Ring of Kerry Tourism- me oul Shillelaley;)

Western Pomise

Please move Mods if in wrong thread,Down enjoying scenery on 'Ring of Kerry' at mo with family,have never been down to Kerry before and while the scenery is outstanding they fairly know how to charge for food,'souvenirs' etc.
Would be from a very scenic part of Mayo myself but we are in the dark ages compared to down here for exploiting tourists (which I abhor by the way)...good eg,staying in Killarney and in the good pubs offering pub grub your avg dish eg steak is 3 or 4 euro dearer than even likes of Galway city!
We just stopped there in a 'quaint' coffee shop in a village,got the young lad a one scoop ice cream,2 cups of tea and 2 yellow snack bars and it came to 10 euro FFS!....
Don't get me wrong the scenery,accom etc is lovely but it's all a bit 'stage' Irish to me and would say a lot of tourists head home happy but v light in pocket,
PS- before a horde of proud Kerry people come on defending their homeland,my point is just that their business people might be killing the golden goose.
Personally I have travelled the world,stayed in accom from dire hostels to 4 star hotels so know the value of a holiday budget and know that it
means a lot more to give a tip to someone in a country like India or Cambodia where the whole family might be fed for a few days from it,than by giving a tip in a restaurant in England as an eg.

Celly Smunt

Sure isn't that what its all about,smile in their face while you have both hands in their pockets.

Western Pomise

Western Pomise wrote: »

Please move Mods if in wrong thread,Down enjoying scenery on 'Ring of Kerry' at mo with family,have never been down to Kerry before and while the scenery is outstanding they fairly know how to charge for food,'souvenirs' etc.
Would be from a very scenic part of Mayo myself but we are in the dark ages compared to down here for exploiting tourists (which I abhor by the way)...good eg,staying in Killarney and in the good pubs offering pub grub your avg dish eg steak is 3 or 4 euro dearer than even likes of Galway city!
We just stopped there in a 'quaint' coffee shop in a village,got the young lad a one scoop ice cream,2 cups of tea and 2 yellow snack bars and it came to 10 euro FFS!....
Don't get me wrong the scenery,accom etc is lovely but it's all a bit 'stage' Irish to me and would say a lot of tourists head home happy but v light in pocket,
PS- before a horde of proud Kerry people come on defending their homeland,my point is just that their business people might be killing the golden goose.
Personally I have travelled the world,stayed in accom from dire hostels to 4 star hotels so know the value of a holiday budget and know that it
means a lot more to give a tip to someone in a country like India or Cambodia where the whole family might be fed for a few days from it,than by giving a tip in a restaurant in England as an eg.

Use tripadvisor and check price before you go in anywhere, there is no incentive to reduce prices if tourist keep paying the prices. I have to say I did not find Kerry particularly expensive, there is a lot of competition for the places to eat.

Stinicker

I'm from Kerry and it is a total and utter disgrace in that us a locals get fleeced every bit as much as the tourists. Anywhere around Killarney will see you get ripped off.

podgemonster

Don't bother going to Kerry tis all show.
Come away down to West Cork and we'll look after ya.

WoollyRedHat

Next time, bring your own snack bars, food and drink and have a picnic, cut out the quaint aka rip off businesses.

lazybones32

OP- that's Killarney for you. They - imo - are the most shamelessly money-hungry shower I've ever had the misfortune to encounter. Remember how they wanted Queen Elizabeth to come visit the town a few years ago and the galling pandering to H.M. to grace them with her presence, so that Killarney would get more media exposure. I was talking to some of the locals and I asked if they were embarrassed by their town council's grovelling and the reply I got was "well, if it'll bring more money to the town"

The Backwards Man

If there was some way we could jettison Kerry half way out across the Atlantic, the country would be a lot better off.

Lapin

Up around the border between the OP's neck of the woods and mine they're still milking a few shillings out of aincient yanks by clinging on to the last vestiges of that bloody awful shíte The Quiet Man.

