Planning a trip to Killarney
Visitor Information
The Killarney Tourist Office is at the Discover Ireland Centre, Beech Road, Killarney (www.killarney.ie; 064/663-1633). It's open October to May Monday to Saturday 9:15am to 5:15pm, June and September daily 9am to 6pm, and July to August daily 9am to 8pm. During low season, the office occasionally closes for lunch from 1 to 2pm. It offers many helpful booklets, including the Tourist Trail walking-tour guide and the Killarney Area Guide, with maps.
Useful local publications include Where: Killarney, a quarterly magazine distributed free at hotels and guesthouses. It is packed with current information on tours, activities, events, and entertainment.
Town Layout
Killarney may be the most important town in the region, but this is Ireland, so this “metropolis” is much smaller than you’d expect, with a full-time population of only about 14,000. Of course this number can swell considerably at the height of tourist season—and it feels like it. The town is laid out around one central thoroughfare, Main Street, which confusingly changes its name to High Street at the northern end. The principal cross streets are New Street and Plunkett Street (which becomes College Street). The Deenagh River edges the western side of town and East Avenue Road edges the eastern side. The busiest section of town is at the southern tip of Main Street, where it curves to meet East Avenue Road, then curves again to head south to the Muckross road and the entrance to Killarney National Park.
There is a limited local bus service, but the best and fastest way to get around is almost always on foot. (Those with mobility problems might find it easier to call a taxi than look for a bus—nowhere is all that far from anywhere else in this town, so fares are low). A signposted Tourist Trail visits all the highlights; it takes less than 2 hours to complete. Pick up a booklet outlining the trail’s sights at the tourist office.
Getting Around
Killarney Town is so small and compact that there is no local bus service; the best way to get around is on foot. For a quick and easy tour, follow the signposted Tourist Trail for the highlights of the main streets. It takes less than 2 hours to complete. Pick up a booklet outlining the sights along the trail at the tourist office.
Taxi cabs line up at the rank on College Square (tel. 064/663-1331). You can also phone for a taxi from Killarney Cabs (tel. 064/663-7444), Dave's Taxis (tel. 087/679-8899), or Euro Taxis (tel. 064/663-7676).
There are a couple of large public parking lots near the town center, where parking costs upward of around €1.50 per hour. It's a good idea to leave your car in one of these unless you're heading out to Killarney National Park on the Muckross and Kenmare road (N71).
If you need to rent a car in Killarney, contact Budget, c/o International Hotel, Kenmare Place (tel. 064/663-4341; www.budget.ie), and at Kerry Airport (tel. 066/976-3199; www.budget.ie); or Randles Bros., Muckross Road (tel. 064/663-1237). Avis also has a branch at Kerry Airport (tel. 01/605-7500; www.avis.ie), and at Shannon Airport (tel. 061/715-600; www.avis.ie); and Hertz has branches at Cork Airport (tel. 021/496-5849; www.hertz.ie) and Shannon Airport (tel. 061/471-369; www.hertz.ie).
Horse-drawn buggies, called "jarveys," line up at Kenmare Place in Killarney Town. They offer rides to Killarney National Park sites and other scenic areas. Prices range from around €15 to upward of €50 per ride (up to four people), depending on the time and how far you go.
Fast Facts
If you need a drugstore, try O'Sullivans Pharmacy, 81 New St. (tel. 064/663-5886), or Donal Sheahan, 34 Main St. (tel. 064/663-1113).
In an emergency, dial tel. 999. The Killarney District Community Hospital is on St. Margaret's Road (tel. 064/663-1076). The Killarney Garda (Police) Station is on New Road (tel. 064/667-1160).
The Killarney Public Library, on Rock Road (tel. 064/663-2655), provides Internet access from its bank of computers.
If you need to do your laundry, head for the Gleesons Launderette and Dry Cleaners, Brewery Lane, off College Square (tel. 064/663-3877).
The Killarney Post Office, New Street (tel. 064/663-1461), is open Monday and Wednesday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm, Tuesday 9:30am to 5:30pm, and Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Getting There
Aer Arann (tel. 011/353-81821-0210 in the U.S., 818/210-210 in Ireland, or 0800/587-23-24 in the U.K.; www.aerarann.ie) offers regular flights from Dublin into Kerry County Airport, Farranfore, County Kerry (tel. 066/976-4644; www.kerryairport.ie), about 16km (10 miles) north of Killarney. Ryanair (tel. 0818/303-030; www.ryanair.com) flies direct from London (Luton or Stansted) to Kerry.
Irish Rail trains from Dublin, Limerick, Cork, and Galway arrive daily at the Killarney Railway Station (tel. 064/663-1067; www.irishrail.ie), Railway Road, off East Avenue Road.
Bus Éireann operates regularly scheduled service into Killarney from all parts of Ireland. The bus depot (tel. 064/663-0011; www.buseireann.ie) is adjacent to the train station at Railway Road, off East Avenue Road.
Kerry folk like to say that all roads lead to Killarney, and at least a half-dozen major national roads do. They include N21 and N23 from Limerick, N22 from Tralee, N22 from Cork, N72 from Mallow, and N70 from the Ring of Kerry and West Cork.
