The Dingle Peninsula ( ga, Corca Dhuibhne;

anglicised Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

as Corkaguiny, the name of the corresponding

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

) is the northernmost of the major

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

s in

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

. It ends beyond the town of Dingle at

Dunmore Head Dunmore Head () is a promontory in the westernmost part of the Dingle Peninsula, located in the barony of Corca Dhuibhne in southwest County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South- ...

, the westernmost point of Ireland and arguably

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Name

The Dingle Peninsula is named after the town of Dingle. The peninsula is also commonly called ''Corca Dhuibhne'' ( Corcu Duibne) even when those referring to it are speaking in English. ''Corca Dhuibhne'', which means "seed or tribe of Duibhne" (a Goddess, a Gaelic clan name), takes its name from the ''

túath ''Túath'' (plural ''túatha'') is the Old Irish term for the basic political and jurisdictional unit of Gaelic Ireland. ''Túath'' can refer to both a geographical territory as well the people who lived in that territory. Social structure In ...

'' (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

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

rock that forms the

Slieve Mish , translation = ossiblymountains of Mis , language = Irish , photo=File:Fenit Marina Ireland.JPG , photo_caption= Slieve Mish Mountains from across the Tralee Bay in the village of Fenit , country=Republic of Ireland , location = Kerry ...

mountain range at the neck of the peninsula, in the east, and the Brandon Group of mountains, and the Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula further to the west. Ireland's highest mountain outside

MacGillycuddy's Reeks , photo=MacGuillycuddy's Reeks.jpg , photo_caption= , country=Ireland , country1= , location = County Kerry , region = Munster , region_type = Provinces of Ireland , parent= , border= , length_km=19 , length_orientation=East–West ...

Mount Brandon Mount Brandon or Brandon (), at , is one of the ten highest peaks in Ireland, being the 8th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and the 9th–highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam list. Brandon is the highest Irish mountain outside the Ma ...

at 951 m, forms part of a high ridge with views over the peninsula and North Kerry. Conor Pass, which runs from Dingle on the south-western end of the peninsula towards Brandon Bay and Castlegregory in the north-east, is the highest mountain pass in Ireland, a narrow, twisting road; it weaves its way around the sharp cliff faces and past the high corrie lakes. The Blasket Islands lie off the west coast. They are known 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

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...

( Irish-speaking area) that has produced a number of nationally notable authors and poets; Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha and Peig Sayers among others. This is the westernmost 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

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...

and early

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

remains including: * Glanfahan, site of ancient dry-stone huts ( clocháns) * Caherdorgan North, with medieval stone buildings * Ballywiheen, containing an ancient stone fort and monastic settlement *

Kilmalkedar Kilmalkedar is a medieval ecclesiastical site and National Monument located in County Kerry, Ireland. Location Kilmalkedar is on the Dingle Peninsula, east of Ballyferriter and northwest of Dingle. History Kilmalkedar is traditionally a ...

, monastic settlement with Ogham stone * Ferriter's Cove, at the western tip of the peninsula; and *

Gallarus Oratory The Gallarus Oratory (, ''Gallarus'' being interpreted as either 'rocky headland' (''Gall-iorrus'') or 'house or shelter for foreigner(s)' (''Gall Aras'') is a chapel on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland. It has been presented variou ...

in the very west of the peninsula near the village of '' Baile an Fheirtéaraigh'' in '' Ard na Caithne''. Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, situated in the village of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh ( Ballyferriter) 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 The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thr ...

. In April 2021, Irish archaeologists from the National Monuments Service and Ireland's National Museum announced the discovery of an untouched

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

grave, skeletal remains, fragments of human bone and a large semicircular slab in the underground passageway. Archaeologist Mr Ó Coileáin reported: “''We think this may have been a ritual site with an element of burial in it and this could be one of those. This looks like it is a chambered tomb from the

period which might have been a significant marker on the landscape''".

Places of interest

The peninsula is known for the MV ''Ranga'', a Spanish cargo vessel that wrecked on the coast in 1982. Gallaunmore is a standing stone and National Monument. Rahinnane Castle is a 15th-century castle built on a medieval

ringfort Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wale ...

In film

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

's 1970 film '' Ryan's Daughter'' takes place at a village on the Dingle Peninsula in the immediate aftermath of the 1916

Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with t ...

, and was partly shot on location near Dún Chaoin, Coumeenole Beach,

Slea Head Slea Head (Irish: ''Ceann Sléibhe'') is a promontory in the westernmost part of the Dingle Peninsula, located in the barony of Corca Dhuibhne in southwest County Kerry, Ireland. It belongs to the province of Munster and the county of Ker ...

and Inch Strand. '' Far and Away'', a 1992 film directed by

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...

, was partly filmed on the peninsula. The film ''

Leap Year A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or ...

'' is partly set in the Dingle Peninsula, but none of the filming took place in the area. Several local areas were used for filming of Star Wars: The Last Jedi including Dunmore Head and Slea Head where a replica of the Clochán huts of Skellig Michael were built.

In music

Dingle is mentioned in

Phil Colclough Phil Colclough (11 January 1940 - 23 September 2019) was an English contemporary folk singer and songwriter. His best known works, co-written with his wife, June Colclough (1941 – 12 October 2004), are "Song for Ireland" and "The Call and ...

and June Colclough's "Song for Ireland."

Gallery

File:Dingle Peninsula.jpg, The Dingle Peninsula as viewed from

Banna Strand Banna Strand, (Gaeilge: Trá na Beannaí) also known as Banna Beach, is situated in Ballyheigue Bay. It is an Atlantic Ocean beach extending from Ballyheigue Beach at the Blackrock in the North to Barrow Beach at its southern edge, located in ...

. file:Dingle Peninsula Coast.jpg, Dingle Peninsula coastline. File:Minard Castle.jpg, Minard Castle, Lispole,

. File:EaskTower1a June2008.jpg, Eask Tower, with the tip of the Ring of Kerry in the background. File:Dunmore Head Beaches 2.jpg, Beaches near Dunmore Head. File:Garfinny Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 912699.jpg, Garfinny Bridge, medieval bridge and National Monument

References

External links

* {{coord, 52, 11, 36, N, 10, 05, 02, W, region:IE_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title Peninsulas of County Kerry Important Bird Areas of the Republic of Ireland