Killarney

Killarney: Ross Castle

Killarney, Irish Cill Airne, market town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. It lies near the Killarney lakes, famed for their beauty, about 45 miles (70 km) north-northwest of Cork. Rising steeply to the west are Tomies Mountain and Purple Mountain (2,739 feet [835 metres]), and beyond the Gap of Dunloe are Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, the highest range in Ireland.

The three main Killarney lakes are Lough Leane (Lower Lake), Muckross (Middle) Lake, and Upper Lake. Lower Lake is the northernmost and, covering about 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares), is the largest of the Killarney lakes. Lower Lake’s 30 islands include Innisfallen, with a 9th-century abbey. Lower Lake is separated from Muckross Lake by the Muckross peninsula. Connecting Muckross Lake (680 acres [275 hectares], with four islands) with Upper Lake (430 acres [174 hectares], with eight islands) is the Long Range, a broad, wooded channel. The woods around the lakes are mostly of arbutus, with oak, birch, holly, and mountain ash. The limestone of the eastern shores has been eroded into curiously shaped caves and indentations. The lakes are drained to the Atlantic Ocean by the River Laune. The lakes and the remains of Muckross Abbey, founded in the 15th century by Donal McCarthy, are inside Killarney National Park, which also has many waterfalls and ancient forests.

With the town’s breathtaking natural landscape and access to some of Ireland’s most scenic mountains, forests, and coastlines, tourism is among the leading industries. Woolen goods, ironworks, and consumer electronics are important, and mineral water is bottled there. Pop. (2006) 13,497; (2011) 12,740.