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Dingle |
Dingle is the most westerly town in Europe and the chief town of the peninsula.
It is an excellent centre for the visitor and though a progressive town, it still retains much of the old-world atmosphere of a fishing village. Dingle is an Irish-speaking fishing port and is home to Ireland's most famous dolphin "Fungie". Fungie, who is a bottlenose dolphin, has been swimming with the boats and tourists in Dingle harbour since 1984. You can take a one hour boat trip in summer months to see Fungie up close. The town has recently erected a bronze statue on the Pier to its most famous aquatic visitor.
Mara Beo - the Dingle OceanWorld Aquarium is set overlooking the scenic Dingle harbour and reveals the fascinating species that live in the waters around the magnificent Dingle Peninsula. This experience is also a journey through the Peninsula's ancient sea culture and its people's interface with the sea from the pre-Christian era to the present time - be sure not to miss the Tunnel Tank and Shark Tank.
The town is an ideal base for exploring the Dingle Peninsula, attractions include Gallarus Oratory which is located 3 miles north west of Dingle - probably the best preserved early Christian Church in Ireland. It was built in 7th century and is a classic example of dry-stone corbelling. The structure is still watertight after more than a thousand years.
The Dingle Way walk comes through the town by way of the Connor Pass. This mountain pass offers spectacular views of Brandon Bay, Tralee Bay and Dingle Bay if the weather is clear. It was from Brandon Bay that St. Brendan discover North America in the 6th century. St. Brendan was the person who inspired Christopher Columbus to rediscover the New World almost 900 years later.
Just about every bar in Dingle offers traditional Irish music during July and August and the town buzzes with locals and tourists.
The stunning scenery of the peninsula offers the perfect backdrop for many activities. There are two excellent links courses, shore-angling, diving, and cycle tours. There are also two long-distance walking routes.
The peninsula boasts the greatest concentration of archaeological
sites in Ireland, among them the fine Gallarus Oratory. Corca
Dhuibhne is also a Gaeltacht region - the Irish language is in
daily use
The Dingle Dolphin -- or Fungie, the name given to him by the fishermen -- is a fully grown, possibly middle aged, male bottlenose, Tursiops Truncatus. He weighs in at around one-quarter tonne (500 lbs.) and measures in the region of four metres (13 feet). Although it is by no means unique to find these usually social, open creatures living alone in a "restricted" zone and befriending humans, it is still a relatively rare world event, and Fungie is Ireland's first recorded occurrence. From observation of (playful) body scarring it seems he does still frequently encounter other whales, dolphins or porpoises, proving perhaps he is neither true hermit nor outcast from his own kind, but rather that he is simply content with his current circumstances. No one really knows why some of these creatures suddenly take to a solitary way of life, but perhaps his persistence in maintaining it and physical conditions would at least indicate the area is a welcoming home with not too many natural dangers.
There are boats offering Deep Sea Angling in Dingle, Ballydavid and Brandon. The prolific waters of the peninsula provide the sea angler with an abundance of species, including pollack, garfish, blue shark, tope, dogfish, and rare Mediterranean species brought in by the Gulf Stream. Deep sea fishing trips are available by the week or by the day, as well as two-hour trips and evening trips. Some places supply all the necessary gear, tackle and bait, and welcome children.
Cycling the Dingle Peninsula has always been recognised as the ideal way to experience the area's breathtakingly beautiful views while pedalling through a combination of dramatic mountain climbs or flat valleys that stretch for miles.There are a number of established bicycle rental outlets dotted around the peninsula where bicycles can be hired by the day or for longer periods. You'll be happy you left the car or bus behind as you explore the many ancient archaeological ruins and savour the superb coastal scenery at a leisurely pace.
Horses have long been a traditional part of everyday life in Ireland, and nowhere is this more true than on the Dingle Peninsula. As late as the 1950s most farm work and ploughing was still done by the horse. A Sunday afternoon trip by horseback or horse-drawn cart around the Slea Head road was an outing treasured by native and visitor alike. And what better way to connect with the beauty of nature than via the leisurely pace of the horse!The Dingle Peninsula provides the ideal location for the freedom experienced while horseriding or pony trekking . . . mile after mile of soaring mountains, of open grass covered hills falling gently to the sea, of tranquil, narrow, back country road lined with flowering red fuchsia and golden yellow gorse, and of sparkling, sandy beaches. If it's nature and beauty you're looking for, you'll find it here in abundance.
The Dingle Way – Slí Chorca Dhuibhne – is 178 km (112 mi.) in length. The walk begins in Tralee, overlooking Tralee Bay, and then swings southwest across the peninsula from Camp to look down on Dingle Bay while you ramble inland to Annascaul, and then on to Dingle Town. From Dingle the route continues west around Slea Head to Dunquin, with magnificent views of the Blasket Islands to the west and beautiful coastal cliffs to the north. Then the trail turns back along the north coast of the peninsula, past Smerwick Harbour, and continues on below the massive Brandon Mountain, Ireland's second highest peak and named for St. Brendan the Voyager. A high pass will bring you to the village of Cloghane, east of Brandon, and then the route continues along coastal beaches to Castlegregory and the Maharees, ultimately ending back in Tralee.
