The Dingle Peninsula is a piece of absolute beauty in a country that has no shortage of beautiful spots. The peninsula is a combination of rough sea eroded cliffs, mountains, beaches and Islands which are all inter woven with traditionally small Irish villages. You could easily pass a day driving around the Dingle Peninsula absorbing everything you see. If you are visiting Ireland, the trip to Dingle is well worth it. This is one of the few natural Irish speaking areas left in Ireland (Gealteacht), and many Irish school children come here during the summer to learn their national language in preparation for their state exams. For the children, this is as much an educational trip as a social exercise. Among the most beautiful things about the Dingle Peninsula are the Blasket Islands, which in the authors view, hold a certain mystic of an Ireland past. While these Islands were inhabited until the 1950s, they are now a tourist attraction and a place of absolute beauty and worthy of an article in their own right. As the sun sets of the west coast of Ireland, the Blasket Islands are a truly unique sight. Connor's Pass is the old mountain road between Dingle and Tralee which offers up spectacular views over the peninsula. This is a small winding road that is simply magnificent no matter what the weather conditions are. If you are lucky enough to get a nice day, there are some great places to get out of the car and stretch your legs with a walk. Dingle itself is a village with a character of its own. It is a working harbour town that now enjoys massive tourist revenue. Here you can enjoy the best of Irish Sea food with a pint of Guinness in a traditional Irish bar while Irish music is being played. Dingle's most famous resident is Fungi the bottlenosed dolphin who lives in the harbour. He rarely fails to show and there are several boats that sell tickets to visit Fungi every hour. |
