Dingle - **
This sleepy town was fun to troll around in and have some relaxation time. I had envisioned this vacation with a tapering off of activity starting in the second week and Dingle was to be our first real calm stop.
Dingle is widely known for being a sleepy fisherman’s town where much of the signage still includes old Gael language. It’s also where Fungy, the famous Dingle Dolphin, hops about being entertaining in the bay. I personally had no desire to chill with any fish, but I hear he’s kind of a big deal.
We shopped about in the town, enjoying the haphazard arrangement of the main street and the different artisan shops peppered around. Go shop at the Strand House and check out the second-story cafe looking over the bay. They served some excellent pastries and soup, we spent a good part of an afternoon with books and coffee just relaxing.
Ring of Dingle (R559) - ***
We started ‘the route’ going from Tralee to the Gallarus Oratory out of Ventry, but got utterly lost three times. It was a trying start but eventually we got on the route proper and made it to the Gallarus Oratory. Note that the main road will turn away from Gallarus very suddenly and it’s not hard to miss because of it!
Gallarus Oratory - **
Gallarus was of interest to use because it was one of many well-preserved examples of early Christian religious buildings left on Ireland back in 12th century. They have a small tourist information center about a half mile off and they show a short loop video of information on it. The building itself is nestled away in beautiful countryside. If you’re at all interested in early architecture I’d go there and take a look, the stones were worked by very capable hands and the experience is cute.
“Crazy Freaking Promontory” - ***
Holy crap, there was no sign nearby that told us where we were, we just saw cars lined up on the side of the road in front of a flat area with some big rocks. We thought we’d stop and check it out because hey, tourists, and next thing we knew we were hiking up to some rocky promontories that dotted the area.
Each successive one was bigger than the last and closer to a rolling, buckling death and so of course we hurried our way across! The weather being average for our stay was not rainy nor windy, but it wasn’t sunny either, so we didn’t get to enjoy it’s full majesty. I could imagine it being beyond words with the sun shining.
An Dunbeag (Small Fort) - ***
This sleepy little fort on the coast is situated at the tip of another promontory point and is another architectural draw from the early years of Ireland’s history. It’s built into the earth with drainage channels beneath for the wet climate.
Built much like Gallarus (and the Beehive huts, which we skipped) An Dunbeag is situated on the edge of another cliff and is a short walk from the main route. A parking lot is thoughtfully placed across from it and has a pub for the wearied traveler.
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