Page 164 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

162  IRELAND REGION B Y REGION

6 A Tour of the Dingle Peninsula

The Dingle Peninsula offers some of Ireland’s most
beautiful scenery. To the north rises the towering
Brandon Moun tain, while the west coast has some
spectacular seascapes. A drive around the area, which
takes at least half a day, reveals fascinating antiquities
ranging from Iron Age stone forts to inscribed stones,
early Christian oratories and bee hive huts. These are
sometimes found on private land, so you may be
asked for a small fee by the farmer to see them. Some View from Clogher Head
parts of the peninsula – especially the more remote 7 Riasc (An Riasc)
areas – are still Gaelic speaking, so many road signs This excavated monastic
are written only in Irish. settlement dates from the 6th
century. The enclosure contains
the remains of an oratory, several
6 Ballyferriter cross-inscribed slabs and an
(Baile an Fheirtéaraigh) inscribed pillar stone (see p247).
The attractions of this friendly
village include the pastel-coloured
cottages, Louis Mulcahy’s pottery
and a museum featuring the
cultural heritage of the area.
R559
Ciogher
Head

5 Blasket Centre
(Ionad an Bhlascaoid) Ventry
Overlooking Blasket Sound, the Dunquin ( Ceann Trá)
centre explains the literature, (Dun Chaoin)
language and way of life of the
inhabitants of the Blasket Islands. R559
The islanders moved to the
mainland in 1953. Mount
Eagle
Ventr y Harbour
B L A S K E T I S L A N D S Avonmore S ound

DINGLE B AY

Key
3 Slea Head Tour route
(Ceann Sléibe) Other roads
As you round the Slea Head Viewpoint
promontory, the Blasket
Islands come into full view.
4 Dunmore Head The sculpture of the 0 kilometres 2
(Ceann an Dúin Mhoir) Crucifixion beside the road is
Mainland Ireland’s most westerly point known locally as the Cross 0 miles 1
offers dramatic views of the Blaskets. (An Cros).
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp298–9 and pp313–16

IR_162-163_C&K_tour.indd 162 25/04/16 11:02 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.9)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm