According to our current itinerary, we'll be spending our first full day in Ireland touring the Dingle Peninsula. Known for its natural beauty and stunning scenery, the peninsula features antiquities from the Iron Age as well as a range of new age artists.
The Dingle Peninsula is one of the Gaeltacht, which are government supported Irish language regions. In order to receive funds intended to keep the Irish language alive, the region was forced to change its name to An Daingaen, which means "the Fortress". Residents of the region have fought back, preferring the name "Dingle". As a result, we may see signs like the one below on the road, where residents have painted "Dingle" atop "An Daingaen."
Dingle is the largest town in the region with 1,200 residents and 52 pubs, according to the region's tourism web site (here). Originally a port and (still) a fishing village, tourism is an increasing part of the local economy. In the late 1960's the film "Ryan's Daughter" was filmed near Dingle.
The streets of Dingle rise from the port and the town is known for brightly painted buildings and its mascot, a dolphin named Fungie. You can download a map of the town here.
A few miles up the road from Dingle is the Gallarus Oratory (Seipeilin Ghallrois), a small dry stone church that was built sometime between the 6th and 9th centuries. It is the best preserved early Christian church in Ireland; you can read more about it here.
Some of the peninsula's artisans include:
* Milliner Kathleen McAuliffe (web site here)
* Potter Louis Mulcahy (web site here)
* Holden Leathergoods (web site here)
* Brian de Staic celtic jewelry (web site here)
* Lisbeth Mulcahy fabrics and tapestries (web site here)
Links to You Tube videos on the Dingle Peninsula:
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