Within its 26,000 acres, you’ll find the ruins of Muckross Abbey, old-growth forests, Torc Waterfall, Muckross House and Gardens, and a wide variety of rugged landscapes.

It’s an excellent place for a day’s cycle.

On a wild Saturday in February, I and my friend Kuba ended up joining Storm Ciara for a grand adventure.

We arrived by train, and found it to be fairly straightforward to bring our bicycles along with us. Iarnród Éireann allows bicycles on the train; sometimes in a car with a blue door and white bicycle emblem on smaller commuter trains, other times in a baggage car ahead of the first class cars on the longer trains. Train station employees were very helpful in directing me to the appropriate car (as well as leaving me know that cycling is not permitted on the platform!).

From the train station in Killarney, it is a quick cycle out of town along the N71, where a wide path accommodates cyclists, hikers, and horse-drawn carriages.

A Google Maps approximation of our route.

Our journey took us on a 20km circuit, first passing Muckross Abbey, a Franciscan Friary dating from the 1400s. It’s an incredible ruin, with many passages and staircases to explore, including a cloister with an incredible centuries-old yew tree at the centre.

Onwards along the path, we stopped at a beach near some rock formations jutting out into the lake. Here, there was much to explore, as waves lapped against razor-sharp and slippery rocks.

From there, we headed on to Dinis Cottage. It’s closed in the winter months but boasts some great tea and scones.

We stashed our bikes nearby and walked down to the old Weir bridge, enjoying the nearby forests and boglands blanketed by clouds and light rain. After that, it was back to collect our bikes and head on to Torc waterfall, which still managed to draw a busload or two of tourists despite the foul weather.

The last stop on our circuit was Muckross House. As we arrived, the wind began to howl louder, so we headed onwards, unwilling to be cast off our bicycles by strong winds! We arrived in town earlier than originally planned and thawed out with some O’Brien’s coffee upstairs in the Killarney Outlet Center. Then it was back on the train and off to Cork.

Despite the weather, it was an amazing few hours of exploration amidst some stunning scenery!