Page 159 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

IRELAND REGION B Y REGION  157

CORK AND KERRY

Cork • Kerry

Magnificent scenery has attracted visitors to this region since
Victorian times. Rocky headlands jut out into the Atlantic and
colourful fishing villages nestle in the shelter of the bays.
County Kerry offers dramatic landscapes and a wealth of pre­
historic and early Christian sites, whereas County Cork’s gentle
charm has enticed many a casual visitor into becoming a permanent resident.

Killarney and its romantic lakes are a and disregard for Dublin rule. The Irish
powerful mag net for tourists, and so are recognize a distinctive Kerry character,
Cork’s attractive coastal towns and with a boisterous sense of living life to
villages. Yet the region remains remarkably the full. They also make Kerrymen the
unspoiled, with a friendly atmosphere butt of countless jokes.
and authentic culture still alive in Irish- As well as the friendliest people in
speaking pockets. There is also a long Ireland, the region has some of the finest
tradition of arts and crafts in the area. scenery, from the lush valleys and
This corner of Ireland used to be the beautiful coast of Cork to the wild high
main point of contact with the Cont i nent. peaks and forests of Kerry. One of the
In the 17th century, in response to the most memorable ways to experience this
threat of invasions from France and Spain, area is to follow the southern portion of
the English built a line of forts along the the Wild Atlantic Way, the world’s longest
Cork coast, including the massive Charles coastal touring route, covering some
Fort at Kinsale. 2,500 km (1,500 miles) from Cork to
In the 19th century, the city of Cork was Donegal. Lively, picturesque towns
an important departure point for people punctuate the rugged coastline while
fleeing from the Famine (see p223), with offshore, remote, abandoned islands
Cobh the main port for emigrants to the with an abundance of wildlife and fauna
New World. Cork’s importance as a port stand sentinel, from the Blasket Islands
has diminished, but it is still the Republic’s to rocky Skellig Michael, with
second city with a lively cultural scene. its fascinating beehive-like
Kerry is known as “the Kingdom” on monastic structures of early
account of its tradition of indepen dence Christian monks.

Puffins on the island of Skellig Michael off the coast of Kerry
Flight of stone steps leading to the monastery on Skellig Michael, County Kerry

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