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Nearly
half of Kerry's workers have jobs in service industries. Retail and wholesale
distribution are the most important types of services. Many people also
work in education and health services. There is a regional technical college
in Tralee. Other services include finance, public administration, and
transport. There is fishing along the coast, especially at Castlegregory,
Dingle, Fenit, and Valencia. Some upland areas contain commercial forests.
Peat is cut for household
use and burned in a small power station at Cahirciveen. There is a large
oil-fired power station at Tarbert on the estuary of the River Shannon.
Tourism.
Tourism is probably the most important industry
more so than in almost any other part of Ireland, mainly because of its
attractive scenery. Killarney is a major tourist centre that has long
attracted large numbers of foreign visitors. The neighboring lakes, mountains,
and woods are part of the Killarney National Park. Other tourist centres
are mainly on the coast and include Ballybunion, Cahirciveen, Dingle,
Kenmare, Tralee, and Waterville. Two annual events which attract large
numbers of people to Kerry are the Rose of Tralee Festival and the Puck
Fair in Killorglin.
Transport.
A car ferry operates across the Shannon
estuary between Tarbert and Killimer in Clare. A railway links Tralee
and Killarney with the Dublin-to-Cork line at Mallow. Kerry Regional Airport
is at Farranfore. Fenit is a small deep-sea port.
The Climate.
Southern and western Kerry are in the mildest
part of Ireland. This means that grass may grow throughout the year, and
some plants from warmer climates flourish in the region. The average temperature
is as high as 7 °C in coastal areas in January, and the average July
temperature is 16 °C. Annual rainfall exceeds 200 centimetres on the
higher mountains, but is less than 100 centimetres near the Shannon estuary
in the north. The mild and moist conditions encourage luxuriant growth
of vegetation in places sheltered from the winds.
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