Killarney, love it ? or forget it?

I've only been there once, and it was probably my least favorite of all the places I've been in Ireland. The park and associated areas are lovely, but we didn't care for the town at all.

Greetings from Ireland, I like Killarney a lot but wouldnt necessarily want to spend 3 nights there. One would be enough for me and maybe too. I get Ricks point on the actual town, and as the previous traveller posted the environs are beautiful
If you like 'things to do' however, it is a far better choice for you than Kenmare.
Both towns are pretty and Killarney won the national tidy-town contest a few years back (as has Kenmare). If you like friendly, entrepreneurial people brimming with civic pride then you'll enjoy Killarney.
If I can be so bold as to comment on your comment "we will not be driving the ROK". If you drive as far as Waterville, then you've driven the Ring of Kerry! There isn't an Irish Tour guide, alive or dead, who would say that isn't driving the Ring of Kerry, and my advice would be to continue on and see it all.
Also, it is courtesy to drive the Ring of Kerry in a counter-clockwise direction, though not the law.
http://www.ringofkerrytourism.com/ring-of-kerry-attractions.html#att1
Good luck with your Irish adventures.
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland Tour-Guide
Dingle & Derry

I don't think you have to love it or hate it. It's not a bad town, it just a little touristy, but it's a great place to tour from, has some good restaurants, and pubs with good music. I spent four nights and really enjoyed it.

LOL...Stephen, you are right. Not sure what I was thinking when I said we would not be driving the ROK. I guess I meant we don't plan on driving all of the ROK. We will leave that as an option and see what we feel like doing on that day. For some reason the thought of spending 7 or 8 hours driving around the ROK doesn't sound appealing right now but we may change on minds when the time comes.

Thank you all for your input. For those of you who have stayed in Killarney do you have a recommendation for lodging?

Killarney is a nice visit. It's a smallish town but has a national park right next to it. I'd probably stay two nights. See the sights on your one full day and try to find a pub with a traditional session in the evening.

I liked walking through the park from St. Mary's in town to Muckross House on the lake.

I live near Killarney. Its a great town with lots of places to eat and stay and pubs with a variety of free music.

Nice town centre hotel is Arbutus or International or B&B Murphys lots B&Bs on Muckross road

Up market go see the Hotel Europe outside the town , go for a coffee and look at the lake view.

The Golf Club is on the lake and you can walk from there to Ross Castle if you have an hour or more.

If you like fish eat at Quinlans on main st. Fresh fresh fish.

Good value food try Cronins or eat at Hannigans pub in international hotel

See Cathedral and st Marys Church of Ireland and wooden carved alter at Friary

Boat trips on the lake

Kenmare is nice too, bit quiet and a lot smaller try Davitts for food

On our two visits to Killarney, it struck us as a town very much catering to large bus groups. It's pretty enough, but you'll get a much better flavor of Ireland in Kenmare and even more so in Dingle Town.