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Kerry

Kerry with hurlers and everything!County Kerry, traditionally known as the 'kingdom', is situated in the extreme south-west of Ireland.

Kerry has two contrasting types of terrain - the mountainous south with the Beara, Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas, and the smaller 'plains' area that stretches as far north as the Shannon estuary.

Along the coast, sandy bays alternate with cliffs and rocky headlands. You'll also see regions of outstanding scenic beauty, such as the Ring of Kerry. Why not explore this beautiful country with a rail and coach tour?

The drive from Tralee to Brandon is spectacular, and in the Brandon Art Gallery, the beauty of Kerry's scenery is captured in a collection of stunning oil paintings. From Brandon, you can walk over the Conor Pass to Dingle - or simply climb Mount Brandon to experience raw beauty at its best. However, scenery is by no means Kerry's only attraction; there are many coastal resorts with excellent angling, great cycling, superb golf courses and a wealth of ancient monuments.

Tralee and Killarney, County Kerry

Tralee, the bustling capital town of County Kerry, is home to the internationally renowned 'Rose of Tralee' festival, held every August. Tralee has great recreational facilities and a well-preserved 18th century port. Killarney, Kerry's second town, offers good shops and restaurants, and is situated within easy reach of some of the most beautiful countryside in Ireland, with mountains, island-studded lakes and wooded glens.

The origin of the expression "The Kingdom" Ciar raige anglicised Kerry means Ciar's Kingdom or Kingdom of Ciar. Ciar was the progenitor of the O'Connor Kerry Clan. Around 65 AD Ciar took possession of an area of land stretching from the river Maine in the south and the Shannon estuary in the north and included the peninsula of Corca Duibhne or Dingle Peninsula. This territory at the time was known as Clar na Cliabh or The Plain of Swords.

By the 6th century it was known as Ciarraige or Ciar's Kingdom. It is mentioned in a 6th Century Manuscript as Ciarraige of the Plain Swords a combination of the old and the new name at the time.

The river known by the anglicised name Cashen in Gaelic is known as Casan Ciarraige Luachra or The Pathway to The Kingdom of Ciar of the Rushes. It was one of the important petty kingdoms of ancient Ireland and the only one of incorporate the word Kingdom as part of its name."

The Ciarrai, from whom the name of the county derives, invaded and occupied the region in early historical times. They claimed descent from Ciar, son of Fergus, a legendary king of Ulster. In the middle ages Kerry was divided between the kingdoms of Thomond in the north and Desmond in the south, dominated by the O'Briens and the McCarthys respectively. It was later dominated by the Norman Fitzgeralds.

Pubs in Kerry