Posts tagged ‘Dingle Peninsula’
Inside Ireland: The Dingle Peninsula
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| Location: Dingle Peninsula, Ireland |
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It was a hot and sunny day when we arrived in the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry County, Ireland. We stayed at the B&B in the only town on the peninsula bearing the same name.
After checking in at the B&B, I looked forward to do laundry as I was running out of clean underwear. You could imagine my disappointment when I saw a handwritten note in my room saying that no washing was allowed. For Pete’s sake, it was a recommended B&B by Rick Steves. As you know, Mr. Steves is a proponent of packing smart and traveling light and washing laundry in the bathroom sink. Welp, desperate time called for desperate measure. I had to do what I had to do. I just had to be discrete about it.
Once I got to know them better, however, I found that the couple running the B&B were in reality great hosts. They kept the room clean and served the best Irish breakfast that I’d ever had. But was the recommendation of Rick Steves for real? Although I wanted to believe, I still had doubts.
What attracted us to this place 200 miles from Dublin was its reputation preceding it. For one thing, it’s located in the area known as the Gaelthache where locals speak Irish Gaelic as their first language compared to English which is commonly used by the rest of the population. If you want to really, really soak in the traditional Irish music and culture, this is it.
For another, the Dingle Peninsula has been considered by National Geographic Traveler as “the most beautiful place on earth.”
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Click any picture to enlarge
We booked a 3-hour Archaeological Tour of the Dingle Peninsula.
It started at Burham, the seat of Lord Ventry, to look at stones found in an ancient burial-ground on the shore of Smerwick Bay in 1848.
Our guide then took us on a scenic drive offering a panoramic view of sea cliffs, the Atlantic, and fields with sheep grazing in the sun. Sorry, I was so awestruck by the scenery that I failed to take photos good enough for National Geographic. In addition, he led us to the remnant of a mid-12th century church and beehive huts and stones dating back to Ireland’s ancient past.
On our last day in Dingle, I let my curiosity get the better of me and asked one of the owners of the B&B if Rick Steves had actually been there. “He comes at least once a year,” she said proudly showing his photo taken at the B&B as proof. I guess that settled it.
Musings of a Random Mind 
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