Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [272]
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Castlemaine is well connected with Tralee, Killorglin, and Limerick via Killarney, but there are no buses from Castlemaine to Annascaul via Inch.
Inch
Inch’s 5km-long sand spit was a location for both Ryan’s Daughter and Playboy of the Western World. Sarah Miles, love interest in the former film, described her stay here as ‘brief but bonny’.
The dunes are certainly bonny, scattered with the remains of shipwrecks and Stone Age and Iron Age settlements. The west-facing beach is also a hot surfing spot; waves average 1m to 3m. Westcoast Surf School ( 086 836 0271; www.westcoastsurfschool.ie) offers lessons and five-day kids’ camps.
Cars are allowed on the beach, but don’t end up providing others with nonstop laughs by getting stuck.
Sammy’s ( 066-915 8118; ), at the entrance to the beach, is the nerve centre of the village. The beach-facing bar–restaurant serves a vast range of dishes from sandwiches and pasta to fresh oysters and mussels. There’s a shop, tourist information and trad sessions during the summer. Camping (sites from €10) is offered in a field above the beach.
Foley’s ( 066-915 8117) is another popular watering hole overlooking grassy dunes.
Inch Beach Guest House ( 066-915 8333; www.inchbeachguesthouse.com; s/d from €60/80) is all skylights, sea views and Ryan’s Daughter memorabilia. The general breeziness is completed by attractive modern fittings.
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WEST OF DINGLE
At the tip of the peninsula is the Slea Head drive along the R559. It has the greatest concentration of ancient sites in Kerry, if not the whole of Ireland. Specialist guides on sale in An Café Liteártha Click here and the tourist office Click here in Dingle list the most interesting and accessible sites.
This part of the peninsula is a Gaeltacht area. The landscape is dramatic, especially in shifting mist, although full-on sea fog obliterates everything. For the best views, follow the Slea Head drive in a clockwise direction. Cross the bridge west of Dingle and keep straight on to Ventry (below). Beyond Ventry the road hugs the coast past Dunbeg Fort (opposite), then round the rocky outposts of Slea Head and Dunmore Head. Continuing along the coast to Dunquin (opposite), then turning east to Ballyferriter, the views of the Blasket Islands give way to views of 951m-high Mt Brandon and its neighbours. Beyond Ballyferriter is the Gallarus Oratory and numerous other historic sites, not to mention a confusing clutter of lanes. From Gallarus, the R599 circles back to Dingle.
Although a mere 50km in length, doing this drive justice will require a full day, at least.
Ventry
pop 410
The village of Ventry (Ceann Trá) is next to a wide sandy bay.
A great base for exploring the area is Ceann Trá Heights ( 066-915 9866; www.iol.ie/~ventry; s/d from €45/70; Mar-Nov), a comfortable, modern three-room guesthouse overlooking Ventry Harbour.
Near Ceann Trá Heights is Long’s Riding Stables ( 066-915 9723; www.longsriding.com; 1hr/day from €30/130), which offers mountain and beach treks.
Slea Head & Dunmore Head
Overlooking the mouth of Dingle Bay, Slea Head has fine beaches, good walks and views of Mt Eagle and the Blasket Islands. It’s understandably popular with coach parties, and cake vendors stand at the ready. But it’s also an excellent area to see some well-preserved structures from Dingle’s ancient past.
Dunmore Head is the westernmost point on the Irish mainland and the site of the wreckage in 1588 of two Spanish Armada ships.
About 7km southwest of Ventry on the road to Slea Head is the Iron Age Dunbeg Fort, a dramatic example of a promontory fortification, perched atop a sheer sea cliff. The fort has four outer walls of stone. Inside are the remains of a house and a beehive hut, as well as an underground passage.
The Slea Head area is dotted with