Tralee, which was founded by the Normans in 1216, is the Kingdom’s county town and has borne witness to numerous rebellions since then.
The Earl of Desmond resisted King Henry VIII’s Reformation in what are known as the Desmond Rebellions. When the earl was killed in 1583, his nephew tried to reclaim his lands in the Nine Years’ War, and paid the ultimate price. He was captured and executed in Tralee, and his head was sent to Queen Elizabeth I, who set it on a spike on London Bridge.
The family fortress, Desmond Castle, once stood at the corner of Denny Street and the Mall, not far from the Pikeman of Tralee statue, which commemorates 1798 and other rebellions. It is elegant Denny Street’s most memorable landmark. Erected in 1905, the original was destroyed by the Black and Tans in 1921 during the War of Independence; a replacement by the sculptor Albert Power was unveiled by Maud Gonne in 1939.
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A stone carver as well as a sculptor, Power also carved the oval plaque and relief bust of Robert Emmet on the bridge in Dublin bearing his name.
Thanks to the Institute of Technology, Tralee has a lively, youthful feel, and in summer, it hosts the Rose of Tralee festival. While much of its shopping is of the chain-store variety, there are some independents worth visiting. See tralee.ie
€20 or less: Joe O'Brien and Aoife McEllistrim run The Barber, which has two outlets in the town, one on Ashe Street and the other in Manor West Retail Centre, which opened four years ago. Kerrymen are coming in for colours, manscaping and even perms, says McEllistrim, who adds that the vogue for beards has pretty much killed off the hot-towel shave business. A wash, cut and blowdry costs €14 and customers include Kerry footballers David Moran, Brian Sheehan and Barry John Keane. 6 Ashe Street and Manor West Retail Centre, 087-3931388
€50 or less: CH Chemists is a swish establishment with a cosmetics hall, pharmacy and optician all under one roof. You can get everything from emergency contraception, €35, to a full eyesight check, €40. Upstairs is a beauty salon offering Dermalogica Core Skin, Yonka and Image skincare treatments. The shop stocks many leading brands as well as Benefit, Shiseido and home-grown beauty minnow Kinvara, whose cleansing oil, €19.95, and rosehip face serum, €29.95, make great gifts. 31 The Mall, 066-7121331, chtralee.com
€100 or less: Hennebery 's Sports Centre is a place Kerry footballers Paul Galvin and Kieran Donaghy shopped in as kids, says Ciaran Hennebery, who recalls his father serving them. The shop's core business is GAA merchandise, with half-zip training tops in Kerry colours (€40 for kids, €55 for adults) popular. As a specialist in running gear, it also does gait analysis; golf paraphernalia is available too. 50 Ashe Street, 066-7121730
€500 or less: Behind the cluttered windows of Caball is a toyshop where small items up to €5 are set at child level atop its mahogany counter. Ann Laride is the third generation of the Caballs to work in the family business, which operates a no-gaming policy. As well as all the latest toys it does a roaring trade in farm machinery models, especially tractors. This being a farming town, a ride-on John Deere pedal tractor and trailer is popular, costing from €29.95 for a small child up to €179.99. 10-12 Bridge Street,066-7121847
€1,000 or more: The Craft Makers is a hub of Irish design and craftmakers with a special emphasis on local talent. Kerry goldsmith Paul F Kelly, who has his own shop in Kenmare, is just one of those worth coveting here. Enda Kenny recently presented US first lady Michelle Obama with his Ring of Kerry, a silver and 18ct gold, design, €395. At the top end of the scale is the Goose Island Workshop Windsor Chair, €2,000. You can also do craft-making classes. 37 Ashe Street, Tralee 066-7120632.
Down Time: Tuck into fish and chips at Quinlan's Seafood Bar on The Mall, a small chain of gourmet chippers whose own fleet catches its fish(seafoodbar.ie, 066- 7123998). And if you're hungry a bit earlier in the day, check out the brunch at Mary Anne's Tea Rooms (17 Denny Street, 066-7127610).
