Killarney Ring of Kerry Ride
The highlands of Kerry, mountain tracks
and beaches on horseback

This new trail in our Ireland program provides an unequalled opportunity to explore the highlands of Kerry with the majestic MacGillycuddy Reeks, Ireland's highest mountain range. Ride on country lanes and mountain tracks and some of the beaches at Waterville and on the magnificent 4-mile stretch of golden sand at Rossbeigh. The Iveragh Peninsula, with many places of archaeological and historic interest stretches south-west from Killarney for nearly 40 miles and is highlighted by the world renowned Ring of Kerry. The ride includes lodging in Killarney, Glenbeigh and Waterville with. At all times the trail is accompanied by an experienced guide and special care is taken of nervous riders.

PG-KYT8
Rates include breakfast & lunch, accommodations in country inns, 5 riding days.
7 Days/ 6 Nights  $ 1,650   Single + $285
-- based on € 1,165 / € 200

2008 Dates:
05/10-05/16    05/17-05/23    05/24-05/30
05/31-06/06    06/07-06/13    06/14-06/20
06/21-06/27    06/28-07/04    07/05-07/11
07/12-07/18    07/19-07/25    07/26-08/01
08/02-08/08    08/09-08/15    08/16-08/22
08/23-08/29    08/30-09/05    09/06-09/12
09/13-09/19    09/20-09/26    09/27-10/03
10/04-10/10
  availability & reservation
Meeting:  Killarney
Airport:   Kerry, Cork, Shannon, Dublin
Transfer:  from Kerry $120 (€ 84)  per car return  (up to 3 pass)
or take bus from Shannon ($25 ow) 
or the train from Dublin ($80) to Killarney.
Level:     Low intermediate +
Horses:  Irish Sports Horses
Tack:      English Trekking
Pace:      moderate to intermediate with trots, canters and gallops
Min/Max Riders: 3-10
Meals: Breakfast and lunches are included. For dinner the group meets in local restaurants and order a la carte.
Note: Also suitable for non riders to accompany riders on this trip. There are many sightseeing options in the area, as well as golfing.
Airport transfers by arrangement  -  from Shannon ~ €130 Cork €100, Kerry €20 per car up to 3 people - one way. To pay locally.     Itinerary
Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival and first overnight in B&B.
Day 2: Assemble at the riding stables. The day begins with a trip to the base of Seefinn Mountain. The ride heads off and up over the Windy Gap, viewing the splendor of Lake and the valley beyond. We then continue on to Coomasaharn Lake, enclosed by Horseshoe Mountain, followed by a scenic ride over an Irish Bog, finishing for the day at the stable in Mountain Stage. The overnight stop for Sunday and Monday nights is by the quaint village of Glenbeigh. Surrounded almost entirely by mountains, Glenbeigh offers a famous friendliness and humor, which is nowhere better found than in this tranquil and charming region of Kerry. The beauty of the area is breath taking, with the River Behy and Rossbeigh Strand close by. History is evident throughout the locality, with its remnants ever present in buildings such as Wynne’s Folly Castle.
Day 3: Today is spent on Rossbeigh beach galloping along stretches of golden sand. We pass by a tower built more than a century ago at the north end of the sand hills. This was a guide mark for ships entering Castlemaine Harbour. The McGillicuddy Reeks stretch out to the east and Dingle Bay to the west. The panorama of Dingle and Iveragh Peninsulas are to the north and south. Lunch is served on the beach. After, we do more cantering before taking the Cliff Road back to the stables. On a clear day the Blasket Islands can be seen out in the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 4: A morning ride takes horse and rider from Kells Station through the bogs of Cnoc Bawn and on to Liss Bawn, taking in some spectacular views of Caherciveen and its surroundings. We eat lunch alongside a nearby forest. After lunch, we continue on through Island Boy and the Inny Valley before finishing for the day alongside the Tulligane Woods. The coastal village of Waterville is where you spend the overnight stop for Tuesday and Wednesday. Waterville - the little whirlpool - nestles on a narrow strip of land between Lough Currane and Atlantic Ocean, in the very centre of southwest Kerry. The first Celtic invaders are reputed to have landed in Ballinskelligs Bay, coming ashore near Waterville. These beginnings of the Gaelic Nation are echoed by the archaeological remains such as those found on Church Island, at Derrynane Abbey or Skellig Micheal, proving the wealth of the area’s history.
Day 5: Wednesday brings an adventurous morning spent in Tulligane Woods. We lunch at an old school house adjacent to the Inny River. Afterwards, we take a scenic ride into Waterville via the Old Glencar/Waterville road with the expanse of Lough Currane ahead and Ballinskelligs bay as a backdrop.
Day 6: Our last day begins with a brisk ride to Waterville Beach and a morning with some exciting gallops. We eat lunch in a friendly pub. The afternoon brings the panorama of Hoggs Head and Ballinskelligs Bay in Waterville. Afterwards, both horses and riders are transferred back to Killarney. Itinerary may vary due to the tides.
Day 7: Departure after breakfast.
 

The base of the mountains

Riding on the beach

Have a break

Lough Currane

Ride on country lanes

View over the Killarney lakes

 

Muckross house

Killarney

Renowned for its beauty, famed for the splendor of its scenery, Killarney is one of the world's best loved tourist spots.
Killarney (Cill Airne - The Church of Sloes) became a magnificent town about 1750 when the local magnate, Lord Kenmare, developed the tourist business and four major roads were built to the outside world. Th earea still bears the marks of a group of houses huddled outside the demesne walls. The present population is about 9000 and the main economic base is tourism.
Situated in the south-western corner of Ireland, with its three famous lakes reflecting the ever changing skies above the great mountain ranges, Killarney has been the inspiration of poets and painters for many centuries, and now it is also a thriving commercial and tourist centre.
Killarney offers a wide and varied range of hotels from the large and luxurious to the small and intimate. There are some excellent guesthouses, cozy farmhouses, friendly town and country homes, with self-catering accommodation in the most attractive locations with a total capacity to cater for almost 6,000 visitors.
It is the ideal playground for the sporting enthusiast - you can fish, swim, golf, play tennis, ride a horse or pony, paddle a canoe, or climb a mountain. For those interested in history and archaeology there are many outstanding items of interest to be seen.
The three main lakes of Killarney occupy a broad valley stretching south between the mountains, the three lakes and the mountains that surround them are all within the Killarney National Park. Nearest the town is the lower lake ( Lough Leane) studded with islands and having on its eastern shore the historic Muckross Abbey and Ross Castle. The wooded peninsula of Muckross separates the lower lake from the middle lake sometimes called Muckross Lake.
At the tip of the Muckross Peninsula is the quaint Brickeen bridge and Dinis Island further on with its sub-tropical vegetation and views of the Meeting of the Waters. A narrow straight called the Long Range leads to the island -studded upper lake. Around these islands are luxurious woods of oak, arbitus, holly and mountain ash, while beneath grows a profusion of fern and other plants. Added to the beauty of the three main lakes are manyother lakes in the folds of the mountains, and thenumerous picturesque cascades such as Torc Waterfall. Rising to the west of the Killarney valley are the peaks of the MacGillicuddy's Reeks. These mountains beloved of the climber including Carrauntohil 3414 feet ( 1,050 metres), the highest peak in Ireland.