The Dingle Peninsula-The "Other" Ring of Kerry

The Dingle Peninsula sits poised at the edge of the world and is the most western point of Ireland.  Part of The Wild Atlantic Way, The Slea Head Loop is ringed by sandy beaches, craggy cliffs, towering mountains, and ancient sites...

Slea Head Loop Drive

The Dingle Peninsula is becoming more popular with tourists looking for an "authentic Ireland."  The extremely touristy Ring of Kerry on the Iveragh Peninsula to the South offers just as many stunning views as Dingle's 48 km (30 miles) Slea Head Loop, but the villages and people of the Dingle Peninsula are just as much of an attraction as the scenery or the historical sites. 
The towns of the Western part of the Dingle Peninsula are Gaeltacht or Irish Gaelic speaking towns.  The people of Dingle live on fishing and farming, and the pub scene with its traditional Irish music is some of the best in the country, making Dingle a place to explore for a day or two.  I would recommend driving around the peninsula in a clockwise direction, passing through Dingle to drive the Slea Head Loop, ending up back in Dingle for dinner and stay the night to soak up the atmosphere.

Inch Strand

Inch Strand

Starting in Castlemaine, the southern entrance to the Dingle Peninsula, take the R561 West towards Dingle.  Along the way stop in at Inch Strand or Inch Beach.  This gorgeous sandy beach sticks out four miles into Dingle Bay making Castlemaine Harbour a sheltered area for birdlife.  The clean waters and safe swimming of Inch Strand make it a kid-friendly place to stop.  There is a surfing school here popular with kids of all ages and a beach cafe to stop in at and get a nice hot drink. 

Minard Castle

Minard Castle Overlooking Dingle Bay

Further West the winding road turns inland, and you are surrounded by lush green pasturelands full of dairy cows.  The road here becomes the N86 and passes by Minard Castle, the largest fortress on the Dingle peninsula. Built in the year 1551 by the Knights of Kerry, this castle was a stop for pilgrims on the journey to St. James' tomb in Santiago Spain.  The ruins are not safe to enter, but anyone interested in photography will want to stop at this site.

40 Shades Of Green

Passing through Dingle, you are now on the R559 or The Slea Head Loop Drive.  Maybe stop in at the deli of the Supervalu grocery store on Dingle's main street for some picnic supplies before heading out on the Ring of Dingle.  There are many places set up with picnic tables for bikers and motorists to stop for lunch along the drive around Slea Head.

 Dúnbeg Fort and Beehive Huts

The Dingle Peninsula has had people living on its fertile land since before 4000 BCE.  Located 12.5 km from Dingle, Dúnbeg Fort is a stone ring-fort hanging onto a sheer cliff overlooking Dingle Bay.  Built around 500 BCE, the defensive fort along with a central clochán or beehive hut has been standing guard for centuries...until now.  A series of violent winter storms in February 2014 and more recently this year in January of 2018 has sent over half of the fort to fall into the sea.  Dunbeg Fort was CLOSED in 2018.  You can still see a 15-minute video of Dúnbegs history for €3 at the Dúnbeg Visitor Center at the Stone House Restuarant.  

If you are dying to see some more Iron Age goodness, there are two groups of beehive huts (called clochán in Irish) are about 1 mile apart from each other along the Slea Head Drive.  The second group of clochán is a bit more impressive, and both cost an entry fee of €3.  These clochán were built around the same time as the huts on the island of Skellig Micheal that you can see off in the distance.

Beehive huts At Fahan

Slea Head, Dunquin and Clogher Head

Slea Head Drive

A few kilometres past the beehive huts, the road turns the corner around the famous Slea Head.  Marked by a large white crucifix and a scenic pullout to stop to take photos of the Blasket Islands and Dunmore Head.  Dunmore Head is the westernmost point of mainland Ireland. The road gets impossibly narrow at this point and motorists were pulling in their side mirrors to squeeze past each other.

Dunquin Pier

Less then a km down the road there is a parking lot by the little village of Dunquin, or in Gaelic Irish: Dún Chaoin.  Many ruined stone houses in this small village are picturesquely scattered along the coast.  Before the 1845 potato famine in Ireland, 40,000 people lived on the Dingle Peninsula.  After the famine, the number people living here was vastly reduced and villages became almost ghost towns.  Today the population is up to 10,000 and Dunquin is a favourite spot for summer homes.  

