Derrynane's Blue Flag beach is one of the most beautiful in Kerry, with scalloped coves of golden sand set between grassy dunes and whaleback outcrops of wave-smoothed rock. From the car park at Derrynane House, you can walk 1km along the beach to explore Abbey Island and its picturesque cemetery – look inside the ruined chapel to find the tomb of Daniel O'Connell's wife, Mary.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
17.19 MILES
The jagged, 217m-high rock of Skellig Michael (Michael's Rock; like St Michael's Mount in Cornwall and Mont St Michel in Normandy) is the larger of the…
18.24 MILES
Opened in 1837 as a hunting lodge, this magnificent estate sprawls over 17 hectares incorporating a waterfall, beach and six different gardens, ranging…
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Derrynane National Historic Park
0.37 MILES
Derrynane House was the home of Maurice 'Hunting Cap' O'Connell, a notorious local smuggler who grew rich on trade with France and Spain. He was the uncle…
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29.46 MILES
With its melancholic air of faded gentility, 18th-century Bantry House makes for an intriguing visit. From the Gobelin tapestries in the drawing room to…
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25.55 MILES
This horticultural miracle of an island was created in the early 20th century when the island's owner commissioned architect Harold Peto to design a…
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29.91 MILES
Gallarus Oratory is one of Ireland's most beautiful ancient buildings, its smoothly constructed dry-stone walls in the shape of an upturned boat. It has…
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23.67 MILES
Macgillycuddy's Reeks is Ireland's highest mountain range, and towering Carrauntoohil is the country's highest summit, at 1040m. There are several routes…
Nearby Ring of Kerry attractions
1. Derrynane National Historic Park
0.37 MILES
Derrynane House was the home of Maurice 'Hunting Cap' O'Connell, a notorious local smuggler who grew rich on trade with France and Spain. He was the uncle…
6.11 MILES
This Iron Age structure, built around AD 300 to 400, is one of the biggest and best-preserved ring forts in Ireland, with near-intact walls some 4m thick…
6.89 MILES
The sea and salty air are eating away at the atmospheric ruins of this medieval priory, a monastic settlement that was probably built by the Skellig…
7.01 MILES
Directly opposite the Ballinskelligs Beach car park are the last crumbling remnants of the 16th-century castle stronghold of the McCarthys, built on the…
7.43 MILES
At the northern end of Ballinskelligs on the site of a village abandoned during the Famine, this contemporary art gallery with a circular, thatched roof…
6. Allihies Copper Mine Museum
9.28 MILES
Allihies' history as a copper mining area is chronicled in this engaging museum, the result of years of work by the community; there's also tourist…
9.67 MILES
The town of Eyeries is home to Milleens cheese, first created by the late pioneering producer Veronica Steele. Visitors are welcome to visit the Steele…
10.29 MILES
At these gleaming open-plan premises, you can get an overview of chocolate production and taste the wares too. Samples are free, and chocolates are sold…