Killarney - how bad is it?

We stayed in Killarney this past July for 4 days at the Cahernane House Hotel right outside of town. We loved it. It was a wonderful base at the edge of the park and in town there were lots of great restaurants. Seafood at The Mad Monk was wonderful. Yes, it was a larger town with tourists but then Dingle was a smaller town with lots of tourists.

Only been in Killarney for 1 or 2 nights in spring March April May before or flight back home from Kerry Airport after staying a week in a Holiday Home on Valentia Island Beara Peninsula MizenPeninsula or Dingle Peninsula
There were tourists in Killarney town yes but not overcrowed that time of the year
People go there because of the great tourist infrastructure so it might get busy in summer month.
Cant say because all the seven times we been there was in spring

We enjoyed it for its so much to see and do in and around the town
Always was a contrast to the very quiet locations we stayed during the week in our holiday homes

You can stay in hotel or B+B a bit outside town and have it quite

We stayed at Friars Glen B+B and the Lake Hotel and others for ex which are both near Muckross House and Gardens and the KNP
Recommend a car to go in town,walking distance to Muckross House and Abbey
https://friarsglen.ie/
In the middle between town and Muckross House and Gardens:
https://www.lakehotelkillarney.ie/

We were there as a stopover between Waterford and Dingle for one night the end of August. It really wasn't that bad. We stayed in at the Arbutus Hotel. All of the staff there were friendly and welcoming. They gave us complimentary tea and pastries while they finished preparing out room. It was an easy walk from the train station and centrally located. We walked around town a bit and honestly it was less crowded than most places we were in Ireland. If traveling by public transportation, I would stay there to do day trips from.

For what you propose to do, ie to use it as a base for day tours (and without a car), Killarney town is the obvious place to stay.
Though most would agree with Rick that the center of the town is something of a charmless and congested mess during the height of the summer season, you can mitigate that somewhat by staying further away from the town center as the others have suggested.
Staying south of the town in the vicinity of Muckross House as suggested by uwe04 would be a good choice - it's a very pretty area with a number of pleasant walks - and will be especially pleasant later in the afternoon once the day trippers depart. If you're early risers the woodland walks will be especially magical when you have them all to yourselves.

Spent four nights there as a base to do tours from and really enjoyed it. Yes, it’s popular with tourists, but because of that, there are a lot of services for tourists there. If you are going to be doing a guided day trip that will take you out of town for the day it doesn’t really matter how many tourists are in the town. You will find it pretty easy to find a good place to eat and hear so e good music, also. It won’t ruin your vacation. Honestly, Venice is far worse, but I still love that city, and will go back time and again.

Don't believe everything your read... Yes Killarney is busy with tourists but that is because it is a very good base for what most people are wanting to do, especially if you don't have a car. Also you will be out doing things during the day so are mainly using it as a place to stay. And there's plenty to do there at night too.

We opted to stay at a B&B right outside of Killarney so we got the location without the throng of tourists - Killeen House Hotel. Nice place, authentic feel, good food.

We stayed at an AirBnB in Old Killarney Village in mid-Sept. A 20-30 minute walk to the center of town. It was a quiet neighborhood. Only downside was trying to head out of the neighborhood due to heavy traffic between 8&9 am and 5-7 pm.

This is one item where I would definitely say our experience on our trip differed greatly from what Rick describes (rather dramatically) in his articles and so forth.

We stayed in Killarney for several nights during March. It was lovely. The town itself clearly is set up to welcome a number of tourists, but in offseason or shoulder season you are left with fewer visitors and all the benefits of a well-connected town with a lot of good housing/hotel options, lots of pubs, etc. I can't speak to summer crowds and I'm not sure when you're visiting, but time of year may impact your experience (and perhaps it impacted Rick's advice too).

Also, Killarney is perfectly situated to enjoy a number of nearby sites such as Killarney National Park, Gap of Dunloe, etc., as well as reasonable drives (perhaps with a guide if you prefer not to drive) to Ring of Kerry sites and even further afield to the Dingle Peninsula.

I stayed in Killarney for two night in mid-June 2022 and wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again. It’s a great base for the area, especially if you won’t be driving. Lots to do, plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants. I thought it was a fun place to stay.

Thanks for the advice everyone. This book seems to have a different tone than his other guides. Good thing I'm not interested in the Blarney Stone, as he describes it as a "saliva and lipstick smeared mess." C'mon, it can't be that bad!

C'mon, it can't be that bad!

I wouldn't be too sure about that - you don't know who has kissed it before you!

Did you? :o))

No. Having read the stories about the Blarney Stone, we decided that was top of the list to avoid.... There are so many better places to visit rather than following the lemmings.

We've always skipped the Blarney Stone, but I've seen good things about the Castle and Gardens. Is it worth a visit assuming you don't get caught in the line to smooch.

I am a big fan of Killarney, it is so well situated and there is so much to do.

I think it does matter what time of year you are going. We were there in Ireland the last 2 weeks of May, and the crowds were not there yet. Driving in on the main street, where it is lined with fast food and budget accommodations, it has an unappealing look, but past that, the town center is nice.

We stayed at the Lake Hotel, very dreamy with its water views and peaceful ambience, away from the hustle and bustle.