89-477: West Kerry or Kerry West may refer to: The western part of County Kerry , in Ireland West Kerry GAA West Kerry (UK Parliament constituency) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title West Kerry . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
178-499: A Crossley tender were sent from Dublin. Listowel would remain a base for those supporting the treaty throughout the conflict. The town was eventually overcome by superior numbers of anti-Treaty forces belonging to the Kerry No. 2 and 3 Brigades in June 1922. In the ensuing civil war between pro- and anti-treaty elements, Kerry was perhaps the worst affected area of Ireland. Initially the county
267-611: A "sister" branch to the FitzGeralds of Desmond. However this technically makes them slightly closer to the FitzGeralds of Desmond than either are to the Offaly-Kildare-Leinster Geraldines, represented by the modern Dukes of Leinster , who descend from Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly , uncle of the 1st Baron Desmond. The House of Corsygedol ( Vaughans ) is a branch of the Lords of Desmond , now Earls of Desmond , and
356-758: A commercial radio station, Radio Kerry , which commenced operations in 1990. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta has a studio in Baile na nGall in the west Kerry gaeltacht . Spin South West has a studio in Tralee , which commenced operations in 2016. The main National Primary Routes into Kerry are the N21 road from Limerick and the N22 road from Cork , each terminating in Tralee. Kerry Airport
445-616: A daughter of the Norman magnate Arnulf de Montgomery : the Montgomeries , lords of 150 manors and 30 castles, were the most powerful magnates in both England and Normandy , and were of the same family as William the Conqueror. His wife's maternal grandfather was the High King of Ireland, Muirchertach Ua Briain (see Arnulf de Montgomery ) which may have influenced the important role Maurice played
534-521: A half-nephew of Emperor Napoleon III , a step-grandson of Queen Hortense Bonaparte , and a great-grandson of Talleyrand , connecting the family with the Houses of Beauharnais , Talleyrand , and Bonaparte . The Treaty of Paris (1783) , that gave the independence to the United States was drafted from William's home at Lansdowne House , and Henry was made a member of the prominent Brooks's Club , alongside
623-626: A hilly to mountainous topography, with the MacGillycuddy's Reeks on Iveragh rising to over 1,000 m (3,300 ft). By contrast, its interior regions are mostly flat, interspersed with low mountain ranges such as the Stacks and the Mullaghareirks . The climate of Kerry is dominated by the North Atlantic Current and is usually mild and humid, with abundant precipitation. This allows for
712-427: A native of Listowel , is considered one of Ireland's greatest playwrights and is known for his works such as The Field , Sive and Big Maggie . The annual Listowel Writers' Week Festival serves as a celebration of Irish writers past and present. Kerry is known for its senior Gaelic football team . Gaelic football is by far the dominant sport in the county, and Kerry has the most successful of all football teams;
801-462: A region on the extremity of Ireland, the culture of Kerry was less susceptible to outside influences and has preserved the Irish language , as well as Irish traditional music , song and dance . The Sliabh Luachra area of northeast Kerry, that borders Limerick and Cork, is renowned for its traditional music, dance and song, especially its slides, polkas and fiddle playing. The Siamsa Tíre centre in Tralee
890-481: A series of massacres of republican prisoners by National Army soldiers, in reprisal for the ambush of their men—the most notorious being the killing of eight men with mines at Ballyseedy , near Tralee. The internecine conflict was brought to an end in May 1923 as the rule of law was re-established following the death of IRA Chief of Staff Liam Lynch , and the order by Frank Aiken to dump all arms. The local authority for
979-775: A shoot-out in Castleisland on the day of the truce itself, indicating the bitterness of the conflict in Kerry. Following the Anglo-Irish Treaty , most of the Kerry IRA units opposed the settlement. One exception existed in Listowel where a pro-Treaty garrison was established by local Flying Column commandant Thomas Kennelly in February 1922. This unit consisted of 200 regular soldiers along with officers and NCOs. A batch of rifles, machine guns and
SECTION 10
#17328588579881068-572: A toil. These three hereditary knighthoods were created for their kinsmen by the Earls of Desmond, acting as Earls Palatine . According to the 1890 Matheson report, Fitzgerald/FitzGerald was the 36th most common surname in Ireland. Fitzgerald/FitzGerald is the 692nd most frequent surname in the United Kingdom. The surname occurs most frequently in the following ten counties, in descending order, with
