Tralee, Ireland

The capital of Kerry, modern Tralee is the administrative center for the county. Tralee town and its suburbs have a population of about 24,000. Its name comes from the Gaelic “Trá Lí,” meaning “beach of the Lee.”

Today, Tralee comes across as a thriving community, despite the situation in Ireland in general. While elsewhere in the country over the past few years, businesses have been downsizing and closing, leaving unoccupied stores on every corner, this has not been the case in Tralee. More than perhaps any other town in Ireland right now, Tralee has a feel of self-sufficiency and is making the best of its history, culture, and landscape to feed its economy.

Other cities and towns across the country, Dublin in particular, continue to move in a European direction. You see the same brands, franchises, and shop fronts as in any European city. Not so in Tralee. The town’s architecture is well preserved. This is particularly visible on Denny Street, which runs up past Tralee Town Park to the Kerry County Museum and is lined with Victorian and Georgian buildings.

The ideal situation for the retiree in this historic corner of Ireland would be a home within good reach of Tralee town and with views over the patchwork fields all around and of the crashing waves of the nearby sea. In Tralee, you’re enjoying a notably charming and authentic Irish country town and idyllic Irish countryside, and, as well, you’re on the doorstep of Banna Beach, an unspoiled, “blue flag” beach, 7 kilometers long, and a favorite with local runners, dog-walkers, and surfers.

In Tralee, the vast majority of people you find working in shops, restaurants, bars, and tourist sites are locals. As a result, this town offers a more authentic Emerald Isle experience.

Tralee town is one of the warmest spots to catch a fantastic Irish sunset. It’s about as far south as you can go along the western coast of Ireland. The sunsets here are dramatic, reminding you of the centuries of unchanged landscape, with the winds and the rain adding to the feeling of timeless isolation… As the Irish blessing goes: May there be just enough clouds on your horizon to cause a beautiful sunset.

The county town of Tralee and the surrounding Tralee Bay area are largely bypassed, apart from the week of its international Rose of Tralee festival in late August. Yet, it’s a place that offers much more than one week of street entertainment. In Tralee you are surrounded by some of Ireland’s most dramatic landscapes and seascapes, while remaining close to the conveniences of town… a welcoming town that preserves its past culture and history like no other and shows little sign of the Irish recession.

The great thing about Tralee is its rural location near the sea. You only have to drive five minutes out of town and you’re surrounded by rolling farmland and open sea views. A retiree looking to enjoy a more active lifestyle, close to the buzz and amenities of town, with a far better infrastructure and the services of the county hospital, would fit in much better in the Tralee area.

Cost Of Living In Tralee

Thanks to the recession of recent years, the cost of living and of real estate is temptingly low right now. Tralee is somewhere you could keep yourself busy all year round and the monthly budget is only 1,460 euros.

Monthly Budget For A Couple Living In Tralee, Ireland

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