Kerry is Ireland's most westerly county with a coastline that stretches for 551 miles offering some of the most beautiful scenery in Ireland.
It is the perfect county for outdoor enthusiasts offering great opportunities for swimming, hiking, cycling and surfing. Kerry is also renowned for its lively nightlife with many traditional and friendly pubs to visit.
With all these factors in mind, Hospitality Ireland decided to examine the top ten visitor attractions in Kerry, based on Fáilte Ireland's Visitor Attractions Survey 2022.
1. Muckross House Gardens
(764,534)
Muckross House Gardens is the biggest tourist attraction in Kerry with 764,534 visitors as of 2022.
Visitors can enjoy exotic trees and shrubs that flourish in the mild climate and sheltered location which includes a collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, a rock garden on a natural rock outcrop and tree-fringed lawns.
2. Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre
(329,000)
Tralee Bay Wetlands Eco & Activity Park is situated on the estuary of Tralee Bay.
Ecologists and guides are on hand to explain the natural history and folklore of Kerry, giving visitors an insight into herbs, natural gardens, flora and fauna, trees, pond life and bird life.
Many activities such as pond dipping, climbing and pedal boating are encouraged.
3. Derrynane Parklands
(288,267)
Derrynane House in Caherdaniel is the ancestral home of Daniel O'Connell.
The house is sheltered in woodland at the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula on the Ring of Kerry.
The main plantations and garden walks were laid out in the 18th and 19th centuries.
4. Killarney National Park
(199,121)
The Killarney National Park offers 10,000 hectares of lakes, mountains and woods.
McGillycuddy's Reeks is the highest mountain range in Ireland which rises to a height of over 1000 metres.
At the foot of these mountains are the world famous lakes of Killarney, where the mountains sweep down to the shores.
5. Muckross House And Traditional Farms
(162,459)
Muckross House, once visited by Queen Victoria, is situated on the shores of Muckross Lake within the surroundings of Killarney National Park.
The Muckross traditional farms are an authentic outdoor interpretation of rural life in Kerry in the 1930s and 1940s, on a 70 acre elevated site.
Traditional buildings and field systems are recreated and domestic farming and craft practices are carried out daily during the visitor season.
6. Dingle Oceanworld
(110,000)
At Dingle Oceanworld, visitors are encouraged to get up close and personal with an array of sea life.
Sharks, penguins, otters, seahorses, pufferfish, piranhas, jellyfish and clownfish are some of the exotic creatures on offer.
7. Ross Castle
(86,324)
Ross Castle is a 15th century tower house located in Killarney.
The castle is a typical example of the stronghold of an Irish chieftain in the Middle Ages and is fully restored and furnished with period oak furniture.
8. Crag Cave
(62,500)
Crag Cave was discovered in 1983 and is thought to be over one million years old.
The cave is renowned as one of the finest examples of a limestone cave in Ireland with excellent examples of pillars, stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone and underground water channels to be enjoyed.
9. Blasket Visitor Centre
(43,348)
The Blasket Centre is located on the most westerly tip of the Dingle Peninsula.
It tells the story of the Blasket Islands and the tiny Irish speaking community who lived there until the mid 20th century.
The Centre details the islands community’s existence, their language, culture, folklore, customs, and their literary legacy which produced classics such as ‘The Islandman’, ‘Twenty Years A Growing’ and ‘Peig’.
10. Kerry County Museum
(40,000)
Kerry County Museum highlights the rich heritage of County Kerry.
The museum offers an array of artefacts, interactive galleries and hands-on activities. Highlights include an early medieval brooch rescued from the ashes of a turf fire after being lost in a bog for over 1,000 years, duelling pistols of Daniel O’Connell and the award-winning Tom Crean Exhibition which tells the story of the Annascaul man who was part of Shackleton’s Antarctic crew.
