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Ireland: County Kerry

Abigail Kemp
22/11/2008

THE last time I sat at a potter's wheel I was at school, creating something which almost resembled a bowl.

Here I was, many years later, hands in damp clay once again, in the workshop of ceramic artist Louis Mulcahy, turning out, thanks to the resident expert, a much more professional-looking piece.

It was just one highlight during a whistlestop visit to County Kerry. The welcome we received at the Mulcahy pottery near Dingle was typical of every hotel, restaurant or shop we entered.

And the warm welcomes began at tiny Kerry Airport. After an 80 minute flight from Manchester we were through passport control and baggage collection, on to a coach and arriving at our hotel in Killarney within half an hour.

In the world of business, they say, time is money and this ultra quick transfer is one of the reasons so many companies from Britain, Europe and the US choose this beautiful part of south west Ireland as a conference destination.

That, and the golf. There are more than 45 18-hole courses in the Cork/Kerry area and the mild climate, thanks to the Atlantic gulf stream, means the golfing season runs all year round.

One of the most impressive, and oldest, clubs is the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club with its spectacular mountain backdrop. It is home to three championship courses and an award-winning restaurant.

Stunning

Visitors to Kerry are by no means limited to golfers. The crew at Kerry Airport is used to the odd celebrity - Bill Clinton, Elton John and Dolly Parton, have been recent visitors.

Some of the area's larger, newer hotels -such as The Brehon with its excellent restaurant or the stunning Aghadoe Heights - easily rival the best in Europe, but couples, families and backpackers are all catered for, with guest houses, rental cottages and hostels.

We stayed at the 198-room Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa. It's the largest of a glut of hotels in this delightful little town which offers an enticing mix of independent shops and pubs.

If you're planning a short break it's advisable to book treatments at the hotel's luxurious Molton Brown Spa.

Of course, body and soul will also benefit from a trip into the great outdoors and Kerry is rightly proud of its mountains and lakes. Whether walking, canoeing or horse riding is your passion you can indulge yourself here. Perhaps hire a car and take in the 170km Ring of Kerry tourist trail, which begins in Killarney or head off around the rugged Atlantic coastline.

We travelled to the charming village of Dingle where visitors can take a boat trip to meet Fungi, a friendly bottlenose dolphin who has made the bay his home. Afterwards, try the family-run Dingle Bay Hotel for a welcome Guinness and a traditional Irish lunch.

The 26,000-acre Killarney National Park, at the foot of Ireland's highest mountain range McGillycuddy's Reeks, offers excellent walking. Check out the picturesque Torc Waterfall and from there walk to the focal point of the park, the impressive Muckross House.

Queen Victoria stayed here for two nights but preparations for the royal visit bankrupted the owners and the estate was eventually given to the state.

Factfile
Abigail Kemp travelled with Aer Arann which flies from Manchester to Kerry five times a week. Fares are from £37 one way, inc taxes. Visit www.aerarann.com . She stayed at the Killarney Plaza Hotel. See www.killarneyplaza.com .

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