Rathmore lies immediately west of the Cork boarder in East Kerry. If your Kerry tour allows, the area is of interest as the area is scattered with evidence of ancient peoples; cairns, ring forts and standing stones. The town is not on the tourist trail so accommodation is not as plentiful as in other parts of Kerry. Rathmore is a small town of two parts, east and west, which are 2 miles apart. The town gets its name from a large ringfort in the area, in Irish the town is known as An Rath Mhor which translates to the big ringfort. Rathmore lies in the heart of the Sliabh Luachra area, which is steeped in Irish tradition, the town is known for its traditional Irish music, culture, poetry and talented footballers. On your tour to get a taste of Sliabh Luachra culture visit nearby Rockchapel, County Cork which has a fantastic cultural centre with regular performances of traditional Sliabh Luachra music, song and dance.
On the pagan feast of Bealtaine 1st May, locals walk around the stone fort in the hills above the town and recite prayer and inscribe a cross on a stone flag as they pass. This custom of visiting on the pagan feast dates back over 2,500 years and the fort is believed to have curing powers for cattle.
Rathmore has a wide range of quality accommodation to suit all budgets, ranging from hotels and bed & breakfasts to hostels and self catering accommodation. Rathmore has a nice variety of pubs which are well worth a visit on a warm summers evening or a cold winters one!.
For diners there are a selection of restaurants
To the south is the great walking country of The Paps, on the foothills to the Derrynasaggart Mountains. The Paps or the "Paps of Anu" are two breast shaped hills, the summits of both these hills are marked with large Cairns which apparently cover ancient tombs. The name of the hills, Da Chich Anann translate to the Breasts of Anu. Anu was a ancient mythological goddess of fertility, cattle and prosperity, and was known for comforting and teaching the dying. Another pre-celtic god known in the area is Ciarrai Luchre which who gave Kerry and Sliabh Luachra their names.