Moll's Gap

Moll's Gap sits at about 260 metres on the N71 where the road cuts through bare glaciated sandstone between the Kenmare valley and the Killarney lakes. The rock here is scraped and grooved by ice and largely unvegetated, which gives the pass its stripped-back look, and the view north runs to the MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Carrauntoohil. The name comes from Moll Kissane, who ran a shebeen at the pass selling poitin to the workers cutting the road in the 1820s. There is now a shop and cafe at the top, Avoca, which is the actual reason many coaches stop. The road itself is the attraction: a series of bends through rock cuttings with the Black Valley dropping away to the west, and a road down to the Gap of Dunloe branching north. It is on every Ring of Kerry itinerary and congested accordingly.

What you'll find

• The ice-scraped rock - bare, grooved sandstone through the pass.
• The Reeks view - north to Carrauntoohil and the high ridge.
• The road - cuttings and bends, the reason to drive it slowly.
• The shop at the top - the practical stop most coaches make.

When to go

April to October. Coaches all travel the Ring of Kerry in the same direction and arrive here in clusters at predictable times; early morning avoids them. Cloud closes the view often.

Good to know

A stop of half an hour on a drive, not a destination. The car park is small for the traffic it takes. Rain and cloud remove the view. The road is narrow with coach traffic in both directions.

Nearby

Ladies View is north on the N71; Kenmare is south, and the Black Valley lies west.

Key facts