1157-561: Is a county on the southwest coast of Ireland , within the province of Munster and the Southern Region . It is bordered by two other counties; Limerick to the east, and Cork to the south and east. It is separated from Clare to the north by the Shannon Estuary . With an area of 4,807 square kilometres (1,856 sq mi) and a population of 156,458 as of 2022, it is the 5th largest of Ireland's 32 counties by land area, and
1246-568: Is a patronymic of the Norman form, fitz meaning "son". "Fitz Gerald" thus means in Old Norman and in Old French "son of Gerald ". Gerald itself is a Germanic compound of ger , "spear", and waltan , "rule". Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald . The name can also appear as two separate words Fitz Gerald . The earliest recorded use of the patronymic FitzGerald
1335-609: Is a developing greenway network, known as the "Kingdom of Kerry Greenways", across the county. The North Kerry (part of the Great Southern Trail ), South Kerry and Tralee-Fenit greenways are under-development or in the planning phases. Kerry is served by rail at Tralee railway station , Farranfore railway station , Killarney railway station and Rathmore railway station which connect to Cork and Dublin Heuston , via Mallow . Branch line services existed to each of
1424-569: Is a hub of traditional Irish pastimes. Corca Dhuibhne and Uíbh Ráthach are considered Gaeltacht regions and Irish culture is also very strong in these areas. The Blasket Islands off the Dingle Peninsula are known for their rich literary heritage; authors such as Peig Sayers , Muiris Ó Súilleabháin and Tomás Ó Criomhthain have all written books about life on the islands, which were evacuated in 1953 due to increasingly extreme weather conditions that made them uninhabitable. John B Keane ,
1513-537: Is home to Carrauntoohil , Ireland's highest mountain at 1,039 m. The tip of the Dingle Peninsula is the westernmost point of Ireland. There are nine historic baronies in the county. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed under "Administrative units". Kerry faces
1602-585: Is served by Farranfore railway station . Fenit harbour near Tralee is a regional harbour capable of handling ships of up to 17,000 tonnes. Large container cranes from Liebherrs in Killarney are regularly exported worldwide. A rail-link to the port was closed in the 1970s. The harbour at Dingle is one of Ireland's secondary fishing ports. In the north of the county, a ferry service operates from Tarbert to Killimer in County Clare . Hospitals in Kerry include
1691-821: Is situated on the N23 road between Castleisland and Farranfore which connects the N21 and N22. Within Kerry the main National Secondary Routes include the well-known Ring of Kerry which follows the N70 road that circles the Iveragh Peninsula and links at Kenmare with the N71 road to west Cork . The N86 road connects Tralee with Dingle along the Dingle Peninsula, while the N69 road from Limerick links Listowel and Tralee through north Kerry. There
1780-459: Is that of Raoul fitz Gerald le Chambellan, member of the Tancarville family . Raoul was a Norman baron, Chamberlain of Normandy, educator of the young William , future Conqueror of England, and father of William de Tancarville , Earl of Tankerville and chief chamberlain of Normandy and England after the Norman conquest . The eponymous ancestor of the various FitzGerald branches, as well as of
1869-608: Is the centre of the tourism industry, which is a significant element of the economy in Kerry. The Kerry Way , Dingle Way and Beara Way are walking routes in the county. The Ring of Kerry on the Iveragh Peninsula is a popular route for tourists and cyclists. The pedestrian version is the scenic Kerry Way which follows ancient paths generally higher than that adopted by the Ring of Kerry. Kerry has an abundance of archaeological sites. The earliest evidence of human settlement dates to
SECTION 20
#17328588579881958-503: Is the only Gaeltacht in Munster where Irish is the daily spoken language of the majority of the population. In the county as a whole, 40.2 percent of residents were able to speak Irish as of 2022. The regional dialect is Munster Irish , exemplified by the influential works of Blasket Islanders such as Peig Sayers , Muiris Ó Súilleabháin and Tomás Ó Criomhthain . Kerry is the fifth largest of Ireland's 32 traditional counties by area and
2047-559: The 15th most populous . The governing local authority is Kerry County Council . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean , Kerry is Ireland's most westerly county. Its rugged coastline stretches for 886 kilometres (551 miles) and is characterised by bays, sea cliffs, beaches and many small offshore islands, of which the Blaskets and the Skelligs are the most notable. The county's peninsulas have
