The Dingle Peninsula (Irish: Corca Dhuibhne - sometimes anglicized as Corkaguiney) is located in County Kerry and is the most westerly point of Ireland.
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Name
The Dingle Peninsula is named after the town of Dingle. The peninsula is also commonly called Corca Dhuibhne (Corcu Duibne) even when those referring to it are speaking in English. Corca Dhuibhne,[1] which means "seed or tribe of Duibhne"[2] (an Irish personal name), takes its name from the túath (people, nation) of Corco Dhuibhne who occupied the peninsula in the Middle Ages and who also held a number of territories in the south and east of County Kerry.
Geography
The peninsula exists because of the band of sandstone rock that forms the Slieve Mish mountain range at the neck of the peninsula, in the east, and the unnamed central mountain range further to the west. Ireland's highest mountain outside Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Mount Brandon at 951 m, forms part of a beautiful high ridge with stunning views over the peninsula and North Kerry.
The Conor Pass, which runs 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 1950s following an evacuation.
Culture and language
The western end of the peninsula is a Gaeltacht area that has produced a number of nationally notable authors and poets; 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".
Archaeology
The peninsula 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.
In Fiction
The film "Ryan's Daughter" takes place at a village on the Dingle Peninsula in the immediate aftermath of the 1916 Easter Uprising, and was shot on location.
Gallery
 Dingle Peninsula as viewed from Banna Strand |
 Dingle Peninsula coastline |
 Minard Castle, Lispole, County Kerry |
 Eask Tower with view of the tip of the Ring of Kerry in foreground. |
 The fauna of Dingle Peninsula |
 Coumeenole Beach, near Slea Head, on the Dingle Peninsula where "Ryan's Daughter" was filmed. |
 A Dingle Peninsula sea shore on the "Ryan's Daughter" film poster by Howard Terpning |
 The Ranga was wrecked near Coumeenole Beach in 1982. The remains are still visible today. |
See also
- Iveragh Peninsula
- Beara Peninsula
- Munster Irish
- Eask tower
- Mount Brandon
- MV Ranga, a ship wrecked near Coumeenole Beach, near Slea Head, Dingle
External links
- Dingle Peninsula travel guide from Wikitravel
- Informative and creative website about Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
- Local History of the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
- Photos from the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
- Photos from the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
- News from the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland.
- Information on The Dingle Peninsula
- Travel report from Dingle Peninsula with many photos (German)
- 360 degree panoramic views from Dingle peninsula
References
Coordinates: 52°11′36″N 10°05′02″W / 52.19333°N 10.08389°W
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