Dingle Peninsula
Encyclopedia
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
. Its ends beyond the town of Dingle
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland
Extreme points of Ireland
This is a list of the extreme points of Ireland – the points that are farthest north, south, east or west. It includes the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.Often the term "Malin to Mizen" is used when encompassing the entire island from north to south...
.
Name
The Dingle Peninsula is named after the town of DingleDingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
. The peninsula is also commonly called Corca Dhuibhne (Corcu Duibne
Corcu Duibne
The Corcu Duibne was a notable kingdom in prehistoric and medieval County Kerry, Ireland which included the Dingle Peninsula, the Iveragh Peninsula and connecting lands...
) even when those referring to it are speaking in English. Corca Dhuibhne, which means "seed or tribe of Duibhne" (an Irish personal name), takes its name from the túath
Tuath
Túath is an Old Irish word, often translated as "people" or "nation". It is cognate with the Welsh and Breton tud , and with the Germanic þeudō ....
(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 sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rock that forms the Slieve Mish
Slieve Mish Mountains
The Slieve Mish Mountains are a mountain range found in County Kerry in the Ireland. Overlooking Tralee Bay on the northern side and Dingle Bay on the south, they extend for approximately 19 km from east to west...
mountain range at the neck of the peninsula, in the east, and the unnamed central mountain range
Mountains of the Dingle Peninsula
The Mountains of the Dingle Peninsula are grouped into two major unnamed mountain ranges, one running along the centre of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, in Ireland and the other found at its extreme western tip...
further to the west. Ireland's highest mountain outside Macgillycuddy's Reeks
Macgillycuddy's Reeks
MacGillycuddy's Reeks is a mountain range in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. Stretching slightly over , it includes the highest peaks in Ireland and the only peaks on the island that are over . The highest of these is Corrán Tuathail or Carrauntoohil , followed by Binn Chaorach and Cathair na...
, Mount Brandon
Mount Brandon
Mount Brandon or Brandon Mountain is a 952 m mountain on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. It is the highest peak of the unnamed central mountain range of the Dingle Peninsula and the ninth highest peak in Ireland...
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
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
on the southern end of the peninsula towards Brandon Bay and Castlegregory
Castlegregory
Castlegregory is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula, halfway between Tralee and Dingle. Castlegregory has a population of 205 ....
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
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
lakes.
The Blasket Islands
Blasket Islands
The Blasket Islands are a group of islands off the west coast of Ireland, forming part of County Kerry. They were inhabited until 1953 by a completely Irish-speaking population. The inhabitants were evacuated to the mainland on 17 November 1953...
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 GaeltachtGaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
(Irish-speaking
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
area) that has produced a number of nationally notable authors and poets; Ó Siochfhradha
Ó Siochfhradha
Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha and Mícheál Ó Siochfhradha , were brothers who were writers, teachers and Irish language storytellers, from County Kerry, Ireland....
and Peig Sayers
Peig Sayers
Peig Sayers was an Irish author and seanachaí born in Dunquin , County Kerry, Ireland. Seán Ó Súilleabháin, the former archivist for the Irish Folklore Commission, described her as "one of the greatest woman storytellers of recent times".-Biography:She spent much of her early life as a domestic...
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 prehistoricPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
and early medieval remains including:
- Ferriter's CoveFerriter's CoveFerriter's Cove is a small bay located at the westernmost point of Dingle Peninsula, in County Kerry, Ireland. Excavations performed in the late 20th century have provided evidence that people lived there during the Mesolithic.-External links:*...
, at the western tip of the peninsula; and - Gallarus OratoryGallarus OratoryThe Gallarus Oratory is believed to be an early Christian church located on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland...
in the very west of the peninsula near the village of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh in Ard na CaithneArd na CaithneArd na Caithne , meaning height of the arbutus or strawberry tree, known as Smerwick in English, in the heart of the Kerry Gaeltacht is one of the principal bays of Corca Dhuibhne. It is nestled at the foot of An Triúr Deirfiúr and Cnoc Bhréanainn, which at is the highest mountain in the Brandon...
.
Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, situated in the village of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh (Ballyferriter
Ballyferriter
Baile an Fheirtéaraigh ), also known as An B[h]uailtín, is a Gaeltacht village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is in the west of the Corca Dhuibhne peninsula and according to the 2002 census, about 75% of the town's population speak the Irish language on a daily basis...
) has exhibitions detailing the archaeology and history of the peninsula. Some of the exhibitions include Ogham stones, artefacts from the excavations at the nearby monastic site of Riasc (Reask) and objects on loan from the National Museum of Ireland
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...
.
In film
David LeanDavid Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
's 1970 film Ryan's Daughter
Ryan's Daughter
Ryan's Daughter is a 1970 film directed by David Lean. The film, set in 1916, tells the story of a married Irish woman who has an affair with a British officer during World War I, despite opposition from her nationalist neighbours...
takes place at a village on the Dingle Peninsula in the immediate aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
, and was partly shot on location near Dún Chaoin, Coumeenole Beach, Slea Head
Slea Head
Slea Head is a promontory in the westernmost part of the Dingle Peninsula, located in the barony of Corca Dhuibhne in southwest...
and Inch Strand. Far and Away
Far and Away
Far and Away is a 1992 adventure-drama-romance film directed by Ron Howard from a script by Howard and Bob Dolman, and stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Cinematography by Mikael Salomon, with a music score by John Williams...
, a 1992 film directed by Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
, was partly filmed on the peninsula.
The film Leap Year
Leap Year (2010 film)
Leap Year is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Anand Tucker. The film, which is largely set in Ireland and stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, premiered in New York City on January 6, 2010.-Plot:...
is partly set in the Dingle Peninsula, but none of the filming took place in the area.
Gallery
See also
- Beara PeninsulaBeara PeninsulaThe Beara Peninsula is a peninsula on the south-west coast of Ireland, bounded between the Kenmare "river" to the north side and Bantry Bay to the south. It has two mountain ranges running down its centre: the Caha Mountains and the Slieve Miskish Mountains...
- Eask towerEask TowerThe Eask Tower is a solid stone tower on the top of Carhoo Hill, in County Kerry, Ireland, over-looking Dingle harbour.Eask Tower was built in 1847 in order to guide the ships and boats into the mouth of the blind harbour. The wooden hand pointing from the Tower, guides the boats to their...
- Iveragh PeninsulaIveragh PeninsulaThe Iveragh Peninsula is located in County Kerry in Ireland. It is the largest peninsula in southwestern Ireland. A mountain range, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, lies in the centre of the peninsula...
- Mount BrandonMount BrandonMount Brandon or Brandon Mountain is a 952 m mountain on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. It is the highest peak of the unnamed central mountain range of the Dingle Peninsula and the ninth highest peak in Ireland...
- Munster IrishMunster IrishMunster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Munster. Gaeltacht regions in Munster are found in the Dingle Peninsula Gaeltacht of west Kerry, in the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry, in Cape Clear Island off the coast of west Cork, in West Muskerry; Coolea,...
- MV RangaRanga (ship)The motor ship Ranga was a 1,586 tonne container ship owned by the Spanish shipping company, Naviera Ason SA, but on charter to the Icelandic shipping company, Hafskip. She was formerly named Berta de Perez, but her name was changed at sea to Ranga, due to the Icelandic charter. The Ranga was on...
, a ship wrecked near Coumeenole Beach, near Slea Head, Dingle