Lough Leane

Lough Leane is the largest of the three lakes of Killarney National Park, covering nearly 19 square kilometres. It is dotted with wooded islands — about 30 in total — and the lake surface is usually calm enough to reflect the surrounding mountains. The lake forms the setting for Killarney's most iconic views.

Rowing boats can be hired at Ross Castle jetty for independent trips on the lake. Guided boat trips to Innisfallen Island depart regularly from the Ross Castle jetty and include landing on the island to visit the ruined abbey. The abbey ruins on Innisfallen are small but atmospheric, set in a clearing in dense oak woodland with the lake visible through the trees. The Kerry Way long-distance walking trail passes along the lake's eastern shore.

things to do sight
A story
Innisfallen Island in Lough Leane was the site of a monastic settlement founded around 640 AD. The Annals of Innisfallen, written here between the eighth and thirteenth centuries, are one of the oldest surviving chronicles of early Irish history. Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, is said to have been educated on the island. The annals are now held in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.