JON WARD's HOME PAGE

I have two sisters and one brother. My oldest sister Jill is working in the marketing department of a large Austrian company. She has lived away from home for the last 4 yrs. She's thirty years of age. My other sister Lorraine is working here in Cork as a software engineer for the last couple of years, she's twenty five. My brother James is working in London now for the last while, he's a nurse in the Accident & Emergency department in a busy london hospital!

Killarney is one of the busiest tourist towns in Ireland yet it lies among some of the most stunningly beautiful countryside in Ireland. With so much to offer in the area it is no surprise that Killarney's 250 year tradition of welcoming visitors as made it Ireland's premier destination


MacGillycuddy Reeks is the mountain range visible from most parts of Killarney. Among the peaks is Carrauntuohil the highest mountain in Ireland, but even the most casual walker can experience these magnificent mountains along the road leading to the Gap of Dunloe and if you don't fancy walking you can hire a horse and cart.
Lough Leane is easily accessible through the grounds of the National Park, just over three miles outside Killarney. As you walk through the forest the Lough with its striking limestone formations keeps popping in and out of view.
Muckross House as well as being the centre of Kerry folk life serves as a visitor centre for the National Park. In the auditorium an audio-visual introduction to the park is frequently shown. Some monuments in Ireland
For over two hundred and fifty years Killarney has been the base for visitors to South Kerry, an area which boasts more scenic forests, mountains and coast line per square mile than any other region of Ireland. The streets of Killarney are bustling throughout the year without being overcrowded and even in the centre of town you will often catch sight of nearby mountains between a gap in the buildings.
With such a long tradition of catering for tourists it is no surprise that Killarney is also one of the most hospitable towns in Ireland boasting everything from luxury hotels to B&B to backpacker hostels. There are also dozens of restaurants, cafes bars and night-clubs.


click on map for a closer look at Kerry!


To the south of the town is Killarney National Park which is home to mountains, waterfalls, lakes and ancient forests. There are three main lakes the lowest of which is Lough Leane. On the shores of this lake is the historic Muckross Abbey which was founded in 1448 by an Irish Chieftain called Donal McCarthy.
Slightly more modern is Muckross House, a magnificent Victorian mansion set in its own intricate gardens which lie on the shores of the Lower and Middle Lakes. Higher up the mountains and you are into the true wilds of Ireland, although still just a few miles away from the bustle of Killarney. These mountains include MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in Ireland. The road into the mountains forms part of a route known as The Ring of Kerry. As well as spectacular mountain scenery the route drops down to the Atlantic coast to make it one of the most scenic journeys that you will ever undertake.
Highlights along the coast are at Waterville, where mountains and sea combine to provide views that no postcard could ever do justice to. Valentia Island juts into the Atlantic and is one of the most westerly parts of Europe. The area is also seeped in history. Caherdaniel was home to the "Liberator" Daniel O’Connell, one of Ireland’s best known patriots, while on the seemingly inaccessible Skellig Michael island you can visit the monastic settlement of beehive cells which date back to the 6th century.