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Killarney, Muckross House and the ROK

Oh boy, I think I am driving myself crazy or at the very least over thinking everything for the Ireland trip. Probably due to the fact that we will be driving and planning one's time is dependent on road conditions. So I have a question or two.

We plan to drive from Kinsale to Killarney (guessing this will take 2 hours). Once we reach Killarney we will grab a bite to eat and drive to the Gap of Dunloe. The plan is to park at Kate's Cottage and walk the Gap...maybe in 2 miles and then back out again. The rest of the day would be spent poking around Killarney and ??? if anyone has a suggestion on what to do in Killarney I am all ears.

The next day we would visit the Muckross House (just for grins say we take the 10 AM tour) which will take about an hour. We will be there in September so we will skip the farms (they do not open till 1:00 PM), then we will visit the gardens and start the drive through the National Park. I have heard mixed reviews about the Torc Waterfalls so my question here is "How much extra time does it take to visit the falls?" I have also read that you can walk up some steps for more views?? We would also like to take the time to see Ladies View so again, "How much extra time does it take to make this detour?" If the timing is right and they are open we would like to stop at the Kissane Sheep Farm for a visit. (RS said it is about an hour for the demo??) Looks like the tours are around 1:30 in September, but I think it is to far out to be sure. After the sheep farm we would drive Moll's Gap and spend the night in Sneem. The next day would be devoted to driving the rest of the ROK and spending the night in Dingle.

It is definitely possible to tour the Muckross House earlier, I believe they open at 9:00 AM but I am not sure if the first tour would be at 9AM. If the Sheep Farm is not holding tours that day we would just have extra time in Sneem. Hopefully, they have food and drink there!

Thank you all for you inputs!

Posted by
677 posts

Since it sounds like you enjoy walking, I can tell you that there's a very pleasant walk through the Muckross grounds to the Torc waterfall. We enjoyed it very much.

Posted by
239 posts

Julie, thank you for that idea. For some reason I thought you had to drive to the waterfall. Does the walk to the falls take you through the gardens (as in kill two birds with one stone)? Do you recall how long it took? Hmm, I think I am off to do some googling :)

Posted by
317 posts

Greetings from Ireland... to walk from Muckross House (Killarney National Park) to Torc Waterfall takes around 30/40 minutes and is through the gardens. Please dont be expecting Niagra size. Its a small waterfall.
The Kissane brothers are reliable operators on their sheep farm, they will definitely operate on the day you choose to visit.
le meas/with respect
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steve Ireland Tour-Guide

Posted by
677 posts

Yes, we meandered through a lot of the gardens. If I remember correctly, you eventually exit the refined bits and get into more trees and trail like paths. It was very beautiful scenery. In hindsight, I would recommend booking a horse and buggy as you come up to the waterfall area. We would have liked to have taken that mode of transportation back to the house but they were all booked by the time we got done at the falls. It looked like you could keep hiking past the waterfall but it is a little steep and we didn't have the time. It was gorgeously mossy by the falls when we were there.