It makes me puke. You'd think they'd try and come up with something more imaginative at this stage than a 62 year old paddywhackery jiggerypolery film.

I wonder how many Americans visiting Ireland today have even heard of it?

I'm just hoping that when Maurenn O'Hara eventually shuffles off, they'll take down all the signposts for Quiet Man this and Quiet Man that and come up with something more contemporary, and less Oh Beggoragh to attract visitor to what is a beautiful part of the world.

Beano

Western Pomise wrote: »

Please move Mods if in wrong thread,Down enjoying scenery on 'Ring of Kerry' at mo with family,have never been down to Kerry before and while the scenery is outstanding they fairly know how to charge for food,'souvenirs' etc.
Would be from a very scenic part of Mayo myself but we are in the dark ages compared to down here for exploiting tourists (which I abhor by the way)...good eg,staying in Killarney and in the good pubs offering pub grub your avg dish eg steak is 3 or 4 euro dearer than even likes of Galway city!
We just stopped there in a 'quaint' coffee shop in a village,got the young lad a one scoop ice cream,2 cups of tea and 2 yellow snack bars and it came to 10 euro FFS!....
Don't get me wrong the scenery,accom etc is lovely but it's all a bit 'stage' Irish to me and would say a lot of tourists head home happy but v light in pocket,
PS- before a horde of proud Kerry people come on defending their homeland,my point is just that their business people might be killing the golden goose.
Personally I have travelled the world,stayed in accom from dire hostels to 4 star hotels so know the value of a holiday budget and know that it
means a lot more to give a tip to someone in a country like India or Cambodia where the whole family might be fed for a few days from it,than by giving a tip in a restaurant in England as an eg.

one scoop ice cream,2 cups of tea and 2 yellow snack bars for a tenner doesnt sound a massive ripoff. a cup of tea in a sitdown place could €3 so that is €6. the snack bars are a euro each so that is €8 in total. add an ice cream on top and you're pretty much at a tenner.

random_guy

The Wild Atlantic Way seemed to be doing good business the last time I was back there.
Along the coast that is, something is needed for the inland places.

valoren

In the Gap of Dunloe.

How much for a Donkey ride?

£20!

I don't want to buy it at all!

I was thinking about this, all tourist areas have an element of fleece the tourists with a bit of cop on you should be able to avoided it, for example in Venice having a coffee in any of the famous squares is rip off so don't do it or in Barcelona most of the restaurants on las ramblas are tourist traps so don't eat there.

Killarney is an expensive tourist destination and markets its self as such ( the five star hotels ) its not aiming to get the cost conscious tourist.

TheBandicoot

Western Pomise wrote: »

a one scoop ice cream,2 cups of tea and 2 yellow snack bars and it came to 10 euro FFS!....

That seems a perfectly reasonable price to me..

NewCorkLad

lazybones32 wrote: »

OP- that's Killarney for you. They - imo - are the most shamelessly money-hungry shower I've ever had the misfortune to encounter. Remember how they wanted Queen Elizabeth to come visit the town a few years ago and the galling pandering to H.M. to grace them with her presence, so that Killarney would get more media exposure. I was talking to some of the locals and I asked if they were embarrassed by their town council's grovelling and the reply I got was "well, if it'll bring more money to the town"

Why would they be embarrassed with their council trying to promote their town and bring more money into the local community. That is a stupid mentality to have.

sheesh

Should have gone to Tralee, cheaper accommodation too. Not half as pretty as Killarney though.

Killarney is the second most visited place in Ireland I believe. They are built for the mass tourist market and the prices show it. Should have gone for coffee in Muckross house it would have been cheaper.

€20 for a jarvey in molls gap sounds reasonable.

paulbok

Tourism fleecing 101 - if you can see anything worth seeing from where you are looking to eat, you are going to be charged an arm and a leg.

blackbird98

How much do you think you'd have paid for that in Temple Bar??? €10 doesn't sound like a rip-off to me.....what would you class as a reasonable price for 2 teas, snack bars and ice cream?

