Entertainment In Killarney

Killarney maintains a holiday atmosphere throughout the year. Attractions stay open, there are festivals for every season and the nightlife is always bubbly. No matter what your age or taste, Killarney offers an abundance of options. Street entertainment, sporting events, theatre, museums, art galleries, children's attractions and lively nightclubs cater for a broad variety of interests.

Eating out

Killarney diners were once restricted to the ever-present Irish stew, boiled bacon and roast with two veg, but now the restaurant scene caters to even the most discriminating of palates. The quality and variety of gastronomy has never been better. From traditional to contemporary Irish, there is an abundance of choice. Other national cuisines featured include Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, Pakistani and Chinese restaurants that are spread all over the town. Most pubs offer bar menus during the day, but from evening onwards, they concentrate on providing liquid sustenance with a bit of craic thrown in for good measure.

Local cuisine

Just what makes up traditional Irish cuisine is a subject of much debate; with a colonial past and an impoverished population largely confined to the land until the early part of this century, there is no wealth of cuisine to draw on. But what is considered traditional, is steeped in pure natural flavours and simple preparation and, when prepared properly, is a joy to eat.

Simple meat dishes and boiled root vegetables such as potato, carrot, turnip and parsnip form the principle ingredients of traditional Irish cuisine. Shredded boiled cabbage served with salted bacon (breast or collar joint) boiled in the cabbage water, together with simple boiled potatoes is an excellent example of Irish traditional cooking - pure and natural and free from sauces or fussiness.

Likewise, corned beef with cabbage is well worth sampling. Sadly, the desire of many a chef to tamper with tradition and add spices, herbs or sauces to these dishes makes traditional fare difficult to track down unless prepared at home. An old-time favourite is boxty, a traditional dish of potato pancakes filled with chicken, seafood, curried lamb or vegetables.

Nightlife

Killarney has lots to offer in terms of nightlife. There are at least four great clubs and more being added every few months. The pub life here is fantastic. You can visit the tourist pubs, such as The Laurels, but to experience the local pub life and the banter of the locals, visit the Failte and Murphys and The Killarney Heights. There is also a new retro bar called 'The Cube', with its trendy patrons and even cooler furnishings and funky music.

There are a number of places in Killarney where you can watch a live singalong (expect Irish folk ballads aplenty) for free. One of the most popular is the Gleneagle Hotel. In the summer, there are buskers who entertain all day long and usually a large crowd gathers. Mid-June through September, you'll find musical entertainment in pubs on most nights; in other seasons, Thursday through Sunday are the busiest times.

Shopping

Killarney is rapidly becoming a wonderful shopping experience. Its extensive range of retail outlets ran from the small curiosity type shops to the large department stores selling many of the leading national and international brands of fashion and giftware. Downtown Killarney offers late night shopping from May to October, with many of the stores open seven days a week. For the self-catering visitor, Killarney has a full choice of supermarkets and food stores.