Lakes of Killarney Boat Cruise

Ross Castle and the pier

Ross Castle is a tower house built in the late 15th century by a local Gaelic ruling family on a rocky point of Lough Leane. It was one of the last strongholds in Munster to hold out against the English parliamentary army in 1652; local legend said it could never be taken until a ship sailed on the lake, and the castle surrendered when the attackers carried boats overland and floated them below its walls. Restored by the Irish state, it now opens for guided visits in the main season.

The cruise leaves from the small pier right beside the castle walls. As for how to get to Ross Castle, it lies about 2 km from Killarney town, a pleasant 30-minute stroll through the parkland, a short taxi ride or a classic jaunting car trip, and there is a car park next to the castle. Castle entry is not included, so allow an extra hour if you want to see inside before or after sailing.

Lough Leane, the lake of learning

Lough Leane, in Irish Loch Léin, is the largest of the three Lakes of Killarney, stretching about 8 km from the edge of the town to the foot of the mountains. Its name is often translated as the lake of learning, a reminder of the monks who studied on its islands. The lake is dotted with wooded islets and reed beds, and its water flows out through the River Laune towards Dingle Bay and the Atlantic.

From the boat you see the shape of Killarney National Park much better than from the road: the low parkland around the town, the woods along the shore and the mountains closing the view to the south and west. The heated cabin and glass roof make this Killarney boat tour a good choice even on a grey or showery day, and the open views on calm mornings are some of the finest in Kerry.

Innisfallen Island and its monastery

Innisfallen Island, a wooded island of a few hectares in Lough Leane, holds the ruins of a monastery founded in the 7th century by an early Irish saint. For almost a thousand years it was a centre of learning, and the monks compiled here one of the most important medieval chronicles of Irish history. The stones you see today include a small Romanesque oratory with a carved doorway and the remains of a later Augustinian priory.

The cruise drifts slowly past the island so you can see the ruins among the trees and hear from the captain how the monks lived, farmed and copied manuscripts on this quiet spot. The boat does not land on Innisfallen, but the view from the water, with the mountains rising behind the island, is one of the classic images of Killarney and a highlight of the sailing.

MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Carrauntoohil

To the south-west of the lake rise the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, a chain of sandstone peaks shaped by Ice Age glaciers. Their highest summit, Carrauntoohil, reaches 1,039 m and is the highest mountain in Ireland. Closer to the shore stand Tomies and Purple Mountain, whose slopes turn purple with heather in late summer, and between them opens the narrow Gap of Dunloe.

On the cruise the boat heads towards the foot of these mountains, so the peaks fill the windows and you can follow their ridges from the water. Clouds often sit on the summits, which makes the light change quickly and gives dramatic photos; on a clear day you can pick out the pointed top of Carrauntoohil. The captain explains how the glaciers carved the valleys and the lakes you are sailing on.

Ross Island woods and the wildlife of the lakes

Ross Island, joined to the shore and now more a peninsula than an island, is covered in old oak woodland, and the nearby Muckross peninsula holds one of the rare yew woods of Europe. Ross Island is also famous for its copper mines, worked more than four thousand years ago in the Bronze Age and among the oldest known in Ireland. The captain points out the plants of these woods and explains the unusual mild, wet ecosystem of the park.

Killarney National Park, the first national park in Ireland and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, shelters the only native herd of red deer in the country, present here since the end of the Ice Age. White-tailed eagles, reintroduced to Kerry, are sometimes seen fishing over Lough Leane. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but early and late sailings give the best chance, so keep your camera ready.