Take a walk down the dramatic switchback road to the Dunquin Pier where until 2014 the boats used to depart for the Blasket Islands (now the ferry leaves from Dingle Harbour).  The Great Blasket Centre is an excellent place to learn about the Blasket Islands, and also to stop for lunch at their cafeteria if you didn't bring lunch with you.  The Blasket Islands are a group of six islands off the coast of the Dingle Peninsula and was one of the few places in Ireland that were not affected by the potato famine which also helped retain their ancient Gaelic culture. 

Clogher Head 

Another good place to stretch your legs and go for a walk is Clogher Head just to the North of Dunquin.  There is a "scenic pullout" just past the turnoff to The Great Blasket Centre where the view is spectacular.  A short and windy fifteen-minute walk from the parking area leads out to Clogher Head where you can catch stunning views of The Blasket Islands, The Three Sisters and Mount Brandon to the North.  If you are into more serious walking, consider the Dingle Way a 179 km walk around the Dingle Peninsula that starts and finishes in the city of Tralee.  Click the link for more information on the Dingle Way walk.

Gallarus Oratory

The entrance of Gallarus Oratory

The Slea Head Drive turns inland now.  Turn off the R-559 following the signs towards Gallarus/Galros.  At the site, there is a big parking lot with a small visitors center that has a coffee shop, public washrooms and a small movie theatre that gives you information on the Dingle Peninsula and the historic sites that abound here, including Gallarus Oratory.  
Gallarus (rhymes with walrus) is about 1,300 years old as far as the archeologists can tell.  An Oratory is a small room for prayer, usually in another building like a hospital or airport.  In this case, Gallarus Oratory was used as an early Christian church and is one of the best preserved in all of Ireland.  This tiny church was built using the dry-stone corbeling method, just like the beehive huts on Skellig Micheal which date back to around the same time.  There is still some debate around the age of Gallarus Oratory and the use of the little stone building.   If you step inside the structure and let your eyes adjust to the dim light, you can almost feel the presence of the monks gathered together intimately to worship Christian style.

Kilmalkedar Church

Ogham Stone In Front Of Kilmalkedar Church

Also located on the R-559, is Kilmalkedar church a favourite place for lovers.  What?  A ruined old Irish church is a romantic spot!?! The church of Cill Mhaoilcheadair was a built in the Medieval Romanesque style 12th century as a Norman center of worship, but it was erected on a pre-Christian holy spot.  The reason we know this is because of the large Ogham stone in front of the church that dates back to 600 BCE.  This Ogham stone has a hole in the top of it where people would come to be handfasted (pagan marriage) by touching thumbs through the hole with their surrounding ancestors as witnesses.  This ceremony is a vow of marriage for a year and a day, so be careful if you decide to try the ritual!  There is also a sundial stone, an alphabet stone, and some early Celtic Christian crosses.

Dingle Town

The town of Dingle or Daingean Ui Chuis in Gaelic is the highlight of the Dingle Peninsula.  Brightly coloured houses, shops, and restaurants line the streets that lead to the waterfront.  The town public parking lot on the waterfront is filled with tour buses during the day, but at night, even though there are still many tourists, the town feels quieter and more relaxed.  There are lots of great restaurants for any budget, many pubs and loads of ice cream shops in Dingle.   The large tourist information center next to the car park on the waterfront is a wealth of information.
Remember Murphys Law when in Dingle:  Murphys Handmade Ice Cream for the most fantastic ice cream and Murphys Pub for a taste of traditional Irish food and music every evening.   Dingle was one of our favourite towns in Ireland and our teenager Liam loved it so much; we ended up going back for a second visit!  On our next trip to Ireland, we are putting a two night stay in Dingle on our itinerary for certain.

Connor Pass

For a thrilling drive out of Dingle heading North towards Tralee, you can take the jaw-dropping, nail-biting R-569 Connor Pass or An Chonair in Irish Gaelic.  The Connor Pass is a narrow twisting (mostly one lane) road that is the highest mountain pass in all of Ireland.  The Connor Pass road runs from Dingle to Kilmore Cross on the North side of the Dingle Peninsula, offering scenic views in either direction you are travelling.  

Waterfall Pullout 

If you are heading to Dingle from Tralee in the North, the road is the R-560 that turns into the R-569.  On the North slope approaching the summit of Connor Pass, there is a pullout next to a small waterfall.  This little car park is the trailhead to a path that leads uphill for about 5 minutes to a crystal-clear glacier created lake called a corrie lake.  This scenic lake is a great spot to stop for a picnic!

Connor Pass Summit Overlooking Corrie Lakes

At the summit of the Connor Pass, there is a large car park where you can stop and take in the views of both sides of the Dingle Peninsula.  Looking towards the North (pictured to the right) Corrie Lakes far below you, Brandon Bay and as far off as the Aran Islands in County Galway.  Looking to the South of the summit, you are about 1,500 feet up above the town of Dingle (pictured below).