2136-655: The 2014 local elections held on 23 May 2014, Killarney , Listowel and Tralee each had town councils . They were abolished under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 . Following boundary changes in 2016, Kerry is represented in Dáil Éireann by five TDs returned from a single Dáil constituency of Kerry . The TDs elected to the 33rd Dáil at the 2020 general election were Pa Daly ( SF ), Norma Foley ( FF ), Brendan Griffin ( FG ), Danny Healy-Rae ( Independent ) and Michael Healy-Rae ( Independent ). As
2225-568: The 8th Duke of Devonshire of Chatsworth House , Prime Minister Lord Rosebery of Mentmore Towers , and Baron Lionel de Rothschild , grandson of Mayer Amschel , founder of the House of Rothschild . The present-day seat of the Irish Parliament Dáil Éireann is housed in Leinster House , which was first built in 1745–48 by James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster as the ducal palace for
2314-679: The A Championship , while they and Killarney Celtic also competed in the Munster Senior League during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2023 Kerry F.C. entered the League of Ireland First Division for the first time. Cricket is played in County Kerry by County Kerry Cricket Club. They play their home games at the Oyster Oval near Tralee . In 2011 there were 6,083 Irish language speakers in County Kerry, with 4,978 native speakers within
2403-557: The Atlantic Ocean and, typically for an Eastern-Atlantic coastal region, features many peninsulas and inlets, principally the Dingle Peninsula , the Iveragh Peninsula , and the Beara Peninsula . The county is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on the north by the River Shannon . Kerry is one of the most mountainous regions of Ireland and its three highest mountains, Carrauntoohil , Beenkeragh and Caher , all part of
2492-467: The Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway as a service for tourists. Bus Éireann operates an extensive bus service network on routes throughout the county, with connection hubs in Killarney and Tralee. Various local link services also run throughout Kerry such as the soon to be launched 274 from Tralee to Tarbert via Ardfert, Ballyheigue, Ballyduff and Ballybunion. Note that this new Local Link 274 will replace
2581-606: The Gherardinis of Florence. The FitzGerald dynasty has played a major role in Irish history. Gearóid Mór, 8th Earl of Kildare and his son Gearóid Óg, 9th Earl of Kildare , were Lord Deputy of Ireland in the late-fifteenth and early-sixteenth centuries respectively. Both married to cousins of Henry Tudor , first monarch of the House of Tudor . During the Italian War of 1521–1526 , James FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond , conspired with
2670-513: The House of Gherardini of Ireland, represented by the FitzGeralds, can be traced back in the year 1413 to the accounts of Lord Antonio d'Ottaviano di Rossellino Gherardini. A priest named Maurice Fitzgerald was of passage in Florence at that time, with a Bishop of the Order of Saint Augustine , and has been able to enter in contact with one of his fellow kinsman, who then introduced him to other members of
2759-400: The House of Plantagenet . The most renowned of Gerald's and Nest's grandchildren, Gerald of Wales , gave an account of the Norman invasion, as well as lively and invaluable descriptions of Ireland and Wales in the late 12th century. He became Archdeacon of Brecon , serving Archbishop Baldwin of Forde , a past tutor of Pope Eugene III 's nephew, and worked with him at recruiting members for
West Kerry - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-603: The Institute of Technology, Tralee , is the main third-level institution in the county. It was established in 1977 as the Regional Technical College, Tralee but acquired its present name in 1997. The Institute of Technology, Tralee, merged with Cork Institute of Technology in 2019 to form the Munster Technological University. It has an enrolment of about 3,500 students. The institute has two campuses:
2937-527: The Kerry Gaeltacht . This does not count the 1,105 attending the four Gaelscoils (Irish language primary schools) and two Gaelcholáiste (Irish language secondary schools) outside the Kerry Gaeltacht. Kerry, with its mountains, lakes and nearly 1,000 kilometres of Atlantic coastline is among the most scenic areas in Ireland and is among the most significant tourist destinations in Ireland. Killarney
3026-471: The MacGillycuddy's Reeks range. Just off the coast are a number of islands, including the Blasket Islands , Valentia Island and the Skelligs . Skellig Michael is a World Heritage Site , famous for the medieval monastery clinging to the island's cliffs. The county contains the extreme west point of Ireland, Dunmore Head on the Dingle Peninsula, or including islands, Tearaght Island , part of
