County Kerry
Encyclopedia
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich
. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective describing a dark complexion. The suffix raighe, meaning people/tribe, is found in various -ry place names in Ireland, such as Osry – Osraighe Deer-People/Tribe. The county's nickname is the Kingdom.
, Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond
was confirmed in the feudal seniority of the entire county palatine
of Kerry, to him and his heirs male, to hold of the Crown by the service of one knight's fee. In the 15th century, the majority of the area now known as County Kerry was still part of the County Desmond
, the west Munster seat of the Earl of Desmond
, a branch of the Hiberno-Norman
FitzGerald dynasty, known as the Geraldines.
, one of the most infamous massacres of the Sixteenth century, the Siege of Smerwick, took place at Dún an Óir near Ard na Caithne
(Smerwick) at the tip of the Dingle Peninsula
. The 600-strong Italian, Spanish and Irish papal invasion force of James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald
was besieged by the English forces and massacred.
In 1588 when the fleet of the Spanish Armada in Ireland
were returning to Spain
during stormy weather, many of their ships sought shelter at the Blasket Islands
and some were wrecked.
During the Nine Years War, Kerry was again the scene of conflict, as the O'Sullivan Beare clan joined the rebellion. In 1602, their castle at Dunboy
was besieged and taken
by English troops. Donal O'Sullivan
Beare, in an effort to escape English retribution and to reach his allies in Ulster
, marched all the clan's members and dependents to the north of Ireland. Due to harassment by hostile forces and the freezing weather, very few of the 1,000 O'Sullivans who set out reached their destination.
In the aftermath of the War, much of the native owned land in Kerry was confiscated and given to English settlers or 'planters'. The head of the MacCarthy Mor family, Florence MacCarthy
was imprisoned in London and his lands were divided between his relatives and colonists from England, such as the Browne family.
In the 1640s, Kerry was engulfed by the Irish Rebellion of 1641
, an attempt by Irish Catholics to take power in the Protestant Kingdom of Ireland
. The rebellion in Kerry was led by Donagh McCarthy, 1st Viscount Muskerry. McCarthy held the county during the subsequent Irish Confederate Wars
and his forces were some of the last to surrender to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
in 1652. The last stronghold to fall was Ross Castle
, near Killarney.
as their main food source. As a result, when the potato crop failed in 1845, Kerry was very hard hit by the Great Irish Famine of 1845–49. In the wake of the famine, many thousands of poor farmers emigrated to seek a better life in America and elsewhere. Kerry was to remain a source of emigration until recent times. Another long term consequence of the famine was the Land War
of the 1870s and 1880s, in which tenant farmers agitated, sometimes violently for better terms from their landlords.
(1919–21) and Irish Civil War
(1922–23). In the war of Independence, the Irish Republican Army
fought a guerrilla war against the Royal Irish Constabulary
, and British military. One of the more prominent incidents in the conflict in Kerry, were the "siege of Tralee" in November 1920. when the Black and Tans
placed Tralee under curfew for a week, burned many homes and shot dead a number of local people in retaliation for the IRA killing of five local policemen the night before. Another was the Headford Junction ambush
in spring 1921, when IRA units ambushed a train carrying British soldiers outside Killarney. About twenty British soldiers, three civilians and two IRA men were killed in the ensuing gun battle. Violence between the IRA and the British was ended in July 1921, but nine men, four British soldiers and five IRA men, were killed in a shootout in Castleisland on the day of the truce itself, indicating the bitterness of the conflict in Kerry.
Following the Anglo-Irish Treaty
, most of the Kerry IRA units opposed the settlement. In the ensueing civil war between pro and anti-treaty elements, Kerry was perhaps the worst affected area of Ireland. Initially the county was held by the Anti-Treaty IRA but it was taken for the Irish Free State
after seaborne landings
by Free State troops at Fenit
and Listowel. Thereafter the county saw a bitter guerrilla war between men who had been comrades only a year previously. The republicans, or "irregulars" mounted a number of successful actions, for example attacking and taking Kenmare
in September 1922. In March 1923, Kerry saw a series of massacres
of republican prisoners by National Army
soldiers in reprisal for the ambush of their men—the most notorious being the killing of eight men with mines at Ballyseedy, near Tralee. The internecine conflict was brought to an end in May 1923.
, Listowel and Tralee.
Elections to the town councils are held at the same time as those to the county council. Following the 2009 elections, the party strengths on each council is as follows:
by six TDs returned from two parliamentary constituencies. Following boundary changes in 2011, County Kerry, along with western parts of County Limerick
, returns six TDs to the Dáil. Each of the following constituencies returns three deputies to the Dáil: Kerry North–West Limerick and Kerry South. The TDs elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann
at the 2011 general election were:
Kerry North–West Limerick:
Kerry South:
, Irish traditional music
, song and dance. Corca Dhuibhne and Uíbh Ráthach are considered Gaeltacht
regions.
Kerry is known for its senior Gaelic football team
. Gaelic football is the dominant sport in the county, and Kerry has the most successful of all football teams; the Kerry footballers have won the Sam Maguire
cup 36 times, with the next nearest team Dublin
on 22 wins. Hurling
is popular at club level in north Kerry, although the county has only won one All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
, in 1891. The senior team currently compete in the Christy Ring Cup
. A move to further the growth of cricket
in the county was underway following Ireland's performance at the 2011 Cricket World Cup
.
Kerry, with its mountains, lakes and Atlantic coastline is among the most scenic areas in Ireland and is among the most significant tourist destinations in Ireland. Killarney is the centre of the tourism industry, which is a significant element of the economy in Kerry. The Kerry Way
, Dingle Way
and Beara Way
are walking routes in the county. The Ring of Kerry
on the Iveragh Peninsula
is a popular route for tourists and cyclists. The pedestrian version is the scenic Kerry Way
which follows ancient paths generally higher than that adopted by the Ring of Kerry.
