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KERRY & West Corkit was odd how, standing in mist among ecclesiastical-looking cairns [on Brandon] , we looked down and saw that Smerwick and Ballyferriter were enjoying a day of sunshine, Brandon Head was rainy, and Mount Eagle was in cloud. Climbing west of Dingle is deceptive, a succession of false summits, each windier than the last; but from the heights of Brandon the whole peninsula is spread out like a topographical map, path and road, cove and headland.The Mangerton range runs south-westwards from the gently sloped mounds of the Paps (696 metres/2,284 feet), through a low but varied area south of Lough Guitane (routes 115, 124), an excellent area for days of low visibility. It continues over the plateau of Mangerton (839 metres/2,756 feet) (route 116), whose chief glory are its huge north-facing corries, and terminates south-west in duller country directly east of the N71. Lastly, in Iveragh, I should mention Killarney National Park and the Kerry Way. The National Park is over one hundred square kilometres/forty square miles in extent and includes much of the Reeks as well as a large area south of Killarney. Its attractions include a herd of magnificent red deer, the only true native red deer species in Ireland. They may be seen on the slopes of Mangerton and Tore. The park also contains the most extensive area of natural woodland in the country. The Kerry Way traverses much of the peninsula starting in Killarney and completes a loop parallel to and at a higher level than the main road round the peninsula. It also has spurs from some of the villages on the peninsula. Much of it runs through exceptionally scenic country and can be walked using hostel accommodation. The Beara Peninsula is the southernmost of the three main Kerry peninsulas; along with it, 1 will include the Shehy Mountains of West Cork (route 117). High ground reaching 700 metres/2,300 feet runs from the Shehys westward to the tip of the peninsula fifty-five kilometres/thirty-five miles away. Memorable circuits can be made around the hills surrounding the several valleys on the north of the peninsula (routes 118 to 120, 129). To the east, the high ground at the spine of the range sometimes degenerates into moorland, though the views are not impaired. Much of the uplands is composed of long corrugations of steeply angled sandstone slabs which can greatly impede walking "across the grain", while lower down the high, luxuriant vegetation which flourishes in the mild and humid climate can achieve the same effect. A long-distance walk circumnavigates the peninsula. Access to the Kerry Region: the region is quite distant from cities and east coast ports. Killarney, on the eastern margins of the region, is 300 kilometresl190 miles from Dublin and 270 kilometres/170 miles from Rosslare Harbour. There are rail connections to Tralee and Killarney and an airport about midway between these towns. The express bus routes travel through the towns to the east of the peninsulas, though they do not run onto them. Facilities and mapping in the Dingle Peninsula: the peninsula is moderately well traversed by the N86 and R560, though Brandon is nonetheless a long drive of nearly fifty kilometres/thirty miles from Tralee, the largest town within the ambit of the peninsula. There is ample accommodation on or near the peninsula. Besides Tralee, Dingle is well placed but is a much smaller centre. The bus service to Dingle is frequent, but generally buses do not facilitate the best areas for walkers. The whole peninsula is mapped at a 1:50,000 scale by sheets 70 and 71. Facilities and mapping in Iveragh: the N70 (Ring of Kerry Road) circumnavigates Iveragh and is of quite good quality. It also carries a useful local bus service which runs clockwise once a day in summer only, and which might be combined with other local bus services to facilitate A to B walks. The N71 from Killarney to Kenmare follows a highly scenic but tortuous route via Moll's Gap. Other minor roads cross high passes in remote country at Ballaghasheen and Ballaghbeama. All in all, the road network is little more than adequate and the bus network leaves a large gap in the centre of the peninsula. Killarney is a large town and very crowded in summer. It is convenient to much of the best walks in Iveragh, though the remote end of the peninsula is a long eighty kilometres/fifty miles away. Other settlements on the N70 have plenty of accommodation but are much smaller than Killarney and little better placed for exploring the whole peninsula. There is a good network of youth hostels, some in remote, rugged areas, and hostel-to-hostel walks are just about possible. Much of Iveragh, including the area east of Killarney, is well mapped at 1:50,000 by sheets 78 and 79. The bulk of the area covered by these two sheets is also mapped at a 1: 2 5,000 scale (the area covered by the latter is not shown on the accompanying sketch map). The 1:25,000 maps are a doubtful investment since they give little more information than the 1:50,000 maps. The western and southern parts of the peninsula have only half-inch maps (sheets 20 and 24) with an awkward border between them. In this regard, it is worth noting that the preliminary version of sheet 78 (1:50,000) extends five kilometres further west than the "Rambler" definitive version and so might be marginally more useful in this area. Facilities and mapping in Beara: a moderately good road runs round Beara, and the spectacular Healy Pass Road crosses it about one-third from its eastern end. Kenmare, a compara-tively large town, is a convenient centre both for the best of Beara and much of the south of Iveragh. Glengarriff and Adrigole are convenient to the south of the peninsula. There is a beautifully located youth hostel right in the heart of the mountains and another at the tip of the peninsula. No express bus serves the peninsula but there is a flexibly routed private bus service eastward along the southern side of the peninsula each morning, returning in the evening. As well as the usual half-inch maps (most of the peninsula is on sheet 24, but 20 and 21 are also marginally useful), much of Beara is covered on an out-of-date one-inch map ("Kerry District"). A small area at its north-eastern corner is badly split between all three half-inch maps.
The next 'Kerry' extract can be found here : Part 4
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