3115-403: The Norman invasion of Ireland . Nest's son by her second marriage, Robert FitzStephen , was another participant, as was William de Hay, husband of one of Gerald's and Nest's granddaughters. Nest's grandson (through her son by Henry I of England , son of William the Conqueror ), named Meiler FitzHenry , was appointed Lord Justice of Ireland for his cousin, King Henry II of England , member of
3204-769: The Third Crusade of Richard the Lionheart against Saladin . On many attempts Gerald tried to become the Bishop of St. Davids but failed, despite having met in Rome Pope Innocent III , who would later experienced the Sack of Constantinople . More than twenty works has been produced by Gerald of Wales, and his statue can be seen today in City Hall, Cardiff , in Wales. The earliest record of
3293-748: The Venetians and King Francis I of France , of Château de Chambord , against the Habsburgs , Tudors and Medicis . After the war, he sided once again against England, and allied himself with Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor during the War of the League of Cognac . Another notable rebel was Commander James FitzMaurice FitzGerald , who led the Desmond Rebellions against the Tudors, and negotiated with Catherine de' Medici with
3382-416: The de Barry and FitzMaurice families, was Gerald FitzWalter of Windsor . Gerald was a Norman adventurer who took part in the 1093 invasion of South Wales upon the death in battle of Rhys ap Tewdwr , last king of South Wales. Gerald was the youngest son of another Norman adventurer, Walter fitz Otho , William the Conqueror 's Constable for the strategic military fortress of Windsor Castle , as well as
3471-464: The strawberry tree and tree ferns , not normally found in northern Europe, thrive in the area. Because of the mountainous area and the prevailing southwesterly winds, Kerry is among the regions with the highest rainfall in Ireland. Owing to its location, there has been a weather reporting station on Valentia for many centuries. The Irish record for rainfall in one day is 243.5 mm (9.59 in), recorded at Cloore Lake in Kerry in 1993. In 1986
3560-647: The "service families" on whom the King relied for his survival. Some of its members became the Black Knights , Green Knights and White Knights . The main branches of the family are: The progenitor of the Irish FitzGerald dynasty was a Cambro-Norman Marcher Lord named Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan , son of Gerald de Windsor and Princess Nest ferch Rhys , of the Welsh royal House of Dinefwr . Maurice married
3649-601: The 1,000 O'Sullivans who set out reached their destination. In the aftermath of the War, much of the native owned land in Kerry was confiscated and given to English settlers or 'planters'. The head of the MacCarthy Mor family, Florence MacCarthy was imprisoned in London and his lands were divided between his relatives and colonists from England, such as the Browne family. In the 1640s Kerry
West Kerry - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-541: The 1169 Norman invasion of Ireland . The FitzGeralds claim kinship with the Tudors who descended from the same Welsh royal line as Princess Nest's father, Rhys ap Tewdwr , King of Deheubarth. Consequently, the FitzMaurices and FitzGeralds are cousins to the Tudors (Tewdwrs in Welsh) through Princess Nest and her Welsh family. In his poetry, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey , a cousin of Anne Boleyn , also referred to Countess Elizabeth FitzGerald , (1527–89) as "Fair Geraldine", alluding to her family's Italian ancestry through
3827-404: The 18th century, their Corsygedol estates were inherited by the Mostyn baronets family through marriage. Its cadet branches are the House of Yale (Yale family) of Plas-yn- Yale , and the Hughes of Gwerclas of Gwerclas , native royal families of the Mathrafal dynasty . Their coat of arms are those of Osborn Fitzgerald ; viz. erm. on saltire gu. a crescent or. Crest is a wild boar in
3916-451: The Blaskets. The most westerly inhabited area of Ireland is Dún Chaoin , on the Dingle Peninsula. The River Feale , the River Laune and the Roughty River flow through Kerry, into the Atlantic. The North Atlantic Current , part of the Gulf Stream , flows north past Kerry and the west coast of Ireland, resulting in milder temperatures than would otherwise be expected at the 52 North latitude . This means that subtropical plants such as
4005-484: The Crown by the service of one knight's fee. In the 15th century, the majority of the area now known as County Kerry was still part of the County Desmond , the west Munster seat of the Earl of Desmond , a branch of the Hiberno-Norman FitzGerald dynasty , known as the Geraldines . In 1580, during the Second Desmond Rebellion , one of the most infamous massacres of the Sixteenth century, the Siege of Smerwick , took place at Dún an Óir near Ard na Caithne (Smerwick) at