Connor Pass Summit Overlooking Dingle

The Dingle Peninsula offers so much for every type of traveller.  Astonishingly beautiful coastlines, isolated walks, ancient archeology and culturally rich towns where traditional Irish language, crafts, and music are not only surviving but thriving! 

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How To Hire A Jaunting Car In Killarney National Park

Ahhhh, Ireland!  The feel of the sea breeze on your face, the sound of the horse's hooves on the gravel, the rhythmic sway of the cart, and the smell of a turf fire lingering in the air.  What could be a more romantic and elemental experience than a jaunting car ride?

What is a jaunting car?

An "outside" jaunting car

One sees jaunting cars all over Killarney National Park.  A jaunting car is a horse-drawn two-wheeled cart that was the traditional transportation at one time in Ireland.  There were three main types of jaunting cars: the "outside car" where the passengers faced outside sitting on top of the wheel well and the "inside car" where the passengers sat inside the car facing each other and their backs to the sides of the cart.  The third type of jaunting car is the "covered car" which is an inside car with a canvas cloth roof overhead to protect the riders from the elements. 

The driver of a jaunting car is called a "jarvey," and they are world renowned as being great storytellers of Irish myths and legends and excellent local historians.  Many people are turned off jaunting cars because they feel it is too touristy.  But I beg to differ... 

Why take a jaunting car?

Gerry The Horse and His Jarvey

I know many people claim the jaunting cars are rip-offs and hate the jarveys "hassling" the tourists, just like some folks hate the Gondola drivers in Venice.  While locals don't take jaunting cars anymore like Venetians don't take gondolas, it still is an authentic Irish cultural experience.  Here's why:

1) Jaunting cars are the traditional vehicle locals used to get around in Ireland (just like a Gondola in Venice).  2) Jaunting cars offer a unique perspective of your surroundings by being off the roads (just like a gondola in Venice).  3) Travel on a jaunting cart is quicker than walking (just like Venice).  4) jaunting cars (and the horses) are expensive to maintain therefore a jaunting ride is not cheap (just like on the Gondolas in Venice).  

Lastly, the jarvey is your built-in tour guide that has so much knowledge of the historical sites in Killarney park (just like the gondolier in Venice).  

Where do you hire a jaunting car?

The Jaunting Cars and available tours are located at the below locations in Killarney Park:

Entering The Muckross Estate

• The Killarney Town Centre – From here you can tour The National Park, Ross Castle, and Kenmare Estate.

• The First Entrance Gates to Muckross (car park on the left-hand side) on the main road to Muckross. From here you can tour the beautiful Muckross House & Gardens – other routes are also available to lengthen your journey if you wish.

• Muckross House & Gardens – From here you can tour Muckross Abbey, Muckross House, and the glorious Torc Waterfall.

• Torc Waterfall – From here the jaunting car will take you around Muckross Gardens and Lakes to Muckross Abbey if you wish.

• The Gap of Dunloe – If you are doing the gap of Dunloe tour, the Jaunting Car will bring you from the base of the Gap to the top and down the other side, residing at Kate Kearney’s Cottage (or vice versa).

Muckross House

There are also several jaunting car tour operators that have websites where you can book tours ahead.  This is good if you are travelling with a family or a larger group and you want to organize your time in the park.  For instance, a Gap of Dunloe tour can take 5 hours, so you want to make sure you have a whole afternoon scheduled in Killarney National Park.
killarneyhorseandcarriagetours.com and killarneyjauntingcars.ie are two examples of longtime tour operators in Killarney.

Approaching Muckross Abbey

We hired our horse Gerry and his jarvey with his traditional "inside car" at Torc Waterfall.  I saw a lot of wagons full of people around Killarney town center, and I wanted to make sure I was taking an actual "real-deal/two-wheeled" jaunting car tour.  Unfortunately, we did not have much time to take a longer tour, so we negotiated with Gerry's jarvey to take us on a 45-60 minute tour around the grounds of Muckross House and Muckross Farm to the abandoned Medieval Muckross Abbey.  We spent 15 minutes exploring Muckross Abbey while Gerry had a snack, and then we headed back to Torc waterfall car park.  A one-hour jaunting car tour around Muckross costs about €40-45 and a 2-hour tour €60 in peak season (you can bargain a little in the offseason when it's slower).  Depending on the size of the car, you can usually have up to 4 or 5 people in the vehicle plus the driver.  

The Gap Of Dunloe

An Experience To Remember!

