We left for the Dingle peninsula on a Friday afternoon. Of course, the trip started like any other here – the first hour is spent getting out of Dublin. We stayed at a couple of Bed & Breakfast places, which seems like the thing to do in these parts. Most are very nice, they are plentiful, and usually cheaper than a hotel. Dingle peninsula is quite picturesque, very remote, and studded with numerous fishing villages. We spent half a day driving around the peninsula taking in the sites. The weather had cleared making it a very nice day and the beauty of the area really impressed us. The wind in this, the Western part of Ireland, tends to be a bit intense. We even saw surfers catching a few waves (that dark spot floating on the wave to the right).

We drove around the peninsula and visited an 800 year old oratory (Gallarus Oratory) made out of dry-laid stone (and is still watertight). The folks that built this marvel were not too tall as evidenced by the picture taken from the inside of the oratory with Jim standing in the door way. At least we think that’s Jim in the picture - it’s a bit hard to tell isn’t it?

Everyone raves about the Ring of Kerry but we found the Dingle Peninsula to be more picturesque and much less touristy due to the degree of difficulty the roads present to the tour busses. Here at Slea Head you can get an idea of the inherent beauty of the area along the coast. As you can see, the area is quite remote, but we found it to be very spectacular.

Just off the coast is the Blasket Island (above right) which was inhabited as recently as the 1950’s. It took a very hardy soul to live on the islands off the Irish coast - no electricity, etc. The interpretive center there chronicles the lives of the people of the Blasket Island as well as their literary contribution to Ireland. The view to the island shows what a bleek place it is. The interpretive center is well worth a visit.

We also visited a local artisan from whom we bought a pottery lamp. On the way out, we came upon the farmer moving his herd of sheep from one field to another, down the road. Of course, all traffic stopped while this was happening, though he did pull them aside when about 5 cars were lined up. The sheepdog was especially enjoying his job, barking and nipping at the sheep to keep them moving. Note the interest being paid by the dog peeking over the fence on the right side of the road.

Another fixture of the Dingle peninsula not to be missed is Conner Pass. The road up to the pass on the Dingle side of the mountain is quite gradual and a nice ride. The road on the other side of the pass, however, is carved out of the stone face of the mountain and is not for those who do not care for heights. The picture of Verna is looking North towards Tralee from Conner Pass. Several folks have been absolutely petrified at the ride up to the pass, as it is narrow and windy. We think maybe they exagerated just a bit! Mind you, it hasn’t been this clear every time we’ve been up here, but we have always had a view to Brandon Bay on the north and Dingle Bay to the south.

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