Torc Waterfall

Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland

About Torc Waterfall

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Torc Waterfall (or Easach Toirc in Irish Gaelic) resides in Killarney National Park at the base of Torc Mountain, which is pretty much adjacent to the touristy town of Killarney in the Ring of Kerry.

As a result of being so close to the town, this could very well be the most famous waterfall in the Ring of Kerry, which is one of several rugged peninsulas in the southwest of Ireland.

Torc_Waterfall_018_07092024 - The Torc Waterfall
The Torc Waterfall

This peninsula is known for both historical and scenic highlights (of which the Torc Waterfall is one such highlight), and this includes the Skelling Islands (of Star Wars fame) off its coast.

Anyways, the Torc Waterfall is where the Owengariff River cascades with a cumulative height of a reported 20m over a run of about 110m.

Apparently, the word torc is Irish Gaelic meaning “wild boar” perhaps due to a few legends concerning this animal.

Among these legends, one told of a werewolf-like transformation of a man cursed by the Devil to turn into a wild boar every night.

Torc_Waterfall_006_07092024 - The well-established trail along the Owengariff River on the short jaunt to the Torc Waterfall
The well-established trail along the Owengariff River on the short jaunt to the Torc Waterfall

Another legend told of how an Irish warrior named Fionn MacCumhaill managed to kill a magic boar on Torc Mountain with a golden spear.

In any case, visiting this waterfall can be as short and easy as a 300m jaunt from the nearest car park, but it could also involve a bit of a longer hike depending on where you park.

The parking situation can actually be more contentious, and it may involve parking as far as the lots near the Muckross House or even further away closer to the outskirts of Killarney.

Nevertheless, I managed to visit this waterfall from the nearest car park, which only took me about 5 minutes in each direction.

Torc_Waterfall_060_07092024 - Looking back at the Torc Waterfall Trail going through a grove of oak and yew trees
Looking back at the Torc Waterfall Trail going through a grove of oak and yew trees

The lookout of the waterfall is right where the trail started to climb up some steps leading towards an upper car park off the Old Kenmare Road.

Its cascading characteristic combined with the short and easy walk to get here made this a compelling waterfall for landscape photographers.

It didn’t take much time to really experience this waterfall, and thus I wound up spending about 30 minutes away from the car.

Authorities

The Torc Waterfall is in Killarney National Park near the city of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. It is administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the National Parks website.

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Tagged with: killarney, national park, owengarriff, torc mountain, kerry, ireland, muckross, munster



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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