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Kerry Historical Ireland
57 Historical Ireland in Kerry - Page 3 of 6
Kerry the Kingdom is a must-see stop for travellers who really want to understand Ireland and appreciate its wealth of history....
The Kerry Museum and the Geraldine Experience can be found in Tralee’s Ashe Memorial Hall, located at the end of Denny Street. As one of the towns top tourist attractions, the museum is always busy making the experience that little bit more authentic as all the people around you become as engrossed in 15th century living as you. Follow the museums chronological route where you will meet Kerry’s first settlers in the Late Mesolithic site at Ferriter’s Cove on the Dingle Peninsula. Here you will learn of Kerry’s archaeology and history. Every artefact that you encounter has its own story to tell varying from a beautiful sunflower pin worn by the fashion-conscious in the Bronze Age, to the duelling pistols used by Daniel O’Connell, The Liberator, in the early 19th century. The Geraldine Experience provides each visitor a unique vision of what medieval Tralee was. Hop on board a 'time car' and you will be taken back to 1450 to see how the people lived, the rats that roamed the streets, the effects that illness had on people and even smell the stench of the 15th century town....
A few minutes walk from the town centre lies the Knockreer section of the National Park. Access is via Deenagh Lodge gate which is opposite the Cathedral, and this leads to a pleasant pastoral landscape with fine views of the Lakes and mountains especially from the gardens of Knockreer House. The house, which was the home of the Grosvenor family, is now the field study centre for the National Park....
The Kilgarvan Motor Museum has been open since 1985, begun by collecting and restoring over 20 years ago as a hobby. During this period, visitors from all over the world have visit with many of them bringing their own vintage or classic cars. At Kilgarvan, the enthusiast can see the cars from all angles as the cars are not roped off. You can look into them, get the smell of the leather and wood. Most of the cars on show are used during the year for rallies, shows etc - so these old cars have a nice lived in feel to them. As this is a family run museum you get personal service and you can browse at your ease. There are vintage and classic cars including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Alvis, D.K.W. Armstrong Siddeley, plus large collection of Automobilia. There is a coffee shop available....
The ancient monastery of Kilmalkedar, founded in the seventh century by St Maolcathair, is one of the foremost Early Christian sites of the Dingle Peninsula. The existing church is a twelfth-century building consisting of a nave to which a chancel was added at a later date, as was the usual practice. Many of the features which typify Irish Romanesque architecture are present. The bold antae with animal-head decoration are well preserved, as is the round-headed doorway with blank tympanum. The high pitched gables (one with finial) survive intact, but of the original barrel-vaulted roof only the merest fragments remain. In the nave is a good example of blind colonnading, recalling Cormac's Chapel at Cashel, with which it is often compared. late-Romanesque geometric motifs adorn the columns of the chancel arch.<...
St John's Literary and Arts Centre is located in St John's, a gothic style church, in Listowel Square. The centre includes a theatre, exhibition areas, Tourist Information Office and coffee shop. St. John's Literary Heritage section graphically traces the unique literary tradition of North Kerry. Evidence of its importance is vivid in today's Ireland as exemplified by the large number of contemporary writers indigenous to the area, i.e. John B. Keane, Bryan MacMahon, Brendan Kennelly and J.A. Gaughan. Cultural activities are an integral part of the Centre which features theatrical activities, the vsiual arts on exhibition, poetry readings and varios musical events. Calendar of events available from the Centre or by contacting Tourist Information Offices....
The Abbey was erected on the site of an older monastery some time after 1216 by Geoffrey de Marisco for the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. The Abbey was dedicated to Our Blessed Lady and by 1302 it was the third richest monastery in the Diocese of Ardfert with its Prior being a Lord of Parliament. Only the church, with a single long nave, remains. The windows, doors and niches made from sandstone can be dated to the 13th century, while the limestone work including the fine east window were inserted in the 15th century. The Abbey was suppressed in 1576 and the domestic buildings to the south were destroyed by Cromwell's soldiers....
A section of the famous Tralee to Dingle Light Railway (1891-1953), was restored to allow you to experience first hand the thrill of what it is like to be a passenger in a steam train. This is a must for adults and children alike. It is advisable to contact prior to arranging your visit as the staem train is not always open to the public....
Seven of the eight Ogham stones in this group were discovered in a souterrain at Coolmagort in the nineteenth century and have been set up on this site close to Dunloe Castle. The tallest stone is 8 feet high. There is also a prostrate slab taken from the grounds of nearby Kilbonane church. Ogham stones were frequently used as lintels in the construction of underground passages. Because of their long protection from exposure, the Dunloe inscriptions are unusually well preserved. All are of a commemorative nature, as is usual in these monuments....