IMO most places would charge at least €3.50 for a kids dessert, add €5 for the teas, makes the snack bars sound cheap!!!

DublinCJM

mariaalice wrote: »

I was thinking about this, all tourist areas have an element of fleece the tourists with a bit of cop on you should be able to avoided it, for example in Venice having a coffee in any of the famous squares is rip off so don't do it or in Barcelona most of the restaurants on las ramblas are tourist traps so don't eat there.

Killarney is an expensive tourist destination and markets its self as such ( the five star hotels ) its not aiming to get the cost conscious tourist.

Or in my case, I would say do it.

You could of course save yourself a euro or two or even three and sit in a dark coffee shop off the beaten track, talking about how you'd saved a quid, I'd prefer to spend a fiver on a coffee in St Marks square or €8 or €10 for a beer sitting on La Ramblas.

You've spent a good few quid to get there, on flights, accommodation etc, a couple of extra euros for a beer or a coffee in a great location, watching it all pass by you is one of the reasons you go to places like this.

If you were there every weekend then don't do it, but lots of these places are once off visits, so why try and scrimp, just soak it up.

That's why Temple Bar is always jammed with people who don't give a toss about spending an extra 20 or 30 on a night out. It's full of tourists, not full of locals who know better.

somesoldiers

Lapin wrote: »

Up around the border between the OP's neck of the woods and mine they're still milking a few shillings out of aincient yanks by clinging on to the last vestiges of that bloody awful shíte The Quiet Man.

It makes me puke. You'd think they'd try and come up with something more imaginative at this stage than a 62 year old paddywhackery jiggerypolery film.

I wonder how many Americans visiting Ireland today have even heard of it?

I'm just hoping that when Maurenn O'Hara eventually shuffles off, they'll take down all the signposts for Quiet Man this and Quiet Man that and come up with something more contemporary, and less Oh Beggoragh to attract visitor to what is a beautiful part of the world.

There's a statue of Maureen O'Hara in Kells, Co. Meath because her dad was born there. More band wagon jumping

Galway K9

podgemonster wrote: »

Don't bother going to Kerry tis all show.
Come away down to West Cork and we'll look after ya.

cork, lol, if ya can understand them.

somesoldiers

sheesh wrote: »

Should have gone to Tralee, cheaper accommodation too. Not half as pretty as Killarney though.

Killarney is the second most visited place in Ireland I believe. They are built for the mass tourist market and the prices show it. Should have gone for coffee in Muckross house it would have been cheaper.

€20 for a jarvey in molls gap sounds reasonable.

i was on Inish- something or other earlier in the year and it was e30 for a jarvey around the island. There were 4 of us so not too bad

Galway K9

Beano wrote: »

one scoop ice cream,2 cups of tea and 2 yellow snack bars for a tenner doesnt sound a massive ripoff. a cup of tea in a sitdown place could €3 so that is €6. the snack bars are a euro each so that is €8 in total. add an ice cream on top and you're pretty much at a tenner.

Wherever you get your tea for 3 euro, you should ask for your money back.

Beano

Galway K9 wrote: »

Wherever you get your tea for 3 euro, you should ask for your money back.

and why is that?

Galway K9

Beano wrote: »

and why is that?

That's a rip off!!

Western Pomise

Well to the poster who said a child's dessert should be 3:50...you must be an ice cream purveyor!...it was a single scoop of ice cream,not looking out on a beautiful vista but a village St not unlike Knock up our way with the shameless selling of souvenirs and 'Aran ' sweaters ( in wrong Co may I add;)
Re price of same,2 snacks should be max 2:20,2 cups of tea 4:40 and ice cream was 2 euro so with my maths that's 8:60 with plenty of profit for a coffee shop in a scenic back of beyonds spot
Unrealistic to compare that with Temple Bar which is haven for any tourist to walk or stumble through while in Dublin.
Main thrust of my post was the good tourist people of Kerry in general fairly milk the market for all its worth.

