Tralee is the largest town and capital of County Kerry, in the scenic south-west of Ireland. With a population of 22,190 (2006 census), Tralee is a bustling, country town, home of the Rose of Tralee Festival, Ireland’s largest festival, and the gateway to the Dingle Peninsula, the most westerly peninsula in Ireland. The town is located in the vale of Tralee, next to the Lee River, and is the regional, service and administrative centre for the county. Tralee is approximately half an hours drive from Killarney, which lies in an area of spectacular natural beauty, and the beginning of the Ring of Kerry, one of Ireland’s major tourist attractions. The town has had a long and varied history, having been established for 800 years, so you can imagine the number of historical places of interest!! To obtain information on the area and its attractions, pay a visit to the Tourist Information Office, located in the Ashe Memorial Hall, Denny Street, Tralee.
At the head of the Tralee Bay, Tralee lies on the northern borders of the Dingle Peninsula, which juts into the wild Atlantic Ocean. The peninsula contains spectacular, mystical scenery of windswept rolling mountains, and rocky areas, covered with a huge variety of archaeological monuments (approx 2000), which are evidence of tribes and populations in the area for the last 6000 years!! The westerly area of the peninsula is home to one of Ireland’s Gaeltacht areas, or Irish speaking areas.
The Rose of Tralee Festival runs during August each year, and is Ireland’s largest festival attracting over 200,000 visitors. The pageant culminates it the selection of the ‘Rose’, a young lady who is ‘lovely and fair’, with a great personality, and is the best role model to represent Ireland in her travels around the world!! What a job – any volunteers?
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