Dingle Peninsula aka: Corca Dhuibhne

I went over with my grandparents for 3 weeks. I fell in love with it. I got to meet some of my extended Irish family too, it was good to learn more about my Irish roots.

Does anyone remember the name of the dolphin?

The town I stayed in when I went to the Gaeltacht was on the Dingle Peninsula: Ballydavid (Baile na nGall). Lovely place.

There’s a standing stone in the ruins of an old church nearby with a hole in the middle that served as a wedding band for the poor—the bride and groom would stand on either side, and touch fingers in the hole. (Of course, we were kids, so we all got “married” there :)

I lived in Galway Ireland for 6 months. While there, I was fortunate to meet up with a man in a bookstore who introduced me to the “Blasket Island books.”

This was a series of books written by people of of a medieval mindset. They lived on an an island at the furthest reaches of Ireland, which was iteself at the furthest reaches of Europe. To reach the nearest town required rowing for 8 miles in primitive craft. No one on the island had ever been to school. No one could wite. In the 1920’s a British researcher sought these people out as a source for learning the proper way to speak Irish Gaelic as it had largely been lost on the main of Ireland. In exchange, he taught a few of them to read and write their own language.

The result of all this is that in the next 20 years this village produced a wealth of literature. See the listing here

It was the most powerful entre into the Irish existance and the gaelic mind I had ever encountered. It was made all the more powerful by reading it in Ireland on drizzly days before a turf fire.

Eventually I found myself touring the Dingle peninsula by bicycle and at the very tip I came accross the Blasket Islands Cultural center

I definitely recommend a stop regardless of whether you have read the books.

We climbed Mt Brandon spring 2003 with friends. View on top was fantastic, specially the Dingle Peninsula.

I lost my travel info, so I don’t know the name of it, but I stayed at this amazing bed and breakfast on a home out on its own peninsula, on the very far eastern side of town. It was amazing. I went to Ireland on my honeymoon and spent most of the time in Dingle. It rained the whole time, but it was still a great place to relax and explore. Very tiny and quiet, but there’s actually a lot of music, art, crafts, literature going on, probably not printed in any AAA travel book or on any bus tour. We found all our gems just wandering.

No doubt…

The drive around the peninsula is amazing.

The Dingle Peninsula is one of my favorite places. I love how the clouds sweep across the water and the rocks so that the light is always changing, and how there are ancient ruins and amazing vistas everywhere you turn. I highly, highly recommend taking a trip around the peninsula – ideally listening to Irish traditional music as you go.

One of the most memorable trips in my life. Simply Beautiful.

(Thank God someone learnt how to spell “peninsula”!)

Between the Gaeltacht and the ruins and the sea and the amazing beauty of Slea Head, I can’t get enough of it nor say enough nice things about this place. I’ve been here five times and hopefully will retire here, if the locals will take another blow-in from the States. :)