4094-401: The Dukes of Leinster. The White House in the United States, seat of the U.S. President , was based on Leinster House, and was designed by Irish architect James Hoban for George Washington , who also supervised the U.S. Capitol 's construction for Thomas Jefferson . The Dukes were related to the Royal houses of Bourbon , Medici , and Habsburg , among others, as the first Duke married
4183-532: The Earls of Desmond has been extinct since the 17th century. Their branch of the dynasty continues only in their distant collateral kinsmen, Ireland's hereditary knights (for whom see section below). The closely related FitzMaurice Barons and later Earls of Kerry continue in the male line with the current Petty-FitzMaurice Marquesses of Lansdowne , but they descend from John FitzGerald, 1st Baron Desmond 's nephew, Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Baron of Kerry, son of his brother Maurice FitzThomas. Thus in fact they represent
4272-442: The FitzGerald Family as well as with the Kennedy family . According to the magazine, the three families have maintained relationship among them even in recent times or in the past (for example with American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy ). The link with the Kennedy family came from the Earl of Desmond branch, and can be seen on the coat of arms granted to John FitzGerald Kennedy by the Chief Herald of Ireland . The line of
4361-454: The FitzGerald dynasty becoming " more Irish than the Irish themselves " is Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond (1335–1398), who was also known by the Irish Gaelic Gearóid Iarla (Earl Gerald). Although made Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1367, Gerald wrote poetry in the Irish language , most famously the poem Mairg adeir olc ris na mnáibh ("Speak not ill of womenkind"). Indeed, although an accomplished poet in Norman French, Gerald
4450-399: The Gaelic Kingdom of Desmond , ruled by the Mac Cárthaigh dynasty , and the Anglo-Norman Earldom of Desmond, ruled by the Geraldines . These two regions were merged in 1606 in the aftermath of the Nine Years' War . Kerry has two official Gaeltacht regions, Gaeltacht Uíbh Ráthaigh on the Iveragh Peninsula and Gaeltacht Corca Dhuibhne on the Dingle Peninsula , the latter of which
4539-423: The Geraldines of Ireland, the Earls of Kildare . Confirmed as well in 1507 by the Viceroy of Ireland , Gerald Fitzgerald , to Giovanni Manni, a Florentine merchant in passage to Ireland. Gerald Fitzgerald's letters were signed as "Gerald, Chief in Ireland of the family of the Gherardini". His son, the 9th Earl of Kildare , was also known as Lord Garrett, which translates as Signore Gherardini in Italian, and
SECTION 50
#17328588579884628-430: The Gherardinis. As being part of the Gherardini family that dwelt in the island of Ireland, further exchanges were eventually done by the family to meet again. A letter written in 1440 by the Chancellor of Florence , Leonardo Bruni , one of the associates of Cosimo de' Medici , stipulated that Giovanni Betti di Gherardini, a representative of the family, was sent to Ireland to become acquainted with his other kinsmen from
4717-405: The Irish themselves " or Gaels , due to assimilation with the native Gaelic aristocratic and popular culture. The dynasty has also been referred to as the Geraldines and Ireland's largest landowners. They achieved power through colonisation and the conquest of large swathes of Irish territory by the sons and grandsons of Gerald de Windsor (c. 1075 – 1135). Gerald de Windsor ( Gerald FitzWalter )
4806-450: The Kerry footballers have won the Sam Maguire cup 38 times, with the next nearest team Dublin on 30 wins. Hurling is popular at club level in north Kerry, although the county has only won one All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship , in 1891. The senior team currently compete in the Joe McDonagh Cup . The Kerry District League is the main competition for association football in the county. Tralee Dynamos have represented Kerry in
4895-402: The King's Keeper of the Forests of Berkshire. Domesday Book records Walter fitz Otho as tenant-in-chief of lands formerly held by conquered Englishmen in Berkshire , Buckinghamshire, Hampshire , and Middlesex . Walter's positions and most of his lands were inherited by Gerald's older brothers, Robert, Maurice, and William, the oldest, ancestor of the earls of Plymouth , while Gerald inherited
4984-410: The Mesolithic period. The county has a notably high concentration of open-air Atlantic rock art , which is believed to date to the Late Neolithic / Early Bronze Age period (2300-1500BC). This rock art is scattered throughout the county and exists in dense clusters on the Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas. These carvings form part of a tradition which stretches across Atlantic Europe and are distinct from
