One of the most scenic drives in Ireland is the Ring of Kerry in County Kerry on the south-west coast, through the Killarney National Park and along Dingle Bay

The Ring of Kerry drive on Ireland's west coast is one of the most beautiful and scenic Ireland drives. It takes visitors through mountains and past loughs, through the Killarney National Park, along stretches of the dramatic coast of south-west Ireland, to country houses and to pretty towns and villages.

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Facts About the Ring of Kerry Drive

• The total distance around the Ring of Kerry is about 110 miles (176kms)
• The drive can be done in one day but two days is better, to allow time for exploration
• Most people start and end this top Ireland drive in Killarney, a popular and lively tourist town
• The drive takes you around the Iveragh Peninsula

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The Ring of Kerry Drive: Which Direction to Take?

Some of the roads along the Ring of Kerry are very narrow, too narrow in fact for tour coaches to pass each other. This is one of the most popular of all the Ireland drives, and tour coaches are everywhere. By agreement the tour buses all drive the Ring of Kerry in an anti-clockwise direction. Car drivers are recommended to drive the route in a clockwise direction, to avoid getting stuck behind coaches. No-one wants to stare at the back of a bus when you're surrounded by dramatic Irish west coast scenery.

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The Ring of Kerry Route

Killarney is often the base for people making the scenic Ring of Kerry drive. It's a popular Irish tourist town with plenty of accommodation options. It has some attractive old cobbled side streets, good eating places and plenty of lively pubs with music. Some of these are aimed squarely at the tourists, but you'll also find the real thing if you get off the tourist track and into the genuine Irish pubs.

The Ring of Kerry route is well signposted. Head south from Killarney to take the N71 towards Kenmare, to do the Ring of Kerry in a clockwise direction. The road takes you past Lough Leane to the 19th-century Muckross House and Muckross Abbey, with views over Muckross Lake. Tour the house then head for Kenmare.

In Kenmare take the N70 to Sneem, a beautiful Kerry village where you should stop and take a walk around. Drive on to Caherdaniel, after which the road heads inland through a pretty valley. Watch for signs to Staigue Fort, one of the best-preserved Iron Age forts in Ireland.

The market town of Cahersiveen makes another good stop, and among the attractions is the O'Connell Memorial Church. This is the only church in Ireland not dedicated to a Saint, but honors instead the man who helped secure voting rights for Catholics: Daniel O'Connell.

From here the N70 starts to head east along the south side of Dingle Bay, one of the most scenic stretches of the road. Stop off at Glenbeigh and visit the Kerry Bog Village Museum, before continuing on through Killorglin and back to Killarney, to finish what many people regard as the most beautiful Ireland drive of them all.

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