With its softly rolling green fields, long, sweeping seascapes, and vibrant little towns, it's easy to see why so many tourists make a beeline for County Kerry, and more of them do so every year. Tourism figures for the county have jumped from fewer than 800,000 visitors per year a decade ago to nearly two million each year. Given that only 126,000 people live in the county, you can see how this could be problematic.
The influx has been great for Kerry businesses, but it has also turned the county into a strange hybrid place, where spectacular rural scenery coexists uncomfortably with crass tourism. In July and August, tour buses struggle to share narrow mountain roads with local traffic, and at the best vantage points, the view is often blocked by two or three of the behemoths. Given that, it's easy to feel like the whole place is on the verge of being overrun. Luckily, it's still easy to escape the crowds. If you're driving along the congested Ring of Kerry and the crowds are getting to you, simply turn off onto a small country lane and you'll find yourself virtually alone and in the peaceful Irish wilderness within seconds.
Of course, not everybody minds the inevitable clutter and cacophony of the tourism industry. Those who enjoy the conviviality of the international crowds can stay on the main roads and soak up all the hubbub. Only you can decide which Ireland you want to experience.
