It takes about 45 min – 1 hour to drive a car though the Gap of Dunloe, which is about 18 km long. But you have to time it right.
The pass runs through a picturesque glacial mountain valley between Kate Kearney’s Cottage and Moll’s Gap and is a paved PUBLIC road. In fact, you have a choice of driving it in both directions (either south or north), because it’s a two-way road. You can also drive the Gap of Dunloe as a portion of the entire Ring of Kerry, all in just ONE day. We did it during our recent trip to Western Ireland and Scotland, because we only had 2 weeks for the entire trip. To learn more, scroll to the end of this post.
Why drive through the Gap of Dunloe
- Saving time and money (for a pony & trap, boat trip, taxi & coach etc.)
- Avoiding the need to walk or bike
- Staying warm and dry on a rainy day
All valid points! But there are caveats and TIMING is EVERYTHING for taking a car through the place.
Before you hop in the car and take off, consider all “pros and cons” of DRIVING through the Gap of Dunloe. There are other, potentially more enjoyable, alternatives to explore the area. How you drive, walk or cycle through the valley is outlined below.
Entering the Gap of Dunloe by Car at Kate Kearney’s Cottage
As you enter the Gap from the north at Kate Kearney’s Cottage, there is a big sign saying “Traffic primarily restricted to horse & trap, ponies, walkers, residents’ access to accommodation & business purposes”. This is the starting point for the most organized and semi-guided excursions through the Gap of Dunloe. Technically, car travel is legal on this road, as there are some residential dwellings and hospitality sites throughout the valley.
However, car travelers, who ignore the signage during the “busy hours” (10am-2pm), can expect the local jaunting car drivers to give them a hard time and an evil eye. The sign and the presence of a large tourist crowd at that time of the day might give you a pause and make you park at the entrance.
A sheep grazing along the road
Why NOT drive the Gap of Dunloe
- The road is very narrow (mostly one lane) and pedestrian/horse carriage traffic is dense (particularly between 10am-2pm on summer days and on weekends). It can be difficult to maneuver, especially if you are not used to the left-side driving
- Under these conditions, it is difficult to marvel the scenery, especially for the driver. Stopping along the way to enjoy the views or to take photographs without creating bottlenecks for others might also be problematic
- Finally, if you cherish traditions (and this is a long-standing one) and would like to support local businesses, non-motorized sightseeing of the Gap of Dunloe would be a natural choice. Already 250 years ago, tourists visiting this area of an incredible natural beauty were following the same travel ritual as they do today. It consisted of walking or riding a pony through the narrow glacial pass and rowing a boat (motorized nowadays) back to Killarney through “the three lakes”.
A Bit of Local Tourism History
The Gap of Dunloe and the neighboring Killarney National Park have been popular tourist attractions since mid-18th century. In fact, the first guidebooks of the area were published in both Dublin and London already in 1776. I remember reading an Irish Naturalist report written in 1893 about the local mountain tourist guides operating in this glacial valley and “presenting” “the true Shamrock” in flower to summer travellers. While the jury is still out on which trefoil clover species (Trifolium minus,T. repens, T. pretense etc.) was the actual prototype for the iconic Irish symbol, the Gap of Dunloe remains a magnet for international and domestic travelers.
Whereas the early-days visitors found the 190 mile-trip from Dublin ‘long and fatiguing’, the railway connection between the capital, Cork and Killarney in mid-19thcentury drastically changed the accessibility of this region within Ireland and from the Great Britain. In 1910, this picturesque gorge overhung with rocky cliffs was picked by the New York-based Kalem Company as a site for one of the FIRST American movies shot “on location” outside of the United States. Predictably, the title of that film was the “Gap of Dunloe”.
For enthusiasts of local history, two interesting reads can be recommended. “The Legend of Kate Kearney’s Cottage” is about Kate Kearney famed for her beauty and illicit poitín (along with goat’s milk!) she was serving to the 19th century tourists. “The Legend of Lord Brandon’s Cottage” is a somber tale of the Lord Brandon’s unfaithful young wife and her life under house imprisonment. Both stories are based on recent research of two Killarney women, Eileen Murphy and Janet Chamberlain.
The Most Popular Tourist Routes via Gap of Dunloe
These days (just like 250 years ago!), most people visiting Gap of Dunloe do so through organized tours from Killarney. These excursions have to be booked in advance.
