Tralee makes a great base for exploring the Kerry coast… and the food isn’t bad, either
We arrive in Tralee on a Monday afternoon. But far from the Monday blues, the town is buzzing with anticipation for the evening ahead.
As much as we’d like to believe our appearance is what has caused all this excitement, we are but two travellers to this famous Kerry town. For this particular week, people have travelled from all over the world to attend The Rose of Tralee International Festival.
And where better place to stay for such festivities than The Rose Hotel (therosehotel.com), a beautiful spot just outside of the town centre. As we pull up to the car park, we can already see men and women dolled up for the night ahead as we make our way to our spacious room to find some delicious chocolates and note welcoming us to Tralee.
After dropping off our bags, we head into town via the Park of Tralee to Cassidy’s on Abbey Street (066 712-8833). This charming little restaurant could easily be mistaken for someone’s home – just the small-town feel we were looking for on our break from the big city. The set menu boasts an impressive list of options and is a steal at under €30 for three courses.
I opt for the crispy button mushrooms with garlic sauce to start and a minute steak for the main with some vegetables on the side. It’s a tasty meal, especially for the price, but the part I am most excited for is the dessert. When you see the phrase “triple chocolate Oreo lasagne” on a menu, you simply have to order it. While it does appear to be more cake than lasagne when it arrives, the flavour does not disappoint.
After dinner, we take a wander around the town to enjoy some of the street events. We stop at The Square for some live music and pitch up on an outdoor table at The Fiddler so we can enjoy a pint along with the hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s the band are rocking out.
We wander down Denny Street to find a Johnny Cash impersonator on stage in front of the Kerry County Museum and, after enjoying a few country stylings, head back to The Rose Hotel for some sleep.
On our second day, we make our way across town to Tralee Bike Rental (traleebikerental.ie) to pick up our e-bikes and cycle the Tralee to Fenit Greenway. They even hooked us up with some suncream, as I had pessimistically forgotten to pack any.
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It was my first time cycling with electronic assistance and let me tell you, this is the way to travel. The Greenway itself runs for about 15km along the old railway line from the heart of Tralee right out to the delightful town of Fenit on the coast. It’s a mostly flat cycle with gorgeous views of rolling fields and mountains, as well as some friendly cows along the way. The e-bikes make it a breeze so you can really take in the view.
Once in Fenit, we take a stroll down the pier and admire the statue of St Brendan before stopping into Mike’s Café (Instagram: @beachcafefenit) for a quick treat. While the exterior was still undergoing renovations, the inside of the café is decorated with a fun and colourful nautical theme.
One blueberry and lemon drizzle cake later, we head to the harbour for our sea safari (fenitseasafari.ie) where our guide Garry greets us and gets us kitted out (including suncream). While the website says the trip is two hours, Garry says he regularly goes over that mark and offers to take us out for another hour if we want. I would have stayed on that boat all day if I could.
As we leave the harbour, Garry says we might find a pod of dolphins nearby but reminds us there is no guarantee with wild animals. We needn’t have worried as within five minutes, they are swimming alongside the boat as we move through Tralee Bay.
We then head around to Barrow Bay where fledgling cormorants are learning to hunt for themselves. Garry regales us with tales of how various smugglers had snuck contraband into the country through these shores over the years, from the vikings to the Irish war of independence. Then it’s off to see a colony of seals on a nearby cluster of rocks.
Garry’s knowledge of both the history and nature of the area is as impressive as it is engaging. After giving the same tour for so many years, you might forgive a guide for falling into an overly-rehearsed spiel, but it genuinely felt like we were having a conversation with Garry about a subject he loved.
As we make our way to Brandon Bay, we spot some dolphins. While we were more than content with three dolphins earlier, now we are surrounded by around 30. And they are more than happy to put on a show, leaping fully out of the water as if to say “go on, put this on your Instagram story”.
Seeing a group of dolphins playing around in the wild is one of those natural wonders that will never get old no matter how many times you see it, like the northern lights or a sunrise. And as much as we wanted to stay for longer, it was time to return to shore and make our way back to Tralee along the Greenway once more.
We finish the night with a delicious meal at the Park Restaurant in The Rose. I order the chicken and Sneem black pudding roulade to start with an 8oz sirloin as the main. Both are delicious but not quite as impressive as the roast half Silverhill duck with truffled parsnip puree, orange glazed carrots, kale, and brandy-soaked raisin my partner orders. Thankfully, I am allowed to steal some of it for myself.
After watching the final night of the Rose of Tralee in the hotel bar, we head off to bed before heading back to Dublin the next day.
A brief trip, but one filled with adventure, excitement and delicious food.
Kevin was a guest of Fáilte Ireland; discoverireland.ie