Dingle Way

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On the Dingle Way near Smerwick Harbour and Ballydavid Head

The Dingle Way is a long-distance trail around the Dingle Peninsula in the far west of County Kerry. It is a strenuous circular route 100 miles long, which begins and ends in Tralee and it is typically completed in eight days.

The route is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by the Dingle Way Committee and the local council.[1]

Route

The trail begins in Tralee, following the towpath of an old ship canal to Blennerville, after which it follows the road for a while before climbing up to a mountain track along the northern flanks of the Slieve Mish Mountains. From here it descends towards Tralee Bay and the village of Camp.

The next few stages – Camp to Annascaul, by way of Inch Strand; Annascaul to Dingle, by way of Lispole; and Dingle to Dunquin, by way of Ventry – mainly follow minor roads and boreens. The latter section of the stage between Dingle and Dunquin follows a cliff path around Slea Head. The section between Dunquin and Ballycurrane follows a mixture of roads, beaches and cliff paths.

The most mountainous stretch of the Way now follows as the trail ascends a saddle between Brandon and Masatiompan mountains.[2] At 2,100 feet, this is the highest point reached by any of the National Waymarked Trails in Ireland.[3]

The Way then descends to Brandon village and follows a trail to the village of Cloghane. From Cloghane, the trail follows Fermoyle Strand, Ireland's longest beach, to Fahamore, before following roads to the village of Castlegregory.

The final stage follows the coastline to Camp before retracing the outward route to Tralee.

Pictures

Views along the Dingle Way
The old ship canal from Tralee  
Road section, towards Ballydavid Head  
Cliffs near Slea Head  
Hillside pasture  

Location

Outside links

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("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Dingle Way)

References

  1. Dingle Way – Irish Trails (Irish Sports Council)
  2. Fewer 1996, p. 115.
  3. Guide to the National Waymarked Ways of Ireland – Irish Trails (Irish Sports Council)

Books

  • Bardwell, Sandra; Megarry, Jacquetta (2009). The Dingle Way (2nd ed.). Dunblane: Rucksack Readers. ISBN 978-1-898481-33-1. 
  • Fewer, Michael: 'The Way-marked Trails of Ireland' (Gill & Macmillan, 1996) ISBN 0-7171-2386-3
Long-distance footpaths in the Republic of Ireland

National Waymarked Trails:   Ballyhoura WayBarrow WayBealach na Gaeltachta, Dún na nGallBeara WayBlackwater WayBluestack WayBurren WayCavan WayCroagh Patrick Heritage TrailDingle WayDublin Mountains WayEast Clare WayEast Munster WayGrand Canal WayHymany WayKerry WayLough Derg WayMid Clare WayMiners Way and Historical TrailMonaghan WayMulteen WayNore Valley WayNorth Kerry WayOffaly WayRoyal Canal WaySheep's Head WaySlieve Bloom WaySlieve Felim WaySligo WaySouth Leinster WaySuck Valley WayTáin WayTipperary Heritage WayWestern WayWestmeath WayWicklow Way

Greenways:   Boyne GreenwayDublin-Galway GreenwayGreat Southern TrailGreat Western Greenway

Others:   Bangor TrailMalin to Mizen