The
Towns
Ballybunion
Cahirciveen
Castleisland
Dingle
Farrenfore
Fenit
Kenmare
Killarney
Kilorglin
Listowel
Sneem
Tralee
Waterville
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Traditionally,
Ireland's premier tourist destination is County
Kerry in the South West of Ireland.
Affectionately known as 'The Kingdom', Kerry has
some of the best leisure facilities and
attractions in the country. The county is divided
into two distinct areas by the terrain. North
Kerry is defined by green rolling hills and sandy
beaches while the south and west is a magnificent
rugged mountainous landscape dotted with lakes
(Ring of Kerry), numerous ancient sites and a
thriving tradition of Irish culture and music.
The Skellig and Blasket Islands off the Kerry
coast offer unspoiled beauty.
Covering an area of 1,815 square miles, County
Kerry has a population of over 125,000, most of
whom live in or near the urban centres. The name
Kerry (Ciarrai) stems from Ciar (son of Fergus,
King of Ulster), whose descendants occupied this
part of Munster. Irish heritage is still
prevalent in the irish speaking (Gaeltacht) areas
of Corcha Dhibhne, the Dingle Peninsula and
Iveragh Peninsula, Uibh Rathach.
Visitors to Kerry can enjoy world class golf at
Ballybunion, Killarney and Waterville, superb
accommodation across the county, excellent
watersports, fishing, sea angling, horse riding
and hill walking. Traditional Irish entertainment
and music is to be found in many charming pubs
and at the National Folk Theatre (Siamsa Tire) in
Tralee. The warm Gulf Stream brings wonderful
marine life to the coastal waters of County Kerry
which has contributed to Sea World at Fenit and
the Dingle Marina and Aquarium.
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| The
principal towns and cities of the county
are:- |
Tralee
is the county capital of Kerry, although
Killarney has long been one of the most
popular tourist destinations in Kerry and
Ireland. Other significant towns are
Dingle, Kenmare, Ballybunion,
Cahirciveen, Listowel, Castleisland,
Sneem, Farrenfore, Kilorglin, Waterville
and Fenit.
Please see town guides for further
information. |
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| Business
Information |
Agriculture
(dairy and sheep) and food production is
the largest income generator in Kerry and
would employ 25% of the labour force in
the county. Fishing, aquaculture and
forestry are also significant and growing
economic sectors. The manufacturing
industry can be found in Kerry, the
larger concerns are generally located in
urban areas. This sector is divided into
building and construction, electricity
and gas, mining and other smaller niche
localized industries.
Tourism is a major source of revenue and
business for County Kerry including
restaurants, retail outlets,
accommodation, leisure centres and
specialist tourist attractions. Services
are a growing sector for the county with
opportunities for new businesses to meet
the needs both locally and nationally.
County Kerry is divided into two sections
for many administrative purposes. North
Kerry comes under the auspices of
Limerick and the Shannon Region whilst
the south of Kerry is governed by Cork
for IDA and Enterprise Ireland
initiatives. The County Kerry Enterprise
Board is based in Tralee. The Leader
Partnership is also divided into two
bodies, north and south, to accommodate
the whole county for small business
funding and development. |
| |
| Helpful
contact details for business enquiries |
| County
Kerry Enterprise Board |
|
tel:
(353) (0)66 21111 |
| Enterprise
Ireland (Cork office) |
tel:
(353) (0)21 271251 |
| Enterprise
Ireland (Limerick office) |
tel:
(353) (0)61 410122 |
| North
Kerry Together Limited |
tel:
(353) (0)68 23429 |
| Slibh
Luachra |
tel:
(353) (0)66 42576 |
| Leader
Group |
tel:
(353) (0)66 20390 |
| South
Kerry Partnership |
tel:
(353) (0)66 72724 |
|
| Other
sources of finance applicable to buiness
start up, development and acquisition,
and related services: |
| Credit
Unions |
|
tel:
(353) (0)1 4908911 |
| National
Irish Bank |
tel:
(353) (0)1 6785066 |
| Ulster
Bank (Small Business Unit) |
tel:
(353) (0)1 6777623 |
| Bank of
Ireland Enterprise Support Unit |
contact
any branch |
| Smurfit
Job Creation Enterprise Fund |
tel:
(353) (0)1 4784091 |
| |
| The
Dept. Of Enterprise, Trade and
Employment: TEL (353) (0)1 661
4444; www.irlgov.ie/entemp
has extensive and very helpful advice on
all aspects of business employment in
Ireland, including a business start up
information pack which is superbly put
together and includes everything from
planning, funding, locating, employing
people and business development. |
| |
| Travel
(also see town guides) |
| County Kerry sits in the southwest corner of Ireland and is accessible by road, rail and air. Ferry crossings from Europe are all on the east coast of Ireland. The nearest ferry port to County Kerry is Ringaskiddy in County Cork. Kerry Airport is located at Farrenfore with flights to and from Dublin, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and London Stanstead. Irish rail (Iarnrod Eireann) operate a regular train service between Dublin, Tralee, Farrenfore, Rathmore and Killarney. In addition to their regular County Kerry service, Bus Eireann operate a Ring of Kerry route. |
| Tourism, Leisure and Accommodation |
| Please see town guides |
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All photographs on this page © insight email pprice@indigo.ie