Attractions:
and The Kerry's Eye
, published in Tralee, and The Kingdom, published in Killarney.
The county has a commercial radio station, Radio Kerry
, which commenced operations in 1990. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
has a studio in Baile na nGall
in the West Kerry gaeltacht
.
and the N69 road
from Limerick and the N22 road
from Cork
each terminating in Tralee. The N23 road
from Castleisland to Farranfore also connects these roads. Within Kerry, the well-known Ring of Kerry
follows the N70 road
, a National Secondary Route which circles the Iveragh Peninsula and links at Kenmare with the N71 road to west Cork
. Bus Eireann
operates an extensive bus service network on routes throughout the county with connection hubs in Killarney and Tralee.
Also in County Kerry, the N86 road connects Tralee with Dingle, from Dingle you can take the R559 ring road to reach Sybil Point, which is one of the most westernly fringes of County Kerry and indeed the south of Ireland.
Kerry airport is situated on the N22 in Farranfore just south of Tralee and north of Killarney.
at Tralee, Farranfore, Killarney and Rathmore which connect to Cork and Dublin, via Mallow
.
Branch line services existed to each of the peninsula (Beara, Iveragh and Dingle) and also to the north of the county. They were closed during the rationalisations of the 1950s and 1960s.
Listowel to Ballybunion had the distinction of operating experimental Lartigue Monorail
services from 1882 to 1924. A 500m section was re-established in 2003. A road-car route, the Prince of Wales Route, was a link from Bantry
to Killarney, operated by the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway
as a service for tourists.
is located at Farranfore in the centre of the county and has operated scheduled services since 1989. Destinations served as of 2010 are Dublin, London
(Stansted
& Luton
), Frankfurt-Hahn Airport
, Faro, Portugal
and Alicante
all operated by Ryanair
. Aer Arann
also operate an all year round service to Manchester
.
harbour near Tralee is a regional harbour capable of handling ships of up to 17,000 tonnes. Large container cranes from Liebherr
s in Killarney are regularly exported worldwide. A rail-link to the port was closed in the 1970s. The harbour at Dingle
is one of Ireland's secondary fishing ports. In the north of the county, a ferry service operates from Tarbert, to Killimer in County Clare
.
, Foley
, McCarthy
, Murphy, O'Connor
, O'Moriarty, Clifford, Kennelly
, McGrath, O'Carroll
, O'Sullivan
, O'Connell
, O'Donoghue
, O'Shea
, Quill
, Scannell
, Stack, Sugrue
and Tangney.
The area was also home to the Hiberno-Norman
families, the FitzMaurice
s and the Desmonds
, a branch of the FitzGeralds.
Titles in the British Peerage of Ireland
with a family seat in Kerry are
Viscount Valentia
appears to have been associated with lands in County Armagh
, rather than Kerry
Historical:
Literary & Musical:
Political:
Sport:
Fergus mac Róich
Fergus mac Róich is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective describing a dark complexion. The suffix raighe, meaning people/tribe, is found in various -ry place names in Ireland, such as Osry – Osraighe Deer-People/Tribe. The county's nickname is the Kingdom.
Lordship of Ireland
On August 27, 1329, by Letters PatentLetters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
, Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond
Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond
Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond was an Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Ireland, Captain of Desmond Castle in Kinsale, so-called ruler of Munster, and for a short time Lord Justice of Ireland....
was confirmed in the feudal seniority of the entire county palatine
County palatine
A county palatine or palatinate is an area ruled by an hereditary nobleman possessing special authority and autonomy from the rest of a kingdom or empire. The name derives from the Latin adjective palatinus, "relating to the palace", from the noun palatium, "palace"...
of Kerry, to him and his heirs male, to hold of the Crown by the service of one knight's fee. In the 15th century, the majority of the area now known as County Kerry was still part of the County Desmond
County Desmond
The Kingdom of Desmond was an historic kingdom located on the southwestern coast of Ireland. The name is Gaelic in origin - Deas-Mhumhain - which means South Munster...
, the west Munster seat of the Earl of Desmond
Earl of Desmond
The title of Earl of Desmond has been held historically by lords in Ireland, first as a title outside of the peerage system and later as part of the Peerage of Ireland....
, a branch of the Hiberno-Norman
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
FitzGerald dynasty, known as the Geraldines.
Kingdom of Ireland
In 1580, during the Second Desmond RebellionSecond Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the FitzGerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
, one of the most infamous massacres of the Sixteenth century, the Siege of Smerwick, took place at Dún an Óir near Ard na Caithne
Ard na Caithne
Ard na Caithne , meaning height of the arbutus or strawberry tree, known as Smerwick in English, in the heart of the Kerry Gaeltacht is one of the principal bays of Corca Dhuibhne. It is nestled at the foot of An Triúr Deirfiúr and Cnoc Bhréanainn, which at is the highest mountain in the Brandon...
(Smerwick) at the tip of the Dingle Peninsula
Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the major peninsulae in County Kerry. Its ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland.-Name:...
. The 600-strong Italian, Spanish and Irish papal invasion force of James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald
James FitzMaurice FitzGerald
James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald was a member of the 16th century ruling Geraldine dynasty in the province of Munster in Ireland. He rebelled against the crown authority of Queen Elizabeth I of England in response to the onset of the Tudor conquest of Ireland and was deemed an archtraitor...
was besieged by the English forces and massacred.
In 1588 when the fleet of the Spanish Armada in Ireland
Spanish Armada in Ireland
The Spanish Armada in Ireland refers to the landfall made upon the coast of Ireland in September 1588 of a large portion of the 130-strong fleet sent by Philip II to invade England....
were returning to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
during stormy weather, many of their ships sought shelter at the Blasket Islands
Blasket Islands
The Blasket Islands are a group of islands off the west coast of Ireland, forming part of County Kerry. They were inhabited until 1953 by a completely Irish-speaking population. The inhabitants were evacuated to the mainland on 17 November 1953...
and some were wrecked.
