Derrynane House - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

This is an extension of the famous Ring of Kerry and is a real hidden gem – a small, 20 mile route that will show you the gorgeous beauty of Ireland with none of the hassles. It starts in either Cahersiveen or Waterville depending on where you are on the Ring of Kerry and takes in awe inspiring views of the Skellig Islands at every turn, the wonderful Valentia Island accessed by ferry and bridge, the picturesque fishing village of Portmagee, Ballinskelligs with its great Blue Flag beach.