Dingle Peninsula

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Location map of the Dingle Peninsula

The Dingle Peninsula (Irish: Corca Dhuibhne, sometimes anglicized as Corkaguiney) is located in County Kerry and is the most westerly point of the Republic of Ireland. The peninsula is named after the town of Dingle and is the location of numerous prehistoric and early medieval remains, for example the Gallarus Oratory in the very west of the peninsula near the village of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh in Ard na Caithne. The peninsula exists because of the band of granite rock that forms the Sliabh Mish mountain range. Ireland's highest mountain outside MacGillycuddy's Reeks, Mount Brandon at 952 m, forms part of a beautiful high ridge with stunning views over the peninsula and North Kerry.

The Conor Pass going from Dingle on the southern end of the peninsula towards Brandon Bay and Castlegregory in the North is the highest mountain pass in Ireland, a tight precarious road weaving its way around the sharp cliff faces and past the high corrie lakes.

The Blasket Islands lie off the west coast. They are famous for the literary and linguistic heritage of the former inhabitants. However, these remote islands have been uninhabited since the 1950's following a government rehousing plan.

The western end of the peninsula is a Gaeltacht area that has produced a number of regionally notable authors and poets. See Ó Siochfhradha, and Peig Sayers, among others. This is the most western part of Ireland, and the village of Dún Chaoin is often jokingly referred to as "the next parish to America".