During the Nine Years War, Kerry was again the scene of conflict, as the O'Sullivan Beare clan joined the rebellion. In 1602, their castle at Dunboy
Dunboy Castle
Dunboy Castle was a stronghold of the O'Sullivan Bere, a Gaelic clan leader and 'Chief of Dunboy'. The castle is located on the Beara Peninsula in south-west Ireland near the town of Castletownbere and was built to guard and defend the harbour of Berehaven...
was besieged and taken
Siege of Dunboy
The Siege of Dunboy took place at Dunboy Castle on 5–18 June 1602, during the Nine Years' War in Ireland. It was one of the last battles of the conflict and was a victory for the English Army.-The Castle:...
by English troops. Donal O'Sullivan
Donal O'Sullivan
Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare, Prince of Beare, 1st Count of Berehaven was the last independent ruler of the O'Sullivan Beara sept, and thus the last O'Sullivan Beare, a Gaelic princely title, in the southwest of Ireland during the early seventeenth century, when the English were attempting to...
Beare, in an effort to escape English retribution and to reach his allies in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, marched all the clan's members and dependents to the north of Ireland. Due to harassment by hostile forces and the freezing weather, very few of the 1,000 O'Sullivans who set out reached their destination.
In the aftermath of the War, much of the native owned land in Kerry was confiscated and given to English settlers or 'planters'. The head of the MacCarthy Mor family, Florence MacCarthy
Florence MacCarthy
Finnian or Fínghin mac Donnchadh Mac Cárthaigh , known to the English as Florence MacCarthy, was an Irish prince of the late 16th century and the last credible claimant to the MacCarthy Mór title before its suppression by English authority...
was imprisoned in London and his lands were divided between his relatives and colonists from England, such as the Browne family.
In the 1640s, Kerry was engulfed by the Irish Rebellion of 1641
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
, an attempt by Irish Catholics to take power in the Protestant Kingdom of Ireland
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
. The rebellion in Kerry was led by Donagh McCarthy, 1st Viscount Muskerry. McCarthy held the county during the subsequent Irish Confederate Wars
Irish Confederate Wars
This article is concerned with the military history of Ireland from 1641-53. For the political context of this conflict, see Confederate Ireland....
and his forces were some of the last to surrender to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...
in 1652. The last stronghold to fall was Ross Castle
Ross Castle
Ross Castle is the ancestral home of the O'Donoghue clan though it is better known for its association with the Brownes of Killarney who owned it until recently...
, near Killarney.
United Kingdom
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Kerry became increasingly populated by poor tenant farmers, who came to rely on the potatoPotato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
as their main food source. As a result, when the potato crop failed in 1845, Kerry was very hard hit by the Great Irish Famine of 1845–49. In the wake of the famine, many thousands of poor farmers emigrated to seek a better life in America and elsewhere. Kerry was to remain a source of emigration until recent times. Another long term consequence of the famine was the Land War
Land War
The Land War in Irish history was a period of agrarian agitation in rural Ireland in the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s. The agitation was led by the Irish National Land League and was dedicated to bettering the position of tenant farmers and ultimately to a redistribution of land to tenants from...
of the 1870s and 1880s, in which tenant farmers agitated, sometimes violently for better terms from their landlords.
Modern times
In the 20th century, Kerry was one of the counties most affected by the Irish War of IndependenceIrish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
(1919–21) and Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
(1922–23). In the war of Independence, the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
fought a guerrilla war against the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
, and British military. One of the more prominent incidents in the conflict in Kerry, were the "siege of Tralee" in November 1920. when the Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...
placed Tralee under curfew for a week, burned many homes and shot dead a number of local people in retaliation for the IRA killing of five local policemen the night before. Another was the Headford Junction ambush
Headford Ambush
The Headford Ambush took place on 21 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence.The Second Kerry Brigade of the Irish Republican Army ambushed a train carrying British troops at Headford Junction railway station...
in spring 1921, when IRA units ambushed a train carrying British soldiers outside Killarney. About twenty British soldiers, three civilians and two IRA men were killed in the ensuing gun battle. Violence between the IRA and the British was ended in July 1921, but nine men, four British soldiers and five IRA men, were killed in a shootout in Castleisland on the day of the truce itself, indicating the bitterness of the conflict in Kerry.
Following the Anglo-Irish Treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
, most of the Kerry IRA units opposed the settlement. In the ensueing civil war between pro and anti-treaty elements, Kerry was perhaps the worst affected area of Ireland. Initially the county was held by the Anti-Treaty IRA but it was taken for the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
after seaborne landings
Irish Free State offensive
The Irish Free State offensive of July–September 1922 was the decisive military stroke of the Irish Civil War. It was carried out by the National Army of the newly created Irish Free State against anti-treaty strongholds in the south and southwest of Ireland....
by Free State troops at Fenit
Fenit
Fenit is a small village in County Kerry, Ireland, located on north side of Tralee Bay about west of Tralee town, just south of the Shannon Estuary. The bay is enclosed from the Atlantic by the Maharee spit which extends northwards from the Dingle peninsula...
and Listowel. Thereafter the county saw a bitter guerrilla war between men who had been comrades only a year previously. The republicans, or "irregulars" mounted a number of successful actions, for example attacking and taking Kenmare
Kenmare
Kenmare is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the anglicised form of Ceann Mara meaning "head of the sea", referring to the head of Kenmare Bay.-Location:...
in September 1922. In March 1923, Kerry saw a series of massacres
Executions during the Irish Civil War
The executions during the Irish Civil War took place during the guerrilla phase of the Irish Civil War . This phase of the war was bitter, and both sides, the government forces of the Irish Free State and the anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army insurgents, used executions and terror in what...
of republican prisoners by National Army
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
soldiers in reprisal for the ambush of their men—the most notorious being the killing of eight men with mines at Ballyseedy, near Tralee. The internecine conflict was brought to an end in May 1923.
County council
The principal local authority is Kerry County Council. The council provides a number of services including planning, roads maintenance, fire brigade, council housing, water supply, waste collection, recycling and landfill, higher education grants and funding for arts and culture.Town councils
An additional tier of local government exists in the three largest towns in the county, KillarneyKillarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
, Listowel and Tralee.
Elections to the town councils are held at the same time as those to the county council. Following the 2009 elections, the party strengths on each council is as follows:
| Party | Killarney | Listowel | Tralee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... |
1 | 4 | 3 | |
| Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
2 | 3 | 3 | |
| Labour Party Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
2 | 0 | 3 | |
| Sinn Féin Sinn Féin Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970... |
0 | 2 | 2 | |
| SKIA South Kerry Independent Alliance The South Kerry Independent Alliance is a minor political party in the Republic of Ireland. It was established by former Labour Party members in the 1990s based in the Kerry South constituency... |
1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... s |
3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total seats | 9 | 9 | 12 | |
Parliamentary representation
Kerry is represented in Dáil ÉireannDáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
by six TDs returned from two parliamentary constituencies. Following boundary changes in 2011, County Kerry, along with western parts of County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, returns six TDs to the Dáil. Each of the following constituencies returns three deputies to the Dáil: Kerry North–West Limerick and Kerry South. The TDs elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann
Members of the 31st Dáil
This is a list of the members who were elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2011 general election on 25 February 2011 and met at midday on 9 March 2011...
at the 2011 general election were:
Kerry North–West Limerick:
- Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan-Club:Deenihan had much success at club and divisional level with his local teams. At under-age level he won an under-14 North Kerry Championship with Finuge in 1963. Five years later in 1968 he won an under-16 North Kerry Championship with the famous Listowel Emmet's club...
(Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
) - Martin FerrisMartin FerrisMartin Ferris is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and a former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Kerry North–West Limerick constituency since 2002 and is one of fourteen Sinn Féin representatives in the current Dáil.-Early life:Ferris was born in...
(Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
) - Arthur SpringArthur SpringArthur Spring is an Irish Labour Party politician. He was elected as a Teachta Dála for the Kerry North–West Limerick constituency at the 2011 general election. He was elected to Kerry County Council and Tralee Town Council in 2009, and is a former Mayor of Tralee...
(Labour PartyLabour Party (Ireland)The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
)
Kerry South:
- Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry politician)Brendan Griffin is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He was elected as a Teachta Dála for the Kerry South constituency at the 2011 general election....
(Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
) - Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Irish politician)Tom Fleming is an independent politician in Ireland. He was elected at the 2011 general election to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for Kerry South....
(IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
) - Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae is an independent politician in Ireland. He was elected at the general election in February 2011 to the 31st Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for Kerry South....
(IndependentIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
)
Culture
As a region on the extremity of Ireland, culture of Kerry was less susceptible to outside influences and is associated with the Irish languageIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, Irish traditional music
Folk music of Ireland
The folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres in Ireland.-History:...
, song and dance. Corca Dhuibhne and Uíbh Ráthach are considered Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
regions.
Kerry is known for its senior Gaelic football team
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
. Gaelic football is the dominant sport in the county, and Kerry has the most successful of all football teams; the Kerry footballers have won the Sam Maguire
Sam Maguire Cup
The Sam Maguire Cup, often called The Sam , is the name of the cup that is awarded to winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
cup 36 times, with the next nearest team Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
on 22 wins. Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
is popular at club level in north Kerry, although the county has only won one All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
, in 1891. The senior team currently compete in the Christy Ring Cup
Christy Ring Cup
The Christy Ring Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 2005 for middle-ranking hurling teams in Ireland....
. A move to further the growth of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in the county was underway following Ireland's performance at the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
.
Places of Interest
Kerry Way
The Kerry Way is a long-distance trail in County Kerry, Ireland. It is a long circular trail that begins and ends in Killarney. It is typically completed in nine days. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Kerry...
, Dingle Way
Dingle Way
The Dingle Way is a long-distance trail around the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. It is a long circular route that begins and ends in Tralee. It is typically completed in eight days...
and Beara Way
Beara Way
The Beara Way is a long-distance trail in Ireland. It is a long circular trail around the Beara Peninsula that begins and ends in Glengarriff, County Cork. It is typically completed in nine days...
are walking routes in the county. The Ring of Kerry
Ring of Kerry
The Ring of Kerry is a tourist trail in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. The route covers the 179 km circular road , starting from Killarney, heading around the Iveragh Peninsula and passing through Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen and Killorglin...
on the Iveragh Peninsula
Iveragh Peninsula
The Iveragh Peninsula is located in County Kerry in Ireland. It is the largest peninsula in southwestern Ireland. A mountain range, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, lies in the centre of the peninsula...
is a popular route for tourists and cyclists. The pedestrian version is the scenic Kerry Way
Kerry Way
The Kerry Way is a long-distance trail in County Kerry, Ireland. It is a long circular trail that begins and ends in Killarney. It is typically completed in nine days. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Kerry...
which follows ancient paths generally higher than that adopted by the Ring of Kerry.
Attractions:
- Blasket IslandsBlasket IslandsThe Blasket Islands are a group of islands off the west coast of Ireland, forming part of County Kerry. They were inhabited until 1953 by a completely Irish-speaking population. The inhabitants were evacuated to the mainland on 17 November 1953...
- Carrauntoohil
- Ecclesiastical sites at ArdfertArdfertArdfert is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. Historically a religious centre, the economy of the locality is driven by agriculture and its position as a dormitory town, being only 8 km from Tralee.-Origin:...
- EightercuaEightercuaEightercua is a four-stone alignment Megalithic tomb, located 1.5 km south-south-east of Waterville, County Kerry, Ireland. The tallest stone reaches 9 feet in height, and the alignment streaches for twenty five feet in an east-west direction...
