Getting There

Aer Arann (tel. 061/704428) offers regular flights from Dublin into Kerry County Airport, Farranfore, County Kerry (tel. 066/976-4644), about 16km (10 miles) north of Killarney. Ryanair flies direct from London (Stansted) to Kerry.

Irish Rail trains from Dublin, Limerick, Cork, and Galway arrive daily at the Killarney Railway Station (tel. 064/31067), Railway Road, off East Avenue Road.

Bus Éireann operates regularly scheduled service into Killarney from all parts of Ireland. The bus depot (tel. 064/34777) 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.

Visitor Information

The Killarney Tourist Office, Aras Fáilte, is at the town center on Beech Road (tel. 064/31633). It's open October to May, Monday to Saturday 9:15am to 5:15pm; June and September daily 9am to 6pm; 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 is small, with a full-time population of approximately 7,000. The town is built around one central thoroughfare, Main Street, which changes its name to High Street at midpoint. The principal offshoots of Main Street are Plunkett Street, which becomes College Street, and New 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 meets East Avenue Road. Here the road curves and heads southward out to the Muckross road and the entrance to Killarney National Park.

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. A booklet outlining the sights along the trail is available at the tourist office.

Taxi cabs line up at the rank on College Square (tel. 064/31331). You can also phone for a taxi from Killarney Taxi (tel. 064/30444), Dero's Taxi Service (tel. 064/31251), or O'Connell Taxi (tel. 064/31654).

There are a couple of large public parking lots near the town center, where parking costs €1 ($1.30) 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 Avis, the Glebe Arcade (tel. 064/35544); Budget, c/o International Hotel, Kenmare Place (tel. 064/34341); Hertz, 28 Plunkett St. (tel. 064/34126); or Randles Bros., Muckross Road (tel. 064/31237).

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. Depending on the time and distance, prices range from €16 to €40 ($21-$52) per ride (up to four persons). For details, see "Organized Tours," below.

Fast Facts

If you need a drugstore, try O'Sullivans Pharmacy, 81 New St. (tel. 064/35866), or Donal Sheahan, 34 Main St. (tel. 064/31113).

In an emergency, dial tel. 999. The Killarney District Hospital is on St. Margaret's Road (tel. 064/31076). The Killarney Garda Station is on New Road (tel. 064/31222).

The Killarney Public Library, on Rock Road (tel. 064/32972), provides Internet access from its bank of computers.

If you need to do your laundry, head for the Gleeson Launderette, Brewery Lane, off College Square (tel. 064/33877).

The Killarney Post Office, New Street (tel. 064/31051), is open Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 9am to 5:30pm, Tuesday 9:30am to 5:30pm.