Killarney

Having spent the past week in Killarney, I have been astounded by what ends this town goes to to get things right for tourism. The national parks and fantastic scenery, extremely clean toilets, streets and public areas, pleasant staff everywhere, ample parking and no over zealous traffic wardens, live music and carnival atmosphere on the streets and in the pubs, ample shopping (although a local told me goods were cheapest outside the centre). Coach tours around the Ring of Kerry were 20€ including grub.
Most evident in the area were prices. Everything was reasonably priced, from coach trips, bicycle hire, horses and carriages, hotels, food and fuel. Fast food outlets were thin on the ground in the town centre, with only Eddie Rockets, Burger King and Dominoes. Most people electing to eat in the reasonable restaurants. This probably adds to the tidiness of the centre. I have been told there are 97 hotels and 137 b and b's in the town.
A visit to Muckross House with free parking in a dedicated campervan area was a day trip, beautiful grounds and restaurant, with only payment required if you wished to visit the main house tour.
Ross castle, again free parking.
Yes Killarney is only second to Dublin as a tourist attraction in Ireland, with coach loads of European and American visitors arriving non stop, but the town is full of hirecars and the campsite full of Motorhomers both international and domestic, with many tenters arriving by car, on foot or car.
I would have considered late August as the end of the season but was astounded by the crowds of tourists there. Most, 90% of the tourists were pension age, and a few local tourists that I spoke to had travelled on bus or train passes to spend a week there.
Councillors from Bundoran and Portrush to name one or two should serve an apprenticeship here to see how to run a holiday resort right.
My only problem is its too bloody far away for a weekend trip (6 hour 270 mile drive, with poor fuel economy ) , but I will certainly return next year. But if I win the lottery, I will have a Motorhome delivered there and fly I to Kerry airport.

You're right. I guess we take it for granted because it's only 60 miles away from us. We'd often drive over just to walk or cycle around the national park or head up into the mountains for some nice scenery. Its a lovely holiday destination and without fail, I always enjoy the holiday atmosphere when we're in the town.

I know several people that park their motorhomes overnight in very nice parking areas dotted around the outskirts of Killarney town and I am really looking forward to using our MH over there once we have it back on the road....

I wonder would they ever consider providing a decent 'aire' type motorhome parking area there, what a decent job that'd be...

Killarney Town is a buzz alright always lively and entertaining, but we and a lot of other motorhomers have stopped going there because of the complete rip off prices being charged by the campsite owners. the flesk is the biggest rip off in killarney for what you get for your money. when its wet you are bogged down on boggy grass and need to be towed off your pitch, when its dry you are smothered in dust from the track around the site both inside n outside your van is covered in white limey dust. you pay through the nose for hook up and the new stunt he ( the owner ) does is to turn off the electric around 11 pm in case you might use a heater to keep your van warm. does not matter to him that you have paid for the electricity, ( note is is illegal ) for anyone who provides a service to cut the supply of electricity to a customer without notice in case a life saving device eg life support device is required. this tight fisted man could have been responsible for causing the death of somebody when he started this latest stunt earlier in the year. on the weekend friends of ours whom were there in the flesk demanded the money they had been charged for hook up to be returned to them so his little stunt backfired. flemings ( white bridge ) are also ridiculous with the prices they charge it is a nicer site than the flesk but the charges for everything are madness. there is a little site out the cork road that charges reasonable rates but it is so far out you need to drive into town and as we all know there are no places in killarney to park a motorhome for a few hours to go shopping,, sight seeing etc. so we believe an airs such as the new one in cobh co cork would be a big benefit to killarney it would help motorhome owners to spend their euros in the local economy and would entice a lot more visitors to the town. even if each motorhome had to pay 5 or 10 euro per night to stay on the airs or dedicated parking area it would bring extra moneys to the killarney town council also. if killarney had a dedicated parking area for motorhomes with say 30 parking bays they would be full every night bring a nice bonus for the town council. again a limit of 48 hours should be imposed on all motorhomes using the facility as in cobh where it works well.

