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Tralee —County Kerry

Tralee is the administrative capital of County Kerry. Famed for its Rose of Tralee Festival, it also has one of the finest ranges of all-weather visitor attractions in Ireland.
The Rose of Tralee, has been one of the most popular songs about Ireland ever since it was written in the 19th century - by a local merchant William Mulchinock to celebrate his love for his maidservant Mary O'Connor. As befits the administrative capital of the kingdom of Kerry, Tralee is a lovely town with wide streets surrounded by narrow streets giving a pleasant village feeling.
In 1921 the beautiful park was laid out. It contains, most appropriately, an outstanding rose garden. Nearby, in the form of the 'Kerry the Kingdom Museum' and the Siamsa Tire, national folk theatre, is a hub of traditional culture. And, as befits the centre for the Rose festival, Tralee is packed with song and dance and fun from The Aqua Dome, to innumerable pubs and the seaside in also within easy reach. While Tralee itself offers recreation for all tastes, it is also an ideal base for exploring the wonderland of mountains and ocean that is Kerry.
Tralee grew up around a castle built by the Anglo-Norman warlord John Fitzthomas Fitzgerald early in the 13th century. His descendants, the 'Munster Geraldines' held the castle for four hundred years and it was the centre of their rule over a large region of the southwest of Ireland. The castle and town were conquered by the forces of Queen Elizabeth in 1580 and, a few years later, were granted to an English settler Sir Edward Denny. In spite of further upheavals in Cromwellian times, the Dennys remained as the leading family for more than two centuries.
The Dominican order of monks dominated the religious life of Tralee for centuries. Their order survived the official suppression of the monasteries in the 16th century and they continued to educate the people until the 1650s when martyrdom and exile suspended their mission - until they established a new church in 1871 on the foundations of their ancient monastery.
The 18th century saw the beginning of the development of the town, with the building of splendid residences for the wealthy merchants, in the region of the town hall and the Denny estate. The town hall was burned down in 1920 and replaced soon afterwards by the Thomas Ashe Memorial Hall which now houses the museum.
The greatest of Tralee's offerings is the The Festival of Kerry, lasting for a week at the end of August and which is the occasion of the selection of the Rose of Tralee from contestants from around the world. Free open-air concerts and non-stop family entertainment keep the town swinging day and night. Dog show and horse races take place during the week.
Siamsa Tíre,is the national folk theatre of Ireland and gives performances most evenings. During the summer season (May to October) it offers a special programme of theatre entertainment with 4 separate shows recapturing on stage, through music and dance, the spirit of life and times when the thatching of a cottage and the flailing of corn was part of everyday life. During the rest of the year entertainment is varied and includes entertainment by visiting musicians and theatre companies.
Samhlaoícht Ciarraí continually promotes the arts and organises an annual week-long arts festival in April.
KISS - The Kerry International Summer school , a forum of writing and poetry is hosted annually in the town.