- Fenit Harbour
- Gallarus OratoryGallarus OratoryThe Gallarus Oratory is believed to be an early Christian church located on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland...
- Lakes of KillarneyLakes of KillarneyThe Lakes of Killarney are a renowned scenic attraction located near Killarney, County Kerry, in Ireland. They consist of three lakes - Lough Leane, Muckross Lake and Upper Lake.Lough Leane is the largest of the three lakes...
- Mount BrandonMount BrandonMount Brandon or Brandon Mountain is a 952 m mountain on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. It is the highest peak of the unnamed central mountain range of the Dingle Peninsula and the ninth highest peak in Ireland...
- Muckross HouseMuckross HouseMuckross House is located on the small Muckross Peninsula between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane, two of the lakes of Killarney, from the town of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland....
- Rattoo Round TowerBallyduff, County KerryBallyduff is a village near Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland. Located on R551 between Ballyheigue and Ballybunion on hills above Cashen Bay where the River Feale flows to the sea at the mouth of the River Shannon.- History :...
and Sheela na GigSheela Na GigSheela na gigs are figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are found on churches, castles and other buildings, particularly in Ireland and Britain, sometimes together with male figures. One of the best examples may be found in the Round Tower at Rattoo, in County... - Ring of KerryRing of KerryThe Ring of Kerry is a tourist trail in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. The route covers the 179 km circular road , starting from Killarney, heading around the Iveragh Peninsula and passing through Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen and Killorglin...
- Ross CastleRoss CastleRoss Castle is the ancestral home of the O'Donoghue clan though it is better known for its association with the Brownes of Killarney who owned it until recently...
- Scotia's GraveScotia's GraveScotia's Grave or Scota's grave is an area just south of Tralee in County Kerry beside the Finglas rivulet in an area known as Trughanacmy. It marks what is reputed to be the grave of Scota, a daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh known as Friel The traditional name of the location is Glenn Scoithin,...
- Skellig MichaelSkellig MichaelSkellig Michael , also known as Great Skellig, is a steep rocky island in the Atlantic Ocean about 9 miles from the coast of County Kerry, Ireland. It is the larger of the two Skellig Islands...
- Uragh Stone CircleUragh Stone CircleThe Uragh Stone Circle is a neolithic stone circle near Gleninchaquin Park, Tuosist, County Kerry, Ireland. Situated near Lake Inchiquin, it consists of five megaliths. The largest stone is ten feet high and the circle is eight feet in diameter.-References:*...
Media
County Kerry has three local newspapers, The KerrymanKerryman
The Kerryman is a weekly local newspaper published in County Kerry in Ireland by Independent News & Media. The newspaper was founded in 1904....
and The Kerry's Eye
Kerry's Eye
Kerry's Eye is a weekly local newspaper in County Kerry, Ireland. It is published every Thursday, with a circulation of approximately 25,000.Husband and wife, Pádraig Kennelly and Joan Kennelly, founded the newspaper in the basement on their home on Ashe Street in Tralee in 1974. Kerry's Eye was...
, published in Tralee, and The Kingdom, published in Killarney.
The county has a commercial radio station, Radio Kerry
Radio Kerry
Radio Kerry is a full service, licensed radio station that operates from the franchise area of County Kerry in Southwest Ireland.Radio Kerry was established in 1989 and began broadcasting on July 14 1990. The station headquarters are in Tralee, the principal town of County Kerry, with remote...
, which commenced operations in 1990. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta , abbreviated RnaG, is the Irish-language radio service of the public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. The station is available on FM in Ireland and via satellite and on the Internet.- History :...
has a studio in Baile na nGall
Baile na nGall
Baile na nGall is a Gaeltacht village in the Ard na Caithne region of the Dingle Peninsula of County Kerry, Ireland. As the 2003 Official Languages Act revoked the status of the English language name "Ballydavid", this community's only official name is "Baile na nGall".The village is home to...
in the West Kerry gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
.
Road
The main National Primary Routes into Kerry are the N21 roadN21 road
The N21 road is a national primary road in Ireland. The route runs from the M20 outside Limerick to Tralee with connecting roads to other parts of County Kerry. It is in length. It runs through the towns of Abbeyfeale, Newcastlewest, Adare and the village of Templeglantine. Prior to October 2010...
and the N69 road
N69 road (Ireland)
The N69 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It runs from Limerick to Tralee and passes though Mungret, Clarina, Kildimo, Askeaton , Foynes, Loughill, Glin, Tarbert and Listowel.-References:* – Department of Transport...
from Limerick and the N22 road
N22 road
The N22 road is a national primary road in Ireland which goes through counties Kerry and Cork, from Tralee in the west through Killarney, Macroom and Ballincollig to Cork City in the east....
from Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
each terminating in Tralee. The N23 road
N23 road
The N23 road is a national primary road in Ireland, and is located entirely in County Kerry. The route is one of the shorter national primary routes, merely forming a link road between the N21 Limerick – Tralee route at Castleisland to the N22 Tralee – Killarney – Cork route at...
from Castleisland to Farranfore also connects these roads. Within Kerry, the well-known Ring of Kerry
Ring of Kerry
The Ring of Kerry is a tourist trail in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. The route covers the 179 km circular road , starting from Killarney, heading around the Iveragh Peninsula and passing through Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen and Killorglin...
follows the N70 road
N70 road (Ireland)
The N70 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It comprises most of the Ring of Kerry.-Route: – Sneem – Castlecove – Caherdaniel – Waterville – Cahersiveen – Killorglin – – Milltown – Castlemaine – – Tralee.-See also:*Roads...
, a National Secondary Route which circles the Iveragh Peninsula and links at Kenmare with the N71 road to west Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Bus Eireann
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
operates an extensive bus service network on routes throughout the county with connection hubs in Killarney and Tralee.
