Kerry

Kerry, county (1991 pop. 121,894), 1,815 sq mi (4,701 sq km), SW Republic of Ireland. The county town is Tralee. Kerry consists of a series of mountainous peninsulas that extend into the Atlantic. The shoreline is deeply indented by Dingle Bay, Tralee Bay, and the Kenmare River. Carrantuohill (3,414 ft/1,041 m), in the mountains known as Macgillycuddy's Reeks, is the highest point in Ireland. The streams are short and precipitous, and many bogs exist. The Lakes of Killarney are a popular tourist attraction. Farming (oats and potatoes), fishing, sheep and cattle raising, and dairying are the chief occupations. Peat is sold commercially. Footwear is made in Tralee and Killarney. Many well-preserved dolmens, stone forts, round towers, castles, and abbeys still stand. Irish Gaelic is spoken by inhabitants of the Dingle peninsula and the Blasket Islands.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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