Killarney National Park

Just south and west of the town of Killarney is one of Ireland's six national parks, Killarney National Park.  The park contains 26,000 acres of woods, lakes and mountains, including McGillycuddy's Reeks, the highest mountain range in Ireland.

Admission to the park is free and the main entrance is just over three miles from our hotel.  We don't have a visit to the park on our agenda, but there will be time for you to explore on your own.  A popular way for tourists to get to the park from Killarney town is to take one of the jaunting cars (see prior post).

Lough Leane

The park is known for its three lakes, Upper Lake, Muckross Lake (also known as Middle Lake) and Lough Leane (Lower Lake).  You can take boat rides on the lakes, including a trip to Innisfallen Island on Lough Leane, where you can see the remains of a 12th century Augustinian priory and a small 11th - 12th century Romanesque church.

Innisfallen Island

Closer to town, but still part of the park, is Knockreer house.  This estate was built in the early 20th century to replace the original Killarney House, which was destroyed by fire in 1913.  The former gate house of Killarney House, now called Deenagh Lodge, features a tea house that is said to be a popular spot for both locals and visitors.

Deenagh Lodge

The tea house is a short sixth-tenths of a mile walk from our hotel and Knockreer House, now the home of the park's education center, is another third of a mile from there.

Perhaps the most famous attraction in Killarney National Park is Muckross House and Gardens, which I'll discuss in the next post.

You can read more about the park on their web site here.