A Day in Killarney

Next up after driving around the Ring of Kerry was Killarney.  We originally weren't going to visit Killarney, but it was part of our back up plan when we ended up not being able to visit Skellig Michael. (Sad face.)
Killarney is located in southwestern Ireland in County Kerry.  Its first historically significant settlement was a monastery on the nearby Inisfallen Island that was built in 640 by St. Finian the Leper; it was occupied for about 850 years.  Killarney was also heavily involved in the Irish War of Independence.   In 2015 it was named one of the Top 10 Destinations to visit on Trip Advisor.

Killarney's history of tourism goes back to the mid-18th century when Thomas, fourth Viscount Kenmare, began to attract visitors to the town.  The arrival of the railway in 1853 greatly benefited the town and it also received a boost in visibility when Queen Victoria visited in 1861.  At the time Ring of Kerry tourism already existed and Killarney was considered as the starting point for the tour.
We didn't spend a lot of time in Killarney since it was our back up plan to Skellig Michael, but we definitely enjoyed one of the more unique aspects of our Ireland vacation.  Killarney is known for having horses races, held at the Killarney Racetrack.

So we decided to mix it up a bit and spectate a horse race--after grabbing some beers of course (they have some great, solid stouts in Ireland).  This was my first time at a horse race and I thought it was great!  It was also a wonderful opportunity to bust my camera out into sport mode and take some action shots.  I think I did pretty well for an amateur photography enthusiast!



To be honest, aside from horse races, sports matches, grabbing a Ring of Kerry tour, and shopping, I really didn't think there was much else to do in Killarney, so a day was definitely enough for me.  There are a few more tourist attractions nearby, such as Ross Castle, Muckross House, and Killarney National Park, but since we didn't have time to tour more extensively in town, I can't vouch for these sites.  Perhaps if we'd been able to see these places I would have found Killarney more interesting.  But that said, I was perfectly content with the horse races we saw in town--another first!

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Location: Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland

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