Outdoor Odysseys

Embracing what lies on Killarney’s doorstep

For a long time, I had fancied spending more time in Killarney than a day trip. Many family ones have happened, I began to embark on a few of my own during 2022. When the time for a summer break came, and I did not feel ready to go further away, it felt like the ideal time to explore Killarney in more depth.

Because of the way that my time in Ireland pivoted around a weekend, there was an impact on accommodation choices. The result was that I divided my time between Killarney and Cork, shortening my time in the former, especially since I arrived in Ireland on a Tuesday. While a Sunday arrival might have avoided the Saturday night surcharge just as well and given me longer, that was not how things happened.

Still, having three full days of exploration brought innumerable delights my way in any case. The longer Irish evenings of summer also helped with this, ensuring that there was no need to rush because of declining hours of daylight. The continued ability to access the Muckross estate was another aid, particularly given how wonderful sunny Irish evenings can be.

Nevertheless, having another whole day or two could have fitted in an ascent of Mangerton as well as a visit to Tomies Wood. The former was addressed during the past summer, while the latter remains. Perusal of a map put the idea of an excursion to the latter from Meetings of the Waters, only for further reconnaissance to quash that daydream. Another visit to Killarney can take me that side of Lough Leane, the reputed lake of learning (apparently the origin of the name if a certain jarvey is to be believed; the translation from Irish certainly works).

Three Days on the Hoof

Following hindsight, I decided to split things up again in retrospect. Seeing a reading time exceeding twenty minutes was enough to do that after the first edit was shared with the world. Thus, each full day gets its own trip report; that means one for the day around Knockreer, Muckross and Muckross Lake, another for the hike along the Kerry Way between Kenmare and Killarney with a side visit to the top of Torc Mountain, and one more for that spur of the moment traipse from Beaufort through the Gap of Dunloe and Black Valley back to Killarney with added encounters with Upper Lake and Torc Waterfall. Each day of my stay brought its own unique experiences, and giving them their own space in the limelight only seems fair.

A lot got packed into those few days, and the longer evenings of an Irish summer really helped with all this. The weather provided its own share of encouragement; it was all enough to make me proceed like a child in a proverbial sweet shop. Killarney just is that kind of place, from the allure of Ross Castle and the serenity of Muckross Lake to the stirring sights from the top of Torc Mountain. Such journeys only can be filled with moments of reflection and wonder, particularly at the Meetings of the Waters and amidst the vistas of the Gap of Dunloe. The serendipitous detour through the Black Valley on that last full day evinced a certain spirit of spontaneity. While a certain amount of planning is essential, it is those unexpected moments that are the very ones that become lasting, cherished memories.

One Last Foray Before a Departure

Before heading for Cork, I again returned to Knockreer for another circuit, one that was diminutive compared with the rounds that I had been doing the preceding three days. It was a way of saying farewell to a place that had given me so much during my stay there. The longer encounter had yielded ample rewards.

This was one extra chance to glimpse the unique mix of lakes and mountains that draws so many to Killarney. It is not for nothing that it is a favoured spot for me. Though parts can get busy, the place does have it quieter corners too, and I found a few of them over the years. Too many descend on the obvious attractions, leaving the rest for others who seek them. It is ever thus with so many scenic spots; connoisseurs are left with the best bits that need more effort to reach.

Travel Arrangements

My journey commenced in Macclesfield, where I boarded one train to Manchester Piccadilly and then another to Manchester Airport before taking a flight across the Irish Sea to Dublin. A delay to the arrival of my flight meant that I needed to take a later train to Killarney, changing trains in Mallow. The swiftness of Dublin Express services could not compensate for that, even if I did get to fit in an impromptu visit to the Phoenix Park. On the way to Killarney, there was added nervousness at Rathmore while adding the passage of a train coming the other way, especially when we were running late already. All was well in the end, though; I was none too late for my hotel reservation.

During my stay, I used Bus Éireann’s network to explore the region. Travelling to Kenmare on service 271 got me to that trailhead for my hike along part of the Kerry Way back to Killarney. Going on service 279 to Beaufort Bridge set me up for the Gap Dunloe, from where I staged that unplanned hike back to Killarney using another section of the Kerry Way. Finally, the Expressway service 40 provided a scenic route through some of southern Ireland’s verdant landscapes on the way to Cork for the next part of the sojourn.