Sneem

Sneem sits on the Ring of Kerry where the Sneem River drops to the sea, and its layout is unusual: two separate squares, North and South, on either side of the river and connected by a bridge, which gives the village more of a shape than most. The houses are painted in strong colours - it is one of the villages the practice is associated with - and it has won national tidy towns awards repeatedly. The name means knot in Irish, from the river's pattern. It is a standard coach stop on the Ring, so it is busier than its size suggests through the middle of the day in summer. Charles de Gaulle spent two weeks here in 1969 shortly after resigning the French presidency, staying at the Heron's Cove, and a small monument in the village records it. Steve Irwin also has a memorial here, from a visit in the 1990s. Beyond the squares there is not much to do beyond a river walk.

History

The Irish name, An tSnaidhm, means "the knot". Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland of 1837 describes Sneem as a harbour, a collection of houses, a church, a chapel and a "constabulary police force" (Wikipedia, Sneem).

Highlights

• The two squares - divided by the river and joined by a bridge.
• The painted houses - strong colours, and repeated tidy towns wins.
• The de Gaulle monument - marking his 1969 stay after resigning.
• The river - the knot-shaped water the village is named for.

When to go

April to October. Coach parties on the Ring of Kerry arrive through the middle of the day; early morning and evening are far quieter. Two hours covers it.

Good to know

Small - a couple of hours at most, and there is little to do beyond walking and eating. Busy with coaches at midday in summer. Parking around the squares is limited.

Nearby

Staigue Fort is west; Kenmare and Moll's Gap are east.

Key facts