Overview

Waterville is a coastal village on the Iveragh Peninsula along the Ring of Kerry, sitting on a narrow isthmus with Lough Currane on the east and Ballinskelligs Bay on the west. The town's English name dates from the late 18th century, when the Butler family built a house at the mouth of the River Currane and named their estate Waterville.

The village played a significant role in transatlantic communication history - in the 1880s, the Mackay-Bennett Commercial Cable Company laid a transatlantic telegraph cable from nearby Spunkane to Hazel Hill in Nova Scotia, making Waterville the principal European hub for the Commercial Cable Company.

Today, Waterville is best known internationally for its connection to silent film legend Charlie Chaplin, who first visited in 1959 on the recommendation of his friend Walt Disney and returned annually for over a decade.

What You'll See

The bronze life-sized statue of Charlie Chaplin overlooking Ballinskelligs Bay is the most photographed spot in the village - sculpted by Alan Ryan Hall and unveiled in 1998. A separate statue commemorates Mick O'Dwyer, the legendary Gaelic footballer and manager from the area.

Directly across from the Butler Arms Hotel, where the Chaplins always stayed, sits a small Charlie Chaplin center containing a large collection of photos, merchandise, and a short documentary on his time in Waterville. The waterfront promenade with sweeping views of Ballinskelligs Bay is the center of village life, and Waterville Beach itself is a long sand and shingle stretch perfect for a coastal walk.

Lough Currane behind the village is renowned for salmon and sea trout fishing - the very reason Walt Disney first sent Chaplin here. McGill's Brewery, the Iveragh Peninsula's first micro-brewery, offers brewery tastings.

Visitor Essentials

Waterville sits roughly halfway around the Ring of Kerry, about 80 km from Killarney. The village is free to explore at any time. Most hotels, restaurants, and pubs cluster along the main street facing the bay. The Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival is held annually in late August over four days, with screenings, workshops, street entertainment, a lookalike contest, and a parade - book accommodation well in advance for these dates.

Waterville is also a great base for visiting Skellig Michael via the boats from Portmagee, about 30 minutes away by car. The Skellig Ring scenic detour off the Ring of Kerry begins just north of the village.

Tips

For most Ring of Kerry visitors, Waterville is a natural mid-route lunch and walk stop rather than a destination in its own right - one to two hours is enough to see the statue, walk the seafront, and grab a coffee or a meal. For those who choose to stay overnight, the village offers a quieter base than Killarney for tackling the Skellig Coast and Skellig Michael landing trips.

Waterville sits within the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, the only Gold Tier reserve in the Northern Hemisphere, so on clear moonless nights the stargazing is exceptional.

The Smugglers Inn is one mile north of the village adjacent to Waterville Golf Links, while the Butler Arms Hotel right in the center is the original Chaplin haunt and is still owned by the Huggard family. For golfers, Waterville Golf Links is one of the most highly regarded links courses in Ireland.

Official Site: https://theringofkerry.com/towns-villages/waterville