Sports
Sports in Kenmare
Kenmare plays outside. Two golf courses within minutes, a bay full of watersports, cycling lanes the magazines rave about, and walking trails in every direction. The spectator sport is Kerry football, watched with appropriate reverence in every pub in town.
Golf
Kenmare Golf Club’s 18-hole parkland course sits right beside the Park Hotel — woodland, undulating, and very playable. Three miles out at Templenoe, the Ring of Kerry Golf & Country Club adds a second 18. And the championship courses of Killarney and Waterville are easy day trips. It’s an absurd concentration of golf for one small town, and the hotels will arrange tee times.
On the water
Kenmare Bay is the playground: kayaking, sailing, waterskiing, tubing and scuba diving are all available within a short walk of town, plus boat trips and fishing — the Caha mountain lakes and the Black Valley are the freshwater options. Star Outdoors Kenmare is the organised base for the adventure end.
Cycling and walking
Kenmare is a known cycling base — the Ring of Beara lanes are the classic ride, quiet and spectacular, and Finnegan’s Bike Hire in the town centre sorts the wheels. On foot: Reenagross Woodland Park, the Old Kenmare Road, Gleninchaquin Park’s six trails, and the town circuits. The Kenmare Bay Hotel’s leisure club and the Park Hotel’s gym and 25-metre pool cover the indoor training.
Watching
Kerry football is the religion and the pubs are the churches: Crowley’s on a match day, when Kerry are playing, is the full experience — get there early, stand near the fire, and prepare opinions.
Common questions
Where can I play golf near Kenmare?
Kenmare Golf Club (18 holes, beside the Park Hotel) and the Ring of Kerry Golf & Country Club at Templenoe (3 miles). Killarney and Waterville’s championship courses are day trips.
What watersports are available in Kenmare?
Kayaking, sailing, waterskiing, tubing, scuba diving, fishing and boat trips on Kenmare Bay — most within walking distance of town.
Is Kenmare good for cycling?
Yes — it’s a well-known cycling base. The Ring of Beara lanes are the classic ride; Finnegan’s Bike Hire in town rents the bikes.
More to explore in Kenmare
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