Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Kerry is Ireland's most westerly county. Itsrugged coastline stretches for 886 kilometres (551 miles) and is characterised by bays, sea cliffs, beaches and many small offshore islands, of which theBlaskets and theSkelligs are the most notable.[3] The county's peninsulas have a hilly to mountainous topography, with theMacGillycuddy's Reeks onIveragh rising to over 1,000 m (3,300 ft). By contrast, its interior regions are mostly flat, interspersed with low mountain ranges such as theStacks and theMullaghareirks. The climate of Kerry is dominated by theNorth Atlantic Current and is usually mild and humid, with abundant precipitation. This allows for the growth of a wide variety of temperate and sub-tropical plants not typically found at such northerly latitudes.[4]
The county is named after theCíarraige people, who were the region's dominant pre-historic sept. County Kerry first appeared as a separate shire in 1232, and was at that time part of a royal grant given to theEarls of Desmond. The present-day county was divided for centuries between the GaelicKingdom of Desmond, ruled by theMac Cárthaigh dynasty, and theAnglo-Norman Earldom of Desmond, ruled by theGeraldines. These two regions were merged in 1606 in the aftermath of theNine Years' War.[5]
Kerry has two officialGaeltacht regions,Gaeltacht Uíbh Ráthaigh on the Iveragh Peninsula andGaeltacht Corca Dhuibhne on theDingle Peninsula, the latter of which is the only Gaeltacht in Munster whereIrish is the daily spoken language of the majority of the population. In the county as a whole, 40.2 percent of residents were able to speak Irish as of 2022.[update][6] The regional dialect isMunster Irish, exemplified by the influential works of Blasket Islanders such asPeig Sayers,Muiris Ó Súilleabháin andTomás Ó Criomhthain.
Kerry is the fifth largest of Ireland's 32 traditional countiesby area and the fifteenth largestby population.[7] It is the second largest of Munster's six counties by area, and the fourth largest by population. Uniquely, it is bordered by only two other counties:County Limerick to the east andCounty Cork to the south-east. Thecounty town isTralee although the Catholic diocesan seat isKillarney, which is one of Ireland's most famous tourist destinations. TheLakes of Killarney, an area of outstanding natural beauty, are located inKillarney National Park. TheReeks District is home toCarrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain at 1,039m. The tip of theDingle Peninsula is the westernmost point of Ireland.
There are nine historicbaronies in the county. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed under "Administrative units".
TheNorth Atlantic Current, part of theGulf Stream, flows north past Kerry and the west coast of Ireland, resulting in milder temperatures than would otherwise be expected at the 52 Northlatitude. This means thatsubtropical plants such as thestrawberry tree andtree ferns, not normally found in northern Europe, thrive in the area.
Because of the mountainous area and the prevailing southwesterly winds, Kerry is among the regions with the highestrainfall in Ireland. Owing to its location, there has been a weather reporting station on Valentia for many centuries. The Irish record for rainfall in one day is 243.5 mm (9.59 in), recorded at Cloore Lake in Kerry in 1993.[8]
Kerry (Irish:Ciarraí or in the older spellingCiarraighe) means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe wasCiar, son ofFergus mac Róich.[11] InOld Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective describing a dark complexion.[12] The suffixraighe, meaningpeople/tribe, is found in various-ry place names in Ireland, such asOsry—OsraigheDeer-People/Tribe. The county's nickname isthe Kingdom.[13]
During theNine Years' War, Kerry was again the scene of conflict, as the O'Sullivan Beare clan joined the rebellion. In 1602 their castle atDunboy wasbesieged and taken by English troops.Donal O'Sullivan Beare, in an effort to escape English retribution and to reach his allies inUlster, marched all the clan's members and dependants to the north of Ireland. Due to harassment by hostile forces and freezing weather, very few of the 1,000 O'Sullivans who set out reached their destination.
In the aftermath of the War, much of the native owned land in Kerry was confiscated and given to English settlers or 'planters'. The head of theMacCarthy Mor family,Florence MacCarthy was imprisoned in London and his lands were divided between his relatives and colonists from England, such as the Browne family.
In the 18th and 19th centuries Kerry became increasingly populated by poor tenant farmers, who came to rely on thepotato as their main food source. As a result, when the potato crop failed in 1845, Kerry was very hard hit by theGreat Irish Famine of 1845–49. In the wake of the famine, many thousands of poor farmers emigrated to seek a better life in America and elsewhere. Kerry was to remain a source of emigration until recent times (up to the 1980s). The earliest criminal gang in USA were theKerryonians. Another long term consequence of the famine was theLand War of the 1870s and 1880s, in which tenant farmers agitated, sometimes violently, for better terms from their landlords.
Ross Castle and Lough Leane, Killarney National Park.