5073-464: The North Campus (opened in Dromtacker in 2001) and the South Campus (opened in Clash in 1977) approximately 2.4 km (1.5 mi) apart. A number of Irish surnames are derived from septs who hail from the Kerry area, such as Falvey , Foley , McCarthy , Murphy , O'Connor , O'Moriarty , Clifford , Kennelly , McGrath , O'Carroll , O'Sullivan , O'Connell , O'Donoghue , O'Shea , Quill , Scannell , Stack , Sugrue and Tangney . The area
5162-480: The ambition of making her son, Henry III of France , the new King of Ireland. Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond led the Second Desmond Rebellion with the help of the King of Spain, Philip of Habsburg , and Pope Gregory XIII , in an attempt to put on the throne Duke Giacomo Boncompagni . Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare (died 1537), known as "Silken Thomas," also led an unsuccessful insurrection in Ireland, while Lord Edward FitzGerald (1763–1798),
5251-416: The ancestral seat of the Geraldines in Florence in his poem Description and praise of his love . Since the 15th century, the FitzGeralds and the Gherardinis are known to be in touch and to acknowledge their kinship. A 2014 cover story published by "Sette", the Italian weekly magazine of Corriere della Sera , was an article dedicated to the Gherardini family of Montagliari and their relationship with
5340-427: The county is Kerry County Council . The council provides a number of services including planning, roads maintenance, fire brigade, council housing, water supply, waste collection, recycling and landfill, higher education grants and funding for arts and culture. The county is divided into five municipal districts with local responsibility: Corca Dhuibhne–Castleisland, Kenmare, Killarney, Listowel, and Tralee. Prior to
5429-425: The estate of Moulsford , now in Oxfordshire , near to Wallingford , where his father owned a fortified house adjacent to those of other powerful Norman authorities. Nest ferch Rhys ap Tewdwr was the daughter of the last king of South Wales by his wife, Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn of Powys . Their grandchildren, Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan , Raymond le Gros and Philip de Barry were leaders in
SECTION 60
#17328588579885518-446: The famous poet Dante Alighieri , that the descendants of Tommaso, Gherardo, and Maurizio Gherardini were the ancestors of the Earls of Kildare and Earls of Desmonds , and went on to Conquer Ireland with the King of England . The Divine Comedy was first launch at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The English poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey , user of the sonnet form that would later be used by William Shakespeare , also referred to
5607-526: The fifteenth largest by population . It is the second largest of Munster's six counties by area, and the fourth largest by population. Uniquely, it is bordered by only two other counties: County Limerick to the east and County Cork to the south-east. The county town is Tralee although the Catholic diocesan seat is Killarney , which is one of Ireland's most famous tourist destinations. The Lakes of Killarney , an area of outstanding natural beauty, are located in Killarney National Park . The Reeks District
5696-466: The fifth son of the first duke of Leinster, was a leading figure in the 1798 Irish Rebellion against King George III of the House of Hanover . Thomas's half-brother, the 11th Earl , nicknamed the "Wizard Earl", went into exile in Italy, joined the Geraldine League , and became a member of the household of the Duke of Mantua, of the Gonzaga family , and Master of Horse to Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany . In Irish history, an example of
5785-536: The great-granddaughter of King Charles II of the Royal House of Stuart . Charles's mother, Queen Henrietta Maria de Bourbon , was the aunt of Louis XIV of Versailles , while his grandmother and great-grandmother were the Queens Marie de' Medici and Joanna of Habsburg . The current Duke is Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster , who is also the 9th Marquess of Kildare , 28th Earl of Kildare , 9th Earl of Offaly , 9th Viscount Leinster of Taplow, 14th Baron Offaly , 6th Baron Kildare . The surname FitzGerald
5874-407: The growth of a wide variety of temperate and sub-tropical plants not typically found at such northerly latitudes. The county is named after the Cíarraige people, who were the region's dominant pre-historic sept. County Kerry first appeared as a separate shire in 1232, and was at that time part of a royal grant given to the Earls of Desmond . The present-day county was divided for centuries between
5963-409: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Kerry&oldid=933246943 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages County Kerry County Kerry ( Irish : Contae Chiarraí )
