The Day we Walked From Ventry to Dunquin

 It was the first day of our walk on the Dingle Way and we set out in perfect conditions  Despite the widespread heat warnings for the area, we felt that the forecast 21 degrees and sunshine made for perfect walking weather. 

Our B&B in Dingle provided us with a delicious cooked breakfast and we were ready in time for our taxi transfer to Ventry, a mere 10 minutes away, where we would pick up the Dingle Way, a 179 km circular walking route on the breathtaking Dingle Peninsula. Jutting into the Atlantic from the Southwest coast of Ireland, the area is famed for its coastal beauty, ancient archaeological sites and Gaelic culture. The path follows quiet country lanes, beaches and mountain trails with ever changing views of the ocean and nearby islands. 

In Ventry, we purchased some fresh cheese rolls from the local cafe to take with us for lunch, crossed the road to the first way-marker and set off down a narrow path lined with fuchsia hedges, that spilled us out onto the beach. With the sparkling sea on our left we began our 16km journey at 9:30 am. 

After 3kms of beach walking, we turned inland and began to climb. Along the way we saw signs inviting a visit to a Prehistoric Ring Fort, believed in folklore to be associated with fairies and Druids magic. Strangely, it also involved feeding sheep, goats and alpacas that inhabited the fort, which was enclosed by an earthern bank and foss (deep perimeter ditch). 

We had walked for two hours when a handy rock invited us to sit and enjoy a break. We savoured our cheese rolls and rehydrated, as it was very warm. Ascending through bracken-edged paths, ancient stone walls dotting the hillside all around us, we began to notice strange beehive-shaped stone structures. Referring to our guide book we realised these were clochans - small circular dwellings associated with early Christian Irish monastic life from the 6th-12th centuries.  Built entirely from stacked, unmortared flat stones, their existence today is evidence of their ability to withstand severe Atlantic gales. In addition to the clochans, we also saw well-preserved remains of stone ring forts. 

The higher we climbed on the foothills of Mt Eagle the sun disappeared and we became cloaked in low cloud. While this obstructed our view back to Ventry Bay, and ahead to the Blasket Islands, it did provide a welcome, cooling mist. Leaving the archaeological structures in the fog behind us, we crossed a stile and discovered a large rock on which to rest and enjoy some further snacks before we began our descent down Slea Head towards the small settlement of Coumeenole and the promise of coffee at Caife na Tra, which we had been advised not to miss. 

Back on the road, we purchased some uniquely Gaelic gifts from a roadside stall and sought directions to the cafe.  A little further down the busy road we found the views from the cafe over Great Blasket Island and the other smaller Blaskets was indescribable. The sun was shining again, so we sat and sipped and admired the view for quite some time.

Continuing on the road, with no shoulder to walk on, we had to frequently press ourselves against the hedgerows to get out of the way of cars, which seemed to be going much too fast in the narrow and winding conditions. We were relieved when, with our final destination of Dunquin in our sights, our navigation app directed us off the road and onto a quiet country lane. We passed a stone pier far below us, which seemed to be a popular spot for tourists to visit, and the launching point for the Blasket Island ferries. Soon after this brief stop, Wallsy’s foot gave out, a blister having formed, so he did some wayside foot repairs and we continued on to find our night’s accommodation in Dunquin. 

The An Portan Guesthouse is very comfortable and situated in walking distance to the most westerly pub in Ireland - Tigh Kruger (Kruger’s Bar), so of course that was where we dined tonight.