The Gap of Dunloe is a bit different.  Here the jarveys are lined up at Kate Kearney's Cottage on the North end of The Gap and Lord Brandon's Cottage on Upper Lake at the South end of The Gap.  The jarveys want €80 to take you through the Gap of Dunloe, for up to four people in their jaunting car.  If you only have two or three people in your group, it will still cost you €80 IN HIGH SEASON.  In shoulder season you can negotiate to €20 per person, but remember this is only ONE WAY you still have to get back.  There are standard prices set for The Gap of Dunloe tours, and jarveys are very firm that they are paid fairly. Another thing to be aware of is that there are two steep inclines on the route that the jarvey will ask it's passengers get out and walk because it is too much for the horse to pull up the hill.  If you are planning to take a jaunting car one way through the Gap of Dunloe and walk back, it takes about two and a half hours to walk the 11 km (7 miles) through the Gap.



In the end, to hire a jaunting car you just find a jarvey that you connect with and whose accent you can understand (good luck with that, my friends), agree to a route and negotiate a fair price.  Then just hop aboard your car and enjoy the magic of this unique Irish experience!

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Killarney National Park

Ireland's first National Park is a household name to many North American tourists. Killarney National Park is full of natural beauty and historical landmarks, putting it on the "big tour bus" itinerary.  Killarney Park may be crowded in certain places, but to get off the beaten here, is spending time in a lush green paradise.

Map of Killarney National Park

Killarney National Park is sometimes overlooked by travellers who get put off by it's over-tourism, but the Park has so much to offer.  As the starting point for the famous Ring of Kerry, the town of Killarney is a bustling tourist hub with the regional train and bus station, big chain hotels, tourist restaurants and shopping "outlet malls."  Don't let the tourist trap vibe fool you-Killarney National Park is a scenic slice of wild Ireland and a hike can find you all alone in a peaceful old-growth forest.   I recommend spending at least a whole day exploring Killarney Park.  Most travellers spend just a few hours in the Park as they travel through on the N-71; this road is known as The Ring of Kerry  

Old Growth Forests

Yew Trees

Killarney National Park was established in 1932 when the 25,000 acres Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish Republic by the Vincent family.  The government ran the park like a working farm for decades and then in 1981 UNESCO designated the park a biosphere reserve.  The park conserves the last native forest in Ireland full of Oak and Yew trees and protects the only herd of Red Tail deer left in Ireland.
There are three lakes in Killarney National Park; Upper Lake, Muckross Lake and Lough Leane and they are all interconnected, but each has their own eco-systems.  There are boat tours, water taxis, rowboat rentals and organized kayak tours available on Lough Leane that all depart from the pier at  Ross Castle.  There are several excellent and walking hiking trails for every level of fitness in Killarney Park.  The Park has a website with all the various hiking trail information www.killarneypark.ie

Torc Waterfall

Torc Waterfall

If you have only a limited amount of time in Killarney Park, I would recommend a quick walk up to Torc Waterfall.  The parking lot for Torc Waterfall is two miles South of Muckross House on the N-71 (Ring of Kerry).  From the car park, it's only a ten-minute leisurely stroll along a trail. You are passing through Friar's Glen flanked by moss-covered tree trunks of old-growth Oak, Yew Alder and Rhododendrons.  This is what most of Ireland looked like before people arrived 8,000 years ago; a lush green rainforest.  The Owengarriff River gently cascades down the mountain to create Torc Falls and is usually swamped with kids clambering up the rocks on either side.  If you wish to do some more serious hiking continue along the path, several trails lead up to Torc mountain above the Waterfall.

Rent A Jaunting Cart

A great way to get yourself around Killarney National Park is to rent a bicycle from one of the many rental companies by the train station or near Muckross House: Cycling Killarney, Lyne's Rent A Bike, and O'Sullivan's Cycles are just a few of the companies offering bike rentals and tours.  Rates are €15/day for adults and €12.50 for kids (and rear panniers are free so bring along that picnic).  Or you can rent an E-bike for €35/day-vroom!

Gerry Pulling Our Jaunting Car

Another option is to hire a "jaunting car."  A jaunting car is a horse-drawn two-wheeled cart that was the traditional transportation at one time in Ireland.  We hired our horse Gerry who kindly allowed his "jarvey" or driver to take us around the grounds of Muckross House, Muckross Farm and the abandoned Medieval Muckross Abbey.  A 45-minute to  1-hour jaunting car tour costs about €40-45 and a 2-hour tour €60 in the peak season (you can bargain a little in offseason).  Depending on the size of the cart you can usually have up to 4 or 5 people in the vehicle plus a driver.  The jarveys are all over Killarney park, lined up and hustling for business.  I know some jarveys are very persistent, so just find a jarvey who's accent is not so thick (good luck with that, my friends), agree to a route and negotiate a fair price.  This is an experience to remember!

