Kenmare sits at the head of Kenmare Bay where the mountains of Cork and Kerry close in around a sheltered inlet. The Irish name is Neidin -- "little nest" -- and you can see why. The town is small, colourful, and tucked into one of the most dramatic landscapes in the southwest.
Founded in 1670 by Sir William Petty, Kenmare is one of Ireland's planned towns. The layout you see today dates from 1775, commissioned by the Marquis of Lansdowne: a tidy X-shaped street plan with a triangular market square at the centre. It works. The proportions feel right, the stone buildings have aged well, and the whole place has a confidence that many small Irish towns lack.
Kenmare is a natural base for exploring both the Ring of Kerry and the Beara Peninsula. The town itself has good restaurants, a handful of interesting shops, and enough pubs to fill a few evenings. But the real draw is the setting -- mountains behind, the bay in front, and some of Ireland's oldest archaeological sites within walking distance.
The craft tradition here is genuine. Local makers produce lace (a tradition dating back to the famine era), knitwear, pottery, and jewellery. The town was Kerry's first Heritage Town, and the Heritage Centre in the old courthouse tells the story well.