The Kerry Way
How it came about

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A walk/hike along the Kerry Way can be a walk through history. Add in spectacular scenery and a range of habitats and you have the recipe for a very enjoyable day or – even better – a holiday.

The concept of the Kerry Way arose from a series of lectures on local history that I attended in the 1970s. Fr John Hayes (since deceased) drew attention to old roads along the slopes of Drung Hill on the southern shoreline of Dingle Bay. Examination of maps and some exploration on the ground led to the idea of restoring and conserving them. Elsewhere in the island of Ireland, there was talk of development of marked walking/hiking trails and this could very well fit in. Aside from preserving part of our history, such a trail could serve other purposes – rural development, opportunity for recreation in relatively safe conditions and of course easy access for all to nature.

Work began on the project in 1978. Some funding and encouragement came from the tourism authorities and the labour involved was provided by members of the walking/mountaineering clubs of Kerry. The first phase (Killarney – Glenbeigh) was opened in 1985. The assistance of various community groups and statutory authorities was secured and the circuit was completed in 1989. The trail, the walkers’ equivalent of the Ring of Kerry driving route, linked the towns, villages and districts of the Iveragh Peninsula: Killarney, Black Valley, Glencar, Glenbeigh, Waterville, Caherdaniel, Sneem, Kenmare. Including spurs into some of the towns/villages, the length of the trail then was 135 miles/215km. Loops added since then bring the length now to 160 miles/260km.

Even if I say so myself, the Kerry Way must be Ireland’s premier trail. Two features suggest that. Firstly, walking the trail is walking history. Much of the journey is along ancient lines of communication – medieval highways and carriage routes, Mass paths and butter roads – some of which could follow routes used by our early ancestors. Given that and the access to archaeological sites, the trail could be deemed a linear heritage site. The range of habitats experienced on the trail adds to the possibility of enjoyment and study of nature – to mention a few: the lakes, gardens, bogland and oak woods of the Killarney National Park; the lonely rocky Black and Bridia Valleys leading to the vale of Glencar and Caragh Lake; the coastal and inland stretches from Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen and Waterville; the choice of inland or coastal route to Caherdaniel, giving access to the sand dunes of Derrynane; the line overlooking the Kenmare River to Sneem and onwards via Blackwater Bridge to Kenmare; finally the Old Kenmare Road through the Windy Gap and the National Park back to Killarney.

In later newsletters, I will write in greater length on the legs of the Kerry Way. Surely you can be tempted to experience it.

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