There is something very special about Kenmare. Its unspoilt architecture has a real authentic feel to it. The town is situated at the mouth of the beautiful Kenmare bay, with the Beara Peninsula on one side and the Iveragh Peninsula on the other. It is the last waterside town on the Ring of Kerry before travelling up to Moll’s Gap. Book one of our Beautiful holiday rentals, Kerry.

Kenmare was one of the few planned towns in Ireland and was laid out in the late 18^th century by the Marquis of Lansdowne. The town earned its living from its markets, fishing port, ironworks, mining and quarrying. It’s also now home to a great historical exhibition, in the Kenmare heritage centre. Here you’ll find out some great facts about how the town started as a market town by Marquis of Lansdowne to the 1861 founding of the ‘Poor Clare Convent,’ which still stands behind the Hold Cross Church today. Local women were taught needlepoint lacemaking here which garnered them international fame; the upstairs Kenmare lace and design centre still has displays.

The buzzy town is full of lovely shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants making it a prime stop for some lunch and a pint.

To see Kenmare Bay you could take a Seafari cruise and savour the chance to explore the wildlife living in Kerry’s Kenmare Bay. From the pier, the cruise will take you to the seal colony, one of the biggest in the country, with over 300 seals living there. Other sights include otters, bird life and ancient stone castles.