- Take a coach from Killarney to Kate Kearney’s Cottage (20-30min to ride this 12 km section)
- Hire a traditional pony and trap (also called jaunting car), walk or cycle. The distance between Kate Kearney’s Cottage to the Head of Gap of Dunloe is 4.3 km and should take about one hour to walk. A little over 1km down the road before the Black Lake, you’ll reach the postcard-worthy stone Wishing Bridge (do not forget to make your wish while crossing!). If you want to catch a boat back to Killarney, you must make it to the Lord Brandon’s Cottage (additional 7 km). The total distance between the Kate Kearney’s Cottage and Lord Brandon’s Cottage is around 11 km (2-2.5 hour walk). The views along this route are spectacular, and you will pass several lakes (including Cosaun, Black, Cushvalley and Augher lakes) connected by the river Loe.
- If time allows, have a lunch by the Lord Brandon’s Cottage
- Ride a boat (most leave around 2 pm and take one hour to cross) over to the historic Ross Castle, following two rivers and three lakes (Upper, Middle and Lower Lakes). This section of the trip is popular for its scenic views of the local Killarney oak forests, isles and mountains
You can also travel the route above in reverse from the Ross Castle through the Gap of Dunloe, the Kate Kearney’s Cottage to Killarney.
Finally, you can ride a boat both ways between Ross Castle and Lord Brandon’s Cottage, which would leave ample time (3-4 hours) to explore the gorge on foot or by bike (which can be brought on board, if desired) from the Head of Gap of Dunloe.
All these travel options must be booked IN ADVANCE with travel companies, most of which operate out of Killarney (Deros Tours, Killarney Day Tours, just to name a few).
Resist the temptation of booking your tour too far in advance (until you have a more accurate local weather prediction for the area). Irish weather is always a gamble and the famous Mark Twain’s quote about New England “if you do not like the weather, wait for a few minutes” seems quite fitting for the Western Ireland. However, the general weather trends might be more apparent closer to the date of your visit. On a misty day with poor visibility, you would be better off spending time visiting an indoor attraction (the Hunt Museum in Limerick was on our list). Luckily, the weather Gods were smiling upon us during our trip to the Gap of Dunloe!
Road over the Wishing Bridge, Gap of Dunloe
Cycling through Gap of Dunloe
You can also travel through the Gap of Dunloe on a bike if cycling is your “thing”. The simplest is to bring your bike all the way to Kate Kearney’s Cottageand cycle to the Gap and back (8.5 km total). Alternatively, you can take your bike on a boat from Killarney and complete the loop through the northern entrance. There will be a stretch of about 12 km on a busy narrow public road back to Killarney.
If you are looking for a challenge, consider a full 56 km bike loop starting from Killarney through the Gap of Dunloe, Molls Gap and Ladies View, recommended by KerryCycling. This is described as “Intermediate to Straining” (2/3 out of 5 or 8 out of 10 difficulty level, by different accounts. Upload the bike route map and learn other details here
Driving Ring of Kerry and Gap of Dunloe in One Day
If you only have one day (like we did) in County Kerry and would like to do both the Ring of Kerry and the Gap of Dunloe, you can certainly do it (especially on a weekday or outside of a busy tourist season). As mentioned above, driving a car would keep your schedule flexible and free of burden to make prior arrangements (for a boat and coach rides) with the tour companies.
Start your Ring of Kerry trip from Killarney early in the morning (well before 10am). Most traffic goes counterclockwise, which local authorities also encourage to avoid accidents and congestion. With a couple of stops along the way, you should be able to reach the Molls Gap around 3-4pm. From here, there is about 18 km north to the Kate Kearney’s Cottage. Enter the narrow, winding road to the Gap of Dunloe, from R568 just before the Loughbarfinnihy lake (you’ll see a sign about traffic restrictions for busses). Follow it all the way to the Kate Kearney’s Cottage on the other end of the gorge.
When driving this route, it’s not unusual to “get lost” in the Black Valley. Checking on your location periodically with Google Maps might help you navigate at “the crossroads” (there is a couple of small intersections along the way).
By the time you reach the head of the Gap, most visitors will be done for the day and the road will be much easier to” negotiate”. We only encountered a few small groups of hikers, a couple of horse carriages and 4 cars (2 in each direction) during our drive. The entire car ride through the Gap of Dunloe from the Moll’s Gap took us 45 min (including two brief stops for taking photographs).
The day of our trip, we had enough time to drive the entire Ring of Kerry (via Gap of Dunloe) from Castlemaine (near Dingle Peninsula) to Limerick. We did make several stops, for lunch and short walks, and arrive to Limerick well in time to have a dinner with live music and dance at a local water hole (The Locke’s Bar).
Would we do it differently today?
If we knew what we know today, we would probably plan on spending an additional day in the area for a separate excursion to the Gap. This would make our trip more meaningful and memorable. If you only have one day in County Kerry and the weather is good (not raining, that is), consider skipping the drive around the Ring of Kerry altogether. Go on a traditional day tour through the Gap of Dunloe instead.