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The Kerry Way () is a long-distance trail in , Ireland. It is a long circular trail that begins and ends in and is typically broken into nine stages. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Kerry County Council, South Kerry Development Partnership and the Kerry Way Committee. The Way circles the Iveragh Peninsula and forms a walkers' version of the Ring of Kerry road tour. It is the longest of Ireland's National Waymarked Trails.


History
The Kerry Way was first proposed in 1982 and developed by members of the Laune Mountaineering Club and the Kerry association of , under the chairmanship of Seán Ó Súilleabháin. Ó Súilleabháin was inspired by a history lecture he had attended given by Father John Hayes on the subject of old roads and paths in the southwest of Ireland. Realising that "there was a spider's web-like network of roads and paths that could be combined to form a route around Kerry", he began devising the trail that would become the Kerry Way. The first section—from Killarney to —was opened by Tánaiste in 1985. It was the second long-distance trail to be opened in the Republic of Ireland, after the . The full route was completed in 1989 and opened by Frank Fahey, TD, Minister of State for Youth and Sport. The trail was constructed by workers on FÁS social employment schemes at a cost of £60,000 and involved the provision of over 200 stiles and six footbridges as well as waymarkers.

A review of the National Waymarked Trails in 2010 found the Kerry Way to be one of the most heavily used of the trails. It recommended that it be one of five National Waymarked Trails that should be prioritised to be upgraded to a National Long Distance Trail, a proposed new standard of trail in Ireland, intended to meet international standards for outstanding trails.

The name in is Slí Uíbh Ráthaigh, meaning the Iveragh Way, called after the Iveragh Peninsula.


Route
The trail originally started at the River Flesk, from Killarney, but has since been extended to start in the centre of Killarney. The initial stage passes through the grounds of , the gateway to Killarney National Park, passing the shores and to reach . From Torc, the trail follows the Old Kenmare Road and crosses Esknamucky Glen to reach the Black Valley.

The Way passes through the Black Valley below MacGillycuddy's Reeks, including , Ireland's highest mountain. It then follows a road through Cummeenduff Glen to reach Bridia Valley. It then follows the Lack Road over another mountain pass into Derrynafeana Glen to reach where it then follows a road to the village of Glencar. From Glencar, the trail follows the valley before circling Seefin Mountain to reach . There are two marked routes around Seefin: a shorter route to the west of the mountain via Windy Gap or a longer route to the east above and overlooking . The Way then climbs and follows the hills overlooking Dingle Bay until it reaches , where it turns inland to Foilmore. An linking spur provides a connection from Foilmore to .

From Foilemore, the route traverses two ridges to reach the village of Waterville. From Waterville, there are two possible routes to : a coastal trail around Farraniargh Mountain or an inland trail, crossing Capall River and crossing mountains via Windy Gap to Caherdaniel. An old coach road brings the Way to . Sneem and are connected by a trail that follows the coast above Kenmare River. The final stretch crosses the mountains between Kenmare and Killarney via another Windy Gap rejoining the outbound route of the Way at Galway's Bridge retracing the route through Muckross to the end in Killarney.


Intersecting and connecting paths
The Kenmare to Killarney section of the Kerry Way forms part of European walking route E8 which runs from in to in Turkey. The E8 continues along the from Kenmare and joins the via an unmarked link section between Killarney and Shrone.


Notes

Bibliography


External links

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