The Lakes of Killarney are three interconnected lakes (Lough Leane, Muckross Lake and t…

The Lakes of Killarney are three interconnected lakes (Lough Leane, Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake) set among the mountains of County Kerry, and they form the heart of Ireland’s oldest national park, established in 1932. The area is home to the country’s only native herd of red deer, which has lived in these mountains since the last ice age, and to some of the last surviving stretches of ancient oak woodland in Ireland. Muckross House sits on the shore of the middle lake, and the Gap of Dunloe cuts a dramatic glacial pass through the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks nearby. Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861 turned Killarney into one of the first mass tourist destinations in Ireland, and it hasn’t really stopped being one since.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​