Also in County Kerry, the N86 road connects Tralee with Dingle, from Dingle you can take the R559 ring road to reach Sybil Point, which is one of the most westernly fringes of County Kerry and indeed the south of Ireland.
Kerry airport is situated on the N22 in Farranfore just south of Tralee and north of Killarney.
Rail
Kerry is served by railRail transport in Ireland
Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
at Tralee, Farranfore, Killarney and Rathmore which connect to Cork and Dublin, via Mallow
Mallow, County Cork
Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....
.
Branch line services existed to each of the peninsula (Beara, Iveragh and Dingle) and also to the north of the county. They were closed during the rationalisations of the 1950s and 1960s.
- Dingle via Tralee: a narrow-gauge railway, closed in July 1953.
- Kenmare via Headford Junction: (8 miles outside Killarney), closed in February 1960.
- Valentia via Farranfore: (the Gleesk Viaduct near Kellsis still exists), also closed in February 1960.
- Listowel were served via the North-Kerry line, which extended from Tralee to Limerick. Passenger service ceased in 1963, freight in 1983 and the lines were pulled up in 1988.
- Fenit was served via a branch off the North-Kerry line, the rails are still in place.
Listowel to Ballybunion had the distinction of operating experimental Lartigue Monorail
Lartigue Monorail
The Lartigue Monorail system was developed by the French engineer Charles Lartigue . He developed a horse drawn monorail system invented by Henry Robinson Palmer in 1821 further....
services from 1882 to 1924. A 500m section was re-established in 2003. A road-car route, the Prince of Wales Route, was a link from Bantry
Bantry
Bantry is a town on the coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies on the N71 national secondary road at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for 30 km to the west...
to Killarney, operated by the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway
Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway
Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway , was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland. It opened in 1851 as the Cork and Bandon Railway, changed its name to Cork Bandon and South Coast Railway in 1888 and became part of the Great Southern Railway in 1924....
as a service for tourists.
Air
Kerry AirportKerry Airport
-Ground transportation:Kerry Airport is approximately from both Cork and Limerick. Iarnród Éireann's Farranfore railway station is located to the south with services to Killarney, Tralee, Cork and Dublin....
is located at Farranfore in the centre of the county and has operated scheduled services since 1989. Destinations served as of 2010 are Dublin, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Stansted
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
& Luton
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
), Frankfurt-Hahn Airport
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:AirIT Services AG, a subsidiary of Fraport, has its head office in Building 663 at Hahn Airport.-References:*Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force,...
, Faro, Portugal
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
and Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
all operated by Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
. Aer Arann
Aer Arann
Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline...
also operate an all year round service to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Sea
FenitFenit
Fenit is a small village in County Kerry, Ireland, located on north side of Tralee Bay about west of Tralee town, just south of the Shannon Estuary. The bay is enclosed from the Atlantic by the Maharee spit which extends northwards from the Dingle peninsula...
harbour near Tralee is a regional harbour capable of handling ships of up to 17,000 tonnes. Large container cranes from Liebherr
Liebherr
* The Liebherr Group, a German manufacturing complex established in 1949 by Hans Liebherr* Liebherr Grazer AK* Liebherr T 282B, an off- highway, ultra class, rigid frame, two- axle, diesel/electricappointed...
s in Killarney are regularly exported worldwide. A rail-link to the port was closed in the 1970s. The harbour at Dingle
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
is one of Ireland's secondary fishing ports. In the north of the county, a ferry service operates from Tarbert, to Killimer in County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
.
Septs, Families & Titles
A number of Irish surnames are derived from septs who hail from the Kerry area, such as FalveyFalvey
Falvey is a surname which is an anglicisation of the name Ó Fáilbhe: in the Irish language Ó means "descendant" [of] and "fáilbhe" literally means "lively, pleasant, sprightly, merry, cheerful" or, according to another historian, "joker". Other anglicisations include O’Falvie, O’Falvy, O’Failie,...
, Foley
Foley (surname)
Foley is a surname, originating in Ireland in the south east Munster region. The name is derived from the original modern Irish Ó Foghlú and older Irish Ó Foghladha, with the original meaning of plunderers. The Lord of the Decies was a title attributed to some early Foleys...
, McCarthy
McCarthy (surname)
The MacCarthy dynasty was one of Ireland's greatest medieval dynasties. It was and continues to be divided into several great branches. The MacCarthy Reagh, MacCarthy of Muskerry, and MacCarthy of Duhallow dynasties were the three most important of these, after the central or MacCarthy Mór...
, Murphy, O'Connor
O'Connor
O'Connor is a surname of Irish origin, originally meaning Ó Conchobhair .-Law and Politics:*Sandra Day O'Connor O'Connor is a surname of Irish origin, originally meaning Ó Conchobhair ("grandson/descendant of Conchobhar").-Law and Politics:*Sandra Day O'Connor O'Connor is a surname of Irish origin,...
, O'Moriarty, Clifford, Kennelly
Kennelly (disambiguation)
Kennelly is a surname and may refer to:* Ardyth Kennelly, American novelist* Arthur Edwin Kennelly, American engineer* Barbara B. Kennelly, Connecticut Representative* Brendan Kennelly, Irish poet and novelist* Keala Kennelly, American surfer...
, McGrath, O'Carroll
O'Carroll
O' Carroll is an Irish family name, deriving from the Gaelic Ó Cearbhail.-O' Carroll name and territorial extent:Notable is the history of the Clan Ó Cearbhail whose territory, known as Ely O' Carroll in Éile, consisted of the pasture lands of Ballycrinass, Rosscullenagh and Drumcan, extending to...
, O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan or simply Sullivan is an Irish surname, associated with the southwestern part of Ireland, originally found in County Tipperary before the Anglo-Norman invasion, then in County Cork and County Kerry, which due to emigration is also common in Australia, North America and Britain...
