Listowel is a town in County Kerry, 28 km northeast of Tralee. With a population of 4820 in 2016, it’s the largest settlement in the north of the county. Its name in Irish is Lios Tuathail, “Tuathal’s ringfort”, which presumably lies somewhere beneath its stout Norman castle. Listowel was home to the world’s first operational monorail, but is nowadays better known for the several literary figures associated with it.
This page also describes the beach resort of Ballybunion and other nearby villages.
. . . Listowel . . .
Expressway Bus 13 runs every 2 hours from Limerick via Adare, Rathkeale, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale to Listowel (90 min) and continues to Tralee (another 40 min). Don’t take Bus 14, which branches south at Abbeyfeale for Castleisland, Kerry Airport and Killarney.
Bus 272 also runs 2-3 times a day from Tralee to Listowel and Ballybunion. It normally starts from Killarney and runs via Kerry Airport to Tralee but is curtailed in 2021; other buses run with a change at Tralee.
Bus 314 from Limerick to Askeaton and Foynes is likewise curtailed and doesn’t continue to Listowel.
1 The Square is the town’s main bus stop. There’s an ESB charging station here.
The Shannon Ferry plies between 1 Tarbert in County Kerry and Killimer in County Clare on the north bank, both on Highway N67. It sails hourly Sept-May and every 30 mins June-Aug. Fare is €20 for a standard car with all passengers, €5 for a foot-passenger, cyclist or motorbike. If you’re touring the Atlantic coast, this saves a lengthy detour inland through Limerick. Watch for dolphins on the 20-min crossing.
. . . Listowel . . .