6052-565: The megalithic art of the type found at Newgrange. Kerry has many Bronze Age monuments including standing stones, wedge tombs, boulder burials, and stone circles, along with Iron Age forts. Like the rest of Ireland, Kerry has large numbers of monuments from the Early Christian period, such as ring forts, churches, cross-inscribed stones, holy wells, saints' graves, and ogham stones, along with Medieval castles and churches. Attractions: County Kerry has two local newspapers, The Kerryman and Kerry's Eye , both published in Tralee. The county has
6141-412: The nationalist Young Ireland movement. The ill-fated romance of Thomas FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Desmond with Catherine MacCormac was the subject of the air "Desmond's Song" by the Irish poet Thomas Moore . Saint Patrick's Saltire , sometimes used to represent Ireland in modern flags, may have derived from the arms of the Geraldines. The Arleigh Burke -class destroyer USS Fitzgerald in
6230-487: The night before. On 10 December 1920 Martial law was declared in the Counties of Kery, Cork and Limerick. Another incident was the Headford Junction ambush in spring 1921, when IRA units ambushed a train carrying British soldiers outside Killarney. About ten British soldiers, three civilians and two IRA men were killed in the ensuing gun battle. Violence between the IRA and the British was ended in July 1921, but nine men, four British soldiers and five IRA men, were killed in
6319-463: The number of occurrences in parentheses: "1. Greater London, (500), Greater Manchester (191), West Midlands (176), Lancashire (130), Kent (118), Essex (117), West Yorkshire (113), Merseyside (108), Hampshire (84), and Surrey (76)." "Fitzgerald" (including "FitzGerald," as the survey was not case-sensitive), was the 390th most common surname in the 2000 United States census . 73,522 Fitzgeralds were counted, with 27.25 Fitzgeralds per 100,000 members of
6408-459: The peninsulas (Beara, Iveragh and Dingle) and also to the north of the county. They were closed during the rationalisations of the 1950s and 1960s. Listowel to Ballybunion had the distinction of operating experimental Lartigue Monorail services from 1882 to 1924. A 500m section was re-established in 2003. A road-car route, the Prince of Wales Route , was a link from Bantry to Killarney, operated by
6497-424: The population. Respondents surnamed Fitzgerald had self-reported ethnicities of 88.03% non-Hispanic white only, 8.44% non-Hispanic black only, 0.32% non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander only, 1.28% non-Hispanic Asian only, 1.43% of two or more non-Hispanic races, and 1.43% Hispanic. The FitzGerald dynasty was the subject of a poem called "The Geraldines" by Thomas Osborne Davis , the chief organizer and poet of
6586-584: The public University Hospital Kerry which is the second-largest acute hospital in the Health Service Executive South Region. It serves as the main hospital for County Kerry and also serves the people in parts of north Cork and west Limerick. Other hospitals include the private Bon Secours Hospital in Tralee and community hospitals in Cahirciveen, Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney and Listowel. The Munster Technological University (MTU), former
6675-484: The remnants of Hurricane Charley crossed over Kerry as an extratropical storm causing extensive rainfall, flooding and damage. Kerry ( Irish : Ciarraí or in the older spelling Ciarraighe ) means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar , son of Fergus mac Róich . In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and
6764-533: The return journey on the Bus Eireann 274. See Local Link Kerry for all buses operated by them throughout the county. Kerry Airport is located at Farranfore in the centre of the county and has operated scheduled services since 1989. Destinations served as of 2014 are London ( Stansted & Luton ), Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , Faro, Portugal and Alicante all operated by Ryanair . Aer Lingus Regional also operate an all-year-round service to Dublin. The airport
6853-570: The tip of the Dingle Peninsula . The 600-strong Italian, Spanish and Irish papal invasion force of James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald was besieged by the English forces and massacred. In 1588, when the fleet of the Spanish Armada in Ireland were returning to Spain during stormy weather, many of its ships sought shelter at the Blasket Islands and some were wrecked. During the Nine Years' War , Kerry
6942-673: The war of Independence, the Irish Republican Army fought a guerilla war against the Royal Irish Constabulary , and British military. One of the more prominent incidents in the conflict in Kerry was the siege of Tralee in November 1920, when the Black and Tans placed Tralee burned many homes, and shot dead a number of local people in retaliation for the IRA killing of five local policemen
