Should You do the Healy Pass Road
Healy Pass is not for the faint of heart! The drive is as spectacular as it is challenging. A two-way road is just a suggestion, and some drivers think they own the road! Healy Pass and the Rock of Cashel are our top must-see places so far.
Author & Photographer: George Mitchell
Our recommendations are not influenced by affiliate links – we do not have any. Our advice is derived from our personal experience and knowledge based on living in Europe for seven years and studying its art, architecture and culture.
All of our recommendations are top-rated by Google Maps Ratings, which is based on everyone, not just tourists. Each place recommended in our post and custom Ireland East & South Map is appended with a Google Maps Rating (G0 to G5).
Kinsale
That was the fantastic view outside our B&B window with green grass, yellow rapeseed and blue ocean. We could have just sat and stared out past the garden. Our B&B hosts, John and Myrtle, were very special people, which also made our stay so enjoyable. But unfortunately, it was time to leave.
Bantry House
The first two hours from Kinsale were an uneventful drive through fields and forests to Bantry, 64 km away. We stopped at the privately run Bantry House (€11 or €6 for gardens only). While the Earl of Bantry made major changes to his domaine, the people of Ireland suffered the Potato Famine (1840-1860).
Beara Peninsula
We stopped for lunch at a pull-off near Derrycreha School with views of the bay and craggy mountains.
It took 3 hours to reach Glengarriff. We turned left to begin our loop of the Beara Peninsula. The southern road R572, was not what we expected. We drove along a heath landscape along a very rocky and sparse mountainside. It was so different from the rest of Ireland. The views were an unremarkable expanse of water.
Fortunately, we chose to get off the main highway to visit the village of Eyeries. Colourful buildings decorate every street. Did someone ensure that each one was painted a drastically different colour? The view from the corner of the town road R571 and the R575 was the best one so far.
But, contrary to other advice, the road to Lauragh was not special and, in fact, it was inland without any coastal views. But at Lauragh, we headed south to Healy Pass.
Healy Pass
The first stop after a couple of km was to enjoy someone’s private garden, which came with shaped bushes and red rhododendron trees in brilliant bloom. May is a really good month to visit to enjoy the rhodos (rhododendrons). There are over 1,000 species of rhododendrons in the world. Azalea is one of the most popular species of rhododendron.
Then began a single lane masquerading as a two-way road. Unfortunately, many drivers were speeding and acting like they were the only car on the road!
But the road climbed above the steep valley with stupendous views of gorgeous green fields backed by craggy mountains, with a blue lake included.
The parade of views just continued up the steep pass until the top, which had a real pull-off. There were views down the other side where dramatic switchbacks snaked quickly down the mountainside. We turned around to head to Kenmare.
Final Comments on this Itinerary
Without a doubt, Healy Pass (G4.9) is one of the must-sees of our trip so far! I would rate it a six out of five stars.
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Itinerary Map & Resources
The Heart-Pounding Healy Pass route is the starting point of the Ireland South itinerary.
If you have more than a week, then combine this tour with places in the Ireland East, Ireland West and the Best Places for 2 Weeks in Southwest (SW) Ireland itineraries below. Or just visit some of the nearby places listed below.
Google Maps Ratings
Google Maps provides a rating from 0 to 5 for all sights, hotels and restaurants (but not cities). All of our recommendations are appended with the rating (prefixed with a G) from Google Maps. As it is based on feedback from tourists and locals, it is much more reliable than travel booking websites. We consider a score of 4 to 4.39 to be Very Good; 4.4 to 5 to be Excellent.
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