Sights in Killarney National Park
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Ross Castle
Restored by Dúchas, Ross Castle dates back to the 15th century, when it was a residence of the O'Donoghues. It was the last place in Munster to succumb to Cromwell's forces, thanks partly to its cunning spiral staircase, every step of which is a different height in order to break an attacker's stride.
The castle is a lovely 3km walk from the St Mary's Cathedral pedestrian park entrance; you may well see deer. If you're driving from Killarney, turn right opposite the petrol station at the start of Muckross Rd. Access is by guided tour only.
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Muckross House
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Muckross Traditional Farms
Immediately east of Muckross House are the Muckross Traditional Farms. These reproductions of 1930s Kerry farms, complete with chickens, pigs, cattle and horses, show farming and living conditions when people had to live off the land.
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Brandon’s Cottage
Brandon’s Cottage is a simple old 19th-century hunting lodge with a fine open-air cafe and a dock for boats crossing the Upper Lake. It is surrounded by lush, green pastures. From here a narrow road weaves up the hill to the Gap.
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Knockreer House & Gardens
Near the St Mary's Cathedral entrance to the park stands Knockreer House, with gardens featuring a terraced lawn and a summerhouse. The original 1870s structure burned down; the present incarnation dates from 1958. The house isn't open to the public, but its gardens have magnificent views across the lakes to the mountains.
From the St Mary's Cathedral entrance, follow the path immediately to your right uphill for about 500m to reach the gardens.
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Inisfallen Island
The first monastery on Inisfallen Island (at 22 acres, the largest of the national park's 26 islands) is said to have been founded by St Finian the Leper in the 7th century. The island's fame dates from the early 13th century when the Annals of Inisfallen were written here. Now in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, they remain a vital source of information on early Munster history. On Inisfallen are the ruins of a 12th-century oratory with a carved Romanesque doorway and a monastery on the site of St Finian's original.
You can hire boats (around €5) from Ross Castle to row to the island.
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