Infrastructure deficiencies take toll on Kerry's tourism prospects

But basic infrastructure deficiencies are taking their toll on the county, its locals, and visitors.

Road congestion, narrow routes where tourist coaches and farm machinery struggle to pass, and parking shortages in major visitor centres such as Killarney, are souring the experience for many tourists, and also locals.

Kerry is “open for business”, tourism bosses emphasise. And tourism officers insist “it’s only in some areas where people are feeling the heat”.

They refuse to accept that there’s a nightmare scenario emerging. But many believe otherwise.

Dingle, for example, which traces its tourism origins to just a half century ago and the making of the film Ryan’s Daughter, is now so crowded there’s barely space on many footpaths. Locals, there, have met with the chamber of commerce to try and sort out a solution for the lack of parking for those driving into town for shopping or going to the doctor, during the summer season.

Calls are increasing for traffic lights on Slea Head but Kerry County Council

officials are reluctant to implement traffic lights on a rural headland, indicating traffic light systems are only suitable for urban environments.

Demand is increasing for access to the centuries-old monastic site Skellig Michael while traffic, at a standstill, is a regular feature in Killarney. Securing parking at its beauty spots is virtually impossible.

Meantime, thousands of more walkers are expected on the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks but dog fouling and rubbish have become so problematic the “goodwill of landowners” is being severely tested. Access to, and walking on, the country’s highest mountains is through privately-owned property.

Ironically, it was another film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, shot in a reconstructed Skellig set on Slea Head that is leading to massive tourist numbers around Dingle.

Added to that is the increasing popularity of the town being on the Wild Atlantic Way trail.

Richie Williams, a local resident and much-regarded figure involved in the Tidy Towns group and the Chamber of Commerce, says a solution is being sought.

Dingle, he said, is “thankfully a victim of its own success”, and suggested maybe it was time for some local people “to modify their day”.

He said locals and nearby villagers should know the busy traffic times and not venture out or, at least, try and use alternative routes.

Gardaí remain active to ensure a free flow of traffic.

Mr Williams said: “Shopping at alternative times is a suggestion. Even if 10 people changed their habits, it would make a difference.”

In recent weeks, two buses approaching in opposite directions blocked the narrow road on Slea Head. A regular incident, it prompted calls for traffic management

controls which the council have firmly dismissed.

“The tourist committee have met with residents and the residents want traffic lights,” Mr Williams said.

“There is also a suggestion the cyclists should be ‘facing the traffic’ and all going in the same direction on the Ring of Kerry.

“Cyclists seem to favour that, believing it as being safer than having a bus travelling behind them.”

Meanwhile, in the Gap of Dunloe, the husband of a woman who lost her life in May after rounding a bend on a narrow road spoke of “chaotic” traffic conditions.

Don Theiler, wife of Janet Price, a pedal cyclist in her 60s killed a day before they were due to return to the US, has written to the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport as well as Kerry County Council about the alleged lack of safety and traffic controls on the very narrow road shared by cyclists, hikers, farm vehicles, pony carts and tourist cars.

Having hiked in Northern Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher and the Dingle peninsula they rented bikes to see the lakes of Killarney and the Gap of Dunloe. The Gap, a public road through the

MacGillycuddy’s Reeks is one of the most visited tourist routes in Ireland.

Describing the scene on the day of the accident, he told the department the narrow road was shared by “hikers, a variety of bikers, tourist pony carts, farm

vehicles, and automobiles”.

He pointed to numerous blind curves, with people and vehicles travelling in both directions.

In a separate concern, a group representing tourism interests warned that the goodwill of landowners who permit more than 100,000 walkers to cross their properties on the MacGillycuddy Reeks was being pushed to the limit.

Record numbers are setting out on Carrauntoohil and the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks this summer, but many more hikers are bringing dogs despite a much-

publicised prohibition.

Huge warning signs about dogs were erected in 2013 at three of the four main routes.

The rural recreation officer with the South Kerry Development Partnership, Patricia Deane, said: “The Reeks are completely privately owned. It is by the goodwill of the 130 sheep farmers which allows the walkers to flock there.

“However, dogs are being brought on the mountain and are being let off the lead by walkers and this is frightening the sheep: ewes have lambed prematurely and sheep being brought down for dipping are being scattered.”

