Open from : 12th April - 30th September 2024
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Glenross in Glenbeigh is located on the Iveragh Peninsula, on the Ring of Kerry, the Kerry Way and the Wild Atlantic Way. Killarney National Park, Dingle, the Blasket Islands and Skellig Michael are all within easy reach, making Glenross the perfect base to explore Kerry.
We’ve been welcoming visitors to Glenross for decades. We know the iconic visitor attractions that are on every bucket list and so do you. Close to Glenross, you can experience the local highlights such as horse trekking on Rossbeigh Beach, golf overlooking Dingle Bay, or immersing yourself in the working life of 19th century rural Ireland. But we’d like to take you on a brief tour of some of the highlights and some of the lesser known gems you can visit and experience while with us at Glenross.
Did you know that Ireland once lay south of the equator? Experience the passage of time through the millenia at Valentia Island and Crag Cave, both 45 minutes from Glenross. At Valentia Island, you can view the 350 million year old fossilised footprints on the Trail of the Tetrapod or explore Castleisland’s Crag Cave – a unique and fascinating 1 million year old cave system.
While you journey the Ring of Kerry, you can visit Staigue Fort, an impressive defensive stone fort dating from the first century BC. The ring forts of later centuries are dotted throughout Kerry and you’re sure to come upon one on your travels.
Also on the Ring of Kerry, and a little under an hour from Glenross, you can take a boat to Innisfallen Island, in the heart of Lough Leane where you’ll see the ruins of a monastic settlement and Abbey founded in the 6th/7th century. In later centuries, this Abbey was a centre of learning and education. The Annals of Innisfallen are a history of Ireland written by monks in Irish and Latin. The Annals are considered of major historical importance and are found today in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
While the Innisfallen monks may have experienced the stillness of the island to aid their prayer, contemplation and work, it is doubtful that the monks at Skellig Michael would have found respite from the Atlantic winds and driving rain in their stone beehive huts or on the steep pathways in this tiny 6th century monastic settlement. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a well-preserved reminder of the willing pursuit of a life of prayer and solitude by the monks who chose to live in this awe-inspiring but harsh and desolate place.
If you travel west to the edge of the Iveragh Peninsula, you can journey to the Skelligs which are now home to the second-largest Northern Gannet colony in the world and other seabird colonies, including puffins. Visitors to the island and those who view it by boat can appreciate the magnificent vista of birds left to their own habitats undisturbed by human interference. You might even be lucky to see the Basking sharks, minke whales and dolphins that grace our shores at different times. Of course, the Grey seals that lounge along the promontories and jagged coastline of Kerry’s bays are not bothered by human visitors – just don’t get too close!
Experience the extremes of life in rural Ireland during pre-Famine times and visit the Kerry Bog Village and Daniel O’Connell’s ancestral home, Derrynane House. Kerry Bog Village (5 minutes from Glenross), is the only reconstructed pre-Famine village in Europe, where you can see the “living history” of ordinary Kerry men, women and children during harsh times. At Derrynane House, further down the Ring of Kerry, you’ll find a museum and a view of Irish political life as reflected through the experience of Ireland’s much-loved “Liberator”.
Blennerville Windmill sits on the edge of Tralee Bay. A working windmill, it marks the main port that Kerry emigrants exited from to escape the hunger and devastation of The Great Famine. It was once home to The Jeanie Johnston, the famous emigrant ship.
The much-loved Killarney National Park (a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) is only 30 minutes away and is home to the largest remaining native oak woodland in Europe. One of the few remaining yew woodlands in Europe can be experienced at Muckross House. Here, visitors can drink in the symbolism of the yew representing longevity, regeneration, death and resurrection from ancient Druidic times to the Christian era. You can spot the native Irish red deer roam the national park – this is the only place in Ireland where you will find them!
An hour away in Dingle, you can explore island life at the Blasket Centre before you take a tour to visit the largest island, Great Blasket. Uninhabited since 1953, this was once a thriving Irish-speaking community with their own economy and customs. You can round off your trip to the Dingle Peninsula by visiting Oceanworld Aquarium or scuba diving off the Atlantic coast with Waterworld Dive Centre.
There’s so much heritage, culture, landscape and history in Kerry, it’s natural to want to try something different! For adventure lovers, Kerry is known as the adventure capital of Ireland. That’s no surprise with majestic mountains surrounding serene lakes and jagged coastlines interrupted by miles-long Blue Flag beaches. Not least, our location allows for a diversity of flora that’s typically found closer to the Mediterranean.
There’s an activity for everyone – wild swimming, surfing, sailing, horse-trekking, cycling, hiking, kayaking, mountain climbing and mountain orienteering, scuba diving, canoeing, sailing, fishing, golfing and sea angling…to name just a few! Reeks District Kerry remind us that this is a place to “find your freedom” and a place where there’s “freedom to breathe”.
For those that enjoy their coffee shops and craft markets, Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney and Tralee are thriving, lively towns with contemporary vibes, great restaurants and bespoke shops. Theatres, modern art galleries, fine restaurants, traditional pubs and Irish music top off our visitors’ experience in the Kingdom!
Last and certainly not least, the International Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserve is located at the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula and is the only Gold Tiered Reserve in the Northern Hemisphere! Commune with the universe while gazing at the Milky Way, nebulas, clusters, planets and falling stars!
So we’ve taken you from the dawn of life on earth to the heavens above – all to be experienced from the comfort and convenience of Glenross.
Fáilte! Welcome! We look forward to seeing you soon.
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