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Killarney National Park

Nature reserves & national parks ·Killarney
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#1Nature reserves & national parks in IrelandTravelers' Choice 2026
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About

Killarney National Park, Ireland's first national park, lies on the Iveragh peninsula in southwest Ireland, beside Killarney town.

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Killarney National Park

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Why go

  • Ireland's only remaining wild herd of native red deer, living mostly on Mangerton and Torc mountains.
  • Muckross House, a Tudor-style manor of 65 rooms built in 1843, on the shore of Muckross Lake, can be toured.
  • Ross Castle, a 15th-century tower house on the east shore of Lough Leane, restored and open to the public.
  • Ladies' View, overlooking Upper Lake on the Ring of Kerry, a stop Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting used.
  • Torc Waterfall, reached on foot or by horse-drawn jaunting car from Muckross House.

With kids

  • Kerry County Life Experience near Muckross House shows rural life around 1930, with craftsmen at work.
  • The slug is reputedly the only one able to roll itself into a ball.
  • Oak woods are home to pine martens, red foxes and red squirrels.
  • Education guides can support school visits and link the park to the curriculum.
  • Walkers should keep to trails and pathways and tell someone where they are going.

Tips for your visit

  • Start at Muckross House, the park's main draw for tourists; an information kiosk runs in its car park.
  • Killarney House and Gardens holds the visitor centre, with an interactive exhibition of 15 rooms on flora, fauna, history and biodiversity.
  • Ross Castle grounds hold an interpretive display on the castle and local history.
  • The Meeting of the Waters is a popular spot where the lakes join.
  • The three lakes together cover 22 square kilometres of the park.
  • Signposted trails circle the lakes and climb the mountain slopes.
  • The Kerry Way, a long-distance route, crosses part of the park.
  • On Saturday mornings a Park Run is held at Killarney House.
  • A restaurant lies two minutes from Muckross House, beside the main car parks.

Best time to visit

  • In winter a small flock of Greenland white-fronted geese stays on the Killarney Valley bogs.
  • Heavy rain can lift the lake level by as much as a metre in a few hours, so check the forecast before setting out.

Know before you go

  • Open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
  • Walkers may enter at any time; the gardens of Killarney House and Muckross House are the only exception.
  • Keep to trails and paths, and tell someone where you are heading.
  • Flying drones for recreation is not allowed inside the park grounds.
  • Commercial and organised activities and events need a permit.
  • You can have a picnic, but barbecues and open fires are banned in the park and its gardens.

History

Its monks later compiled the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of early Irish history. Built on the estate were the Sunken Garden, the Stream Garden and a rock garden. UNESCO named the park a biosphere reserve in 1981.

  1. 2500–2410 BCCopper mining began at Western Mine and Blue Hole.
  2. 7th centurySt. Finian the Leper founded a monastery on Innisfallen.
  3. 11th–13th centuriesMonks on Innisfallen compiled the Annals of Inisfallen.
  4. 1448The Observantine Franciscans established Muckross Abbey.
  5. 1843Muckross House was finished for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife.
Show all
  1. 1911W.B. Bourn bought the Muckross estate as a wedding present for his daughter.
  2. 1932Arthur Vincent and his parents-in-law gave the estate to the state.
  3. 1964Muckross House was not open to visitors until 1964.

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair-accessible toilet A wheelchair-accessible toilet is on the ground floor of the visitor centre at Killarney House and Gardens.

Shorts

Interesting facts10

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  1. Three poets are buried at Muckross Abbey: Seafraidh O'Donoghue, Aogán Ó Rathaille and Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin.

    Killarney National Park - Wikipedia

  2. Tourist sales once drove the Killarney fern, probably the park's rarest plant, almost to extinction.

    Killarney National Park - Wikipedia
  3. 141 recorded

    The park has 141 recorded bird species.

    Killarney National Park - Wikipedia

  4. Muckross Lake's northern shore holds the largest of the lakeside caves.

    Killarney National Park - Wikipedia
  5. 73.5 metres

    Lough Leane, the largest lake, is also the deepest of the three, at 73.5 metres.

    Killarney National Park - Wikipedia

  6. Ireland's only significant yew wood is one of just three pure yew woods in Europe.

    Killarney National Park - Wikipedia

  7. Strawberry trees are among Ireland's rarest native trees, and few places outside Killarney have them.

    Killarney National Park - Wikipedia

  8. The moorland emerald dragonfly, Ireland's rarest dragonfly, lives only in this park.

    Killarney National Park - Wikipedia
  9. 1,039 metres

    The country's highest peak, Carrauntuohil, reaches 1,039 metres inside the park.

    Parc national de Killarney - Wikipedia
  10. 100 square

    The park, more than 100 square kilometres in size, borders Killarney town.

    Killarney-Nationalpark - Wikipedia

Sources: Killarney National Park - Wikipedia · Killarney - National Parks of Ireland · About us - Killarney National Park - National P… · About us - Killarney National Park - National P… · Killarney-Nationalpark - Wikipedia · Parc national de Killarney - Wikipedia · checked 18 Oct 2026

Where
Co. Kerry, Ireland, Killarney

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

How long does a visit to Killarney National Park take?

There is no set length. The park covers over 100 square kilometres, with signposted walking trails around the lakes and up the mountain slopes, so a short walk and a longer trail both fit.

Is Killarney National Park open all the time?

Yes. The park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Walkers can enter at any time, except the gardens at Killarney House and Muckross House.

How do I get to Killarney National Park?

The park can be reached by train, car or bus, and the N71 road is the main access. Cars reach Muckross House by a signposted right turn off the N71, just over 6 km south of Killarney town.

Can I bring children to Killarney National Park?

Children can see the 15-room interactive exhibition at Killarney House and Gardens. Visitors can also go by horse-drawn jaunting car from Muckross House to Torc Waterfall.

Can I fish in the lakes of Killarney National Park?

Fishing is generally free for brown trout. Salmon needs a simple permit.

Is Killarney National Park wheelchair accessible?

The visitor centre has a wheelchair-accessible toilet on the ground floor.

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