Beano

Galway K9 wrote: »

That's a rip off!!

you'd fit in well over there http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=235

skyhighflyer

Killarney and West Cork well overpriced tourist traps. Donegal on the other hand we found to be great value, wonderful scenic walks and great fresh seafood.

topper75

They have a wolfhound and roundtower in the crest.

More apt to have a hand over a fist.

Scannal

You can find cheaper places in Killarney but it's pricey enough in general. As someone above mentioned, Donegal is far more reasonable and has nice scenery also.

bodhrandude

OP I see you mentioned Galway, I would lump Clifden in County Galway along with Killarney as a tourist rip off town too. My favourite Kerry town is Listowel, probably because the All Ireland fleadh was there a few times, but that place has a lot of character and is worth checking out.

crockholm

The whole Point of tourism is to make Money,yet people here are complaining about people making Money! There is a Kerry forum here on boards,I'm sure if you wished to find Everything for cheap,ask the folks there.

In fairness,it's not like you see all the multi-nationals locating to Kerry or places like it,so of course they have to get their income from the Tourist trade-and guaranteed that there will be many more folks packing Killarney and kenmare at the weekends because they Always make sure something is on to entertain Tourists.

In fact,last time I was in Killarney(last year),I Think I paid about 4.20 for a pint of stout,so nowt wrong there.

Be thankful for kerry tourism-what's the alternative? Donegal? "Come for the endless amount of midges,stay for the boyracers in N.I. reg subaru's"

WesternZulu

Western Pomise wrote: »

Please move Mods if in wrong thread,Down enjoying scenery on 'Ring of Kerry' at mo with family,have never been down to Kerry before and while the scenery is outstanding they fairly know how to charge for food,'souvenirs' etc.
Would be from a very scenic part of Mayo myself but we are in the dark ages compared to down here for exploiting tourists (which I abhor by the way)...good eg,staying in Killarney and in the good pubs offering pub grub your avg dish eg steak is 3 or 4 euro dearer than even likes of Galway city!
We just stopped there in a 'quaint' coffee shop in a village,got the young lad a one scoop ice cream,2 cups of tea and 2 yellow snack bars and it came to 10 euro FFS!....
Don't get me wrong the scenery,accom etc is lovely but it's all a bit 'stage' Irish to me and would say a lot of tourists head home happy but v light in pocket,
PS- before a horde of proud Kerry people come on defending their homeland,my point is just that their business people might be killing the golden goose.
Personally I have travelled the world,stayed in accom from dire hostels to 4 star hotels so know the value of a holiday budget and know that it
means a lot more to give a tip to someone in a country like India or Cambodia where the whole family might be fed for a few days from it,than by giving a tip in a restaurant in England as an eg.

Yerra

lazybones32

NewCorkLad wrote: »

Why would they be embarrassed with their council trying to promote their town and bring more money into the local community. That is a stupid mentality to have.

Promotion is one thing; begging someone to visit is quite another.

Not reading/understanding what is written is another "stupid mentality" to have.

fastrac

The Wild Atlantic Way is taking tourists into new areas that will give value for a few years . They are no worse in Killarney than any other tourist trap in business for donkeys years.I think the government would be better off spending the millions promoting tourism on some decent infrastructure.That way everybody wins and the tourists wont be telling Tripadvisor the highlight of their holiday was getting directions to the next stop from the B&B owner.

Stinicker

Scannal wrote: »

You can find cheaper places in Killarney but it's pricey enough in general. As someone above mentioned, Donegal is far more reasonable and has nice scenery also.

Have you seen the price of silver polish lately? Somethings got to pay to keep Sam shiny

Lia_lia

I'm from Killarney, and you're right. Prices do get hiked for the tourists, and of course the locals have to pay those prices too! The hotel prices are ridiculous.