7031-525: The word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective describing a dark complexion. The suffix raighe , meaning people/tribe , is found in various -ry place names in Ireland, such as Osry — Osraighe Deer-People/Tribe . The county's nickname is the Kingdom . On 27 August 1329, by Letters Patent , Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond was confirmed in the feudal seniority of the entire county palatine of Kerry, to him and his heirs male, to hold of
7120-533: Was Ross Castle , near Killarney. In the 18th and 19th centuries Kerry became increasingly populated by poor tenant farmers, who came to rely on the potato as their main food source. As a result, when the potato crop failed in 1845, Kerry was very hard hit by the Great Irish Famine of 1845–49. In the wake of the famine, many thousands of poor farmers emigrated to seek a better life in America and elsewhere. Kerry
7209-455: Was again the scene of conflict, as the O'Sullivan Beare clan joined the rebellion. In 1602 their castle at Dunboy was besieged and taken by English troops. Donal O'Sullivan Beare, in an effort to escape English retribution and to reach his allies in Ulster , marched all the clan's members and dependants to the north of Ireland. Due to harassment by hostile forces and freezing weather, very few of
7298-755: Was also home to the Hiberno-Norman families, the FitzMaurices and the Desmonds , a branch of the FitzGeralds . FitzGerald dynasty The FitzGerald dynasty is a Hiberno-Norman noble and aristocratic dynasty, originally of Cambro-Norman and Anglo-Norman origin. They have been peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the Annals of the Four Masters as having become " more Irish than
7387-645: Was engulfed by the Irish Rebellion of 1641 , an attempt by Irish Catholics to take power in the Protestant Kingdom of Ireland . The rebellion in Kerry was led by Donagh McCarthy , 1st Viscount Muskerry. His son the Earl of Clancarty held the county during the subsequent Irish Confederate Wars and his forces were among the last to surrender to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1652. The last stronghold to fall
7476-664: Was founded by Osborn Wyddel (Fitzgerald-Osbourne), a descendant of Gerald de Windsor . Wyddel, c. 13th century arrived in Wales ( Kingdom of Gwynedd ) from Ireland with Prince Llywelyn the Great and was granted estates and arms, he married a ward of Llywelyn, who was also an heiress of the Corsygedol and Plas Hen estates in Gwynedd . They flourished in North Wales for centuries, by
7565-672: Was held by the Anti-Treaty IRA but it was taken for the Irish Free State after seaborne landings by National Army troops at Fenit , Tarbert and Kenmare in August 1922. Thereafter the county saw a bitter guerilla war between men who had been comrades only a year previously. The republicans, or "irregulars", mounted a number of successful actions, for example attacking and briefly re-taking Kenmare in September 1922. In March 1923 Kerry saw
7654-723: Was instrumental in the move by the Fitzmaurices and Fitzgeralds of Desmond toward greater use of the Irish language. Many members of the Fitzmaurices also became notable over the centuries, such as William Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne , the Prime Minister of Britain who negotiated with Benjamin Franklin and secured peace with America at the end of the American War of Independence , or Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne , Viceroy of Canada and India, who became
7743-533: Was married to Elizabeth Grey of the Royal House of Grey , a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth Woodville . A letter written in 1566 by Girolamo Fortini, who was married to a daughter of Antonio Gherardini from Florence, to his brother in London, also stated that the Earl of Kildare was of the same family. Cristoforo Landino , tutor of Lorenzo de' Medici , stated in his preface of the Divine Comedy (Comedia) of
7832-603: Was the first Castellan of Pembroke Castle in Wales, and became the male progenitor of the FitzMaurice and FitzGerald Dynasty ("fitz", from the Anglo-Norman fils indicating "sons of" Gerald). His father, Baron Walter FitzOther , was the first Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle for William the Conqueror , and was the Lord of 38 manors in England, making the FitzGeralds one of
7921-504: Was to remain a source of emigration until recent times (up to the 1980s). Another long term consequence of the famine was the Land War of the 1870s and 1880s, in which tenant farmers agitated, sometimes violently, for better terms from their landlords. In the 20th century, Kerry was one of the counties most affected by the Irish War of Independence (1919–21) and Irish Civil War (1922–23). In
#987012