Castlegregory

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Castlegregory
Caisléan Ghriaire

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
52°15′20″N 10°01′16″W / 52.255549, -10.02099

Irish grid reference
Q617134

Statistics

Population (2006)

205

Castlegregory (Irish: Caisléan Ghriaire) is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula, halfway between Tralee and Dingle.^[1] Castlegregory has a population of 205 (CSO 2006).

Castlegregory was named after a castle built by Gregory Hoare in the 16th century. It is the capital of Lettragh, whose population is now a quarter of what it was before the Great Irish Famine, and it remains the only place in the area which resembles a real village.^[2]

1 Geography
2 History
3 Local events
4 Sport
5 Watersports Competitions
6 Transport
7 References
8 See also

[edit] Geography

Dockside, north of Castlegregory.

The village is located at the foot of a sandy peninsula called the Maharees separating Brandon Bay to the west from Tralee Bay on the east, off the peninsula are a number small islands, called the Seven Hoggs, or the Maharee Islands. A small fishing harbour is located at Fahamore on Scraggane Bay, about 5 km outside the village at the tip of the Maharees peninsula. The village is surrounded by the mountains of the Dingle peninsula and overlooked directly by Beenoskee and Stradbally Mountains. To the west is Brandon Mountain. Castlegregory is also the name of the parish which includes most of the north east area of the Dingle Peninsula. The village is renowned as a tourist destination as it is near to spectacular beaches located on the Maharees peninsula. Castlegregory Golf and Fishing club, a nine hole links golf course is also located nearby, to the west of the village on the shores of Lough Gill, a freshwater lake.

[edit] History

On the largest of the Magharee islands, Illauntannig (Irish Oileán tSeanaigh), the ruins of a 7th century monastic site founded by St Senach, stand containing:

two oratories
three beehive (or Clochan) huts
three examples of a leacht (or altar)

[edit] Local events

Castlegregory Pattern Day is celebrated on 15 August, when the tradition is to eat locally-made mutton pies.^[1] The event is known for attracting several celebrities each year. Colin Farrell and Cathal Lafferty attended in 2007, and more are promised for 2008 according to organiser Karen Lynch. ^[3]

[edit] Sport

Castlegregory GAA Club was first known as Castlegregory Allen, named after William Allen, one of the Manchester Martyrs. The club took part in the first Kerry County Championship played in 1889. For well over 40 years football was played on a pitch with a 21 feet gradient from top to bottom, however a new ground was opened on 17 May 2003.^[4]

[edit] Watersports Competitions

Castlegregory has frequently being the venue for surfing and windersurfing competitions. Recent events included the FROLiCS Expression Session Castlegregory which was held on 24th October 2004.^[5] and the UKWA windsurfing competition in 2007.

[edit] Transport

Castlegregory was the terminus of a branch line of the Tralee and Dingle Light Railway. The railway station opened on 1 April 1891, closed for passenger and goods traffic on 17 April 1939, and finally closed altogether on 10 March 1947.^[6]