The Iconic Irish Destination That's Now Overrun By Tourists And Souvenir Shops, Per Rick Steves

The luck of the Irish may have dried out in one famous town, at least, according to travel guru Rick Steves. Set along the shores of Lough Leane in southwest Ireland's County Kerry, which is one of the most scenic vacation spots in the world, is the quaint town of Killarney. Even singer Bing Crosby sang of this town's beauty, in his 1951 hit cover of the song "Christmas in Killarney." According to the Killarney website, the town is packed with a plethora of activities, from enjoying a day in its seemingly never-ending natural landscape to learning the history of the town. 

Like most towns in Europe that have been put on the map for one reason or another, Killarney relies heavily on its tourism, generating over 455 million USD in tourist-related income yearly. The town attracts approximately 1.1 million tourists per year, with international visitors reaching 60% of this amount. Despite these figures, the king of travel cites chain hotels, souvenir shops, and "pushy" tourists who wear "nametags" as the main reasons why he doesn't rate this popular town.

In a piece written by Rick Steves, the travel aficionado wrote up a list of the top 10 tourist traps in Europe, and unfortunately for Killarney, this small Irish town made the list. Steves describes the town as a "sprawling line of green Holiday Inns and outlet malls littered with pushy shoppers looking for plastic shamrocks." Many tourists venture to Killarney to use it as their jumping-off point before heading on a tour of the Ring of Kerry, a 111-mile circular route around the Iveragh Peninsula. For this reason, Steves calls the town a place "whose main attraction is its transit connections for those without cars" in another piece. He goes even further to insult Killarney by saying, "This is a place where most tourists wear nametags — a traffic jam of tour buses. If you have the misfortune to spend the night in Killarney, you'll understand what I mean."

Calling a night in Killarney a "misfortune" seems a bit harsh. In an attempt to justify his remarks, Steves wrote that although he loves Europe, it's his responsibility as a travel writer to not simply write stellar reviews about every place he's been, but "to help overwhelmed travelers sort through the superlatives and smartly allocate their limited vacation time." Those in Killarney of course did not take kindly to Steves's harsh comments, with Irish Hotels Federation Kerry branch spokesman Michael Rosney biting back, per Killarney Today: "What Rick Steves truly knows about Killarney, he could write on the back of a postage stamp, with a paintbrush, in block capitals."

In an interview conducted by Extra.ie, Killarney Councilor Brendan Cronin responded to Rick Steves' tourist trap allegations. "I suppose, to be genuine about it, all one has to do is come to Killarney and look at the hundreds of thousands that come there every year, that in itself contradicts what he is saying," he retorted. Personal opinions aside, Steves is correct in one statement at least; many do use it as a launching point for visiting the beautiful Ring of Kerry, which is home to some of the most beautiful European scenery. 

But aside from serving as a good starting point, according to Killarney's website, the town has much more to offer: "Our breathtaking landscape beckons hikers, cyclists, golfers, and countryside explorers — immerse yourself in captivating stories of rich heritage and history as you discover diverse experiences and enchanting landscapes." In the same interview with Extra.ie, Councilor Martin Grady highlighted a few landmarks he attributes Killarney's popularity to, such as Killarney National Park, Muckross Park, and Torc Waterfall. Whether you are a tried and true Rick Steves fan or think of him as just a man who makes mistakes, the only way to know for sure is to book a trip to Killarney and see for yourself what the hype, or hate, is all about.