natural wonder
The Burren
Unique lunar-like karst landscape of 250 square kilometres where Mediterranean and Arctic-Alpine flowers grow side by side in limestone pavements.
58 km · about 65 min drive
EuropeIrelandMunster
Rathkeale
Munster, Ireland · Europe
About Rathkeale
Rathkeale sits on the route: 15 minutes from Askeaton, 58km from The Burren.
Rathkeale is in Munster, Ireland, with about 1,600 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Askeaton, about 9 km away.
Rathkeale (Irish: Ráth Caola, meaning 'Caola's ringfort') is a town in west County Limerick, in Ireland. It is 30 km (18 mi) southwest of Limerick city on the N21 road to Tralee, County Kerry, and lies on the River Deel. The town is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.
It has a significant Irish TravellerRead more
population, and since 1995, almost half the town residents have been members of the travelling community. Rathkeale also has the largest concentration of descendants of the German Palatines who immigrated to Ireland in the early 18th century.
Rathkeale has shopping facilities, a museum, two primary schools, and a community college (Coláiste na Trócaire, founded in 1995). The town has a large Roman Catholic parish church, St. Mary's, Augustinian Abbey ruins, and the Holy Trinity Church of Ireland church.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Rathkeale?
Within an hour or so of Rathkeale: The Burren (58 km), Burren National Park (59 km), Hag's Head (59 km), Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk (60 km).
Are there any good drives near Rathkeale?
The nearest famous roads are Corkscrew Hill, The Vee and Moll's Gap.
Where is Rathkeale?
Rathkeale is in Munster, Ireland, about 9 km from Askeaton.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,550
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Ireland
- Region
- Munster
- Timezone
- Europe/Dublin
- Coordinates
- 52.5244, -8.9381
Tags
Worth the detour from Rathkeale
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
national park
Burren National Park
Protected area of the Burren's extraordinary limestone landscape, where rare orchids bloom between ancient dolmens and ring forts.
59 km · about 70 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Hag's Head
The southern end of the Cliffs of Moher, with a Napoleonic signal tower and far fewer people than the visitor centre.
59 km · about 70 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk
Dramatic 20km trail along the cliff edge from Hags Head to Doolin, offering ever-changing perspectives of Ireland's most famous sea cliffs.
60 km · about 70 min drive
landmark
Cliffs of Moher
Spectacular sea cliffs rising 214 metres above the Atlantic Ocean on Ireland's west coast.
60 km · about 70 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Cliffs of Moher Viewing Platform
Ireland's most visited natural attraction with 700-foot sea cliffs stretching for 8 miles along the Atlantic coast of County Clare.
60 km · about 70 min drive
ancient ruins
Poulnabrone Dolmen
A striking 5,000-year-old portal tomb standing stark against the limestone pavement of the Burren.
60 km · about 70 min drive
famous road
Corkscrew Hill
A zigzag climb on the N67 out of Ballyvaughan, built as famine relief work, with a viewpoint over the Burren at the top.
60 km · about 70 min drive
Driving roads near Rathkeale
8 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 59 kmHag's HeadThe southern end of the Cliffs of Moher, with a Napoleonic signal tower and far fewer people than the visitor centre.
- 60 kmCliffs of Moher Coastal WalkDramatic 20km trail along the cliff edge from Hags Head to Doolin, offering ever-changing perspectives of Ireland's most famous sea cliffs.
- 60 kmCliffs of Moher Viewing PlatformIreland's most visited natural attraction with 700-foot sea cliffs stretching for 8 miles along the Atlantic coast of County Clare.
- 60 kmCorkscrew HillA zigzag climb on the N67 out of Ballyvaughan, built as famine relief work, with a viewpoint over the Burren at the top.
- 67 kmLoop HeadWorking lighthouse on a wave-hammered peninsula tip where 60m cliffs, sea stacks and dolphins rival the Cliffs of Moher with a fraction of the crowds. The loop drive from Kilkee passes the Bridges of Ross blowholes.
- 73 kmBlack Head, BurrenA bare limestone headland on the Burren coast with a small lighthouse, looking across Galway Bay to Connemara.
Driving in Ireland
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€2.10/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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