Ms Deane said she witnessed an Alsatian and a golden retriever chasing and cornering sheep in the Hag’s Glen area of Carrauntoohil.

“A dog only has to chase a sheep,” she said. “It doesn’t have to physically attack

the sheep for the sheep to go into stress.”

She said some landowners were already “losing out” on financial supports due to erosion. Ms Deane said eroded land was not eligible for farm payments.

“Now their stock is being affected. This really is testing the goodwill of the landowners,” she said.

Ms Deane who has helped set up the highly successful Reeks Forum said the ban on dogs is “a complete ban, with or without a lead”.

Walkers, she noted, were also dumping “organic rubbish” — tea bags and orange peel — believing it was not rubbish. Visitor counters on three of the four main access routes to Carrauntoohil last year tallied more than 100,000 walkers. That figure is on track to rise to 120,000 this year, given the scale of the increase so far in 2017.

On a brighter note, however, county tourism officer for Kerry John Griffin said the Star Wars phenomenon and the growth of ‘astrotourism’ around the Kerry International Sky Reserve had certainly helped the Skellig Coast area with both the Moorings Hotel in Portmagee and Royal Hotel in Knightstown, Valentia, now open on a year-round basis while the new Skellig Star Hotel in Cahersiveen was also providing additional accommodation capacity.

The Wild Atlantic Way marketing model, he said, had proved to be a boost.

One in three North Americans visitors to Ireland visit Kerry, making it the most popular destination outside of Dublin.

However, North Kerry and Ring of Kerry are still very dependent on domestic visitors and, in turn, their presence was somewhat dependent on the weather.

Mr Griffin said: “While there are some accommodation capacity issues for short periods, Co Kerry is not at capacity and continues to plan and invest for future anticipated growth and season extension.

“In short, Kerry is open for business.”

Killarney on the up with best season yet

Killarney, the country’s first tourist resort and a destination even before the 1861 visit of Britain’s Queen Victoria, is having one of its best summer seasons ever.

Even the golfers are arriving in numbers in August —providing an unseasonably early start in the tourism capital of the south.

Streets are thronged and the opening of the national park into the town with the multi-million euro revamp of Killarney House is proving a boom.

Apart from traffic problems, nobody is complaining. Not known for their understatements, even the jarveys mean it when they say they are “flat out”.

Tom Randles of Randles Hotel, the honorary spokesman of the Kerry hotel industry, said the season started late but June, July and August have been “very strong”.

Killarney, he said, takes nothing for granted and is continuing to see, this year, a change in its visitor profile.

The town has long shed its honky tonk image of the 1970s and is a classy destination once again, offering music, cycling, walking, fine dining, dreamy spires, and old abbeys — and more hotels and beds than almost anywhere on the island.

“It is one of the best seasons ever,” said Mr Randles.

This season, Killarney is experiencing more continental tourists and more North Americans than in years. And the Indian, Chinese, and other emerging markets have Killarney firmly on their itinerary.

Families are not as numerous as other years but specialised groups are more and more evidence, said Mr Randles, a professional hotelier with a degree in hotel management and experience in Switzerland, France, and the US. He is also involved in the chamber of Commerce and a board member of Kerry Airport.

“We are seeing a growth in European and in US and Canadian visitors,” said Mr Randles. “Canadians are here in numbers this year, thanks to the air connections with Newfoundland.

“The North Americans are getting great value with the exchange rates.”

However, of great significance to both the Americans and Canadians is the safety of the destination.

“A safe destination is hugely important to them,” said Mr Randles.

Traditionally, since the 1960s, Killarney has not been a big British destination of cheap coach tours. They go elsewhere.

However a more sophisticated tourist is arriving by coach — particularly strong is the special interest tour group following garden trails, music and religion.

“Religious tourism from North America is big,” said Mr Randles. “A lot of religious choirs from North America are heading to Killarney to perform at St Mary’s Church of Ireland to the benefit of the church and the town.

“Golf has, unusually, been very strong in August. Normally, it is September before the golf tourist arrives.” Meanwhile, he acknowledges traffic management is a headache that needs to be addressed so short-term visitors, in particular, do not have a bad experience.”

However, despite the upbeat message, there is still room for improvement.

“Somebody needs to take a serious look at traffic management in Killarney,” said Mr Randles. “Being stuck in traffic at the start of a three-day break is simply not good enough.”