Ross Castle, Killarney
Ross Castle Boat Tours
Traditional guided boat trips explore the lakes, with options including Innisfallen Island and the Meeting of the Waters. Check the itinerary and departure point when booking.
Explore the Kingdom
Tours & Events.
Out on the water to the Skelligs, Dingle Bay and the lakes of Killarney, four ways to spend a day further afield, and a year of festivals within easy reach of the lodge.
Boat Tours
Back to top ↑Closest first. Distances are approximate road distances from the lodge to the pier. Sea trips run in season and depend on the weather, so book ahead and confirm with the operator on the day.
Portmagee · mid-May to September
Skellig Boat Tours from Portmagee
Licensed boats leave Portmagee for the Skelligs, 11.5 km offshore. Landing tours put you ashore on Skellig Michael, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to climb the 618 steps to the monastery; eco tours circle Skellig Michael and Little Skellig without landing. Every trip depends on the weather. The OPW does not allow children under 12 to land, and some operators set a higher minimum age. Book well ahead.
Dingle Marina
Dingle Boat Tours
From Dingle Marina, local operators run Blasket Island ferries and eco tours, wildlife RIB trips, dolphin-watching and harbour cruises in Dingle Bay. Trips depend on the weather; check times and book with the operator.
Day Trips. Four Ways to spend a Day.
Back to top ↑-
The Iveragh Peninsula
Cahersiveen · 28 km · about 25 min by car
Glenbeigh is on the Ring of Kerry, the 179 km road around the Iveragh Peninsula. Head west on the N70 for Cahersiveen and its stone forts, Valentia Island, Portmagee and the summer boats to Skellig Michael, then the Skellig Ring and Waterville. Carry on round the Ring to Derrynane, Staigue Fort and Kenmare.
- Cahersiveen 28 km
- Cahergall and Leacanabuaile stone forts 31 km
- Portmagee and the Kerry Cliffs 44 km
- Skellig Michael 44 km
- Ballinskelligs beach and castle 44 km
- Waterville and Lough Currane 44 km
- Valentia Island 46 km
- Derrynane House and beach 56 km
- Kenmare and its stone circle 67 km
- Staigue Stone Fort 68 km
-
The Dingle Peninsula
Dingle town · 66 km · about 65 min by car
The mountains you see across the bay from Rossbeigh. Inch Beach is only about 8 km away over the water, but the road goes round by Castlemaine. Beyond Inch are Annascaul, where the Antarctic explorer Tom Crean ran the South Pole Inn, Minard Castle and the busy port of Dingle; to the north, the Maharees. Further west are Ventry, Gallarus Oratory, Slea Head and the Blasket Centre.
- Inch Beach 43 km
- Annascaul and the South Pole Inn 50 km
- Minard Castle 56 km
- Castlegregory and the Maharees 63 km
- Dingle 66 km
- Ventry 73 km
- Gallarus Oratory 73 km
- Conor Pass 80 km
- Dunquin and Slea Head 81 km
- Blasket Centre 85 km
-
Killarney
Killarney town · 34 km · about 30 min by car
Killarney sits on Lough Leane at the edge of Killarney National Park, Ireland's first (1932): lakes, oak and yew woods and mountains, home to native red deer. See Muckross House, Ross Castle and Torc Waterfall, walk or take a jaunting car through the Gap of Dunloe, and stop at Ladies View and Moll's Gap on the road to Kenmare.
- Gap of Dunloe 28 km
- Killarney town 34 km
- Ross Castle 36 km
- Muckross Abbey 38 km
- Killarney National Park 39 km
- Muckross House, Gardens and Farms 40 km
- Torc Waterfall 41 km
- Ladies View 50 km
- Moll's Gap 56 km
-
Photo: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Tralee
Tralee · 38 km · about 35 min by car
Kerry's county town and largest town, home of the Rose of Tralee festival each August. See the story of Kerry at the Kerry County Museum, folk theatre, music and dance at Siamsa Tíre and the windmill at Blennerville, or spend a wet day at the Aqua Dome. Crag Cave is near Castleisland, and north of Tralee are Banna Strand, Ardfert and Listowel.
- Tralee 38 km
- Kerry County Museum 39 km
- Siamsa Tíre 39 km
- Aqua Dome, Tralee 39 km
- Blennerville Windmill 41 km
- Crag Cave 45 km
Festivals & Events
Back to top ↑Closest first. Each card gives the usual time of year: dates change from year to year, so check the event's own website before you plan your stay around it. Distances are approximate road distances from the lodge to the town. Photos show the town or area, except Puck Fair's King Puck.
A weekend in July · Glenbeigh
Glenbeigh Summer Festival
A family-friendly, three-day community festival in July, bringing locals and visitors together for sport, outdoor activities, live music and the Glenbeigh–Glencar Marathon around Caragh Lake.
September · Cromane
Cromane Seafest
A weekend of seafood, music and coastal activities in the fishing village of Cromane on Castlemaine Harbour, with food stalls, a farmers’ market, a 10-mile run, family activities and live music each night.
10 to 12 August · Killorglin
Puck Fair
Three days in Killorglin: on Gathering Day a wild goat is crowned King Puck, with a parade and the horse fair; Fair Day brings the cattle fair, held under a charter granted in 1613, with music, street food and a funfair; on Scattering Day King Puck is dethroned and the fair ends with midnight fireworks.
August bank holiday weekend · Cahersiveen
Cahersiveen Festival of Music & the Arts
Running since 1995: a long weekend of live music on the main stage, in the pubs and on the streets, with arts trails, dance displays and children’s entertainment.
17 March · Killarney, Killorglin and villages
St Patrick's Day Parades
Killarney’s St Patrick’s Festival runs over several days in mid-March, with the parade on the 17th. Killorglin has its own parade, led by the town fire brigade, and smaller villages, Glenbeigh among them, have held their own over the years. Distance shown to Killarney.
May, July, August and October · Killarney
Killarney Races
Three summer festivals, in May, July and August, and an autumn meeting in early October, at a racecourse set against the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks beside Killarney National Park.
A Saturday in early July · Killarney
Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle
A 170 km cycle around the Ring of Kerry, starting and finishing in Killarney, which has raised money for national and local charities since 1982. Expect cyclists, and slower traffic, on the Ring that day.
Spring and summer · Killarney
Kerry GAA at Fitzgerald Stadium
Gaelic football in Kerry’s heartland. Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, opened in 1936 and owned by Kerry GAA, is the home championship ground of the Kerry senior footballers and Killarney’s main GAA venue. Check fixtures and buy tickets on the Kerry GAA website.
Mid-August · Tralee
Rose of Tralee International Festival
A week of parades, street performance, markets, a funfair and fireworks in Tralee, ending with the televised crowning of the International Rose of Tralee.
Spring to autumn · Tralee
Kerry FC
Kerry’s League of Ireland soccer club, founded in 2022 and playing in the First Division since 2023. Home games are at Mounthawk Park in Tralee; see the club website for fixtures and tickets.
Late May or early June · Listowel
Listowel Writers' Week
Billed as Ireland’s oldest literary and arts festival: five days of readings, talks, workshops and events with writers, poets and artists in the heritage town of Listowel. The 2027 festival runs from 2 to 6 June.
September · Listowel Racecourse
Listowel Harvest Festival
A seven-day racing festival in September at Listowel, where racing goes back to 1858. The 2027 festival runs from 20 to 26 September.
Early October · Dingle
Dingle Food Festival
A weekend of food in Dingle: buy a book of taste tickets and follow the Taste Trail to sample food at stops around the town.