Dingle Peninsula & Slea Head |
Sample Itinerary
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- Departing killarney we continue through Milltown, which is the venue for the annual World Bodhrán Championships. Continuing on we pass through Castlemaine, most famous for being the home town of the Australian outlaw The Wild Colonial Boy, Jack Donahue.
- Travelling on from here we make our first stop at Inch Beach. This is a spectacular sand spit jutting out into Dingle Bay. Playboy of the Western World and David Leans “Ryan's Daughter” were filmed here. Take time to grab a coffee, take pictures or walk Inch beach and enjoy some of Irelands finest scenery.
- Departing here we drive along a rugged cliff road with stunning panoramic views of the bay. The road eventually turns in land and meanders through rolling hills. We pass by Annascaul village, the home of Irelands famous Antarctic explorer Tom Crean. The pub he owned, The South Pole Inn, is still in operation to this day.
- We are now nearing Dingle. In medieval days, Dingle was the principal harbour in County Kerry. Today Dingle Town is one of the most popular little towns in Ireland with an array of fine restaurants & pubs - a good town for a lunch stop. The town is a haven for artists and artisans and so has some interesting shopping.
- Leaving Dingle we take the rugged coast road out around Slea Head. This is the most westerly point in Ireland. Dún Chaoin, is the most westerly settlement on the Dingle Peninsula, and is sometimes jokingly referred to as “the next parish to America”.
- Along the road we travel by Dun Beg Fort and Beehive Huts. An example of early settlements in Ireland, dating back to 500 BC. The huts were built using a similar corbelling method to Gallarus. Features souterrains (underground passages) between huts.
- From the tip of the peninsula you can see the now-deserted Blasket Islands & perhaps you'd like to visit The Blasket Heritage Centre in Dunquin (celebrating the cultural & literary traditions of the islanders before they were transferred to the mainland in the 1950's. Several of the islanders wrote best-selling Irish-language books that are available in English translations)
- Next on stop on the tour is Gallarus Oratory . Thought to have been built by early Christians as part of an monastic settlement some time between the 6th and 9th century. It was built without mortar using a technique called corbel vaulting. The oratory, shaped like an up turned boat, consists of a low entrance door and a small window to the back. According to folklore, if a person climbs through the window their soul will be cleansed.
- Leaving here we will return to Dingle via Ventry village, where Ron Howard filmed his movie “Far and Away” staring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
- After a stop in Dingle for lunch and shopping, we return and finish for the day.
