Looking for Irish beauty spots loaded with history? The Dingle Peninsula has all that, and more.
This most northerly of the three hilly promontories of County Kerry which jut out into the Atlantic stretches for some 30 miles (48 kilometers) westward from Tralee. Within its relatively small area are more antiquities and historic sites than in any other part of the country.
Ring Forts
Perhaps most interesting sights on the peninsula are the ring forts. Archaeologists believe they were constructed by the Danes sometime around 800 A.D. Usually set on headlands facing the sea, their stones fitted upon each other so precisely that mortar was unnecessary. Some of the forts were built with multiple concentric walls; others relied upon only one thick wall for defense. Most of them incorporated stone-lined underground passageways leading up to caves in the hills behind the fortifications. Primarily used as escape routes and hiding passages, these souterrains sometimes served a much more mundane purpose -- for storage of milk products.
One of the most important antiquities in the area, the Gallarus Oratory, off the coastal road between Ballyferriter and Dunquin, was built in the 8th century. It's a classic example of the craft of corbelling -- mortarless construction with large stones on the bottom layers, diminishing in size to the peak of the curved roof. The church is still watertight after more than a thousand years.
Ogham Stones and Wells
Equally fascinating are the Ogham Stones -- incised with a code-like writing based on a Latin dialect used in Northern Italy before 300 A.D. The stones, found in various parts of the peninsula, commemorated the ancestry of the deceased. Many of them were altered in later years by Christians, who substituted crude crosses for the names of pagan ancestors. Other incised stones were used as boundary stones and road markers. Among other relics from the past are beehive huts and holy wells. The beehive huts, a distinctive type of circular dwelling built of stone, were used as shelters for farm animals and poultry.
Legends galore surround the ancient wells -- of fish being removed, causing the water to dry up instantly; about stones taken from the wells being found next day covered with blood; of the water turning into wine on Epiphany Eve, and of removed stones returning themselves. Each well was associated with a particular saint and was supposed to impart specific powers such as health or wisdom. In the early days of Christianity, acts of devotion -- called rounds -- were performed by walking around the wells a prescribed number of times.
Castles, Too
Also on the peninsula are the remains of 13 medieval castles, with names like Ballineanig, Castlegregory, Fermoyle, and Ferriter's. Most of them were constructed during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII by the kings' retainers.
The best way to explore Dingle’s historical treasures is with a car and local driver. Most people who live on the Peninsula were born and raised there and have their own family legends about the stones, buildings and wells. Arrangements for a car and driver (or a guide if you have a vehicle) at any of the lodging places, such as Pax House, in the Dingle Town area.
