Páirc Náisiúnta Cill Airne
Killarney National Park

Starting from Killarney House and Gardens, walk along the long avenue away from the house. After a short distance, turn left at the bridge and walk along the bank of the River Deenagh. Take the right at the second bridge over the river. Follow the path and turn left at the next intersection, over the cattle grid and head across the open parkland. This trail takes about 2 hours and ascends to an elevation of 45m.

This path can be reached by crossing over the road opposite the beginning of the Old Boathouse Trail, and continuing along the walking trail south to Torc. Most of the path takes in views of Muckross Lake and open Torc fields, often with red deer. This route ends near the famous Torc Waterfall.

Start from the car park and continue along the tarred road past Ross Castle on your right. After 50m turn right off the road and follow the narrow walking trail. Turn right and after 800m take the left fork and follow the Copper Mines loop as it skirts the shoreline. After a couple of minutes you will come to another junction, turn left. The trail now begins to loop back towards Ross Castle.

From Killarney on the N71 to Kenmare, a car park is situated directly across the road from the gated entrance to Killarney National Park. Walk through the main gate and just past the gate lodge on the right is the start of the Lakeside Walk. You can follow the rough meandering trail as it skirts Lough Leane all the way to Muckross House, with the option to explore Muckross Abbey en route.

This trail begins a little further along the road to Torc from the Mossy Woods and is also signposted on a stone marker. It skirts the rocky promontory known as Dundag Point, composed of Carboniferous limestone, which supports an area of natural yew wood. At Dundag Point, there is a panoramic view of the mountains bounding Killarney’s lakes, and a little further along is the secluded Dundag Beach.

Library Point is a limestone rock formation on the shores of Lough Leane, Ross Island. The trail to Library Point is just over 2km from Ross Castle via the most direct route. It can be extended to a 5km return trip by including the Copper Mines loop on either the outward or return leg. Otherwise, there is a short loop around the headland, as it skirts along woodland paths high above the lakeshore below.

The Governor’s Rock circuit is a loop of approximately 3km on Ross Island starting and finishing at Ross Castle and passing by the Copper Mines. The circuit can be combined with the Library Point trail to extend the length to over 5km.

This walk skirts Muckross Peninsula, which is between Lough Leane and Muckross Lake. This walk takes you on a meandering trail through oak woodland, an open meadow and then the famous Reenadinna yew wood (one of only three in Europe).

In 1776, the travel writer Arthur Young returned to Muckross House along the shores of Muckross Lake.

Start at the front door of Muckross House and follow the road towards Torc. Continue around the bend in the road (marking the beginning of Arthur Young’s Walk) and after 100m you will come to a path on the right by Muckross Lake; this is the beginning of the Mossy Woods Walk. It takes in the southern part of the Muckross Peninsula and can be quite rough under foot.

Dinis Cottage lies on the western side of Muckross Lake. It can be reached by following the Dinis Road, which is signposted from Muckross House. Around the cottage there are various trails taking you to the Old Weir Bridge and the ‘Meeting of the Waters’. The Old Weir Bridge is one of Killarney’s oldest structures and it has seen thousands of visitors pass over and under its famous arches for centuries.

From the parking area, continue along the Mangerton Road for about 200m. At the bend in the road, you will see a minor road heading into the trees on the right. This is the entry point of the Queens Drive. Continue through the barrier and take a left up the track. At the next junction, turn right and descend the hill. At the bottom take another right to return to the start.

The Cloghereen Guided Nature Trail was the first nature trail in Ireland specifically designed for the visually impaired and is marked out by a guide rope. After entering the National Park, follow the barrier and then the rope with your right hand.

The Old Kenmare Road is a scenic trail that meanders through the uplands of Killarney National Park and forms part of the Kerry Way long-distance trail. The official first leg of the Kerry Way is from Killarney town to Torc Waterfall. The section covered here starts from the Upper Torc car park.

Derrycunnihy Church is located near a bridge that crosses the Galway River. This trail forms part of the Kerry Way long-distance walking route. The start is across the road from the car park, where the wooden steps and boardwalk descend into the woodland below. The path meanders its way down through oak woodlands, crossing some streams, and passing some abandoned ruins along the way.