In the 20th century, Kerry was one of the counties most affected by theIrish War of Independence (1919–21) andIrish Civil War (1922–23). In the war of Independence, theIrish Republican Army fought a guerilla war against theRoyal Irish Constabulary, and British military. One of the more prominent incidents in the conflict in Kerry was thesiege of Tralee in November 1920, when theBlack and Tans placed inTralee burned many homes, and shot dead a number of local people in retaliation for the IRA killing of five local policemen the night before. On 10 December 1920Martial law was declared in the Counties of Kerry, Cork and Limerick.[14] Another incident was theHeadford Junction ambush in spring 1921, when IRA units ambushed a train carrying British soldiers outside Killarney. About ten British soldiers, three civilians and two IRA men were killed in the ensuing gun battle. Violence between the IRA and the British was ended in July 1921, but nine men, four British soldiers and five IRA men, were killed in a shoot-out in Castleisland on the day of the truce itself, indicating the bitterness of the conflict in Kerry.
Following theAnglo-Irish Treaty, most of the Kerry IRA units opposed the settlement. One exception existed inListowel where a pro-Treaty garrison was established by local Flying Column commandant Thomas Kennelly in February 1922. This unit consisted of 200 regular soldiers along with officers and NCOs. A batch of rifles, machine guns and aCrossley tender were sent from Dublin. Listowel would remain a base for those supporting the treaty throughout the conflict.[15] The town was eventually overcome by superior numbers of anti-Treaty forces belonging to the Kerry No. 2 and 3 Brigades in June 1922. In the ensuing civil war between pro- and anti-treaty elements, Kerry was perhaps the worst affected area of Ireland. Initially the county was held by theAnti-Treaty IRA but it was taken for theIrish Free State afterseaborne landings by National Army troops atFenit,Tarbert andKenmare in August 1922. Thereafter the county saw a bitter guerilla war between men who had been comrades only a year previously. The republicans, or "irregulars", mounted a number of successful actions, for example attacking and briefly re-takingKenmare in September 1922. In March 1923 Kerry saw a series ofmassacres of republican prisoners byNational Army soldiers, in reprisal for the ambush of their men—the most notorious being thekilling of eight men with mines at Ballyseedy, near Tralee. The internecine conflict was brought to an end in May 1923 as the rule of law was re-established following the death of IRA Chief of StaffLiam Lynch, and the order byFrank Aiken to dump all arms.
The local authority for the county isKerry County Council. The council provides a number of services including planning, roads maintenance, fire brigade, council housing, water supply, waste collection, recycling and landfill, higher education grants and funding for arts and culture.[16]
The county is divided into five municipal districts with local responsibility: Corca Dhuibhne–Castleisland, Kenmare, Killarney, Listowel, and Tralee.
As a region on the extremity of Ireland, the culture of Kerry was less susceptible to outside influences and has preserved theIrish language, as well asIrish traditional music, song anddance. TheSliabh Luachra area of northeast Kerry, that borders Limerick and Cork, is renowned for its traditional music, dance and song, especially its slides, polkas and fiddle playing. TheSiamsa Tíre centre in Tralee is a hub of traditional Irish pastimes.Corca Dhuibhne andUíbh Ráthach are consideredGaeltacht regions and Irish culture is also very strong in these areas.
The Blasket Islands off the Dingle Peninsula are known for their rich literary heritage; authors such asPeig Sayers,Muiris Ó Súilleabháin andTomás Ó Criomhthain have all written books about life on the islands, which were evacuated in 1953 due to increasinglyextreme weather conditions that made them uninhabitable.John B Keane, a native ofListowel, is considered one of Ireland's greatest playwrights and is known for his works such asThe Field,Sive andBig Maggie. The annual Listowel Writers' Week Festival serves as a celebration of Irish writers past and present.
Kerry is known for itssenior Gaelic football team. Gaelic football is by far the dominant sport in the county, and Kerry has the most successful of all football teams; the Kerry footballers have won theSam Maguire cup 39 times, with the next nearest teamDublin on 31 wins.[17]Hurling is popular at club level in north Kerry, although the county has only won oneAll-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, in 1891. The senior team currently compete in theJoe McDonagh Cup.[18]
In 2011 there were 6,083Irish language speakers in County Kerry, with 4,978 native speakers within theKerry Gaeltacht. This does not count the 1,105 attending the fourGaelscoils (Irish language primary schools) and twoGaelcholáiste (Irish language secondary schools) outside the Kerry Gaeltacht.[20]
Kerry, with its mountains, lakes and nearly 1,000 kilometres ofAtlantic coastline is among the most scenic areas in Ireland and is among the most significant tourist destinations in Ireland. Killarney is the centre of the tourism industry, which is a significant element of the economy in Kerry. TheKerry Way,Dingle Way andBeara Way are walking routes in the county. TheRing of Kerry on theIveragh Peninsula is a popular route for tourists and cyclists. The pedestrian version is the scenicKerry Way which follows ancient paths generally higher than that adopted by the Ring of Kerry.
