Ireland · Ring of Kerry Touring Day
A 161 km loop from Moll’s Gap
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Why this ride
Atlantic edges and Irish touring rhythm. A 161 km loop that starts and ends near Kenmare, about 3 h 06 of riding. On the way it passes Waterville coast and Kerry cliffs. Moll’s Gap is the high point. The passes are the reason to go.
Roadbook
- Moll’s Gap
pass · 260 m
Moll's Gap is the point where the road from Killarney to Kenmare tops out in the mountains of south Kerry, and for most riders on the Ring of Kerry it comes as the finale rather than the start. The N71 climbs from the lakes through bare, boggy hills and then drops to a car park and a roadside café with a view that can only be described as large. Below you the land falls to the valley of the Owenreagh, and across the way the dark summits of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, the highest mountains in Ireland, show their ragged outline.
The gap takes its name from a woman called Moll, who ran a shebeen, an illicit drinking house, on the road when it was built in the 1820s, and who is said to have kept the workers well supplied. The road was one of a set of new routes cut through these roadless hills in the same decades. Further on, the viewpoint known as Ladies' View, a few kilometres toward Killarney, was named for the ladies of Queen Victoria's court who admired the lakes during her visit in 1861. The lakes and woods of Killarney National Park spread out below, and the park holds the only native herd of red deer in Ireland.
On a motorcycle, this is a lovely, flowing piece of road, with smooth surfaces, easy curves and long views, though the traffic can be heavy in summer, when coaches drive the Ring of Kerry in an anticlockwise direction, nose to tail. Overtaking is risky, and the best way to deal with them is to go clockwise, or to start early. Weather comes straight from the Atlantic, so showers, mist and a sudden hard wind are all part of the day, and a good waterproof is not optional. In summer, midges can attack at rest stops.
Fuel is not available at the gap, so fill up in Killarney, seventeen kilometres away, or in Kenmare, a pretty town on the other side with good restaurants and pubs. The café at the summit sells tea, soup and scones, and is a fine place to finish a day.
- Kenmare food
food
Kenmare is the tidy, well-fed town at the head of the bay of the same name, in the south-west corner of County Kerry, and it is one of those places where a stop for lunch tends to turn into an afternoon. The streets are laid out in the shape of an X, with colourful shopfronts, flower baskets, and a surprising density of good cafes and restaurants for a town of this size. Mountains rise to the north and south, and the broad estuary of the Kenmare River stretches away to the west.
The town sits between two of Ireland's famous peninsulas, the Iveragh, with its Ring of Kerry, and the Beara, wilder and emptier. Kenmare is the natural base for both, and riders arrive from Killarney over the high road through the Moll's Gap, a fine climb with views over the mountains. There is also a prehistoric stone circle on the edge of town, one of the largest in the south-west of Ireland, with a boulder in the centre and a quiet, slightly eerie atmosphere. Kenmare is also known for its lace, which was made by nuns in the nineteenth century as a way of giving local women work.
For a motorcyclist, Kenmare is a fine place to rest and refuel. The town has pumps, shops, and plenty of places to eat, from pubs serving seafood chowder and brown bread to more ambitious restaurants. Fresh fish and shellfish from the bay are a highlight, and the local cheeses and lamb are excellent. The roads out of town are good, though the Ring of Kerry in summer can be crowded with coaches, and the narrow bends and blind corners need care. The Healy Pass on the Beara side is a spectacular alternative, with tight hairpins and a rougher surface.
Weather in Kerry is changeable, and rain can arrive at any moment, so carry a waterproof layer and expect a mix of sun and showers in a single afternoon. Spring and early autumn are the best seasons, with fewer crowds and clear light, while summer brings long evenings but more traffic. Cill Airne, the Irish name for Killarney, is the bigger town about twenty kilometres to the north-east. Kenmare itself has all you need, and the pace of life is unhurried.
- Waterville coast
photo
The coast near Waterville is where the Ring of Kerry earns its reputation. The road runs along a narrow strip between the mountains and the sea, and on a clear day the views open across Ballinskelligs Bay toward the Skellig Islands, two jagged rocks that rise from the Atlantic about twelve kilometres offshore. The larger of them, Skellig Michael, holds the remains of an early medieval monastery, perched among the cliffs, where monks lived in stone beehive huts above the roaring sea. It is one of the most remarkable monastic sites anywhere, and it can be seen from the road on a good day.
Waterville is a small seaside town, with a long promenade, a few cafes, and a statue of Charlie Chaplin, who holidayed here with his family in the 1960s and fell in love with the place. Lough Currane, a large freshwater lake behind the town, is famous for its salmon and sea trout, and the surrounding hills are dotted with ancient ring forts and stone crosses. The people here speak both Irish and English, and the culture of music, storytelling, and tea with brown bread is still strong.
The riding is superb but needs attention. The road from Waterville toward Cahersiveen climbs and dips along the coast, with long bends, steep descents, and sometimes a surface that is patched or bumpy. Near Coomakista Pass, the view opens over the sea and islands, and there is a lay-by that is worth a stop. The weather can change in minutes: sunshine can give way to driving rain, and the wind off the Atlantic can be strong. Coach traffic in summer slows everything, so early starts help.
Fuel is available in Waterville and Cahersiveen, about fourteen kilometres away, and it is wise to fill up before riding the more remote parts of the coast. Dingle, across the water to the north, is the next larger place, though it is a long way round by road. There are plenty of cafes and pubs for lunch, and a bowl of seafood chowder is a good bet. Late spring and early autumn offer the best light and the fewest crowds. Wear good waterproofs, and let the weather decide the pace.
- Kerry cliffs
sight
The Kerry Cliffs are the sort of place that makes you stop talking. They rise about three hundred metres from the Atlantic, near the western tip of the Iveragh Peninsula, a wall of old red sandstone that drops almost vertically into the sea. Out beyond the edge, the Skellig rocks stand like two stone sails, Skellig Michael with its early monastery clinging to the summit, and its smaller companion crowded with seabirds. The Kerry Cliffs are a good place to see them without the crowds, with gannets, fulmars and choughs wheeling below.
A short walk from the car park leads along a path to a series of viewing platforms, and the wind here is a permanent part of the scenery. Keep back from the edge, because gusts can be fierce, the ground is soft after rain, and there are no safety walls.
Getting here is half the pleasure. Most tourists follow the famous Ring of Kerry in the same direction, with convoys of coaches in summer. The Skellig Ring is a quieter loop off the main road, through Portmagee and Ballinskelligs, with small, narrow and rolling roads along the coast, wide Atlantic views and often not another vehicle for miles. The surface is variable, with patched tarmac, a few tight bends and sheep on the road, so ride at a pace that lets you look. The wind and weather are changeable. A sunny morning can turn to driving rain in twenty minutes, and the light between showers is some of the best in Ireland. Midweek in May, June or September is best.
Portmagee is a small harbour village with pubs serving seafood and good coffee, and it is the departure point for boat trips to the Skelligs, weather permitting. Fill up before you come out here.
The landscape around is old, bare and green, and the weather arrives from America across the open sea. It is worth sitting still for a few minutes and watching the water change colour.
- Back to Moll’s Gap
finish · 260 m
Back at Moll’s Gap. That is the ride.