, O'Connell
O'Connell (name)
O'Connell is a last name of Irish origin. It is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Ó Conaill . The personal name Conall is possibly composed of the elements con and gal .-Surname:* Aaron D...
, O'Donoghue
O'Donoghue
Donoghue or O'Donoghue is an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó Donnchadha or Ó Donnchú ‘descendant of Donnchadh’, a personal name composed of the elements donn = ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘lord’ + cath = ‘battle’....
, O'Shea
O'Shea
O'Shea is a surname , originating in the Kingdom of Corcu Duibne in County Kerry, and could refer to:*Alicia O'Shea Petersen , Australian suffragist...
, Quill
Quill (surname)
Quill or Quille is an anglicised version of the Irish surname Coll, Coill, and O'Coill , all of which mean wood, forest or shrub. The Coill clan are believed to be a bardic family from Munster, particularly Kerry and Cork. The Irish surname has also been Anglicised as Woods....
, Scannell
Scannell
Scannell or Ó Scannail may refer to:* Damian Scannell, English footballer* Herb Scannell* John J. Scannell* Matt Scannell, lead vocalist of Vertical Horizon* Sean Scannell, Irish footballer* Susan Scannell* Tony Scannell* Vernon Scannell-Name:...
, Stack, Sugrue
Sugrue
Sugrue is an Irish surname. It is the reduced anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó Siochfhradha descendant of Siochfhradh, a personal name representing a Gaelicized form of an Old Norse cognate of Germanic Siegfried....
and Tangney.
The area was also home to the Hiberno-Norman
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
families, the FitzMaurice
Fitzmaurice
Fitzmaurice is an Anglo-Norman/Hiberno-Norman surname originating in County Kerry, Ireland. It is patronymic as the prefix Fitz- derives from the Latin filius, meaning "son of". The surname variants include FitzMaurice, Fitz Maurice, Fitz-Maurice, fitz Maurice, and the alternate spelling Fitzmorris...
s and the Desmonds
County Desmond
The Kingdom of Desmond was an historic kingdom located on the southwestern coast of Ireland. The name is Gaelic in origin - Deas-Mhumhain - which means South Munster...
, a branch of the FitzGeralds.
Titles in the British Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
with a family seat in Kerry are
- the Knight of KerryKnight of KerryKnight of Kerry, also called the Green Knight, is one of three Anglo-Irish hereditary knighthoods, all of which existed in Ireland since feudal times. The others are the White Knight and the Knight of Glin...
– a branch of Fitzgeralds who had lands at Valentia Island - the Earl of KenmareEarl of KenmareThe title of Earl of Kenmare was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1801. It became extinct upon the death of the 7th Earl in 1952.All of the Earls bore the subsidiary titles of Viscount Castlerosse , Viscount Kenmare , and Baron Castlerosse in the Peerage of Ireland...
(also Viscount Castlerosse, Viscount Kenmare and Baron Castlerosse) – the descendants of Sir Valentine Browne who was awarded lands in Killarney - the Earl of DesmondEarl of DesmondThe title of Earl of Desmond has been held historically by lords in Ireland, first as a title outside of the peerage system and later as part of the Peerage of Ireland....
– the Fitzgeralds of Desmond who had lands in North Kerry until they were seized at the end of the Desmond Rebellions - the Marquess of LansdowneMarquess of LansdowneMarquess of Lansdowne, in the County of Somerset, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain held by the head of the Petty-Fitzmaurice family. This branch of the family descends from the Hon...
(also Earl of ShelburneEarl of ShelburneEarl of Shelburne is a title that has been created two times while the title of Baron Shelburne has been created three times. The Shelburne title was created for the first time in the Peerage of Ireland in 1688 when Elizabeth, Lady Petty, was made Baroness Shelburne. She was the wife of the noted...
, Baron Dunkeron) – the descendants of Sir William PettyWilliam PettySir William Petty FRS was an English economist, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to survey the land that was to be confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers...
who was awarded lands in Kenmare and elsewhere - the Earl of KerryEarl of KerryBaron Kerry is an ancient title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created circa 1223 for Thomas Fitzmaurice.In 1325, Maurice FitzMaurice, 4th Baron of Kerry, murdered Diarmaid Óg MacCarthy in the courtroom at Tralee...
(also Baron Kerry, Viscount Clanmaurice) – the Fitzmaurice family - the Earl of ListowelEarl of ListowelEarl of Listowel is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1822 for William Hare, 1st Viscount Ennismore and Listowel, who had earlier represented Cork City and Athy in the Irish House of Commons. He had already been created Baron Ennismore, in the County of Kerry, in 1800, and...
– the Hare family - the Baron VentryBaron VentryBaron Ventry, of Ventry in the County of Kerry, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Sir Thomas Mullins, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Ventry in the County of Kerry, in the Baronetage of Ireland in 1797. The Mullins family claimed descent from...
– the Mullins family who had lands in the Dingle Peninsula, including Ventry
Viscount Valentia
Viscount Valentia
Viscount Valentia is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It has been created twice. The first creation came in 1621 for Henry Power. A year later, his kinsman Sir Francis Annesley, 1st Baronet, was given a "reversionary grant" of the viscountcy, which stated that on Power's death Annesley would be...
appears to have been associated with lands in County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, rather than Kerry
People
Associated People:- Roger CasementRoger CasementRoger David Casement —Sir Roger Casement CMG between 1911 and shortly before his execution for treason, when he was stripped of his British honours—was an Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary, and nationalist....
- Wolfe Tone
- Michael FassbenderMichael FassbenderMichael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
- Richard WallRichard WallRichard Wall was an Irish-born soldier, diplomat and minister who rose in the Spanish service to become Chief Minister. He is commonly referred to as Ricardo Wall.-Early life:...
Historical:
- Thomas AsheThomas AsheThomas Patrick Ashe born in Lispole, County Kerry, Ireland, was a member of the Gaelic League, the Irish Republican Brotherhood and a founding member of the Irish Volunteers...
