Killarney National Park, Ireland

Killarney National Park and the Ring of Kerry

Motorcycles

BMW F800 GSA
BMW F800 GS

Photographers

Dave O'Byrne
Denis Smyth

Writers

Denis Smyth
Dave O'Byrne

Ride the Wild Atlantic Way

Exploring the Enchanting Beauty of Killarney National Park and the Ring of Kerry

Ireland’s rugged landscapes and sweeping coastal roads make it a dream destination for motorcycle riders. One of the most captivating routes to explore is the journey around Killarney National Park, a 102.89 km2 UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Killarney is a gateway town to exploring Ireland's south west. Along with Kenmare to the south it’s a perfect base to access the unmissable peninsulas of Dingle, Iveragh (Ring of Kerry), Beara, Sheeps Head, Mizen and the many mountain roads, passes and boreens through some of the wildest scenery in Europe. Take note however, distances in Ireland can be deceiving, and each one of these peninsulas is a full day trip on its own.

The Adventure Begins in Killarney National Park

This adventure promises not only thrilling rides but also breathtaking scenery, secluded bays, and a touch of cinematic magic from the Skellig Islands. Riding a BMW 800 GS, owned by the regional expert Denis Smyth from Roadtrooper.com, we set off with the promise of discovering the hidden gems of this majestic landscape.

The national park is home to lush greenery, sparkling lakes, and the towering peaks of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks. It’s an early start as we navigate through the winding roads to our 1st stop, the famous Gap of Dunloe just outside of town. Denis rightly insists we ride through here before 9:00 am to beat the heavy tourist traffic (June to September) and so we have it all to ourselves. The ride up is a one track roller coaster that snakes through a jaw dropping, narrow glacial valley, as rugged as it is stunningly beautiful. Trust me, don't miss this.

The Black Valley

From the summit offering unparalleled views back down through the valley the road leads through to the Black Valley. The name comes from the fact it was the last place in Ireland to be connected to the electricity grid in the 1970’s. Here, the air is filled with the smell of flowering gorse and ancient oak forests untouched since the last ice age, and all still part of Killarney National Park.

The route through the Black valley requires focus as blind corners are plenty, as are the sheep, deer and the odd (four-legged) donkey wandering aimlessly along the road. My head spins with scenic overload as the route joins with the N71/Ring of Kerry at Molls Gap where the riding experience flips a 180 onto silky smooth tarmac. Here we rapidly sweep down to the picturesque village of Kenmare and out to Sneem on the N70 hugging Kenmare Bay with majestic views of the mythical Beara Peninsula to the south.

Stopping off in Sneem we treat ourselves to a full Irish breakfast beside a bridge overlooking Sneem Falls where the Sneem river joins the Atlantic by a peaceful, scenically idyllic inlet.

It’s only 10:45am and my camera is already heavy and overworked. Beautiful! Back on the bikes!

Riding through The Iron Age

Back on the bikes we head west along the N70 ROK route, next stop is the fascinating Iron Age Staigue Stone Ringfort dating back to 400 AD. An impressive site and well worth the short detour.

One of the highlights of the Ring of Kerry is its numerous secluded bays and coves. These hidden spots provide tranquil retreats where the emerald waters lap gently against sandy shores. These serene locations are perfect for a mid-ride lunch break, allowing us to soak in the natural beauty and some good food by the sea.

The Skellig Islands: A Touch of Star Wars Magic

From here the N70 passes numerous coves with turquoise waters before climbing over the Coomakista Pass and out along the Skellig Ring (a subsection of the ROK) towards Portmagee. On a clear day, this section has incredible views towards the mystical Skellig Islands. These rugged islands, rising sharply from the ocean, are not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site but also the filming location for scenes from 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and 'The Last Jedi'. The sight of Skellig Michael, with its ancient monastic settlement perched high on the cliffs, is truly magnificent and adds a cinematic touch to our journey. Next time, we'll take a boat out there, but there wasn't enough time for it this time around, unfortunately.

From Portmagee we cross the bridge to Valentia Island visiting the Fogher Cliffs and Cromwell Point Lighthouse before catching the short ferry trip back to the mainland and rejoining the N70 now heading east back towards Killarney. If time allows I’d most definitely make another detour at Cahersiveen to visit the Cahergall Stone Fort, a very impressive fortified farmstead dating back to 600AD. With walls approx 6 m high and some 3 m thick this dry stone wall fort is one of the best examples of an early medieval stone fort to be found on the ring of Kerry.

County Kerry's Coastal Wonders

From Cahersiveen the N70 leads back to Killarney via Killorglin where, believe it or not, every year the locals crown a wild mountain goat their King for a year explaining why Kerry is known as the Kingdom. Can we think of any other countries where it would be an upgrade to have a Goat King instead of a president, for example?

Denis has other plans however, for him the rest of the route is best left for the coaches and campervans. His route from here is a local bikers best-kept-secret. He explains the ROK is only part of the Iveragh Peninsula's story as there is a big section in the middle that few tourists ever see. Off the main route we follow a winding route inland through hauntingly beautiful landscapes, passing workhouses and old church grounds holding mass graves reminding us of a darker part of Irish history, the Great Famine.

Our route now cuts right down the peninsula’s centre and up through a steep, technical and joyous set of twisty curves to Ballaghisheen Pass before plunging down into a bogland valley. Believe me, this whole place is a desolate scenic masterpiece, the ride through this section is simply outstanding.

I’d thought I’d seen it all, but another mindbender of an experience rapidly followed as we cut up through the steep, narrow Ballaghbeama Gap with its imposing, rugged cliffs immediately to either side. Again, a unique experience, tough to describe, but wholeheartedly recommended.

Ride anticlockwise to get back home faster

It’s now nearly time to finish this epic ride but we’re still not done yet. Denis is watching the clock and wants to avoid the traffic. He knows the timing and routes of the coaches as they return to Killarney and wants to stay ahead of them for the next section. He explains that for the big coaches leaving Killarney for the ROK is generally a one way system, most leave Killarney between 8-9am taking the route via Killorglin first and back via Kenmare and Molls Gap around 5-6pm, i.e. anti-clockwise. We had taken the route clockwise so far, almost completely avoiding both coaches and the main tourist traffic but now we'll jump on their main route, and be sure to stay ahead of them.

We rejoin the N71 at Molls Gap and ride the steep and beautifully curved road with cliffs on one side, with stunning views overlooking the Killarney lakes to the left and steep mountainside on our right, covered with ancient oak forest. On a motorbike it is a fantastic, often speedy, often slow section of road with endless twists and turns, but it’s mostly narrow. And this is why Denis was anxious to hit this before 5pm, if there’s a coach, or more likely numerous couches on their return in front you’ll have little or no chance of a safe overtake, which will extend this section from 25 mins of bliss, to an agonisingly slow hour of frustration.

Time for a Guinness and a good local whiskey..

It was a long and eventful day, starting at 8:30am and finishing at 5pm we only covered just over 200km. Like I said in the beginning, distances on Ireland's west coast can be deceiving, especially when you want to stop every 5 minutes to take a photo.

After tucking the bikes away for the night we reflected on the day over the obligatory pint of Guinness. And of course, you have to end the day with a Guinness or two, it's not just the local custom, it's a religion. So remember to follow it up with a couple of rounds of good local Uisce Beatha - The Water of Life.

I mentioned to Denis that days don't get much better than that, to which he turned to me and smiled, “oh yes they do” he laughed. Tomorrow we’ll be doing the Ring of Beara, a land of vikings, pirates, druids and named for a Spanish princess, but that's another story.