Lia_lia

lazybones32 wrote: »

OP- that's Killarney for you. They - imo - are the most shamelessly money-hungry shower I've ever had the misfortune to encounter. Remember how they wanted Queen Elizabeth to come visit the town a few years ago and the galling pandering to H.M. to grace them with her presence, so that Killarney would get more media exposure. I was talking to some of the locals and I asked if they were embarrassed by their town council's grovelling and the reply I got was "well, if it'll bring more money to the town"

The Hill Billy

I've been to Kerry for the past 4 years for my holliers - Killarney & Dingle - & got good value for money each time. I love it. Murphy's ice cream rocks!

Red21

lazybones32 wrote: »

OP- that's Killarney for you. They - imo - are the most shamelessly money-hungry shower I've ever had the misfortune to encounter. Remember how they wanted Queen Elizabeth to come visit the town a few years ago and the galling pandering to H.M. to grace them with her presence, so that Killarney would get more media exposure. I was talking to some of the locals and I asked if they were embarrassed by their town council's grovelling and the reply I got was "well, if it'll bring more money to the town"

I'll bet they got embarrassed for humanity when you started shouting, "Yuu Aaa up the Raa"

ErnieBert

Last year I brought my kids to Kerry. We got a great deal in a hotel in Tralee so based ourselves there. The town was such a sh!thole that I'd rather pay more and enjoy Killarney than pay less and be bored in Tralee.

Mountainsandh

Lapin wrote: »

paddywhackery ...Oh Beggoragh to attract visitor to what is a beautiful part of the world.

Op, I agree about the ripping tourists off part, but I disagree on the Irish "experience" part.

I'm not Irish and it kills me how embarrassed, or self conscious, mortified, shameful, or "whatever you call it" Irish people are about their own culture.

Why not embrace the Beggorah and paddywhackery-nesses, the shamrock keyrings, the Leprechauns aprons and tea towels ? The sheep and the fifty shades of green, the Riverdance tackiness ? What's the harm in them ? Make people look not intellectual enough ?

What about the French so ? Should they similarly reject the garlic bedecked beret wearing old mustachioed fellow on a bike with baguette image ? The Mime Marceau references, the Citroen cars parked by quaint village bakery table sets ? The Eiffel Tower keyrings ?
What about the Italians, the Spanish, the Germans ?

Do we not all have stereotypes and at times cringy cultural references that fire tourists' imaginations ?

I don't think any of the countries I have mentioned above lose in "street cred" because of the stereotypes or tacky cultural concepts. Tourists (even American !) are well able to enjoy the Leprechauns and take in more serious or intellectual characteristics of a country.

I don't know, maybe it's just me but every time I see Irish people complaining about the tourism sheenanigans, or should I say tactics, I imagine a "morto" teenager that just wants to look deep and clever.

I'm a bit passionate here because I was once a Leprechaun loving tourist, and I think these introductions to the country should be no issue to anyone in Ireland.

siblers

I live near Killarney, restraunt and cafe prices and bar prices seem pretty much on par with any major tourist town/city in ireland that I've visited.

Packrat

Scannal wrote: »

You can find cheaper places in Killarney but it's pricey enough in general. As someone above mentioned, Donegal is far more reasonable and has nice scenery also.

Agree, but for a cracking weeknight or weekend town, Killarney kicks everyone's ass, bar Dublin, even Galway and Cork don't have as much going on. You'll pay for this.

crockholm wrote: »

The whole Point of tourism is to make Money,yet people here are complaining about people making Money! There is a Kerry forum here on boards,I'm sure if you wished to find Everything for cheap,ask the folks there.

In fairness,it's not like you see all the multi-nationals locating to Kerry or places like it,so of course they have to get their income from the Tourist trade-and guaranteed that there will be many more folks packing Killarney and kenmare at the weekends because they Always make sure something is on to entertain Tourists.

In fact,last time I was in Killarney(last year),I Think I paid about 4.20 for a pint of stout,so nowt wrong there.

Be thankful for kerry tourism-what's the alternative? Donegal? "Come for the endless amount of midges,stay for the boyracers in N.I. reg subaru's"

I like Donegal, but if I had coffee, I'd have spat it over my phone at your last sentence.