I also have had some bad experiences in the Flesk, but only with the owner. Lets just say his PR skills leave a lot to be desired. The ONLY time I camp in the Flesk is during the bikefest and only because its 5 min walk to the event centre... Other than that I generally don't go near the place.

Can anyone here actually confirm that the EHU is switched off at 11pm in the Flesk? First hand experience preferably, not hearsay please. I find it very hard to believe the power would be switched off considering the rate for EHU is €5 per night.

Its a good campsite in my opinion, generally kept tidy and a good layout, but it IS overpriced (as are most campsites).

Hi Guys with regards to the electric being turned off ( NOT HEAR SAY ). My sister and her husband were on the site that weekend and I assure you this is Indeed true. Her husband confronted the owner the following morning and after a big argument which was over heard by others on the site who also confronted the owner their money's for electric hook up was returned in fact the full cost of the nights stay was offered to them after threats to inform Health n Safety, Tourism Ireland, and other Government bodies. This was declined as all they wanted was to be recompensed for the EHU. They felt that they had used the site for other uses and felt obliged to pay for same. All they wanted was to be treated with fairness and respect. Some then left the site while others decided to stay and finish out their weekend. I have sense hear the same story from a few other motorhomers who have vowed never to return to Killarney. I'm sure though that this decision would be withdrawn if a dedicated parking area for Motorhomes was to be installed in the Town.

i wouldnt boycott killarney just because of this scrooge,
i would just boycott his site and let him know about it some way or other, to rightly p**s him off,

i think killarney has a lot to offer with reasonable prices for most things, (except sites it seems)

Jim bob,
I have to agree with you, I don't know of any place near the town other than the sites to park over night. We stayed in the Flesk a couple of times and it is a rip off especially 5euro for ehu. The last time I stayed there the guy in reception told me that Motorhome owners were a pain always whinging about prices. (I wonder why?) Another thing, what are you suppose to do when the sites are closed for the winter and I don't think you will ever see a Aire there because there are too many hotels owners that look down there noses at us.

Hi all,I am heading off this Friday from Co Down, the plan is to head for Enniskillen turn left and join the Shannon and meander staying at Waterway stops down to Limerick.done this a few years ago so hopefully will be just as good.From Limerick would like to spend a couple (may be more) days at Killarney. Having read the threads on this controversial motorhome patch my research tells me to stay out of the sites in town, this has convinced me to load the scooter onto the trailer giving us independence. Donoghues White Villa Farm Lissivigeen are doing 3nights EHU free Wifi €1shower for€60 to me that sounds a good deal.The other one is Beech Grove C&C Fossa € 20 EHU plus Wifi free €1.30 Shower per night. Might get better deal for more nights, Would appreciate any comments on these sites After that over to Cobh and then East coast. Thanks to all for the super threads on Killarney this is why we are Paid up members.

We stayed in White Villa Farm a couple of years ago and it was very nice. Clean and tidy but a little out of town. The bus stops at the gate if you wave as it passes.

We did walk to town one or twice too.
If you have a scooter it would be a great place to stay.

I just remembered we also camped in the White villas campsite one time. Its a bit smaller than the Fossa site, but it is closer to the centre of Killarney town, maybe a mile or two.

If I had to choose between the two, I'd probably go for the White Villas purely as it was a bit more of an open plan site, with less mature trees.

The parking spaces in Cobh are generous in size but if you plan to leave the trailer attached to your van, I don't know if it'd all fit within the marked parking bay?

Having said that, there is plenty of room adjacent to the MH parking area that I'm sure you could park up without being in anyone's way.... There was an extra long camper parked across from the general assembly of vans the last time we were there, and it seemed there was room to fit another few vans...

Was there myself about 2 weeks ago my own van is 9.2mtr I parked on the left just before the bottle banks and CCTV was a bit apprehensive myself before I got there but not when I seen the place
Stayed two nights no problem closer to the railway lines but no problem had a very enjoyable stay hope you have the same thanks Baz.