At the Ross Castle, in Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland

 "... When Irish eyes are smiling

Sure it's like a morning spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter,
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.
-- Chorus lines from When Irish Eyes are Smiling,
a lighthearted (1912) song written in tribute to Ireland.
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(in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland) At the northern end of the Ring Of Kerry, the market town of Killarney lies near the Killarney lakes, famed for their beauty, about 45 miles (70 km) north-northwest of Cork. Rising steeply to the west are Tomies Mountain and Purple Mountain, and beyond the Gap of Dunloe are Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, the highest range in Ireland.

+ The three main Killarney lakes are Lough Leane (Lower Lake), Muckross (Middle) Lake, and Upper Lake. Lower Lake is the northernmost and, covering about 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares), is the largest of the Killarney lakes. Lower Lake’s 30 islands include Innisfallen, with a 9th-century abbey. Lower Lake is separated from Muckross Lake by the Muckross peninsula. Connecting Muckross Lake (680 acres [275 hectares], with four islands) with Upper Lake (430 acres [174 hectares], with eight islands) is the Long Range, a broad, wooded channel. The woods around the lakes are mostly of arbutus, with oak, birch, holly, and mountain ash. The limestone of the eastern shores has been eroded into curiously shaped caves and indentations. The lakes are drained to the Atlantic Ocean by the River Laune. The lakes and the remains of Muckross Abbey, founded in the 15th century by Donal McCarthy, are inside Killarney National Park, which also has many waterfalls and ancient forests.

+ With the town’s breathtaking natural landscape and access to some of Ireland’s most scenic mountains, forests, and coastlines, tourism is among the leading local industries. Killarney is the perfect place to stay if you are hoping to explore the Ring Of Kerry/Wild Atlantic Way and the surrounding area.

+ The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castle, Muckross House and Abbey, the Lakes of Killarney, MacGillycuddy's Reeks, Purple Mountain, Mangerton Mountain, Paps Mountain, the Gap of Dunloe and Torc Waterfall.

+ Depicted here, is Ross Castle, a 15th-century tower house and keep on the edge of Lough Leane, in Killarney National Park. It is the ancestral home of the Chiefs of the Clan O'Donoghue, later associated with the Brownes of Killarney. 

+The Irish had a prophecy that Ross could never be taken until a warship could swim on the lake, an unbelievable prospect:
("Ross may all assault disdain
Till on Lough Lein strange ship shall sail.")