Golf, Fishing and Stargazing in Waterville
Waterville, or An Coireán in Irish, is a small village in County Kerry with a population of 555 at the 2022 census. It lies on the Iveragh Peninsula, on the strip of land that separates Lough Currane from Ballinskelligs Bay. The weather comes straight off the Atlantic, so pack for wind and rain in any month.
The short list
- Play a round on a links course ranked in the UK and Ireland top 100.
- Fish for salmon or sea trout on a large lake with a local boatman.
- Join a night tour in a Gold Tier dark sky reserve.
- Tour a craft brewery nearby.
- Learn about the shore at a marine centre.
Golf
Waterville Golf Links is a par 72 course laid out by Eddie Hackett and opened in 1973. Tom Fazio altered some of its holes in the early 2000s. Golf at Waterville dates back to the cable-station workers of the 1880s. The course was ranked 35th in the UK and Ireland by Top 100 Golf Courses in 2022, and a bronze Payne Stewart statue stands beside the clubhouse.
Visitors are welcome daily and book tee times through the club website. Summer rounds typically cost several hundred euro, and winter rates apply from November, so ask the club for current prices. Hogs Head Golf Club, opened in 2018 and designed by Robert Trent Jones II, takes a few visitor tee times, mainly on weekdays.
Lough Currane fishing
The lough is about 10 square kilometres, with some 22 islands. You need a state licence for salmon and sea trout, and you can buy one from a ghillie or a tackle shop. Sea trout cannot be kept, and every fish must go back in the water under Bye-Law 971 of 2019.
Fishing guides listed locally are Tom O’Shea (fly fishing, with a season running from mid-January to mid-October), Neil O’Shea (ghillie, boat and engine) and Lakelands (boat hire). Put on a lifejacket whenever you are afloat. Weather can change fast on open water.
Night skies
The Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve covers about 700 square kilometres. It was designated in 2013 and reached Gold Tier on 27 January 2014. Waterville is within it. Kerry Dark Sky Tourism offers three 1.5 hour tours from €35, meeting at the church car park in Castlecove. For a free alternative, take a rug to a beach or headland on a clear, moonless night.
McGill’s Brewery
The brewery is at Murreigh, in the Gaeltacht close to Waterville. All tours are for ages 18 and over. The Brewery Tour costs €20 and lasts about 50 minutes, the Barrel Aged Tour costs €25 for about an hour, and the Irish Experience Tour costs €40 for about two hours. Book through the brewery site, and check that tours are running before you drive.
Marine centre and the sea
Sea Synergy Marine Awareness and Activity Centre has a touch pool, workshops and snorkelling with a marine biologist. It also takes bookings for Skellig Michael trips. Confirm hours before visiting.
Surfers and divers use St Finian’s Bay. Inny Strand and Waterville Strand are exposed beaches with heavy swell, and only experienced surfers should go in. No lifeguard cover should be assumed, so stay out of the water when the surf is up.
Read more: attraction tours near Waterville covers the Skellig boats, Derrynane House and Geokaun.
Book tee times at Waterville Golf Links , read the Inland Fisheries Ireland notice before fishing, see McGill’s Brewery for tours, and compare other trips on Viator .