Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the Derrynane House car park, take the track west behind the dunes of Derrynane Beach, then the short road past the beach car park. The Mass Path, once walked to secret Masses in Penal times, follows the rocky shore of Derrynane Harbour past coves to the pier at Bunavalla (Béal Trá). Climb north on the minor road, then turn right onto the Kerry Way, which runs east through woodland above the park, past famine-era ruins, and drops back to Derrynane House, Daniel O'Connell's home. The loop goes clockwise.
It is 8 km round with 177 m of ascent; allow about 2½ hours. The grade is Easy: tracks, quiet roads, a woodland path and a rocky shore path with steps and a wall to climb.
Most of the loop is on the Kerry Way, a National Waymarked Trail agreed with landowners; the rest is in the OPW's Derrynane National Historic Park or on public roads. Dogs are banned on the Kerry Way, and the OPW site admits only assistance dogs. The Mass Path is slippery after rain, and the roads are narrow. Some walkers cross the sand to Abbey Island at low tide, but the island is cut off at high water and is not part of this walk.
The car park is free. We found no year-round bus; Caherdaniel is about 2.5 km away.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Derrynane House was the family home of Daniel O'Connell, 'the Liberator', who won Catholic Emancipation in 1829; it is now an OPW museum in a 120-hectare park.
- The Mass Path was used in Penal times by people walking to worship in secret at a Mass rock near the shore.
- Abbey Island holds the ruined church of an early monastery and a graveyard where O'Connell's wife Mary is buried.
- The dunes behind Derrynane Beach are a nature trail with ponds for the rare natterjack toad.
Getting there
Start: Derrynane House car park · Free parking. 51.76340, -10.12868
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Kerry: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.