest ridge-walks.

The Kenmare stone circle is one of the largest stone circles in south West Ireland measuring 17.4 x 15.8m and unlike any other ring in Muster, this one is egg-shaped. Stone Circles were built during the bronze age believed to be for ritual and ceremonial purposes. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and there are also many similar things in this surroundings.

Cnoc na Péiste, is the fourth-highest peak in Ireland, on the Arderin and Vandeleur-Lynam lists. Cnoc na Péiste is part of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks range in County Kerry. It is one of only two 3,000 ft peaks in the Reeks with a prominence above the Marilyn threshold of 150 metres, and is the highest summit of the Eastern Reeks. It is one of the iconic location in this area and also a good trekking destination.

The Big Gun is the ninth-highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, or the tenth-highest according to the Vandeleur-Lynam list. It is part of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks in County Kerry, and is also known as Lackagarrin or Foilnabreachaun. Because of its positioning, The Big Gun is usually climbed as part of a horseshoe, or loop-walk, of the eastern section of the Reeks, starting and ending from the Hag's Glen.