Lia_lia wrote: »

I'm from Killarney, and you're right. Prices do get hiked for the tourists, and of course the locals have to pay those prices too! The hotel prices are ridiculous.

You could get a hotel or b&b on Muckross Rd all through this summer for 35 a head. I know cos I stayed there about 25 nights between May and Sept. That's not dear. In fact it's the cheapest tourist town in Ireland to stay in if you want it to be. Try Kinsale for comparison.

Mountainsandh wrote: »

Op, I agree about the ripping tourists off part, but I disagree on the Irish "experience" part.

I'm not Irish and it kills me how embarrassed, or self conscious, mortified, shameful, or "whatever you call it" Irish people are about their own culture.

Why not embrace the Beggorah and paddywhackery-nesses, the shamrock keyrings, the Leprechauns aprons and tea towels ? The sheep and the fifty shades of green, the Riverdance tackiness ? What's the harm in them ? Make people look not intellectual enough ?

What about the French so ? Should they similarly reject the garlic bedecked beret wearing old mustachioed fellow on a bike with baguette image ? The Mime Marceau references, the Citroen cars parked by quaint village bakery table sets ? The Eiffel Tower keyrings ?
What about the Italians, the Spanish, the Germans ?

Do we not all have stereotypes and at times cringy cultural references that fire tourists' imaginations ?

I don't think any of the countries I have mentioned above lose in "street cred" because of the stereotypes or tacky cultural concepts. Tourists (even American !) are well able to enjoy the Leprechauns and take in more serious or intellectual characteristics of a country.

I don't know, maybe it's just me but every time I see Irish people complaining about the tourism sheenanigans, or should I say tactics, I imagine a "morto" teenager that just wants to look deep and clever.

I'm a bit passionate here because I was once a Leprechaun loving tourist, and I think these introductions to the country should be no issue to anyone in Ireland.

Great post.

My own opinion is that as scenery goes, the Dingle peninsula or the less exploited Beara peninsula both far outrank the Ring of Kerry.

Other counties also are full of tourist traps; particularly Clare, where they have wonderful natural attractions but dirty over developed towns and have destroyed the coastline from Black head down to Spanish point with crappy holiday lets.

Different types of tourist will enjoy different types of attractions. I've been at the banquet in Bunratty over 50 times yet I can see the attraction for SOME people to attend once.
As a driver/guide at the top end of the market, we try to do unique experiences with people, but there is a reason most tourists visit Killarney or the Cliffs - it's spectacular.

Tldr: Lobster is great, but sometimes you just want a burger.

lazybones32

Red21 wrote: »

I'll bet they got embarrassed for humanity when you started shouting, "Yuu Aaa up the Raa"

No. Nothing like that happened. I'll write for you, what I said to them "If she wants to come visit, fine, just don't go begging her to visit".

It's a little thing called self-respect.

gramar

valoren wrote: »

In the Gap of Dunloe.

How much for a Donkey ride?

£20!

I don't want to buy it at all!

Did you get the condom included in the price?

DublinCJM

DublinCJM wrote: »

Or in my case, I would say do it.

You could of course save yourself a euro or two or even three and sit in a dark coffee shop off the beaten track, talking about how you'd saved a quid, I'd prefer to spend a fiver on a coffee in St Marks square or €8 or €10 for a beer sitting on La Ramblas.

You've spent a good few quid to get there, on flights, accommodation etc, a couple of extra euros for a beer or a coffee in a great location, watching it all pass by you is one of the reasons you go to places like this.

If you were there every weekend then don't do it, but lots of these places are once off visits, so why try and scrimp, just soak it up.

That's why Temple Bar is always jammed with people who don't give a toss about spending an extra 20 or 30 on a night out. It's full of tourists, not full of locals who know better.

The way I see that is I would much rather see something real and get a real sense of the place, in Venice for example we found the local food market which had a small hole in the wall bar serving coffee and wine to the locals and the stall holders, I would much rather have a coffee from some where like that. I know every one is different but its a bit much to complain of being ripped off when you have the choice of going some where else.