- Tom Crean
- Con CreminCon CreminCon Cremin was an Irish diplomat born in Kenmare, County Kerry .One of four children, Cremin was born to a family that operated a drapery business. His brother, Francis Cremin, became a leading academic canon lawyer who framed a number of key church documents. He was educated at St...
- Horatio Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
- Jennifer MusaJennifer MusaJennifer Musa was an Irish-born nurse, Baloch nationalist, tribal leader and Pakistani politician,often nicknamed the "Queen of Baluchistan"....
- Daniel O'ConnellDaniel O'ConnellDaniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
Literary & Musical:
- Jessie BuckleyJessie BuckleyJessie Buckley is an Irish singer and actress who came second place in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything, and subsequently played Anne Egermann in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.-Background:The eldest of five children, Buckley comes from...
- Julia CliffordJulia CliffordJulia Clifford was a fiddler and Irish traditional musician.Julia Murphy was born at Lisheen, Gneeveguilla, County Kerry, part of an area in west Munster known as Sliabh Luachra one of eight children. Her father Bill played flute, fife, and fiddle and had a fife and drum band...
- Jerome ConnorJerome ConnorJerome Connor was an Irish sculptor.-Life:...
- Canon James GoodmanCanon James GoodmanCanon James Goodman was a collector of Irish music. Raised in Ventry, County Kerry, a Gaeltacht area, he was a native Irish language speaker.-As a cleric:Goodman studied at Trinity College, Dublin, having gained a scholarship in 1847...
- John B. KeaneJohn B. KeaneJohn Brendan Keane was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry.-Life and career:...
- Brendan KennellyBrendan KennellyBrendan Kennelly is a popular Irish poet and novelist. He was Professor of Modern Literature at Trinity College Dublin until 2005. He is now retired and occasionally tours the USA as university lecturer.-Early life:...
- Denis MurphyDenis Murphy (Irish musician)Denis Murphy was an Irish fiddler and noted traditional musician.Murphy was born in Lisheen, Gneeveguilla, County Kerry one of eight children of Bill and Mainie Murphy. His father played fife, flute and fiddle and had a fife and drum band. It was a house where music was played a lot with...
- Thomas MacGreevyThomas MacGreevyThomas MacGreevy was a pivotal figure in the history of Irish literary modernism. A poet, he was also director of the National Gallery of Ireland from 1950 to 1963 and served on the first Irish Arts Council .-Early life:MacGreevy was born in County Kerry, the son of a policeman and a primary...
- Tomás Ó CriomhthainTomás Ó CriomhthainTomás Ó Criomhthain was a native of the Irish-speaking Great Blasket Island off the coast of County Kerry in Ireland. He wrote two books, Allagar na h-Inise written over the period 1918–23 and published in 1928, and , completed in 1923 and published in 1929...
- Padraig O'KeeffePadraig O'KeeffePadraig O'Keeffe was a noted Irish traditional musician.O'Keeffe was born in Glountane, Castleisland, County Kerry,into a large family where his father was the local national school headmaster. He was reared by his maternal grandparents...
- Muiris Ó SúilleabháinMuiris Ó SúilleabháinMuiris Ó Súilleabháin became famous for his memoir of growing up on the Great Blasket Island off the western coast of Ireland, Fiche Bliain ag Fás , published in Irish and English in 1933...
- Peig SayersPeig SayersPeig Sayers was an Irish author and seanachaí born in Dunquin , County Kerry, Ireland. Seán Ó Súilleabháin, the former archivist for the Irish Folklore Commission, described her as "one of the greatest woman storytellers of recent times".-Biography:She spent much of her early life as a domestic...
Political:
- Martin FerrisMartin FerrisMartin Ferris is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and a former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Kerry North–West Limerick constituency since 2002 and is one of fourteen Sinn Féin representatives in the current Dáil.-Early life:Ferris was born in...
- Jackie Healy-RaeJackie Healy-RaeJackie Healy-Rae is a former Irish politician who served as an Independent Teachta Dála for the Kerry South constituency from 1997 to 2011.-Early and private life:...
- Joe HigginsJoe HigginsJoe Higgins is an Irish Socialist Party politician. In the 2011 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann as Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency, having previously served in that capacity from 1997–2007...
- Dick SpringDick SpringRichard "Dick" Spring is an Irish businessman and former politician. He was first elected as a Labour Party Teachta Dála in 1981 and retained his seat until 2002. He became leader of the Labour Party in 1982, and held this position until 1997...
Sport:
- Colm CooperColm CooperColm ‘Gooch’ Cooper is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Dr. Croke’s and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2002. Cooper is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.-Club:Cooper helped Dr. Crokes win the 2000 Kerry...
- Mick DoyleMick Doyle (rugby player)Mick Doyle was an Irish rugby union international player and coach.Doyle was born in Castleisland, County Kerry, and began playing rugby union at Newbridge College, County Kildare. He went on to study veterinary science at University College Dublin, who he also represented at rugby...
- Maurice FitzgeraldMaurice Fitzgerald (footballer)Maurice Fitzgerald is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club St. Mary's and divisional side South Kerry and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county football team from 1988 until 2001...
- Tadhg KennellyTadhg KennellyTadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....
- Mick O'Connell
- Pat SpillanePat SpillanePatrick Gerard Spillane , better known as Pat Spillane, is a retired Gaelic footballer and well known Irish sports pundit. He played Gaelic football with his local club Templenoe and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1991...
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Kerry)
- Lord Lieutenant of KerryLord Lieutenant of KerryThis is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Kerry. The office was created on 23 August 1831.*Valentine Browne, 2nd Earl of Kenmare 7 October 1831 – 31 October 1853*Henry Arthur Herbert 22 November 1854 – 26 February 1866...
- High Sheriff of KerryHigh Sheriff of KerryThe High Sheriff of Kerry was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Kerry, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Kerry County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and...