The Long Way RoundNotebook No 64August 2025
Cork and Kerry's quieter peninsula, driven slowly.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
When summer brings its throngs to the Ring of Kerry’s familiar byway, we often steer you toward the Beara Peninsula's quiet reaches. This is the Ireland we know and love, a place where the Atlantic speaks directly to you and life’s rhythm finds a slower tempo. We appreciate that most travellers overlook this route.
Slea Head
Our usual drive traces the coast from Glengarriff to Allihies, always with a stop in Castletownbere for a bowl of chowder that thoroughly warms us. The Healy Pass then offers its sharp ascents and descents before we rejoin civilization in Kenmare. We recommend you take this circuit.
This half-day journey avoids heavy traffic with an unbroken connection to the wild Atlantic.
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From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.
Last reviewed by the editors of The Ireland Edit
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