Kerry has an abundance of archaeological sites. The earliest evidence of human settlement dates to the Mesolithic period.[21] The county has a notably high concentration of open-airAtlantic rock art, which is believed to date to the Late Neolithic / Early Bronze Age period (2300-1500BC). This rock art is scattered throughout the county and exists in dense clusters on theIveragh andDingle peninsulas. These carvings form part of a tradition which stretches across Atlantic Europe and are distinct from the megalithic art of the type found at Newgrange.[22] Kerry has many Bronze Age monuments including standing stones, wedge tombs, boulder burials, and stone circles, along with Iron Age forts. Like the rest of Ireland, Kerry has large numbers of monuments from the Early Christian period, such as ring forts, churches, cross-inscribed stones, holy wells, saints' graves, and ogham stones, along with Medieval castles and churches.
The mainNational Primary Routes into Kerry are theN21 road from Limerick and theN22 road fromCork, each terminating in Tralee.Kerry Airport is situated on theN23 road between Castleisland and Farranfore which connects the N21 and N22. Within Kerry the mainNational Secondary Routes include the well-knownRing of Kerry which follows theN70 road that circles the Iveragh Peninsula and links at Kenmare with theN71 road towest Cork.TheN86 road connects Tralee with Dingle along the Dingle Peninsula, while theN69 road from Limerick links Listowel and Tralee through north Kerry.
Branch line services existed to each of the peninsulas (Beara, Iveragh and Dingle) and also to the north of the county. They were closed during therationalisations of the 1950s and 1960s.
Kenmare via Headford Junction: (8 miles outside Killarney) closed in early 1960.[28]
Valentia Harbour via Farranfore: also closed in early 1960.[citation needed] TheGleesk Viaduct near Kells, the viaduct at Killorglin, and many other structures on the line still exist.
Listowel was served via the North Kerry line, which extended from Tralee to Limerick. Passenger service ceased in 1963, freight in 1983 and the lines were pulled up in 1988.
Fenit was served via a branch off the North Kerry line until 1978; the rails are still in place.
Listowel to Ballybunion had the distinction of operating experimentalLartigue Monorail services from 1882 to 1924. A 500m section was re-established in 2003. A road-car route, thePrince of Wales Route, was a link fromBantry to Killarney, operated by theCork, Bandon and South Coast Railway as a service for tourists.
Bus Éireann operates an extensive bus service network on routes throughout the county, with connection hubs in Killarney and Tralee.
Various local link services also run throughout Kerry such as the soon to be launched 274 from Tralee to Tarbert via Ardfert, Ballyheigue, Ballyduff and Ballybunion. Note that this new Local Link 274 will replace the return journey on the Bus Eireann 274. SeeLocal Link Kerry for all buses operated by them throughout the county.
Fenit harbour near Tralee is a regional harbour capable of handling ships of up to 17,000 tonnes. Large container cranes fromLiebherr in Killarney are regularly exported worldwide. A rail-link to the port was closed in the 1970s. The harbour atDingle is one of Ireland's secondary fishing ports, and is visited by Cruise ships in the summer.[citation needed][29] In the north of the county, a ferry service operates fromTarbert toKillimer inCounty Clare.
Hospitals in Kerry include the publicUniversity Hospital Kerry which is the second-largest acute hospital in theHealth Service Executive South Region. It serves as the main hospital for County Kerry and also serves the people in parts of north Cork and west Limerick. Other hospitals include the privateBon Secours Hospital in Tralee and community hospitals in Cahirciveen, Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney and Listowel.
Munster Technological University (MTU), formerly theInstitute of Technology, Tralee, is the main third-level institution in the county. Two of the university's campuses are located in Kerry, both inTralee. What is now MTU Kerry North Campus was established in 1977 as the Regional Technical College, Tralee but acquired the name "Institute of Technology, Tralee" in 1997. It merged withCork Institute of Technology in 2019 to form the Munster Technological University. It has an enrolment of about 3,500 students. The institute has two campuses: the North Campus (opened in Dromtacker in 2001) and the South Campus (opened in Clash in 1977) approximately 2.4 km (1.5 mi) apart.
^"Census for post 1821 figures". Archived fromthe original on 9 March 2005.. For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy 14 March 1865.t For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns see JJ Lee, "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses Irish Population, Economy and Society" edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p.54, and also "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850" by Joel Mokyr and Cormac O Grada inThe Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov. 1984), pp. 473–488.
^"Kenmare's Last Train – Amharc Éireann: Eagrán 32". 18 July 2016.On the 1st of February 1960, Kenmare locals and railway workers looked on as the last train made its final journey on the tracks before the line closed
^"Kerry".Welcome To Ireland.Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved30 January 2017.
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