County Kerry Contae Chiarraí
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Motto: Comhar, Cabhair, Cairdeas (Irish) "Co-operation, Help, Friendship" |
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Location in Ireland |
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Coordinates: 52°10′N 9°45′W / 52.167°N 9.750°WCoordinates: 52°10′N 9°45′W / 52.167°N 9.750°W | ||
Country | Ireland | |
Province | Munster | |
County town | Tralee | |
Government | ||
• Type | Kerry County Council | |
• Dáil Éireann | Kerry | |
• European Parliament | South | |
Area | ||
• Total | 4,807 km2 (1,856 sq mi) | |
Area rank | 5th | |
Population (2016) | 147,554 | |
• Rank | 15th | |
Vehicle index mark code |
KY | |
Website | www |
County Kerry (Irish: Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. Kerry County Council is the local authority for the county and Tralee serves as the county town. The population of the county was 147,554 in 2016, according to the 2016 census.
Kerry is the fifth-largest of the 32 counties of Ireland by area and the 15th-largest by population. It is the second-largest of Munster's six counties by area, and the fourth-largest by population. Uniquely, it is bordered by only two other counties: County Limerick to the east and County Cork to the south-east. The county town is Tralee. The diocesan see is Killarney, which is one of Ireland's most famous tourist destinations. The Lakes of Killarney, an area of outstanding natural beauty are located in Killarney National Park. The tip of the Dingle Peninsula is the most westerly point of Ireland.
There are nine historic baronies in the county. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed under "Administrative units".
Kerry faces the Atlantic Ocean and, typically for an Eastern-Atlantic coastal region, features many peninsulas and inlets, principally the Dingle Peninsula, the Iveragh Peninsula, and the Beara Peninsula. The county is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean and on the north by the River Shannon. Kerry is one of the most mountainous regions of Ireland and contains two of its three highest mountains, Carrauntoohil, part of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks range, and Mount Brandon, part of the Slieve Mish range.