Can I drive the Healy Pass, Conor Pass and Gap of Dunloe in a normal rental car?
Healy Pass and Conor Pass, yes. Both are paved public roads that ordinary cars use daily; take them slowly, use the lay-bys, and skip both in fog or high wind, when the views vanish and the driving is all work. The Gap of Dunloe is different. The road is public, but in season the signs ask private cars to stay off it during the day, roughly 10am to 7pm, leaving it to walkers, cyclists and the horse drawn jaunting cars. Go on foot, by bike or by jaunting car from Kate Kearney's Cottage instead, or drive it early, late or out of season, with care.
Useful pages: Driving in Ireland: the full guide · An Ireland road trip · Dublin · County Kerry · Scenic drives in Ireland · Killarney · Healthcare and emergencies · Plan your journey · Northern Ireland
Sources
- Irish Escapes road dataset: leg distances and drive times, shared/roads.json; Ring of Kerry length from the scenic drives guide, shared/articles.json
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