Muckross House & Traditional Farm

Muckross House 

No trip to Killarney National park would be complete without a tour of Muckross House and Traditional Farm.  This stately Victorian Mansion built in 1843 was lived in until 1932 when the Park was created.  Situated overlooking Muckross Lake, the house is adjacent to Muckross Farms which is an open-air museum designed to give visitors a taste of what life in Ireland was like at the turn of the last century.  You can not see the interior of the mansion without the 45-minute guided tour that comes with the €9 Euro entry price.  It is also €9 to tour Muckross Farm, or there is a combo ticket for €15.  If you visit one grand house in Ireland-make it THIS one.  Touring the magnificent gardens of the Estate is free.  Visit the *stunning* Muckross website at www.muckross-house.ie for more details.

Muckross Abbey

Muckross Abbey is a beautiful ruined Franciscan abbey that sits on a chestnut tree-lined lane on the Muckross Estate.  The monastery was built in 1448 and has been damaged and rebuilt many times until Cromwell's army finally destroyed it in the mid-1600s. The abbey has no roof but is very well preserved and is a photographer's dream.  The ancient Yew tree in the centre of the cloister is a sight to behold!  You can climb around inside the abbey and even get up to the second floor and wander around the building.

Ross Castle

Ross Castle

Ross Castle is situated on the shores of lovely Lough Leane, the largest lake in Killarney Park.  Built in the late 15th century, Ross castle was the head of the O'Donoghue Clan.  The tower house is in good shape and 40 minute guided tours are offered with the price of admission €5.  The castle is open from March until November and is a bustling attraction.  For hours of operation click HERE or search www.heritageireland.ie.  You can get to Ross castle by taking Ross Road off the N-71 (Ring of Kerry) and parking your car or by coming through Killarney Park on foot, bike or jaunting car.  If you have time to wander around the castle grounds, there are some beautiful walking trails around Library Point.    Ross Castle is also where you can rent boats, kayaks or take a waterbus to Innisfallen Island where a mysterious old monastery sits...

Innisfallen Island

Innisfallen Abbey

Inniffallen Abbey was said to be founded around the year 640 by the leper St. Finian.  There is much evidence that this island in Lough Leane was inhabited since the Bronze Age because of all the copper mines in the Ross Castle area.  St. Finian was a disciple of St. Columba in Scotland and was said to be a very strict abbot who ran a (vegetarian!) monastery here. This monastery lasted for 950 years until Queen Elizabeth I dispossessed it in 1594.  The monks who lived here wrote a chronicle of Early Irish history in the year 1092 called the Annals of Innisfallen which are in Oxford's Bodleian library, England. This was how Lough Leane got its name; for in Irish the lake is called Loch Léin which means "lake of learning."  All of the ruins you see on Innisfallen are from the 12th century, the original buildings were repurposed to build a more prominent Romanesque style church as the abbey flourished.   There are no facilities on Innisfallen Island so make sure you bring everything you need with you when you leave Ross Castle.

The Gap of Dunloe

If you have more than a day in the Park, a trip to The Gap of Dunloe is a picturesque way to spend an afternoon.  The Gap of Dunloe is a mountain pass on the Loe River between the Purple Mountains and MacGillycuddy's Reeks.  At the North end of The Gap, you will find the tiny village of Beaufort with it's beautiful Ogham Stones that are a National Monument, 2 castle ruins nearby, and the ruins of two ancient churches!  The narrow road of the Gap of Dunloe is about 11km (7 miles) long between Kate Kearney's Cottage which is a 150-year-old bar, restaurant and craft shop and Lord Brandon's Cottage which is nestled on the shores of Upper Lake.  Motor vehicles through the gap are not permitted unless you are a local (there are old homesteads along the road) so you will have to park at Kate Kearney's Cottage and walk to take a jaunting car the rest of the way.   

My suggestion would be to pack a picnic lunch and hire a jaunting car from Ross Castle to take you through Killarney park to the Gap of Dunloe and then take the boat back to Ross Castle in the afternoon.  There are many tour operators offering unique itineraries that you can book ahead like Killarney Horse and Carriage Tours.   Or just pop into the Killarney Visitor Centre on Scott Street for tourist information on all the tours available to the Gap of Dunloe. 

Killarney National Park is a treasure on the West Coast of Ireland that should not be missed.  Even if your visit to the park is brief, I have every confidence that it will be memorable.  What was your favourite experience in Killarney Park?

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