Ireland is one of the rare countries that kept a stable economy during the last economic crisis. But did you know that they also have a thriving tourism scene throughout the country with very little seasonality? The main reason for this trend is that Ireland invests a lot into creating a brand for their country, culture, and authentic products. In the last 100 years, Ireland went through extremely hard times as a country as the Irish famine reduced the population of the country to only 25%.
As time has passed, the new generations are interested in following their Irish roots. So, they return to visit Ireland often and with passion. Ireland improves its brand by associating itself with popular events like St. Patrick’s Day with parades and festivals. Famous movies and songs have been written on the topic of Ireland. Guinness beer is sold in most countries in the world. Basically, you can find an Irish pub in any large city you visit.
Although Ireland is a small country and people know it for its rainy weather, it has not stopped millions of people each year to come and visit it throughout the year. So it have very little seasonality as people come and visit throughout the year.
Famous tourist locations that you might have heard about are the capital city Dublin. Famous band Dubliners sings about it. Also, the stunning wonder of nature the Cliffs of Moher with magnificent views. Moreover, the City of Galway where Ed Sheeran sings about the Galway girl he met.
But you probably haven’t heard about the Co. Kerry, a jewel in the southwest of Ireland that is one of the favorite tourist destinations for both domestic tourists and worldwide.
Killarney is a small town in the heart of Co Kerry and is famous for its vibrant streets filled with great restaurants, pubs, and hotels on every corner and brilliant nightlife. There are more beds in Killarney hotels and hostels than residents are living there. As they say, tourism is its bread and butter. Killarney has formed a long tradition of hosting outstanding events. Many celebrities, local and international has visited it. Everyone speaks of Killarney as highly regarded. Killarney is a favorite destination for weddings as the wedding photos in the National Park turn out beautiful. It is perfect place for stag- and he n-parties for the bride and the groom. Also, people come just for the weekend to get away from the busy streets of Dublin as it is a 3 hour drive away.
Irish Music & Pubs – in Ireland music is a big part of the culture. You will get a feeling that many people were musically trained and very gifted. So, street musicians and bands in pubs re a common thing to see. Pubs are not just enhanced by the great Irish music but are filled with joy and cheer as Irish people and tourists enjoy the world-famous Guinness beer that is, until this day, produced in Dublin and shipped all over the world; the owners of the company have signed a 9000 year lease on the land and real estate of the Guinness factory. But that is not the only company manufacturing beer in Ireland. In fact, you can find microbreweries in every small town. Killarney has one two. It is on the outskirts of the town and has been supplying the local pubs with their beers for years now and as you are reading this article; they are building their new, larger factory that will supply not just Ireland but a lot more with the delicious Killarney beer.
National Park Killarney – spans over 100 sq km2 of beautiful untouched nature that you can visit. In the center of the park lie the Lakes of Killarney. They are covering almost one quarter of the entire area of the park. Also, they offer stunning views, especially from the guided boat tours that drive people across the lakes to the small islands with ruins of the old monasteries. The most attractive views are from the Torc mountain or the Purple Mountains surrounding the Killarney lakes. You can easily hike it in a few hours of walking. The Torc mountain is especially popular as it is close to the Muckross Estate. The beautiful and powerful Torc Waterfall hides at the bottom of the Torc mountain. There people love to stop and take pictures with. The author of the famous book Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien used to come here and got many inspirations for his book from the nature. They say that the name Orc comes from removing the T out of Torc.
Muckross Estate – a beautiful and very famous estate in Ireland that hosted the visit of Queen Victoria in 1861. Well-kept gardens with many types of flora surround it and attracts people from all walks of life that like to sit on the terrace of the Muckross house before embarking on their way up Torc mountain.
Ross Castle – was one of the last 4 castles to hold against the invasions in the past and is now a popular tourist spot just 30 minutes of walking from the center of Killarney. Many boats and kayak tours start exactly from there because the views are amazing and it feels as though you are standing in the middle of the lake.
Deer – as you are walking through the park or enjoying your jaunting car ride, you will see a lot of deer walking around you, just a few feet away, strolling around and snacking on the green grass in the National park. There are two types of deer living in the national park, the native Red deer and the Sika deer and tourists regularly take pictures with them as they cross the road Infront of them. In the not-so-old history, there used to live a large animal in Ireland called Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus), one of the biggest in the world. Unfortunately, people hunted it to extinction.
Jaunting cars – you don’t have to walk the entire park. You can instead sit back and enjoy a jaunting car drive you through the park. The jaunting cars are a family-owned business and have a long tradition in Killarney. The carriage driver will tell you all the stories about the history of the park, the famous families that lived there, and will gladly answer questions you have about the park or where to go and what to do. Just brace yourself if you are not a native English speaker. The Irish accent can sometimes be very challenging if you are not used to it.
